Books You’re on the Fence About - 2024

[Anita]

Silent Protector by Katie Reus 3-Stars
Timing is everything
My Review

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave 3-Stars
Uncovering dad's secret life brings some surprising answers.
My Review

Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter 3 1/2-Stars
In an instant everything changed.
My Review

[Brenda]

My review for The Vanishing Wife by Nichole Severn

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Suz]

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

My review 2.5⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

Friends and the Golden Age of the Sitcom by Joanna Hagan

As a FRIENDS fan, I expected far more from this.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Mark]

I'm finishing the week with a review of 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse. This thriller was a bit uneven for me.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

Incidents Around the House- Josh Malerman - (Michigan)
Genera: Paranormal/Mystery Suspense/Thriller
5★
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Book Concierge]

The Hive and the Honey – Paul Yoon – 3***
I like this kind of literary fiction. This is a collection of short stories, all featuring Koreans. The settings and time frame vary, from Europe to Asia to North America, from the 19th century to contemporary times. What they have in common is the way in which Yoon depicts his characters.
LINK to my full review

[Dorie - Cats&Books :)]

I'm an outlier on this one, 3* for

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Book Concierge]

Free Fire – C J Box – 3***
Book number seven in the mystery series featuring Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett. Gosh but I love Pickett. He’s an astute observer, keeps his cards close to the chest, doesn’t take unnecessary chances, but doesn’t hesitate to go into dangerous situations when it’s called for. There are some hidden agendas regarding ecoterrorism, deals cut with major bioengineering firms, and possible drug dealing. Can he sort it out and discover the “real” culprit before a natural disaster occurs to wipe out all evidence?
LINK to my full review

[Carol]

Zachary's Gold - Wes Snowden - (Germany, North Dakota)
Genera: World War I /Historical Fiction
3★
Review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Mark]

Starting out the week with A Slay Ride Together with You by Vicki Delany https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

The Fury - Alex Michaelides - (Greece)
Genera: Mystery/Suspense
3★
Review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Liz]

Not quite sure what to make of The Cemetery of Untold Stories . My 3.5 star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

Mashi and Other Stories by Rabindranath Tagore

A classic work by an acclaimed Indian author, but it needed better translation.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

Heartless - Kate Hawthorne - Room for Love series # 2
4★
Review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Book Concierge]

Dragon Actually – G A Aiken – 3***
Welcome to the world of handsome warrior dragons and the bloodthirsty females who love them. The plot is thin, but it was a fast read and somewhat entertaining, if repetitive. I have to say I most enjoyed the family interplay between Fearghus, his siblings and parents.
LINK to my full review

[Mark]

I'm closing out the week with What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Brenda]

My review for Opal by Patricia Wolf

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Book Concierge]

The Queen of Sugar Hill – ReShonda Tate – 3.5***
Subtitle: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel. Tate’s novel begins with the Oscar ceremony when McDaniel won for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Mammy in GONE WITH THE WIND. But Hattie McDaniel was so much more than that iconic role, and Tate gives us all of her. Having read this book, I have a new appreciation for the trailblazing that McDaniel and other Black actors of her generation did.
LINK to my full review

[Book Concierge]

The Tunnels – Michelle Gagnon – 3***
Book One in the mystery series starring FBI agent Kelly Jones. A serial killer is targeting women on a New England college campus. This is a brutal, graphic murder mystery, and Jones is a tough lady who is up to the task. The pace is fast, the lead character is likeable, and the storyline held my attention, but I’m not sure I’d bother to read another in the series.
LINK to my full review

[Brenda]

My review for I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Brenda]

My review for None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jonetta]

I finished Fatal Threat by Marie Force and it wasn’t better the second time around.
my review

[Carol]

Terrible Things - Beth Bolden
Narrator: Kirt Graves
Star Shadow Series Part I
Genera: M/M Romance/Boy Band
3★

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[PamG]

Here is my 3.23 rounded to 3 stars review of Wicked Embers by Keri Arthur:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Urban Fantasy with some Paranormal Romance
Action-Packed
Unable to connect with the characters

[Jenny]

How to Piss Off Men by Kyle Prue


My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

Frozen in Time - Owen Beattie - Arctic/Canada
Genera: Non-fiction/Arctic Expedition
3.5★
Review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Book Concierge]

Sincerely, Sicily – Tamika Burgess – 3***
Sicily Jordan has looked forward to middle school with her besties, and their coordinated outfits. But shortly before school starts, she learns that she will be enrolled in a newer school, and she’ll have to wear a uniform! I thought this was really delightful. Sicily’s troubles range from “new school” blues to bullying to navigating a first crush to family drama around her chosen hairstyle to racism. I like the way Burgess dealt with Sicily’s conflicts, as well as the way she portrayed the girl’s awakening to her family’s background and culture as Black Panamanians. I’m going to recommend this to a couple of middle-schoolers I know.
LINK to my full review

[Canadian Jen]

Finished What Happened to Nina? . I would consider this one to be a palate cleanser. My thoughts: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Brenda]

My review for Death at the Dinner Party by Ellie Alexander

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Liz]

The Divide was a mildly unsatisfying murder mystery. My three star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Book Concierge]

A Death In Door County – Annelise Ryan – 3***
First in a new series featuring Morgan Carter, bookstore owner and cryptozoologist. Several bodies are found washed up on the beaches of Washington Island in Lake Michigan, all bearing unusual injuries that look like bites from a giant, unknown animal. I loved the setting in Wisconsin’s Door County, and I loved Morgan’s dog, Newt. The plot stretched credulity and the solution to the mystery felt rushed as well as implausible. Still, a fast read and moderately enjoyable.
LINK to my full review

[Canadian Jen]

Just finished a memoir A Light through the Cracks: A Climber's Story . Always difficult to rate a personal story. My thoughts: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

Bringing Back Kay-Kay by Dev Kothari

A middle-grade mystery about a missing sibling and a girl's quest to locate him.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Liz]

Mrs. Winchester’s Biographer turned an interesting woman into a boring subject. My three star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Phrynne]

My review of One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[MarilynW]

Tell Me Who You Are Louisa Luna

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[PamG]

Here is my 3.13 rounded to 3 stars review of Midnight Magic by Rebecca York, Susan Kearney, and Jeanie London:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

3 novellas
Romance centered around a magical painting that serves as a portal for second chances

[Liz]

I’m an outlier with a very meh opinion of Only the Beautiful . My three star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Phrynne]

My review of A Worthington Wedding by Ella Quinn

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

Cinnamon Roll Crush - Joe Satoria
Shaftdale Daddies series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance/Daddy/little
3★
Review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

Temptation - E.M. Lindsey
Breaking The Rules Series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance
3★
Review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Faith]

My review of The Drowning House by Cherie Priest

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Mary Beth]

Finished Nowhere

My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[PamG]

Here is my 3.16 rounded to 3 stars review of The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells: A witchy, spellbinding tale of magic and love by Rachel Greenlaw:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Magical Realism, Romance
Overall, I enjoyed the entertaining and atmospheric story, but it wasn’t what I expected. However, the world-building was excellent and it was a nice change-of-pace read that was also thought-provoking. The exploration of relationships was well-done.

[Phrynne]

My review of Cracks Beneath the Surface by Mary Ann Miller

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

Depth of Field - Riley Hart
Last Chance Series Book #1
Genera: M/M/Romance
4★
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[MarilynW]

Look in the Mirror Catherine Steadman

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Brenda]

My review for A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

Stuff Me - Joe Satoria- (New York/Vermont)
Part of the Bear 4U, multiple author series
Genera: M/M Romance/Daddy-little
3.5★
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...