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Reviews tagging 'Murder'
The Lost Summers of Newport by Lauren Willig, Karen White, Beatriz Williams
6 reviews
caitlinjadams's review
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Super enjoyed reading this and had a lot of fun trying to figure out the mysteries and connections.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Alcoholism, and Infidelity
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
sleepybears4237's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I wanted to love this book - it had so much potential. Overall though, I was just disappointed by the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Drug abuse
tsodeur's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-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
2.25
Mehhhhhhh this was interesting enough that I wanted to find out what was going on, but I feel like overall it just fell a short for me. Alternating timeline novels are hit or miss for me. And I couldn’t keep the character connections straight which made it more confusing. Overall, not my cup of tea.
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic relationship, Death, Alcohol, Murder, and Alcoholism
oceanwriter's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this one. I wanted to read it as soon as I picked up my copy but chose to save it for whenever I took a drive to Newport. While it successfully captured the ambiance of the seaside town, the plot was lacking for me.
I liked Ellen's POV the best. I loved imagining the Newport mansions in 1899. The storyline was interesting, too, especially what brought Ellen to work for Maybelle in the first place. Unfortunately, the twist at the end ruined it for me. It was so far-fetched I almost didn't want to finish the last two chapters.
Lucky and Andie's stories were also interesting, but given the three are intertwined, the effects of Ellen's story tainted these two. There were also a number of inconsistencies and minor plot points left forgotten. This goes for the vibes of the book as well. It jumps from hints of a ghost story to a matter of snooping chapter to chapter. Because of this, it became difficult to follow. There's even a vagueness in the final chapters that made the story feel incomplete.
All of that said, I enjoyed most of the story. It was a good summer read and it was especially fun reading it on a Newport beach. I'm definitely disappointed that it didn't turn out to be a five-star read for me, but there were redeeming moments.
I liked Ellen's POV the best. I loved imagining the Newport mansions in 1899. The storyline was interesting, too, especially what brought Ellen to work for Maybelle in the first place. Unfortunately, the twist at the end ruined it for me. It was so far-fetched I almost didn't want to finish the last two chapters.
Lucky and Andie's stories were also interesting, but given the three are intertwined, the effects of Ellen's story tainted these two. There were also a number of inconsistencies and minor plot points left forgotten. This goes for the vibes of the book as well. It jumps from hints of a ghost story to a matter of snooping chapter to chapter. Because of this, it became difficult to follow. There's even a vagueness in the final chapters that made the story feel incomplete.
All of that said, I enjoyed most of the story. It was a good summer read and it was especially fun reading it on a Newport beach. I'm definitely disappointed that it didn't turn out to be a five-star read for me, but there were redeeming moments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism
shelbyl's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really good! Nice historical fiction. It’s not fluff, but it’s not serious literature either. I enjoyed the three parallel storylines and the revelations throughout, though some seemed less developed than others. I had a hard time keeping some of the family and names straight. I would have flipped through the book for clarification if it weren’t audio. Easy enough to keep going and let the story unfold anyway.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism and Murder
kellyeweber's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism
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