Reviews

Under Your Skin by Lee Winter

mothmans_mum's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A brilliant follow-up to The Red Files. While I didn’t feel that the wedding plot and the investigation plot were melded as well as they could be, and I didn’t enjoy the investigative aspect as much as the first book, this is more than made up for by the character development out two leads get, and just how darn adorable their love story is. I laughed at the bagpipes, and I cried at their wedding vows—which was particularly awkward as I was listening on my headphones in the bathroom stall at work! At first I was a bit annoyed at the fact that the investigation was so connected to Catherine’s history (it seemed there wasn’t much investigation going on, they just kept talking to people they already knew) but eventually getting more of Catherine’s backstory paid off and I became invested. I’m looking forward to reading The Fixer soon!

forest_jj's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

rainbowbookworm's review against another edition

4.0

The constant references to the Caustic Queen got old quickly, but I enjoyed meeting both families. It helped me understand these characters better.

mischievous_monkey's review

3.0

Two Tales

I enjoy this couple and I really enjoy Lee Winter's writing.

There was a story within a story here and neither went off without a hitch. ;-)

While I found the news story intriguing, what I really enjoyed was Meemaw and Lauren seeing past Catherine's walls and providing a safe place for her to thaw a bit more.

I would be interested in a continuation of this series.

yayathegreat38's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

soy_ahoy's review

5.0

Can't wait to have my own apartment so I can build an actual shrine to Lee Winter. Great sequel to The Red Files, it was so nice to see Ayers open up more. Also we finally got to meet the infamous Michelle Hastings, and I'm so hyped to read the Villain series immediately to find out more about the most hated character in Winters' universe.

laconni4's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

aliu6's review against another edition

5.0

4.75 stars

Journalist team Catherine Ayers and Lauren King are back at it, and now they're engaged! As the two struggle to follow twisty leads while planning their Iowa wedding, they stumble upon big truths—about the nation's privacy and themselves.

Wow, this was so good! Maybe I just haven't read a Lee Winter book in a while, but this felt so good. Even though Catherine and Lauren are already together, I really enjoyed this second look to watch their love in action, and they definitely gave me warm, gooey feelings.

Of course, since it's Lee Winter, there's also a really interesting plot (that feels a bit too real/possible) with the news story that Catherine and Lauren are chasing. Tying into the romance aspect are also deep conversations our MCs have about their respective families and what family actually means.

There were some references back to the first book which made me really want to reread, now that I have some insight into what Catherine and Lauren thought of each other back then.

Anyway, this is really cute and smart, and the writing is impeccable. Please read this!

jem_the_baddie's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Really enjoyed the sequel. I felt like the journalism was well down, the family drama was accurate and realistic and the main characters were a bit more fleshed out this time around. 

jennabeebs79's review against another edition

5.0

This book is the sequel to The Red Files and takes readers from LA and DC to a small town in Iowa, Lauren's hometown. Under Your Skin is absolutely incredible. From the first moment, Catherine and Lauren step out of the airport and are greeted by 4 out of 5 King brothers, nothing was ever the same. The character development of not only Catherine but Lauren as well is amazingly written. I loved absolutely every moment of this book. I listened to the audio and was completely entranced.