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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
⭐️⭐️⭐️ this book was solidly ok. It was a pretty quick read and kept me entertained. Even though it was a little predictable, I still wanted to know all the secrets and see how it ended. It’s about a group of friends at a wedding where the groom ends up dead (it’s ok because he deserves it). They each have things they’re hiding that threaten to destroy their relationships. If you’re like me and consider a “beach read” to be a low key, kinda fluffy murder mystery, this one is a great choice.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
A group of college friends has gotten together in Florida to celebrate the marriage of one of their own, Fiona, to her husband-to-be, Trevor. But it turns out that the group isn't so thrilled to see this wedding go through, as Trevor has learned each of their darkest secrets, threatening to out them if they don't get Fiona to the altar. When Trevor is murdered on his wedding day, it's anyone's guess who's been pushed to the edge.
Hendricks did a fine job of building suspense for anyone whodoesn't know anything about food allergies, but having my own, I wasn't fooled for a second . Additionally, all of the friends are so lacking in character. Fiona is totally flat, just constantly tearing up at every interaction. Trevor is practically an incel, hating women (but also really just hating everyone). Allie has little personality beyond being cold and beautiful. Emma has little personality beyond being tiny and Portuguese. Vee and Dutch are just such "great guys", and Ethan does little more than smoke and drink.
Trevor is also so sleazy, it's a miracle that he got so far in his relationship with Fiona even in spite of his constant blackmail. Especially since she was aware of some of it? Get it together, Fiona. No one is that hot.
Hendricks did a fine job of building suspense for anyone who
Trevor is also so sleazy, it's a miracle that he got so far in his relationship with Fiona even in spite of his constant blackmail. Especially since she was aware of some of it? Get it together, Fiona. No one is that hot.
Thank you to #Netgalley for the ARC of this book.
With a completely appropriate title and intriguing summary, I expected this story to be better.
The groom at a "destination" wedding is murdered in the beginning of this novel. (It's Miami... does that really count?) Each of the bride's 5 best friends has a motive to murder him, as he has been blackmailing them all with their deep, dark secrets.
I really disliked every single one of these characters. Each of their secrets seemed like a one-uppance as they were told. They weren't little mistakes that they made as kids. They were horrible things and each of them deserves to be in prison or to be alone. When there is no likable character in a book, I have a very hard time caring about anything and just try to make it to the end of the book.
An interesting premise, but a failed read for me. 2 stars because it was an easy read and I made it to the rather predictable ending.
With a completely appropriate title and intriguing summary, I expected this story to be better.
The groom at a "destination" wedding is murdered in the beginning of this novel. (It's Miami... does that really count?) Each of the bride's 5 best friends has a motive to murder him, as he has been blackmailing them all with their deep, dark secrets.
I really disliked every single one of these characters. Each of their secrets seemed like a one-uppance as they were told. They weren't little mistakes that they made as kids. They were horrible things and each of them deserves to be in prison or to be alone. When there is no likable character in a book, I have a very hard time caring about anything and just try to make it to the end of the book.
An interesting premise, but a failed read for me. 2 stars because it was an easy read and I made it to the rather predictable ending.
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was so excited to read Finding Tessa, to be ultimately disappointed. I went into this one with lowered expectations and it was better than that one, but not by much. It was an average, maybe below average domestic "whodunit" kind of thriller that didn't deliver anything much I wanted it to.
Writing: 2.75/5
I truly hated how Finding Tessa was written (sorry, but not) and how it was all over the place, confusing, hard to follow, etc. It was just a mess. This was written not as bad. It was still confusing to follow with all the different POVs and hard to keep track of at times, but ultimately more straight-forward. Thank god for that. Yes, it is easier to read than her debut, but that doesn't save it much because I didn't care about any of the characters, and never felt bad for them. I didn't care who killed who, who did what, and so on. They were all so f*cking annoying, Jesus Christ, I could barely handle it. I also got irked by how heavily spoon-fed the "motives" were given to us as the readers, for potential suspects in the murder of the groom. It just kept getting more ridiculous. The dialogue felt forced and made it far less authentic, hence why I couldn't connect to any character.
Plot: 3/5
Hmmm, well. The plots have been done before, it's not anything new or groundbreaking, and failed to deliver the execution that could have saved the fact it's been done time and time again. Yes, the plot is juicy and filled with secrets, but it is spoon-fed to you beyond belief, which makes it ridiculous, in my opinion. The plot had potential if the writing didn't fail so badly, and it all just crumbled together.
Ending: 2.5/5
The ending felt abrupt, and I didn't like it. I never grasped or was shocked at any of the reveals or twists, and just wanted the book to be over by the end. The whole book we are taunted and teased with the secrets and made to believe a shocking twist is about to happen - but save your time because it doesn't.
This just didn't work for me, and I lost my excitement for her next book.
Writing: 2.75/5
I truly hated how Finding Tessa was written (sorry, but not) and how it was all over the place, confusing, hard to follow, etc. It was just a mess. This was written not as bad. It was still confusing to follow with all the different POVs and hard to keep track of at times, but ultimately more straight-forward. Thank god for that. Yes, it is easier to read than her debut, but that doesn't save it much because I didn't care about any of the characters, and never felt bad for them. I didn't care who killed who, who did what, and so on. They were all so f*cking annoying, Jesus Christ, I could barely handle it. I also got irked by how heavily spoon-fed the "motives" were given to us as the readers, for potential suspects in the murder of the groom. It just kept getting more ridiculous. The dialogue felt forced and made it far less authentic, hence why I couldn't connect to any character.
Plot: 3/5
Hmmm, well. The plots have been done before, it's not anything new or groundbreaking, and failed to deliver the execution that could have saved the fact it's been done time and time again. Yes, the plot is juicy and filled with secrets, but it is spoon-fed to you beyond belief, which makes it ridiculous, in my opinion. The plot had potential if the writing didn't fail so badly, and it all just crumbled together.
Ending: 2.5/5
The ending felt abrupt, and I didn't like it. I never grasped or was shocked at any of the reveals or twists, and just wanted the book to be over by the end. The whole book we are taunted and teased with the secrets and made to believe a shocking twist is about to happen - but save your time because it doesn't.
This just didn't work for me, and I lost my excitement for her next book.
mysterious
fast-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
It Could Be Anyone is a fast moving, well paced thriller about a group of college friends reunited ten years later for a wedding. Fiona is marrying Trevor, an intelligent and condescending man who has taken her far from her friends yet demanded each of them encourage the engagement.
Within the first few pages, Hendricks establishes that each of her characters have secrets and in the first 75 pages there are compelling reveals. This continues throughout. It is a thriller fueled by nasty secrets that each friend keeps from the others and a sudden murder at the wedding.
This is perfect for fans of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and The Guest List. I loved the rich and juicy character development and the short chapters made it easy to read and hard to put down. This is one to add to your TBR for sure.
Within the first few pages, Hendricks establishes that each of her characters have secrets and in the first 75 pages there are compelling reveals. This continues throughout. It is a thriller fueled by nasty secrets that each friend keeps from the others and a sudden murder at the wedding.
This is perfect for fans of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and The Guest List. I loved the rich and juicy character development and the short chapters made it easy to read and hard to put down. This is one to add to your TBR for sure.