Books You Couldn’t Finish (DNF) or That Didn’t Work For You - 2025

[Brenda]

Please include links to your Goodreads reviews for books you couldn’t finish or didn’t like. Be sure to include the title and the author.

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

The Wonderful Discovery of Elizabeth Sawyer by Jonathan Vischer

One of my biggest disappointments of 2024. I expected far better from such a premise.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

Snowbody Like You- Ariella Zoelle
Genera: M/M Romance
Suite Dreams Series Book #1
2.5★
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Brenda]

My review for Panic by Catherine Jinks

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

[Liz]

I was totally disappointed in The Wildes : A Novel in Five Acts . It failed to give me any sense of the family. My two star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Book Concierge]

Texas! Sage – Sandra Brown – 1*
Oh, dear. I love a steamy Texas romance, and Brown delivers the steam. But the plot is ridiculous, and the characters are cardboard cutouts. The sex was okay, if unrealistic. And I actually liked Harlan Boyd as the “outsider” who wins the girl. I have read later books by Brown and really liked them, so don’t let this one completely deter you from her work.
LINK to my full review

[Debra]

My 2 star review for Of Flesh and Blood

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

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney

Mine is an outlier review for this fantasy-romance. It had too much romance and too little fantasy for my liking.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Suz]

Danielle Steel
My review 2 stars:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

by Danielle Steel
My review 2 stars:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Suz]

Deceivious by Darcy Daniel

My review 2.5⭐

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

[PattyMacDotComma]

Suz wrote: " Deceivious by Darcy Daniel

My review 2.5⭐

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

How weird, Suz. I tried to comment on your review, and twice I got a red error message saying "Review is not commentable". I saw that Dale managed to comment, so I don't know what's wrong.

Another glitch, perhaps, since we're GR friends.

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "How weird, Suz. I tried to comment on your review, and twice I got a red error message saying "Review is not commentable". I saw that Dale managed to comment, so I don't know what's wrong.
Another glitch, perhaps, since we're GR friends"

It was a problem with the book edition, Patty. I've just fixed it, so you can comment on the review now.

[Robin]

I listened to Never Look Back by Mary Burton.

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

[PattyMacDotComma]

Rosh wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "How weird, Suz. I tried to comment on your review, and twice I got a red error message saying "Review is not commentable". I saw that Dale managed to comment, so I don't kn..."

Thanks, Rosh.

[Mark]

I'm closing out the month with the disappointing Written in Blood by Sheila Lowe https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Debra]

My review for The Other People

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

[Brenda]

My review for The Campers by Maryrose Cuskelly

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

[Book Concierge]

Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective – Kate Siegel – 1*
Former child detective is asked by her brother and his girlfriend to solve a missing person case. The premise sounded cute for a cozy mystery, but I just never got into this book. What should have been a fast, entertaining read, turned into a drudge that took me more than a month to read. By the time the case was solved I had ceased to care.
LINK to my full review

[Carol]

By Any Other Name - Jodi Picult - (Connecticut, New York, England, Denmark)
Genera: Victorian England/Shakespear
2.5★
Review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Suz]

The Fog by Brooke Hardwick

My review 2 stars

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

[Robin]

I listened to The Widow by Carla Neggers.

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

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke

This will be one of my biggest disappointments of 2025. I can't believe a historical fantasy flopped so miserably for me.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Helen]

My review for The Cul-de-sac Christopher Null

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

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

I didn't plan to post these today, but I guess you could consider this a coincidental social service message: Please do NOT read either of these stories for Valentine's day if you value your brain cells. You're welcome! Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!

1. Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson
Royalty-commoner-swap short story with plenty of 'Roman Holiday' vibes. But not in a good way at all.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2. With Any Luck by Ashley Poston

I had had better hopes from this short story considering the author's reputation, but it was just 0.01% better than the first story.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Debra]

My review for The Last Session

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

[Canadian Jen]

Finished Running Cold. This ran lukewarm to cold for me. My thoughts: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Mark]

I'm kicking off the week with Kilned at the Ceramic Shop by Donna Clancy https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

Benji - N.R. Walker - (Australia)
Genera: M/M/Romance/Rent Boy
2★
Review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Dorie - Cats&Books :)]

2* for this book at 40%, a DNF for me!


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

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

Two graphic novels that didn't work so well for me, though they do have their plus points. Both went in unexpected directions.

1. The Girl Who Flew Away by Lee Dean

A historical graphic novel about a girl who finds herself pregnant before marriage and needs to make some tough choices.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2. Soma by Fernando Llor

A scifi graphic novel about an alien invasion. Didn't expect so much actual alien action on page, especially considering the cover.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Suz]

Silent Night by Danielle Steel

My review 2 stars

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

[Robin]

I listened to Small Town Girl by LaVyrle Spencer. I can't believe this is the same author who wrote Morning Glory.

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

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

The One Before The One by Emma Cooper

A timeslip romance-mystery that sounded better in the blurb.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Debra]

My review for White Line Fever

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

[Brenda]

My review for Itsy Bitsy Spider by Willow Rose

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

[Liz]

I was so disappointed in The Maid’s Secret . The series should have ended with the second book. My two star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Debra]

My review for The Bane Witch
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Canadian Jen]

This didn't work for me. More or Less Maddy My thoughts: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

I'm very much an outlier for this well-received historical fiction. :(
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Book Concierge]

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society – C M Waggoner – 1*
Waggoner seemed to throw every idea she had at the wall, hoping something would stick. It sounded like it might be a fun, slightly different, kind of cozy, however, the result was dreadful. The plot was thin, the character development completely lacking. I finished only because it fit a specific challenge.
LINK to my full review

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

The Faberge Girl by Ina Christova

Excellent idea for a historical fiction, but the execution was disappointing. Outlier review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[MarilynW]

What the Dead Know Nghi Vo

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

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Just when I pick up a book for which I think there's no way I'll be an outlier, I end up as the outlier!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible - Christy Lefteri - (Cyprus)
2.5★
Review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Liz]

The Three Lives of Cate Kay never meshed with my interest. My 2.5 star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Mark]

I started the week with Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles by Elizabeth Crowens https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Phrynne]

My review of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

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

[Canadian Jen]

I tried but had to abandon...the writing was exceptional as was the setting...the storyline? Well, it just didn't work for me.
Black Woods Blue Sky
My review or non-review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Mark]

I struggled through Murder Runs in the Family by Tamara Berry https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Liz]

The Friend was a miss for me. The only good parts involved the dog. My two star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...