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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I like the idea a lot but it did seem to suffer from an identity crisis. I also didn’t love the way that it felt anachronistically queer friendly in the flashbacks. And my own personal frustration with WWII lit that pretends everyone was fighting the Nazis and allows readers a vicarious pat on the back when literally they would have gone along with the system…
interesting read… an oddly paced frankenstein of three mismatched lit genres. it was a rom com, a spy thriller, and a WW2 / Holocaust historical fiction, all in one, but with too many POVs and sidebars throughout. probably would’ve worked better if the author picked a lane, IMO.
This was so much more than I expected! I was expecting a fun book about Lucy trying to track someone down to give bad news full of all the misadventures that seem inevitable with this kind of task and a character that seems to invite disaster and over the top situations and it was that book. But it also was a story of family secrets , lies, stolen treasure, and a hunt to discover the truth and return the treasure to its owner. Set in the Dolomite Mountains in Italy with a cast of side characters that includes a spoiled socialite, a human rights lawyer, a best friend with horrible taste in clothes, a grumpy bartender that insists on giving Lucy an aperol spritz, an influencer, and two attractive and helpful men there is always something or someone that made me laugh or wonder what was going on and how was it all connected. At the end of every chapter was a document from The Department of Lost Things that added information and details to the story. And had me really wondering about the connections. All in all it was an enjoyable and unexpected book and I hope we see more of Lucy. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy historical fiction that include a mystery and to readers that enjoy stories of family secrets and people trying to figure out their life.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved the concept of this book and how Lucy takes a job as a bearer of bad news after she finds out that her fiancé has been cheating on her. As much as I liked following Lucy throughout this story, this book struggled to hold my attention at times. This book did have an interesting mystery, and I liked the occasional mixed media elements sprinkled in between the chapters. Overall this was a good debut cozy mystery.
Thank you to @gallerybooks for the gifted copy.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This was really fun, but also not what I expected. It didn’t feel like a mystery. It’s more of an uncovering of family secrets and piecing together a historical story. We’re also given more information through letters in between chapters, that the MC doesn’t know about. It’s an interesting cast of characters and there is some development to them, but it feels intentional that it didn’t happen entirely. Maybe a sequel? It’s definitely more of a plot driven story.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When Lucy's life in Las Vegas takes a nosedive - her fiance is cheating, she can't pay the rent - she decides to shake things up and takes on a very odd sounding job, "Bearer of Bad News," which will at least get her a free trip to the Italian Dolomites and well out of her current life. But her instructions are vague to say the least, and there is a very long contract with an attached NDA that practically demands her firstborn and permanent servitude if she ever breaths a word to anyone. So she goes off on thinking she merely needs to find the client's sister and relate a message, but events, well, evolve, and a World War II era mystery comes into play, in ways more personal than Lucy could ever imagine.
This is a fun and often whacky story of a fish out of water; poor clueless Lucy is literally making it up as she goes along. There are interesting characters along the way including a social media darling you will want to nudge off a cliff. A bit of romance, a nice dose of history and mystery, and complex family relationships. Lots of good elements stirred into a bubbling plot. Very enjoyable.
This is a fun and often whacky story of a fish out of water; poor clueless Lucy is literally making it up as she goes along. There are interesting characters along the way including a social media darling you will want to nudge off a cliff. A bit of romance, a nice dose of history and mystery, and complex family relationships. Lots of good elements stirred into a bubbling plot. Very enjoyable.
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lucy Rey doesn't fool herself. She knows that she's not a great hairdresser. Just like she wasn't a great any-number-of-other-jobs-she's-tried. She's trying to stick it out though because she's just changed towns to follow her fiance. That would be the same fiance who Lucy has recognized in someone else's social media photos. And they don't just look like platonic friends.
After consulting with her best friend, Lucy decides to take on a job she saw in a pop up ad. She's not exactly sure what a "bearer of bad news" will do but it can't be worse than sitting and contemplating her own life choices. The job will take her straight into danger (including an influencer that seems to have it out for her) but it also shakes the very foundation of Lucy's own personal history.
I liked the character building in this book and the writing overall. I'm not a huge fan of stories where past and present are interwoven and it was especially jarring in this book as there were at least 3 timelines and they didn't always align well. I also wasn't sure about the department of returning lost things and wish it had been explored more. This story wasn't for me but I think I might enjoy others by this author.
After consulting with her best friend, Lucy decides to take on a job she saw in a pop up ad. She's not exactly sure what a "bearer of bad news" will do but it can't be worse than sitting and contemplating her own life choices. The job will take her straight into danger (including an influencer that seems to have it out for her) but it also shakes the very foundation of Lucy's own personal history.
I liked the character building in this book and the writing overall. I'm not a huge fan of stories where past and present are interwoven and it was especially jarring in this book as there were at least 3 timelines and they didn't always align well. I also wasn't sure about the department of returning lost things and wish it had been explored more. This story wasn't for me but I think I might enjoy others by this author.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes