March Reads and Reviews
BOOKS
March Reads and Rapid Reviews
Not wasting any time here, so let’s dive on in!
- The Corpse Flower – Anne Mette Hancock
- Ugly Love – Colleen Hoover
- I'm Glad My Mom Died – Jeanette McCurdy
- The Long Weekend – Gilly Macmillan
- Unmissing – Minka Kent
- One of Us is Dead – Jeneva Rose
- It's One of Us – J.T Ellison
- Neon Gods – Katee Robert
- The Wives – Tarryn Fisher
- They Never Learn – Layne Fargo
- Someone Knows – Lisa Scottoline
- Our Little Secret – Kiersten Modglin
- Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone – Benjamin Stevenson
- The Cage – Bonnie Kistler
- Sometimes I Lie – Alice Feeney
- Before She Was Found – Heather Gudenkauf
- Twenty Years Later – Charlie Donlea
- DNF: A Court of Mist and Fury
- Top 3 Reads of February
- Monthly Giveaway
- SHOP ALL BOOKS
The Corpse Flower – Anne Mette Hancock
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.8 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Lots of characters
- Multiple POV
- Police/investigator trope
What I loved: Ummmm……
What I didn’t love: SO many characters
Book Blurb
“Danish journalist Heloise Kaldan is in the middle of a nightmare. One of her sources has been caught lying, and she could lose her job over it. Then she receives the first in a series of cryptic and unsettling letters from a woman named Anna Kiel.
Wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of a young lawyer three years earlier, Anna hasn’t been seen by anyone since she left the crime scene covered in blood. The police think she’s fled the country until homicide detective Erik Scháfer comes up with a lead after the reporter who originally wrote about the case is found murdered in his apartment. Has Anna Kiel struck again, or is there more than one killer at large? And why does every clue point directly to Heloise Kaldan?
Meanwhile, the letters keep coming, and they hint at a connection between Anna and Heloise. As Heloise starts digging deeper, she realizes that to tell Anna’s story she will have to revisit the darkest parts of her own past–confronting someone she swore she’d never see again.“
My thoughts
Whew lawd at the amount of people in this book.
They just kept coming and coming.
The story seemed to drag on and barely kept my attention. I don’t have too many good things to say about this, but I am SUPER curious as to how it was able to garner 4.5 stars on Amazon.
What’d I miss?
My rating
Ugly Love – Colleen Hoover
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Romance
- Painful past trope
What I loved: Fast paced, easy to follow with not a lot of characters, that ending was WILD
What I didn’t love: Child death is always hard to read
Book Blurb
“When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn’t think it’s love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.
Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.
Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.“
My thoughts
As it is with all Colleen Hoover books, I went in with pretty low expectations and ended up being pleasantly surprised.
I honestly don’t know why I have such low expectations – I think it’s because people either LOVE or HATE her so I’m never sure which camp I will fall in, but I’ve found that I really like her stories.
They’re not prize winning or anything super in depth, but for a romance that tells a story around that, it’s not too bad.
My rating
I’m Glad My Mom Died – Jeanette McCurdy
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.5 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Memoirs
- Child actors “where are they now”
Content warning: Emotional/sexual abuse, narcissism
What I loved: Quick and easy listen, read by the author so you feel she’s talking to you on audiobook
What I didn’t love: Her stupid mother
Book Blurb
“Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.
In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.
Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.“
My thoughts
I always feel super weird rating someone else’s take on life as a memoir (although I gave Matty Perry’s the fivest of five stars), but this was another good one.
People told me I would enjoy this and I really did.
But let me tell you how hard I wanted to reach in and wring this stupid mother’s neck. Ohhhhhh my god did I wanna knock her out.
I know many kid actors have it rough, and you never know what’s behind the scenes, and Jeanette is just one more to ad to that list.
My rating
The Long Weekend – Gilly Macmillan
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.48 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (borrowed from my local library)
Read if you like:
- Domestic thrillers
- Locked room mysteries
- Multiple POV
What I loved: All the twists made this a good read
What I didn’t love: There were NO chapters in this book
Book Blurb
“Three couples
Two bodies
One secret
Dark Fell Barn is a “perfectly isolated” retreat, or so says its website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need.
The women arrive for a girls’ night ahead of their husbands. There’s ex-Army Jayne, hardened and serious, but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young Emily, just wed and insecure, the newest addition of this tight-knit band. Missing this year is Edie, who was the glue holding them together, until her husband died suddenly.
But what they hoped would be a relaxing break soon turns to horror. Upon arrival at Dark Fell Barn, the women find a devastating note claiming one of their husbands will be murdered. There are no phones, no cell service to check on their men. Friendships fracture as the situation spins wildly out of control. Betrayal can come in many forms.
This group has kept each other’s secrets for far too long.“
My thoughts
This book took me SO long to read for some reason.
I think it was super hard for me to read because this book had NO CHAPTERS in it.
That’s right. None. Your only reprieve was a little extra line in between paragraphs and changing of POV.
With that said, I still think this was a fairly good plot, even though there were more story lines than I typically like.
I really liked that every POV was written in 3rd person but the MC was written in first (I LOVE a good first person narration).
If you’re into friend group drama in a locked room location, this may be a good choice for you!
My rating
Unmissing – Minka Kent
*Available on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Psychological suspense
- Fast paced
- Cults
What I loved: The cult aspect of this was wild
What I didn’t love: I felt the ending was super abrupt
Book Blurb
“Merritt Coletto and her husband, Luca, have the life they dreamed of: a coastal home, a promising future, and a growing family. That dream ends with a late-night knock on the door.
Weak, broken, and emaciated, it’s Luca’s first wife, Lydia. Missing for ten years, presumed dead, and very much alive, she has quite a story. Her kidnapping. A torturous confinement that should’ve ended with her dead. And finally, escape. Racked with guilt over the beautiful life they’ve built, Merritt and Luca agree to help get Lydia back on her feet—it’s the least they can do.
But the more enmeshed Lydia becomes in Merritt’s family, the more questions Merritt has. What is it about Lydia that’s especially unnerving? Why hasn’t she gone to the police with her harrowing tale? What does she really want of them? The answers, when they come, are terrifying.
Because Lydia isn’t the only one with secrets.“
My thoughts
This was my second book by Minka Kent. I read my first Minka Kent as part of my September reads and LOVED it.
I really enjoyed this one too. SUPER bingeable and the plot was good.
I love a good cult book, but I also like to see both inside the cult and what it’s like after the fact for the survivor (After We Were Stolen by Brooke Beyfuss was another good one that I read in December that showed both sides)
The only thing I didn’t love was the ending. It just felt like a big ol’ fade to black and I wanted to know more of the story.
My rating
One of Us is Dead – Jeneva Rose
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.86 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Domestic thrillers
- Real Housewives drammmaaaaa
- Revenge
- Rich people doing rich people things
- Unlikeable characters
- Multiple POV
What I loved: Incredibly bingeable, has one of my favorite audiobook narrators
What I didn’t love: Rich white women get on my damn nerves
Book Blurb
“Meet the women of Buckhead—a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.
Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she’s been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge …
Crystal has stepped into Shannon’s old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she’s up against …
Olivia has waited years to take Shannon’s crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book …
Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients’ secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?
Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead—and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.“
My thoughts
This is based in Buckhead which is in Atlanta, so it feels super familiar.
Also, rich white women *eye roll*.
Jeneva is SO GOOD at writing characters you hate and there are so many hateable characters in this.
I love that each of the different POVs were in a different voice so that you know what’s what.
There were times when I had to rewind the audiobook and catch up on what was said or done because it just felt like SO MUCH going on, but I was super stoked with the ending, I’ll just say that.
If you’re a fan of the drama of Real Housewives of (whatever city), with a little murder added in, this book is definitely for you.
My rating
It’s One of Us – J.T Ellison
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.98 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Domestic thrilleres
- Family drama
- Multiple POV
What I loved: The pace felt right on track
What I didn’t love: The emotions surrounding infertility were hard to read based on our own infertility journey
Content warning: Lots of talk of infertility and pregnancy loss – this may be hard to read if you’re in the throes of it
Book Blurb
“Olivia Bender designs exquisite home interiors that satisfy the most demanding clients. But her own deepest desire can’t be fulfilled by marble counters or the perfect rug. She desperately wants to be a mother. Fertility treatments and IVF keep failing. And just when she feels she’s at her lowest point, the police deliver shocking news to Olivia and her husband, Park.
DNA results show that the prime suspect in a murder investigation is Park’s son. Olivia is relieved, knowing this is a mistake. Despite their desire, the Benders don’t have any children. Then comes the confession. Many years ago, Park donated sperm to a clinic. He has no idea how many times it was sold—or how many children he has sired.
As the murder investigation goes deeper, more terrible truths come to light. With every revelation, Olivia must face the unthinkable. The man she married has fathered a killer. But can she hold that against him when she keeps such dark secrets of her own?“
My thoughts
Who knew a thriller could make me sob?
The author’s note at the end of this book did just that. She talks about how so much of the story was written from her emotions of her own infertility journey which just makes the book so much more emotional for me.
This book reminds me of a story I’ve seen on Dateline and a Netflix doc I’ve seen, but of course has its own twists and turns.
I really enjoyed this and while the ending wasn’t all tied up in a neat bow, I feel like it ended exactly how it was supposed to.
My rating
Neon Gods – Katee Robert
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.7 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (borrowed from my local library)
Read if you like:
- Romance
- Dom/sub
- Dual POV
- Grumpy/sunshine trope
- Greek mythology
- MEGA spice
What I loved: This whole book was SUCH A VIBE
What I didn’t love: I really loved it all
Book Blurb
“Society darling Persephone Dimitriou plans to flee the ultra-modern city of Olympus and start over far from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses. But all that’s ripped away when her mother ambushes her with an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind their glittering city’s dark facade.
With no options left, Persephone flees to the forbidden undercity and makes a devil’s bargain with a man she once believed a myth…a man who awakens her to a world she never knew existed.
Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he’s spent years craving, it’s all the excuse he needs to help her—for a price. Yet every breathless night spent tangled together has given Hades a taste for Persephone, and he’ll go to war with Olympus itself to keep her close“
My thoughts
Okay, WOW.
This is without a doubt one of the spiciest books I have ever read, but even before it got to ANY of that, something about this story really just clicked with me.
It was like I was instantly able to visualize the entire setting, every character and their outfits.
I feel like if you like royalty books (and super steamy hot romance) you would love this.
I seriously can not wait to get my hands on the rest of these in the series. I also think their covers are super gorgeous and may just have to buy them and have them on my shelves.
My rating
The Wives – Tarryn Fisher
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.6 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Unreliable narrators
- Domestic suspense
- Psychological suspense
Content Warning: Infertility/pregnancy loss
What I loved: I like not knowing who to believe
What I didn’t love: Forgettable, many unlikeable characters
Book Blurb
“Imagine that your husband has two other wives.
You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, and because of this unconventional arrangement, you can see your husband only one day a week. But you love him so much you don’t care. Or at least that’s what you’ve told yourself.
But one day, while you’re doing laundry, you find a scrap of paper in his pocket—an appointment reminder for a woman named Hannah, and you just know it’s another of the wives.
You thought you were fine with your arrangement, but you can’t help yourself: you track her down, and, under false pretenses, you strike up a friendship. Hannah has no idea who you really are. Then Hannah starts showing up to your coffee dates with telltale bruises, and you realize she’s being abused by her husband. Who, of course, is also your husband. But you’ve never known him to be violent, ever.
Who exactly is your husband, and how far would you be willing to go to find out?
And who is his mysterious third wife?“
My thoughts
I honestly don’t have much to say about that. I read it a couple weeks ago and honestly had to Google this one.
It’s not that it was bad, it just really didn’t have anything that was so super shocking or memorable and read like many other domestic thrillers out there.
It’s written from a single POV in first person so if you dig that, this will be an easy read for you.
My rating
They Never Learn – Layne Fargo
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.99 stars
How I read it: Kindle
Read if you like:
- Revenge thrillers
- Psychological thrillers
- Serial killer trope
- Lots of murder-y action
- Big ol’ twist right in the middle
Content warning: Sexual assault
What I loved: The combination of serial killer trope and rate thriller was great; I loved the big twist in the middle that propelled the second half of the book
What I didn’t love: The unlikeable characters were REALLY unlikeable
Book Blurb
“Scarlett Clark is an exceptional English professor. But she’s even better at getting away with murder.
Every year, Dr. Clark searches for the worst man at Gorman University—professor, student, or otherwise—and plots his well-deserved demise. Thanks to her meticulous planning, she’s avoided drawing attention to herself…but as she’s preparing for her biggest kill yet, the school starts probing into the growing body count on campus. Determined to keep her enemies close, Dr. Clark insinuates herself into the investigation and charms the woman in charge. Everything’s going according to her master plan…until she loses control with her latest victim, putting her secret life at risk of exposure.
Meanwhile, Gorman student Carly Schiller is just trying to survive her freshman year. Finally free of her emotionally abusive father, all Carly wants is to focus on her studies and fade into the background. Her new roommate has other ideas. Allison Hadley is cool and confident—everything Carly wishes she could be—and the two girls quickly form an intense friendship. So when Allison is sexually assaulted at a party, Carly becomes obsessed with making the attacker pay…and turning her fantasies about revenge into a reality.“
My thoughts
Oooooo I LOVE a good revenge thriller.
I also love the idea of a female serial killer.
It’s wild to me to think about the differences in female and male serial killers. Males typically do it for power or sexual deviance. Women are usually trying to take justice into their own hands which just begs the question if men could keep their nastiness to themselves, would there be nearly the amount. of violence?
I ain’t about to get on a big ol’ soapbox but this book really made me ponder.
All in all, I really liked this and thought it had real good action for a thriller.
My rating
Someone Knows – Lisa Scottoline
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.78 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Multiple POV
- Alternating timeline
- Teen drama/secrets
What I loved: Easy listen with one of my favorite audiobook narrators and I liked that there was a male narrator too since there were so many POVs
What I didn’t love: A LOT of going on; somewhat predictable for me
Book Blurb
“Allie Garvey is heading home to the funeral of a childhood friend. Allie is not only grief-stricken, she’s full of dread. Because going home means seeing the other two people with whom she shares an unbearable secret.
Twenty years earlier, a horrific incident shattered the lives of five teenagers, including Allie. Drinking and partying in the woods, they played a dangerous prank that went tragically wrong, turning deadly. The teenagers kept what happened a secret, believing that getting caught would be the worst thing that could happen. But time has taught Allie otherwise. Not getting caught was far worse.
Allie has been haunted for two decades by what she and the others did, and by the fact that she never told a soul. The dark secret has eaten away at her, distancing her from everyone she loves, including her husband. Because she wasn’t punished by the law, Allie has punished herself, and it’s a life sentence.
Now, Allie stands on the precipice of losing everything. She’s ready for a reckoning, determined to learn how the prank went so horribly wrong. She digs to unearth the truth, but reaches a shocking conclusion that she never saw coming–and neither will the reader.
A deeply emotional examination of family, marriage, and the true nature of justice, Someone Knows is Lisa Scottoline’s most powerful novel to date. Startling, page-turning, and with an ending that’s impossible to forget, this is a tour de force by a beloved author at the top of her game.“
My thoughts
This felt like a lot.
It was good, and I really appreciated the second narrator, but there were about 6-7 POVs in this story so it was. abit tough to keep up with.
The ending was polarizing I feel because I think people will either appreciate the way it was wrapped up OR they will think it was just too much and not believable.
Either way, I think this was a decent read, but not one that I’ll be thinking about for months to come.
My rating
Our Little Secret – Kiersten Modglin
*Available on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.9 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Unreliable characters
- Family secrets
- Domestic thrillers
- Multiple POV
- Small town drama
Content warning: Adult sexual misconduct with a minor
What I loved: Easy listen, super bingeable
What I didn’t love: It was hard rooting for anybody here; predictable
Book Blurb
“Bad things don’t happen in Cason Glen.
The locals make sure of it.
So, when the residents of the town’s most exclusive subdivision discover one of their own is missing, it sends a wave of panic and discord throughout the neighborhood.
They are supposed to be safe.
But they quickly realize not everything is as it once seemed in their idyllic world.
Slowly, the cracks have begun to show, revealing the dark and devious truth behind their home, their neighbors, and the lengths some people will go to protect their secrets.
Someone’s missing.
Someone’s dead.
Everyone’s lying.
In a town full of masterfully woven webs, these six friends are about to watch their world unravel. And, if they’re not careful, one of them might be the next to disappear…
When everyone you know is a liar, how do you decide whom to trust?“
My thoughts
This is my 3rd book from Kiersten and the first two were great and had amazing twists.
This wasn’t terrible, but I felt it was a bit predictable and most of the people in this book just got on my freakin’ nerves.
This was one of those that I binged while painting Josiah’s beadboard accent wall, so I’m grateful for the easy read, but again, just a big solid meh for me.
My rating
Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone – Benjamin Stevenson
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.9 stars
How I read it: Kindle
Read if you like:
- Cozy thrillers
- Winter mysteries
- Locked room
- Sarcasm/humor
What I loved: The quippy writing had me chuckling a few times out loud
What I didn’t love: There were entirely too many characters for me
Book Blurb
“Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I’m not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just unfortunate.
I’m Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I’d killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it’s a little more complicated than that.
Have I killed someone? Yes. I have.
Who was it?
Let’s get started.
EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE
My brother
My stepsister
My wife
My father
My mother
My sister-in-law
My uncle
My stepfather
My aunt
Me“
My thoughts
This came SO highly recommended. So much so that I had to wait a good month before my library had it ready for me to read.
And then I read it and was like…..really?
I could NOT get myself into this story.
There were entirely too many characters and it was definitely more “mystery” and not thriller which is what I dig.
I appreciate that the author is a stand up comedian and wrote this with humor so I got a couple chuckles out of it, but at the end of the day, I did not like this whatsoever.
My rating
The Cage – Bonnie Kistler
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.6 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Workplace drama
- Big dogs being taken down
- Unreliable character
- Legal thrillers
- 1st person single POV
Content warning: Human trafficking/slave trade
What I loved: Seeing the bad guys lose
What I didn’t love: There were entirely too many characters for me; this story was just so slow
Book Blurb
“On a cold, misty Sunday night, two women are alone in the offices of fashion conglomerate Claudine de Martineau International. One is the company’s human resources director. Impeccably dressed and perfectly coiffed, she sits at her desk and stares somberly out the window. Down the hall, her colleague, one of the company’s lawyers, is buried under a pile of paperwork, frantically rushing to finish.
Leaving at the same time, the two women, each preoccupied by her own thoughts, enter the elevator that will take them down from the 30th floor.
When they arrive at the lobby, one of the women is dead. Was it murder or suicide?
An incredibly original novel that turns the office thriller on its head, The Cage is a wild ride that begins with a bang and picks up speed as it races to its dramatic end.“
My thoughts
The first chapter I was like, “Oh! This is about to be interesting!”
Eh, no.
Entirely too many characters, slow paced, I feel like the story and timeline bounced all over the place and again, it just wasn’t something that kept my attention.
I zoned out a LOT listening to this and that doesn’t typically happen for decent books.
There was so much fluff in here that took away from my ability to pay attention or care, really.
I appreciate the ending, but the rest was just a pass for me.
My rating
Sometimes I Lie – Alice Feeney
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.8 stars
How I read it: Kindle
Read if you like:
- Psychological thrillers
- Dual timelines
- Multiple POV
What I loved: The twist had me back tracking to reread to make sure I wasn’t going crazy
What I didn’t love: There was a certain man I wanted to punch in the throat
Book Blurb
“My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:
1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie.
Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, this brilliant psychological thriller asks: Is something really a lie if you believe it’s the truth?“
My thoughts
Sometimes I Lie has been on my TBR for a solid 4 months.
I’m glad I finally was able to get to it because I read a TON of 2 star books this month somehow and needed something that was going to be a decent read.
I read Rock Paper Scissors back early on in my rekindled love of reading journey and while it wasn’t one of the top reads of mine for last year, I remember really enjoying that story.
This was a good story too – definitely feels better reading this after the giant string of 2 and 3 star reads I had leading up to this.
I feel like there could have been a better direction to go with the plot, but I ain’t even kind of an author and this felt good and twisty enough to keep me entertained.
To be honest, I wish I could have done this one on an audiobook, but there are accents since this is a UK based author and my ears aren’t mature enough to listen to books with accents because it’s all I can hear.
My rating
Before She Was Found – Heather Gudenkauf
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.9 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Dark academia that leans more YA
- Multiple POV
What I loved: The quippy writing had me chuckling a few times out loud
What I didn’t love: There were entirely too many characters for me
Book Blurb
“For twelve-year-old Cora Landry and her friends Violet and Jordyn, it was supposed to be an ordinary sleepover—movies and Ouija and talking about boys. But when they decide to sneak out to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town, little do they know that their innocent games will have dangerous consequences.
Later that night, Cora Landry is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends nowhere to be found. Soon their small rural town is thrust into a maelstrom. Who would want to hurt a young girl like Cora—and why? In an investigation that leaves no stone unturned, everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted—not even those closest to Cora.
Before She Was Found is a timely and gripping thriller about friendship and betrayal, about the power of social pressure and the price of needing to fit in. It is about the great lengths a parent will go to protect their child and keep them safe—even if that means burying the truth, no matter the cost.“
My thoughts
I will say I didn’t see the end coming, but I was just annoyed the entire time. Everybody just lying their asses off and adults acting a fool.
I really thought one of the characters was going to be the one the entire time so when I feel a book is super predictable, I get annoyed reading it.
I read The Overnight Guest back in December written by her and I thought it was GREAT – perfect if you’re looking for a good murderous snowy thriller.
I did not think this was nearly as good, but it was good enough to keep my attention.
My rating
Twenty Years Later – Charlie Donlea
*Available on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.2 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Multiple POV
- Dual timeline
- Domestic thriller
What I loved: The 9/11 thread in the plot
What I didn’t love: Felt slow and drug on
Book Blurb
“Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story—a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy, and betrayal—is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victoria begged her to prove her innocence.
Emma Kind has waited twenty years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help. Avery, hoping to negotiate a more lucrative network contract, goes into investigative overdrive. Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA.
But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life is just the beginning. And what Avery doesn’t realize is that there are other players in the game who are interested in Avery’s own secret past—one she has kept hidden from both the network executives and her television audience. A secret she thought was dead and buried . . .“
My thoughts
This was super highly rated, so of course I was intrigued.
I really liked the 9/11 thread here and thought it provided with a super interesting story, but I also feel like it was not quite as fast paced as I would hve wanted.
In addition, I was also really bitter the entire time I was reading because I was like “I can see this coming from a mile away”.
And I did.
The last chapter threw me for a little bit of a loop, but not enough to change or up my rating.
My rating
DNF: A Court of Mist and Fury
Hear me out. I know I told y’all last month that I was not interested and not gonna read another one of those books in the series.
But then I trusted friend of mine told me a little bit of a spoiler and so I was like okay I’ll try it.
Y’all, I got 3 hours into this audiobook and was like “I STILL DO NOT CAREEEEEEE” and had to drop it.
Top 3 Reads of February
I read some DUDS this month. So few stood out and most were a solid 3 stars, but if you’re looking to only add a few, here were my top 3 for this month that I would definitely recommend
I like to give my top 3 so that if you can’t read as much, here are the ones to definitely add to your list!
3 – I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy
2 – They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
1 – Neon Gods by The One by Katee Robert
Monthly Giveaway
I like to give away books to help support my local used bookstore as often as I can.
THIS MONTH’S BOOK IS…..
Someone told me that if I loved Small Great Things as much as I did by Jodi Picoult that this is a great book as well. I had a hard time giving this away when I saw it at my local used bookstore, but I’m trying to be here for YOU guys.
As you guys on my Book Buddies email list already know, you have to do NOTHING to be entered! It’s just as a thank you for being here and I’ll let you know via email if you’ve won!
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