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3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
I picked this one up and then put it down for about a month before coming back to it. The first chapter just didn't grab my attention at all with everything else going on. It picked up after that, though, and I finished it in a day. I was able to figure out a few of the solutions before the end, but also the end seemed kinda meh? The writing just lacked some conviction for me.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own.
I received a copy of this novel in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller/mystery novel and realize my taste in books seems to be drastically different from the general population. I'm not an Agatha Christie reader, so the fact that this book was marketed as a spin on her novels and according to other reviews, was not that, seemed to have a real impact on its ratings, which is really too bad. I guess if you go into a novel with a specific expectation, if it doesn't meet that expectation, it can be disappointing but that was a non-issue for me here.
I had zero expectations and found myself guessing and trying to figure things out until the very end, making for an engaging and captivating read. The characters are mostly unlikeable, but moreso in a way that I enjoyed and had me wondering about their secrets and possible ulterior motives. I loved the premise of a novel within a novel - I found it very clever and I enjoyed the twists.
My cons, of which I only have two, are that Rory reached some conclusions rather quickly, and they seemed to be a stretch with the limited info she had, and after the murder scene, I felt like there needed to be more emotion.
I agree with some other reviewers that the changing POV was occasionally difficult to follow and the voices seemed very similar at times, but it didn't make the story make or break for me. Overall, it was an enjoyable and unique novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller/mystery novel and realize my taste in books seems to be drastically different from the general population. I'm not an Agatha Christie reader, so the fact that this book was marketed as a spin on her novels and according to other reviews, was not that, seemed to have a real impact on its ratings, which is really too bad. I guess if you go into a novel with a specific expectation, if it doesn't meet that expectation, it can be disappointing but that was a non-issue for me here.
I had zero expectations and found myself guessing and trying to figure things out until the very end, making for an engaging and captivating read. The characters are mostly unlikeable, but moreso in a way that I enjoyed and had me wondering about their secrets and possible ulterior motives. I loved the premise of a novel within a novel - I found it very clever and I enjoyed the twists.
My cons, of which I only have two, are that Rory reached some conclusions rather quickly, and they seemed to be a stretch with the limited info she had, and after the murder scene, I felt like there needed to be more emotion.
I agree with some other reviewers that the changing POV was occasionally difficult to follow and the voices seemed very similar at times, but it didn't make the story make or break for me. Overall, it was an enjoyable and unique novel.
tense
slow-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
This story was wild. But in an unbelievable way. And somehow the plot is super slow and it’s never that tense. And then at the end they just unravel everything with one dinner.
Rory is adopted.
Max is Ginevra’s son.
Ginevra slept with Ansel / Anatoly under the guise of being her more beautiful twin Orsola
Max was blackmailing Caro to stay quiet about his vaccine fraud by making it look like she was embezzling.
Caro and Nate slept together in Dubai but we get over this quickly lol.
Max tries to kill Caro and Rory smashes him in the head with an ice bucket and kills him.
Ginevra was the beautiful one from the story not the ugly one.
Rory is adopted.
Max is Ginevra’s son.
Ginevra slept with Ansel / Anatoly under the guise of being her more beautiful twin Orsola
Max was blackmailing Caro to stay quiet about his vaccine fraud by making it look like she was embezzling.
Caro and Nate slept together in Dubai but we get over this quickly lol.
Max tries to kill Caro and Rory smashes him in the head with an ice bucket and kills him.
Ginevra was the beautiful one from the story not the ugly one.
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My rating is 2.5 stars. I felt bored through the whole story. The first 75% of the book was character development where nothing really happened and I almost DNF’d this three separate times.
The writing and ending was good as that is the reason for my stars, but I wasn’t wowed. It did end pretty abruptly.
If you like slow burn with HEAVY character development you’ll probably like this.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
The writing and ending was good as that is the reason for my stars, but I wasn’t wowed. It did end pretty abruptly.
If you like slow burn with HEAVY character development you’ll probably like this.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.