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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
This wasn't written poorly, it was just a poor story. The plot was not strong enough to wade through the unlikeable characters. I honestly felt bored reading it, which doesnt happen to me very often!
emotional
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved, loved, loved this book. It's like the feeling of coming home after a long trip. It's cozy, romantic, mystical, and just punchy enough to keep you on your toes.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
this one got a higher rating because of the beautiful storylines, overall message, and the full circle ending — but going to pick it up was hard and it was pretty slow going. i also didn’t love any of the female characters except for sunshine and maybe eunice at the very very end
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dementia, Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Cursing, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
sometimes you shouldn't judge a book by it's (beautiful) cover
Very sweet enjoyable read. Loved how each item had its own unique story.
Did not finish after 50%. I really love the idea and I wanted to like this book so much but in the end not for me
emotional
funny
slow-paced
This one was two stories in one.
Laura is recently divorced from a horrible man when she finds a job working for a semi-retired author named Anthony. She does typing and cleaning and basically helps him run his house, Padua. And in Padua she finds solace and a home. Anthony becomes her friend. She isn’t allowed in his study, but she manages everything else. And when Anthony passes, he leaves her everything. The house and the contents of the study. The lost things he has been collecting since his lost his fiancé and a charm she gave him in the same day. He has spent the last 40 years collecting lost things, hoping to reunite them with their owners and in turn, find the medallion that belonged to his lost love. Along with the help of Freddy, the handsome gardener and Sunshine, the neighbor across the street with Downs Syndrome, and a plucky and formerly abused dog named Carrot, she tries to figure out how to return the lost things to their owners and start really living her life.
Eunice finds a job working for Bomber, a publisher when she is young. She immediately falls in love with him, but she’s not his type and they become lifelong best friends. He has a dog in a homemade wheelchair named Douglas and the three of them eat donuts together, watch movies, go to Brighton and have adventures. They go through losses of parents and loved ones and finally, Bomber loses his memories. Eunice gets to spend her life with the man she loves, even if it never ends up being romantic.
It took a long time for the two stories to come together and I’m not sure they both needed to be there, but I get it and it worked. This one was a little bit slow for me but I still liked it. Reading the afterword, I realized this was the author’s first book and that made sense to me somehow. I’ve read other books of hers and she’s gotten better with practice. Overall this is a book about love and loss and living with a hint of supernatural magic to boot. It was not my favorite of Hogan’s books but I did enjoy it.