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bekkasbookclub's reviews
210 reviews
Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“The world is not made for mothers. Yet mothers made the world.” Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker
This book was a WILD rollercoaster. I would start by saying this could be a HUGE trigger for new mothers who may be struggling post-partum or those who have witnessed domestic abuse as a child. Clove is a crunchy mom with lots of secrets in her past. She seems to have everything under control until she gets a letter from someone in her past, and her life slowly begins to unravel. Clove is a very self-aware woman, making it more interesting of the possibility that she may in fact be going mad. I read this on audio, and it was very hard to put down at times. I needed more and couldn’t wait to hear what was going to happen next. For once, I actually did guess a few of the twists, but that did not ruin the reading experience for me. This was an intense, yet compelling read that I absolutely enjoyed.
This book was a WILD rollercoaster. I would start by saying this could be a HUGE trigger for new mothers who may be struggling post-partum or those who have witnessed domestic abuse as a child. Clove is a crunchy mom with lots of secrets in her past. She seems to have everything under control until she gets a letter from someone in her past, and her life slowly begins to unravel. Clove is a very self-aware woman, making it more interesting of the possibility that she may in fact be going mad. I read this on audio, and it was very hard to put down at times. I needed more and couldn’t wait to hear what was going to happen next. For once, I actually did guess a few of the twists, but that did not ruin the reading experience for me. This was an intense, yet compelling read that I absolutely enjoyed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death of parent
The Wedding Engagement by Zoe Allison
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“How long do we have to be friends before I stop feeling like a giddy schoolgirl whenever I see him?” The Wedding Engagement by Zoe Allison
Brother’s best friend isn’t a trope I have read a lot of, but I’m really starting to enjoy this trope more and more. Liv and Arran are part of a tight group of friends and when Liv’s brother/Arran’s best friend gets engaged to Liv’s best friend. They are paired together to help with planning the wedding and putting together a joint stag/hen do. The increased time that Liv and Arran spend together forces them to come to reality with their feelings for one another. I really enjoyed reading this book and loved the strong friend group vibes, but the constant miscommunication just made me feel so frustrated! It starts with a blind date gone wrong between Liv and Arran and then they just keep skipping out on fully communicating with one another. The second half of the book got better with their communication but then we had a setback, which led to a semi-third act break up. However, this ended up being okay because Arran used it as an opportunity to show Liv how much cared for Liv. Besides the miscommunication, I had one ick that didn’t sit well with me that took place during the actual wedding, but I won’t spoil what it was. Overall, I really enjoyed these characters and I think I’m going to have to check out Sam and Maya’s story so that I can get more of this friend group.
Brother’s best friend isn’t a trope I have read a lot of, but I’m really starting to enjoy this trope more and more. Liv and Arran are part of a tight group of friends and when Liv’s brother/Arran’s best friend gets engaged to Liv’s best friend. They are paired together to help with planning the wedding and putting together a joint stag/hen do. The increased time that Liv and Arran spend together forces them to come to reality with their feelings for one another. I really enjoyed reading this book and loved the strong friend group vibes, but the constant miscommunication just made me feel so frustrated! It starts with a blind date gone wrong between Liv and Arran and then they just keep skipping out on fully communicating with one another. The second half of the book got better with their communication but then we had a setback, which led to a semi-third act break up. However, this ended up being okay because Arran used it as an opportunity to show Liv how much cared for Liv. Besides the miscommunication, I had one ick that didn’t sit well with me that took place during the actual wedding, but I won’t spoil what it was. Overall, I really enjoyed these characters and I think I’m going to have to check out Sam and Maya’s story so that I can get more of this friend group.
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
medium-paced
5.0
“You can fall in love with a person, watching them sleep—and I did. I loved him already. I hadn’t been careful, like I intended to be. It happened in spite of me—without my permission.” Real Americans by Rachel Khong
This book is absolutely incredible and will be one that I will keep thinking about for a long time. This book touched on so many topics (race, money, classism, genetic modification, etc.) without being overwhelming. This book takes place over multi-generations and without spoiling too much of what ends up happening with the plot, comes together very well and plays out in a way I would never have expected. This book is filled with family drama and secrets that really drive the story. At times, it can be a little bit slow, but the pay out in the end was so worth the wait. I think listening to this one on audio was very helpful because it was told with different narrators and when you had slower moments in the book where if you were reading a physical copy may have been easier to put down, it was easier to keep going. This is one that I would highly recommend if you want a complicated, generational story that comes together perfectly in the end.
This book is absolutely incredible and will be one that I will keep thinking about for a long time. This book touched on so many topics (race, money, classism, genetic modification, etc.) without being overwhelming. This book takes place over multi-generations and without spoiling too much of what ends up happening with the plot, comes together very well and plays out in a way I would never have expected. This book is filled with family drama and secrets that really drive the story. At times, it can be a little bit slow, but the pay out in the end was so worth the wait. I think listening to this one on audio was very helpful because it was told with different narrators and when you had slower moments in the book where if you were reading a physical copy may have been easier to put down, it was easier to keep going. This is one that I would highly recommend if you want a complicated, generational story that comes together perfectly in the end.
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.75
“She was a stupid slut for having a baby, and if she’d had an abortion, she also would’ve been a stupid slut. It was a game you could not win.” Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thrope
This is one of those books that was all over bookstagram, and in my opinion, did not disappoint. This book was messy in the best kind of way. Margo is a 19 year old girl, who finds herself pregnant, by her professor, who was having an affair with her. That’s a lot, isn’t it? Margo decides to keep the baby because most of the people in her life are basically telling her not to, and while I’m not for keeping a baby out of spite, I think it ultimately ended up being the better decision for her in the end. Margo was surprisingly on top of everything she needed to be doing to be a great mom to her baby. I say surprisingly because I am constantly seeing young moms who are passing the parenting onto their moms. Obviously, this is fiction, but I still thought that was great seeing Margo’s determination to be a good mom. I also read this primarily on audio and I think Elle Fanning did a FANTASTIC job. I really felt her as Margo and if this somehow got adapted to the screen, she would have to play her. Overall, I think this book was definitely worth the hype and would highly recommend if you like messy, chaotic characters that come together so well.
This is one of those books that was all over bookstagram, and in my opinion, did not disappoint. This book was messy in the best kind of way. Margo is a 19 year old girl, who finds herself pregnant, by her professor, who was having an affair with her. That’s a lot, isn’t it? Margo decides to keep the baby because most of the people in her life are basically telling her not to, and while I’m not for keeping a baby out of spite, I think it ultimately ended up being the better decision for her in the end. Margo was surprisingly on top of everything she needed to be doing to be a great mom to her baby. I say surprisingly because I am constantly seeing young moms who are passing the parenting onto their moms. Obviously, this is fiction, but I still thought that was great seeing Margo’s determination to be a good mom. I also read this primarily on audio and I think Elle Fanning did a FANTASTIC job. I really felt her as Margo and if this somehow got adapted to the screen, she would have to play her. Overall, I think this book was definitely worth the hype and would highly recommend if you like messy, chaotic characters that come together so well.
Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"The hair. The Hands. The jeans. The blood covering it all." Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett
Missing White Woman was a wild ride. What should have been a fun, romantic weekend getaway turns into a nightmare for Breanna. This was a compelling read that focuses on the sensationalism in the media after a pretty, white woman goes missing and is then found dead is Bree’s Airbnb. I felt like Bree was a very naïve in some of the red flags surrounding her boyfriend. Which was a little frustrating to me. I did enjoy the social media aspect in the book and made it read more like real life. While this book had its fast-paced moments, it did have points where it dragged a bit for me. When I thought I had the ending figure out, something unexpected, yet satisfying ended up happening. Overall, I think this was a solid read and I think it could make a fantastic Netflix series.
Missing White Woman was a wild ride. What should have been a fun, romantic weekend getaway turns into a nightmare for Breanna. This was a compelling read that focuses on the sensationalism in the media after a pretty, white woman goes missing and is then found dead is Bree’s Airbnb. I felt like Bree was a very naïve in some of the red flags surrounding her boyfriend. Which was a little frustrating to me. I did enjoy the social media aspect in the book and made it read more like real life. While this book had its fast-paced moments, it did have points where it dragged a bit for me. When I thought I had the ending figure out, something unexpected, yet satisfying ended up happening. Overall, I think this was a solid read and I think it could make a fantastic Netflix series.
Isabel and the Rogue by Liana De la Rosa
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? No
4.5
"I don't want to be the wallflower Luna sister anymore. I want to be more."
After reading Ana Maria and the Fox last year, I needed to read the next in the series! I will say, this one felt a little light on the romance for a good chunk of the book because Isabel and Sirius were at odds with one another for part of the book. However, I love what De la Rosa did to bring about the romance by having them work together to find out information to pass along aid to Mexico. Once they begin to work together, Isabel's tough exterior begins to come down and the tension between her and Sirius begins to build. The espionage plotline seemed like it almost took priority over the romance but I did enjoy that aspect of the book. The sneaking around that we see between Isabel and Sirius leads to some spicy scene and the under the desk scene was *swoon* Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read Gabby's book next!
Thank you Berkley Romance for my gifted finish copy and NetGalley for my early digital copy to review.
After reading Ana Maria and the Fox last year, I needed to read the next in the series! I will say, this one felt a little light on the romance for a good chunk of the book because Isabel and Sirius were at odds with one another for part of the book. However, I love what De la Rosa did to bring about the romance by having them work together to find out information to pass along aid to Mexico. Once they begin to work together, Isabel's tough exterior begins to come down and the tension between her and Sirius begins to build. The espionage plotline seemed like it almost took priority over the romance but I did enjoy that aspect of the book. The sneaking around that we see between Isabel and Sirius leads to some spicy scene and the under the desk scene was *swoon* Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read Gabby's book next!
Thank you Berkley Romance for my gifted finish copy and NetGalley for my early digital copy to review.
Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“The right person fits into your life, Billie. Not the other way around.” Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering
This is another great book by Carola Lovering! I was obsessed with Can’t Look Away two years ago and when I got the opportunity to read an early digital copy, I had to get my hands on it. I ended up doing a combination of reading and listening to this one and I couldn’t not put either down! This book is by no means a thriller/mystery in my opinion. It was suspenseful at times, but I felt like if toxic relationships were its own genre, this is exactly where it would fall. This book alternated between past and present timelines and the past helps you understand why Billie is trying so hard to keep her friendship with Cassie. It did a great job depicting how friendships grow apart and how something traumatic can bring you back together. The ending was predictable considering what Billie does (read the synopsis), but it didn’t make the ending any less sad for Billie and Cassie. Overall, I think this is a great domestic drama and I will read whatever Lovering puts out next.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sending me an early digital copy to review.
This is another great book by Carola Lovering! I was obsessed with Can’t Look Away two years ago and when I got the opportunity to read an early digital copy, I had to get my hands on it. I ended up doing a combination of reading and listening to this one and I couldn’t not put either down! This book is by no means a thriller/mystery in my opinion. It was suspenseful at times, but I felt like if toxic relationships were its own genre, this is exactly where it would fall. This book alternated between past and present timelines and the past helps you understand why Billie is trying so hard to keep her friendship with Cassie. It did a great job depicting how friendships grow apart and how something traumatic can bring you back together. The ending was predictable considering what Billie does (read the synopsis), but it didn’t make the ending any less sad for Billie and Cassie. Overall, I think this is a great domestic drama and I will read whatever Lovering puts out next.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sending me an early digital copy to review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Toxic friendship
Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“It’s actually sort of soothing to think of how massive the universe is, and how I could be snuffed out at any minute. I guess I like tricking my brain into disarming things.” Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin
This book is definitely different from what I would consider my “normal” style of reading. Interesting Facts About Space has very little plotline and is very solo character driven. That character being Enid, a quirky, space loving, true crime podcast obsessed, lesbian who is struggling with some anxiety and paranoia that increases as the story progresses. Enid has a very busy inner monologue that at times, was a bit much for me but made her seem more real and relatable. One thing I had a little trouble with grasping was her irrational fear of bald men. Maybe because my husband is bald, I found it a little comical for someone to be afraid of him on that physical aspect alone. I saw someone else say this is a “sad girl” novel, not that I think Enid is sad, but maybe a little bit emo, I don’t know. This wasn’t a bad read for me, but more so a not so memorable one because of the lack of plotline.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“You’ll love me more when I’m dead. Chloe’s last words ring in her head like tinnitus.” When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey
This is the third book in the Black Harbor series and when it was sent to me as an early copy to review, I didn’t realize I would be jumping into an already established series. However, I feel like I was able to step right in and not miss much from the previous two books. I think Morrissey was able to capture the immense amount of pain of parents who find that their daughter, Chloe has gone missing after discovering that her best friend has been murdered. Rowan, a medical examiner and Alex, a local detective are not only involved in solving the case but are fully immersed because they don’t know if their daughter may have had something to do with her best friend’s death. Rowan and Alex begin to have differing opinions of their daughter and her possible involvement, which begins to tear their marriage apart. Morrissey was able to write in a way that touches on what the parents are experiencing during the time Chloe is missing but also the fact that they didn’t know all that was going on in their child’s life. This made Rowan and Alex more real/relatable in my opinion because most parents don’t know the ins and outs of their child’s life. I felt the book started off slow and picked up its pace as they began to uncover more information. I don’t think the ending was too predictable, but I was able to start putting together the pieces the closer I got to the end. I don’t know how the previous books compare to this one, but I’m definitely willing to check them out.
Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my early digital copy to review.
This is the third book in the Black Harbor series and when it was sent to me as an early copy to review, I didn’t realize I would be jumping into an already established series. However, I feel like I was able to step right in and not miss much from the previous two books. I think Morrissey was able to capture the immense amount of pain of parents who find that their daughter, Chloe has gone missing after discovering that her best friend has been murdered. Rowan, a medical examiner and Alex, a local detective are not only involved in solving the case but are fully immersed because they don’t know if their daughter may have had something to do with her best friend’s death. Rowan and Alex begin to have differing opinions of their daughter and her possible involvement, which begins to tear their marriage apart. Morrissey was able to write in a way that touches on what the parents are experiencing during the time Chloe is missing but also the fact that they didn’t know all that was going on in their child’s life. This made Rowan and Alex more real/relatable in my opinion because most parents don’t know the ins and outs of their child’s life. I felt the book started off slow and picked up its pace as they began to uncover more information. I don’t think the ending was too predictable, but I was able to start putting together the pieces the closer I got to the end. I don’t know how the previous books compare to this one, but I’m definitely willing to check them out.
Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my early digital copy to review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
4.0
“He told me once that sometimes, with some people, it's not about winning or losing, That with some people, it's just about playing.” Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
This was such a cute YA novel! I really liked Mallory and Nolan, despite their young, angsty personalities (which can sometimes be a turn off for me with YA). Their witty banter played out really well, which is probably because Hazelwood is usually writing for adults, and I actually enjoyed all the chess talk. At times, some of the conflict Mallory dealt with seemed trivial but taking on the role as primary breadwinner for her family took some amazing strength. I understand that as the oldest child, she felt the responsibility to take care of her family after her father’s passing, but I wish she had been just a little more selfish and been able to enjoy herself a little more. The third act break up came really late in the storyline to me and the ending felt a little bit rushed to get our HEA. Overall, I really enjoyed this as a YA romance and I think I may need to not write off YA romances completely just yet.
This was such a cute YA novel! I really liked Mallory and Nolan, despite their young, angsty personalities (which can sometimes be a turn off for me with YA). Their witty banter played out really well, which is probably because Hazelwood is usually writing for adults, and I actually enjoyed all the chess talk. At times, some of the conflict Mallory dealt with seemed trivial but taking on the role as primary breadwinner for her family took some amazing strength. I understand that as the oldest child, she felt the responsibility to take care of her family after her father’s passing, but I wish she had been just a little more selfish and been able to enjoy herself a little more. The third act break up came really late in the storyline to me and the ending felt a little bit rushed to get our HEA. Overall, I really enjoyed this as a YA romance and I think I may need to not write off YA romances completely just yet.