bekkasbookclub's reviews
210 reviews

The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This book seemed more like an ode to the shopping mall with its nostalgia and it just so happens to take place near Christmas time. The storyline was cute; two teenagers of rival mall food court restaurant owners trying to save their shopping mall when the owner wants to tear it down. Chloe and Peter decide it’s better to team up if they stand the chance at saving their mall. Do I feel like this seems a little impossible for real life? Yes. Was it a cute story? Also, yes. The plotline of Close and Peter saving the mall doesn’t seem realistic for today, but I enjoyed the way the storyline played out. Chloe and Peter were very loveable characters and I think the enemies to loves trope played out well. This novel read very YA and the conflict that arose between the two was not that big a deal, in my opinion. I just wish it had been more Christmas centered and the author could have use that to her advantage with trying to save the mall and the idea of a “Christmas miracle.” Overall, it was cute but could have been more Christmas themed. 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

emotional hopeful slow-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

I have seen this book all over booksta and I can say I honestly didn’t know what it would be about other than gaming 🎮 With that said, I’m glad to have read it but also think it was a little too long and a little too overhyped. Was it a good story, yes. However, I do feel like for as long as Sam and Sadie were friends, they had way too much miscommunication with one another. I felt like because they were friends when they were young, their friendship remained juvenile instead of growing up as they did. It was interesting seeing the beginnings of their company and I really liked that the timeline started in the late 1990s. It was also nice seeing Sadie be one of the few females in the industry but her insecurities worked to her disadvantaged and at times made her not likable. Sam was also a piece of work but it worked for him because he owned his selfishness. I’m not sure if I liked the ending but I did like that Sam and Sadie were able to see each other’s best attributes and continue their friendship.

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 I’ve seen others say this is Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca and I 100% agree. It has a creepy house in rural Mexico and the first Mrs. Solórzano died a mysterious death. However, Cañas has has taken these elements and created something entirely her own. While this is a bit of a slower read, this is much needed to build the scene and create the scary backdrop of the hacienda. I’m not one to get scared much with scary movies/shows but reading is an entirely different story. Read this at night was chilling at times. The large haunted house was super creepy and the description of seeing red eyes in the dark gave me chills. I think this would make a great limited series or movie with all its spooky elements! I would recommend this if you like a little scary while reading 👻 

Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin

lighthearted fast-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

Lucinda “Lucy” Caraway comes from a witchy family and lives in Freya Grove, a seaside town where magical beings reside. One night, Lucy, along with her sisters and cousin, perform a wish spell. Lucy can’t help but wish for a more adventurous life. Lucy runs into her high school crush, Alex, and her wish latches on to him. Now, Lucy and Alex are stuck with one another until she can figure out how to undo it.
This is the perfect fall romance with all the witchy and magical vibes! I loved that it was a second chance romance with high school crushes ten years later. The romance didn’t feel like the entire focus of the book and was more about Lucy trying new things. I felt that the wish was the push that Lucy needed to do the things she always wanted to do but didn’t have the courage to try. The love story between Lucy and Alex was light and cozy, with mild to medium steam. Add the small town vibes of Freya Grove, you have a great setting for a Hallmark movie. I do wish it had a little more world-build and explanation of the town because I couldn’t determine if all the magical creatures were a normal part of life or were they living in hiding. This definitely needs to be on your fall TBR! What to expect when reading Witchful Thinking:
🧙🏾‍♀️ Witchy heroine
🧜🏾‍♂️ Merman love interest
👥 Dual POVs
👩🏾‍❤️‍👨🏾 Second-chance/fake dating
❤️ Slow burn romance
🌶 Mild-medium spice
🪄 Magical spell possibly gone wrong
🏡 Small town setting
🍂 Fall vibes 

Can't Look Away by Carola Lovering

dark emotional tense fast-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

5.0

 Molly is in her early 20s when she attends a show and locks eyes with the lead singer, Jake Danner, of Danner Lane. We then see a back and forth of Molly’s life 6 years later, where she’s a mom and married to Hunter. We see how their love story unfolds through the point of view of Molly and Jake — and an third person, Sabrina.
I really loved this book! I feel like it was definitely more of a romance than a thriller/mystery. If anything, you could called in a suspenseful romance. I really liked that we got multiple points of view and how everything unfolded. Sabrina is one of those characters you love to hate and loved seeing the story from her twisted point of view. Not going to lie, I thought she was going to get all Fatal Attraction on Molly and Jake. I think Molly’s life with Hunter was a little too safe and I would have liked seeing more about their life together. It really felt like the story was written for you to want Molly and Jake together, with Hunter being an afterthought. This is my first book by this author but I’m definitely wanting to her others. I I would recommend this if you like head over heels insta-love with a little bit of suspense thrown in.
I will say this is one of those books that if you read it in public, you may have people looking at you a little crazy. I read this on a plane and the number of times I silently 😱 was a lot. 

Meant to be Mine by Hannah Orenstein

fast-paced

3.5

I was surprised with the way this book turned out. I don’t know if I’m a fan of having a love interest for more than half of the book only for our heroine to make the decision that they aren’t in fact “meant to be.” Edie seemed to be dealing with a lot of unresolved feelings towards her ex, Jonah and I almost stopped halfway through because she kept comparing Theo to him. Look, if you’re comparing your current boyfriend to your ex, that’s a sign that the relationship might not be the right one. While I also feel Theo had faults of his own, including not standing up for Edie on several occasions, I commend him for trying to be the guy Edie needed for her “day” to work out. I think if the author wanted to focus on not perfect timing, it would have been more interesting for them to meet on her “day,” try the relationship, it not work, and then maybe come back together again in the future. I also would have loved more of the story to focus on Edie finding her actual soulmate instead of it being somewhat thrown together at the end. Overall, I liked the premise but I’m not sure if I like how it unfolded.

The Lost Summers of Newport by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White

mysterious slow-paced

3.75

I was intrigued to see how this book would come together seeing that it’s written by three authors. I liked the idea of the three different timelines but I did have some trouble keeping track of each storyline in the beginning. I do feel like it was very slow at the start but it did eventually pick up. However, I felt it was a little too late in the book and I didn’t care as much what happened to the characters. I did think it was great how the authors were able to tie everything up within the different timelines and put together a scandalous ending. I did guess the ending/twist, which is a first for me, so that did improve my overall rating. I’d recommend this if you like romance, historical fiction, and a little bit of mystery in your books. 

With Love from Wish & Co. by Minnie Darke

4.0

Marnie Fairchild is a professional gift buyer. She has a knock for buying the perfect gifts for her clients. That is until one day, she has amajor mix up. Brian Charlesworth’s anniversary gift to his wife gets mixed up with the birthday gift for his mistress. In order to save her business, she come up with an idea to help Brian try to win his wife back.
This was a light-hearted, easy read. It didn’t have as much of a romance storyline as I would have liked. I felt that the romance with Marnie and Luke was just all of a sudden happening without much buildup. What I really loved was the concept of Marnie’s business. The fact that she can figure out the perfect gift for someone just by “stalking” their social media pages. It’s honestly a brilliant idea and I’m surprised I haven’t heard of this being a real business. This is told from the point of view of several characters and it gives you great perspective on exactly what’s going on with everyone, instead of trying to guess. Overall, I enjoyed the book and love the idea of Marnie’s business. 

Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour

slow-paced

4.0

 This book is going to be a little interesting to review. It was so beautifully written but I felt that it had little plot and was VERY character driven. That’s not a bad thing at all but when the chapters were long, I found myself pausing in the middle of the chapter just to gather my thoughts and figure out what’s happening. It may have been easier for me to follow if it had followed either Sarah or Emilie’s point of view. However, I did enjoy both of their storylines. The complexity of family dynamics was heavy at times but in the end they find each other. *SLIGHT SPOILERS BELOW*

I enjoyed the happy for now ending and thought it was fitting for this story.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

fast-paced

5.0

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a cab, late at night, with no clue how it happened. She then discovers every time she falls asleep, her memory is erased, and she can’t remember anything from the past two years. Liv sees a news report about a murder and the killer’s message “STAY AWAKE” written on the window. The same message is written on Liv’s hands, which can’t be a coincidence. Detective Halliday is on the case and is determined to catch the killer, whoever it may be.
This is probably one of my favorite thrillers of the year. It had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was actually happening. This psychological thriller was extremely fast-paced and you don’t want to put it down. I found myself sympathizing with Liv because of her memory loss. This could have gotten repetitive because each time she fell asleep, she had to rediscover the same information again about her memory. In this case, it worked with the story and made me as the reader want to know more of what was happening. This definitely reminded me of the movie 50 First Dates but make it a thriller. I highly recommend this if you like dual POVs, dual timelines, and an unreliable narrator.
Thank you St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for a digital copy to review!