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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
I liked the premise of this book and all of the supporting characters but found it really hard to like Mara
I think you have to like Mara to get the most out of this book and I just didn’t. She came across as superficial, pathetic immature and desperate.
Her dressing up as a clairvoyant and providing the handsome strange so many exact details was unbelievable and a bit too far fetched.
But I enjoyed the supporting cast of coworkers she had and her flatmate and other man. The writing style and pace of this book kept me going and I would definitely try another book from Lizzy Dent but Mara ruined this one for me
Her dressing up as a clairvoyant and providing the handsome strange so many exact details was unbelievable and a bit too far fetched.
But I enjoyed the supporting cast of coworkers she had and her flatmate and other man. The writing style and pace of this book kept me going and I would definitely try another book from Lizzy Dent but Mara ruined this one for me
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
Coming of age, tender, funny, inspiring
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was drawn to this book at… the dollar tree of all places … i loved the cover and the couple of comments from Emily Henry (she is one of my favorites) on both the front and back cover. Immediate buy.
I didn’t hate this book, it just fell a little, or a lot, flat for me. It was far too slow of a build and I found myself bored throughout the majority of it. Mara’s character annoyed me and honestly came off extremely immature. A grown woman actively obsessing over a complete stranger for literal months? Cringey. I did enjoy many of the main characters and seeing the little bit of growth and progression in Mara throughout the end. And I was not completely disappointed in the ending of the book, although I would have liked to see more between Ash and Mara.
Are there really people out there who rely solely on their zodiac sign and continually check it?!
I didn’t hate this book, it just fell a little, or a lot, flat for me. It was far too slow of a build and I found myself bored throughout the majority of it. Mara’s character annoyed me and honestly came off extremely immature. A grown woman actively obsessing over a complete stranger for literal months? Cringey. I did enjoy many of the main characters and seeing the little bit of growth and progression in Mara throughout the end. And I was not completely disappointed in the ending of the book, although I would have liked to see more between Ash and Mara.
Are there really people out there who rely solely on their zodiac sign and continually check it?!
I could not finish this novel. I found the start to be slow and the character a bit whinny. I have enjoyed other Lizzy Dent books, but this one just wasn't my jive.
Thank you Netgalley for this advance copy.
Thank you Netgalley for this advance copy.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the chance to read an ARC of The Setup and share my review voluntarily.
The Setup centers around Mara a woman in her early thirties who is trying to find herself while looking to others for answers. Searching for answers about her worth from horoscopes and relationships she’s thrown into a love triangle of her own making. As Mara tries to complete the steps told to her by a fortune teller, she find a different path all together.
The premise of this book was fun and intrigued me immediately. I found Mara’s reliance on the occult to be annoying and a bit overblown. I loved the writing and the supporting characters. The town that’s crafted by the residents has personality and was a joy to read about. I loved Ash and thought he was a well written, thoughtful love interest.
I didn’t connect to the conflict with her family and thought she was being a brat about it. I didn’t feel like inviting them to a party resolved ten years of unspoken conflict and that felt like an afterthought.
Overall this is a sweet tale of exploration and finding your place. I recommend it if you like slow burn contemporary fiction.
The Setup centers around Mara a woman in her early thirties who is trying to find herself while looking to others for answers. Searching for answers about her worth from horoscopes and relationships she’s thrown into a love triangle of her own making. As Mara tries to complete the steps told to her by a fortune teller, she find a different path all together.
The premise of this book was fun and intrigued me immediately. I found Mara’s reliance on the occult to be annoying and a bit overblown. I loved the writing and the supporting characters. The town that’s crafted by the residents has personality and was a joy to read about. I loved Ash and thought he was a well written, thoughtful love interest.
I didn’t connect to the conflict with her family and thought she was being a brat about it. I didn’t feel like inviting them to a party resolved ten years of unspoken conflict and that felt like an afterthought.
Overall this is a sweet tale of exploration and finding your place. I recommend it if you like slow burn contemporary fiction.
Ok, I went back and forth between 2 & 3 stars on this one and am settling in at 3 for a few reasons: the characters (even the side ones) all felt fleshed out to me, there's a unique premise, and I think Dent is a good writer.
My only reason for considering 2 is that I really REALLY didn't like the main character - I just kept yelling at her (mostly in my head but occasionally out loud) "GET IT TOGETHER, MARA!" Dent did a great job at building the character, and by the end - once Mara had really worked on personal growth - I at least felt I understood her better. But reading a whole rom-com when you don't love the lead character is ROUGH.
I would recommend this book to people who like the Fated Mates trope, because I think Dent did a good job here of interrogating what "fate" really means.
My only reason for considering 2 is that I really REALLY didn't like the main character - I just kept yelling at her (mostly in my head but occasionally out loud) "GET IT TOGETHER, MARA!" Dent did a great job at building the character, and by the end - once Mara had really worked on personal growth - I at least felt I understood her better. But reading a whole rom-com when you don't love the lead character is ROUGH.
I would recommend this book to people who like the Fated Mates trope, because I think Dent did a good job here of interrogating what "fate" really means.