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justagir1's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Addiction, Car accident, Murder, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Police brutality
br3nda's review
2.0
It was a mostly easy read. It wasn't the best story but it was something to fill the time. It was missing a "flow" to the story. It had a stop and start to it. It jumped from one scene to the next.
It would've been much better if more was written about the Tony/Jenny "romance". That "romance" happened with very little being written about it. One of my peeves in stories is when a writer leaves out little details that make me read back to see if I missed something. This happened too frequently with this book. How does a "romance" move from barely touching each other (only unromantic hand touching), to talking about having babies? It didn't fit or flow naturally. Plus other things like one minute Jenny is standing, pushing the ex-husband away to the next minute when she's sitting and his hand is on her knee. No mention of her sitting happened. Not that I could find. These kind of missing details were apparent throughout the book.
There were many details that would not have happened "in real life" either. Any police officer would not give permission to civilians to enter a house that was a crime scene. They also wouldn't allow for a friend to stay over night in a cell with someone who has been placed there. These kind of unrealistic details were annoying.
If your looking for a cozy mystery to fill a bit of time, this would be suffice but if your looking for any good romance amongst that mystery, or a realistic investigation to that mystery, you won't find it here.
It would've been much better if more was written about the Tony/Jenny "romance". That "romance" happened with very little being written about it. One of my peeves in stories is when a writer leaves out little details that make me read back to see if I missed something. This happened too frequently with this book. How does a "romance" move from barely touching each other (only unromantic hand touching), to talking about having babies? It didn't fit or flow naturally. Plus other things like one minute Jenny is standing, pushing the ex-husband away to the next minute when she's sitting and his hand is on her knee. No mention of her sitting happened. Not that I could find. These kind of missing details were apparent throughout the book.
There were many details that would not have happened "in real life" either. Any police officer would not give permission to civilians to enter a house that was a crime scene. They also wouldn't allow for a friend to stay over night in a cell with someone who has been placed there. These kind of unrealistic details were annoying.
If your looking for a cozy mystery to fill a bit of time, this would be suffice but if your looking for any good romance amongst that mystery, or a realistic investigation to that mystery, you won't find it here.
git_r_read's review against another edition
5.0
Below is my review from 2018 and it still stands. Even better the second time listening.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
**************
I have been a fan of Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli since reading DEAD DANCING WOMEN. It's a unique suspense mystery and I have looked forward to reading more of the series. Then I read a review about this Little Library Mystery series and had to add it to my WWBL too. I found it on Simply Audio and kept my fingers crossed it would be moved up the wishlist soon. Got my wish last week and it immediately went into the CD player in Sebastian.
It took me a chapter or two to get into the story. It is not the typical amateur sleuth and that is just fine. I know I like the author and kept listening. And I am very glad I did.
The dialogue and interactions were a bit jarring, but it honestly felt realistic once I got used to the flow.
The main character, Jenny Weston, has bad luck with men and she's only had two really in her life. She has let if affect her life choices. She's home to lick her wounds after her divorce and has issues with pretty much everything. Her little sister Lisa the Perfect, her mom, the unsolved hit and run death of her father and the next door neighbor, Zoe Zola, who has a passion for fairy gardens and quoting from Alice in Wonderland.
This is what caused some irritation but not so much that I stopped listening. Because who doesn't have issues with the little sister, the mom, the neighbor, and life in general. I was intrigued. I could see Jenny working through her issues and being a good person.
Then there's the mystery. There's a murdered man in Zoe's garden and she is the prime suspect. And Jenny feels compelled to find out what's going on. She knows that for all that Zoe is quirky, she is not a murderer. Then another murder and all things point to Zoe again.
The prize, though, what I loved the most is the little library that Jenny's mom Dora has in front of her house. The book starts with Jenny cleaning up the aftermath after some crappe-weasel has destroyed the little library and the books inside are barely salvageable. Oddly, this is what feels like is Jenny's road to recovery. She's been worried how to tell her mom that she's divorced, but now how she is going to tell her mom about this destruction?
Plots and subplots, self-discovery, making new friends in the town she grew up in. Can someone go home again? I think so, but it might be a bit different and you have to go with the flow.
I am really looking forward to the rest of this series.
I can definitely recommend this book, this series and this author.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
**************
I have been a fan of Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli since reading DEAD DANCING WOMEN. It's a unique suspense mystery and I have looked forward to reading more of the series. Then I read a review about this Little Library Mystery series and had to add it to my WWBL too. I found it on Simply Audio and kept my fingers crossed it would be moved up the wishlist soon. Got my wish last week and it immediately went into the CD player in Sebastian.
It took me a chapter or two to get into the story. It is not the typical amateur sleuth and that is just fine. I know I like the author and kept listening. And I am very glad I did.
The dialogue and interactions were a bit jarring, but it honestly felt realistic once I got used to the flow.
The main character, Jenny Weston, has bad luck with men and she's only had two really in her life. She has let if affect her life choices. She's home to lick her wounds after her divorce and has issues with pretty much everything. Her little sister Lisa the Perfect, her mom, the unsolved hit and run death of her father and the next door neighbor, Zoe Zola, who has a passion for fairy gardens and quoting from Alice in Wonderland.
This is what caused some irritation but not so much that I stopped listening. Because who doesn't have issues with the little sister, the mom, the neighbor, and life in general. I was intrigued. I could see Jenny working through her issues and being a good person.
Then there's the mystery. There's a murdered man in Zoe's garden and she is the prime suspect. And Jenny feels compelled to find out what's going on. She knows that for all that Zoe is quirky, she is not a murderer. Then another murder and all things point to Zoe again.
The prize, though, what I loved the most is the little library that Jenny's mom Dora has in front of her house. The book starts with Jenny cleaning up the aftermath after some crappe-weasel has destroyed the little library and the books inside are barely salvageable. Oddly, this is what feels like is Jenny's road to recovery. She's been worried how to tell her mom that she's divorced, but now how she is going to tell her mom about this destruction?
Plots and subplots, self-discovery, making new friends in the town she grew up in. Can someone go home again? I think so, but it might be a bit different and you have to go with the flow.
I am really looking forward to the rest of this series.
I can definitely recommend this book, this series and this author.
bloodymoon13's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
kristirose's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
tifftastic87's review
lighthearted
sad
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
1.0
This book was so meh. The main character was whiny, self absorbed and down right rude. There's such an air of "not like other girls" that I just couldn't with it. I was determined to finish and slogged my way through. The twist could be seen from five miles away. The women in the book were all caricatures of women.
I could go on and on but suffice it to say the book starts out by calling a little person a "creature" and chose to make her childlike with an obsession with Alice in Wonderland. It was uncomfortable to say the least.
I listened on 1.8 speed just to get through it (curse being a completionist).
I could go on and on but suffice it to say the book starts out by calling a little person a "creature" and chose to make her childlike with an obsession with Alice in Wonderland. It was uncomfortable to say the least.
I listened on 1.8 speed just to get through it (curse being a completionist).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic relationship, Ableism, and Car accident
Moderate: Body shaming, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Gaslighting, Blood, and Bullying
Minor: Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
taytayhilly's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookcraft's review against another edition
1.0
Oh, goodie. The "quirky little person." There's no way that could be offensive or stereotypical....
DNF.
DNF.