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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
The first instalment in the Bailey Family series definitely leaves you wanting more - managing to blend a quiet, cosy mystery with cinematic thriller vibes and a lot of heart. Our dysfunctional family were so complicated with that hate-to-love feeling from the start, everyone is privileged, petty - and potentially dangerous, but I absolutely loved them and how they started to grow into such different people despite all seeming so similar at first glance.
The setting was STUNNING - isolated, cold and lonely despite it's opulence, and made everything feel suspicious in the most fabulous ways. I absolutely adore Mikayla's writing and anxiously anticipate seeing whatever the Baileys get up to.
The setting was STUNNING - isolated, cold and lonely despite it's opulence, and made everything feel suspicious in the most fabulous ways. I absolutely adore Mikayla's writing and anxiously anticipate seeing whatever the Baileys get up to.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you Love Book Tours for gifted ebook of The Christmas Party! All opinions in this review are my own.
I was immediately drawn to The Christmas Party by the tagline "A family reunion. A shocking secret. A night to die for" and the isolated setting in the English countryside.
I liked that the story is told from multiple characters' points of view because you never know who to trust! My only complaint is that because of this, when something significant would happen, you would read about it from each of the characters' perspectives and it got repetitive sometimes.
Overall, this is a quick holiday themed thriller with a closed door mystery!
I was immediately drawn to The Christmas Party by the tagline "A family reunion. A shocking secret. A night to die for" and the isolated setting in the English countryside.
I liked that the story is told from multiple characters' points of view because you never know who to trust! My only complaint is that because of this, when something significant would happen, you would read about it from each of the characters' perspectives and it got repetitive sometimes.
Overall, this is a quick holiday themed thriller with a closed door mystery!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Here’s my review for The Christmas Party :
This is a very intriguing read and I really enjoyed reading it. It’s an interesting plot and I found the storyline to be fascinating. It would seem that Sasha was very nervous about the party and her only way of coping with it was to hit the drink but she overdid it. It was told in segments by Erin, Leah, Nadine, Sasha and Jesse. Also, it’s a ‘now’ and ‘then’ story. I enjoy reading books by this author, she’s a good writer and storyteller.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Great read, surprising twists.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a cosy Christmas mystery thriller.
There are lots of twists and turns in this book. You get parallel timelines so you can see scenes from different characters both in the past in present which helps to understand some of the relationships and dynamics in this book.
There are plenty of clues to keep you guessing and in the end the culprit was unexpected for me.
It’s fast paced and I read this in one sitting. There is something compelling that keeps you wanting to read.
At times the multiple perspectives got a little confusing especially when they were describing the same events.
This was an entertaining read and if you are after a cosy thriller mystery set in a Christmas setting this is the book for you.
Thanks to @lovebookstours and @mikayladavidsbooks for the opportunity to read and review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book should come with a trigger warning for anyone who's suffered trauma due to cheating; FIVE yes FIVE different characters cheat on their partners in this book and its alluded to others doing so too, with the consequences of such ranging from a shrug of the shoulders to catastrophic.
Its written from multiple POVs (unreliable narators which really isn't my thing) and timelines making following the plot feel like a chore.
The writing style is very ammeter/ basic with poor descriptive tactics and childish dialogue.
What annoyed me the most though had to be the shoddy editing, there were several mistakes. Sentences would be repeated throughout the book with 1 or 2 slightly different words and there was a whole paragraph that was just word for word repeated on the next page.
Its written from multiple POVs (unreliable narators which really isn't my thing) and timelines making following the plot feel like a chore.
The writing style is very ammeter/ basic with poor descriptive tactics and childish dialogue.
What annoyed me the most though had to be the shoddy editing, there were several mistakes. Sentences would be repeated throughout the book with 1 or 2 slightly different words and there was a whole paragraph that was just word for word repeated on the next page.
I felt like the book had one too many twists. The ones laid out in the beginning got resolved and then more came up at the end, almost like the author only added them to make the book longer.
What fun!! I love a good unreliable, psychopath woman! Erin was great! What an amazing evil