bizarrebrunette's reviews
6 reviews

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

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

2.75

2 stars 

In 1977, Beth Greer was tried and acquitted for the murder of two men. Beth continued to live in Claire Lake, Oregon where the crimes occurred. Currently, Shea Collins is a writer for a True Crime website. She's written extensively about the Lady Killer case, which Beth was linked to. After meeting Beth in a chance encounter, Shea asks her for an interview and is surprised when Beth says yes. Will Shea finally solve this infamous case and did Beth do it?

After reading The Book of Cold Cases, I can't help but feel disappointed. I had been anticipating that this would be a fast-paced thriller and that's not what this book was. While Shea researches this case, she feels a strange presence in the house which reveals that there are ghosts in the house. I wasn't a fan of this if I'm honest. If you removed the ghosts from the story, the book for the most part would have been the same, so it felt unnecessary. On top of that, if I'm going to read a book with ghosts, I want to feel scared and I never felt that way while reading this. 

Regarding the characters, they didn't stand out to me. Shea lives a life that's mostly isolated based on her childhood
Shea was almost kidnapped at 9 years old and when she escaped, her kidnapper killed another little girl instead.
I would have liked more character development with Shea. She exists in this story, but there's nothing memorable about her. It would have been interesting to hear why she created her blog and what motivates her to do what she does. Shea was supposed to be important to the story because she meant to put the pieces together, but there was nothing developed about her. This book is story-driven which is fine, however, I like thrillers with a good balance between building the story and developing detailed characters. 

With how everything plays out, I can't help but feel underwhelmed.
Beth has a half-sister named Lily who murdered the two men. I thought the two men would somehow relate to the story, but they didn't. It's not explained why Lily is the way she is. Why does she kill these men? There's no rhyme or reason for why Lily does what she does. The author hints at this with Lily's history and how her mother was SAed by a man and Lily later kills the man who did this to her mother. I didn't think that was a strong enough link as to why Lily did this. I found that to be aggravating.
I felt certain plot points were dropped or I thought would be more important to the story and they weren't. It was a bit frustrating. Towards the end of the book, I was more reading this book to finish it, but not because I cared about what would happen.
The climax of the book was Shea battling Lily as a ghost. It wasn't compelling at all.
 

The Book of Cold Cases was simply not my taste. I like thrillers and I like ghost stories, but I don't need them to be combined into one book. Simone St. James as an author may not be for me. 

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The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

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emotional reflective tense 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? Yes

5.0

5 stars - all the stars. 

New York City—1956. Marion is a young woman who decides to follow her dreams of auditioning to be a Rockette. Much to her father's chagrin, he would rather see her marry off and start a family. Marion loves being a Rockette and feels like she's following in her mother's footsteps, as she also wants to balance a career in the arts. In a turn of events, Marion is a witness to a bombing committed by the man known as the "Big Apple Bomber." Marion is now involved as she partners with a psychiatrist to investigate and stop future bombings. 

I LOVED this book. I am not sure why I was sleeping on Historical Fiction as a genre. This was the first book I read by Fiona Davis and definitely not the last. I like the way Fiona describes New York as I felt I could picture the city full of life in my mind. When Marion goes to work, dances in her shows, and takes the subway when she has to, I thought about who she was and what her life looked like. I think this imagery is crucial in Historical Fiction because if I don't feel involved with the story, why bother to continue reading? 

Regarding the characters, I liked reading about Marion and her struggles. Marion is aloof and naive. She says things that feel privileged and once she goes into the city, she realizes how sheltered her life was. I felt for Marion because her struggles felt real. She was torn between the life she wanted and what her father desperately wanted for her. Her father was aggressive in the way that she wanted to live her life which pushed her away. It was true to the period, but I felt for her. I truly despised her father and found it difficult to feel sorry for him
Simon did not provide evidence as to the bomber's identity as he hid files from former employees. On top of that, Simon was aggressive in his approach to Marion and told her she had to leave the house if she went to the city. When Marion did, Simon was shocked. HELLO! You were the one who asked her to leave.
Marion grew throughout the book and her decisions toward the end were selfless
taking care of her father when he reveals his Parkinson's diagnosis. She knows how poorly he treated her and it could have been easy to cut him out of her life, but she didn't. The level of maturity that Marion showed is admirable. OH, and Simon threatened to have full custody of the children, both Marion and Judy when Lucille wanted a career on broadway. This man was the worst
Marion was a character I was rooting for and I wanted her to follow her dreams. 

It's not often that books make me think, but The Spectacular got to me. I thought about my own life and how I had a choice. I could go off to college or travel. I think back to my mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother's generations and how there was a role women had to fill. It makes me sad. I feel fortunate to have all the experiences I have had knowing that women didn't always get the option. I think about the romance in the story and how realistic it felt.
Marion and Peter ended up not being together for 36 years. Peter ended up working for the FBI in Virginia while Marion stayed in New York. Peter was scared that he would develop schizophrenia and didn't want Marion to have to take care of him. Both Marion and Peter had their own dreams and while it was heartbreaking that they didn't get to be together, they ended up having a moment toward the end of the book. It shows that some may experience the "one who got away" but also how two people may need to go their own way even though it may be devastating.
There's so much to talk about with this book and I didn't even go into how corporate greed plays into this as well. 

The Spectacular was so good and will be a go-to recommendation to friends and family. I'm going through Fiona's other books and adding them to my shelf as a reminder to read her other books. 
Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

0.25 star

I'm a Grinch. This is the 2nd Holiday Romance I have tried to read from Tessa Bailey and I think that's it for me. I'm sorry, but Aidan hiring Stella without doing a background check is irresponsible, who cares though since Stella's hot and goth am I right? I'm all for second chances and I do believe Stella deserves it, but Aidan should have at least asked her first. 

With this book being only 248 pages, everything felt rushed. Aidan meeting Stella, it seems like he was obsessed with her and not in a good way. There needed to be more build-up between the two of them for me to feel that they were great together. By the end of the book, I was just glad that I didn't have to read about them anymore. 

I think another letdown for me was the plot points that were dropped. For example, Stella's friend Nicole showing up in her life again could have been interesting. The idea of peer pressure from friends or having a friend in your life that's toxic. Stella and Nicole have 1 conversation that's so short. They both went to prison together and they have one conversation on half of a page, seriously? 

I never want to hear the phrases "milk me" or "gorgeous buns" in any smut book ever again. If you think I'm kidding, I'm not. This is the first book I have read where I visibly cringed when I read about Aidan and Stella getting it on and that's not a good thing. 

I am glad this is over, so I can read anything else. 
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)

Anastasia (Stassi) Allen dreams about being an Olympic Figure Skater. Between her college classes at UNC Maple Hills, she trains with her skating partner, Aaron, to qualify. Nate Hawkins is the captain of the UNC Maple Hills hockey team. His dream is to get drafted into the NHL after college graduation. When an incident shuts down the extra arena, Stassi and Nate must share it, much to Stassi's chagrin. Stassi originally wanted nothing to do with Nate, but she couldn't deny their amazing chemistry on and off the ice.

I was on the fence with this series. I read Wildfire earlier this year and it was okay. I didn't want to give up on the series until I read Icebreaker. I enjoyed Icebreaker a lot more than I enjoyed Wildfire. I liked how skating was the backdrop of the series. I'm biased since I'm a figure skater, so I felt the setting and plot were interesting. Regarding the characters, I loved Nate. Nate and Russ had a lot of similarities. Nate was genuinely a good person and treated Stassi well. He fell head over heels for her; it was so cute to read about.

One thing I'm realizing about this series is that there's always going to be a degree of immaturity with the female leads. I preferred Stassi versus Aurora for a variety of different reasons. However, Stassi would get on my nerves at times
Stassi trying to convince Nate to have sex with her when she was drunk. Calling herself an "Uber Slut" on Nate's phone.
I think Stassi thinks she has her life figured out, but in reality, she's insecure about herself. This feels on point for a 21-year-old college student. I try to put that into perspective when I read this series. 

Icebreaker redeemed this series for me and I can't wait to read the third book which focuses on Henry. I'm here for the smut and this series delivers, that's for sure.

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Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter

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fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

4.5 stars

Successful filmmaker, Guy Howard, was 10 when his step-father, Luke Ryder was murdered. The murder has gone unsolved for close to 20 years. Guy decides enough is enough and partners with a TV producer to launch a six-episode series reinvestigating the crime. Guy wants the truth, that's all that matters to him. In six episodes, readers will become hyperfocused on the crime, the secrets, and who could gain from Luke's death. Can you solve the crime or are you simply along for the ride?

This is unlike any book I have ever read. Murder in the Family reminds me of a read-along version of one of those "Hunt a Killer" boxes. Instead of being written like a typical book, there are news articles, images, and other illustrated clues throughout the story. Most of the dialogue is from the TV episode scripts of the six experts they have hired to help investigate. I wasn't expecting this when I originally picked up the book, but I loved it and would love to read more thrillers in this format. 

As for the story, I was immediately hooked. It's not often that I stay up till midnight reading a book. I finished this book in a few days and towards the end of the day, I couldn't wait to pick up this book and continue where I left off. Any book that feels addicting will automatically be a book that I rate highly even if I'm not a fan of how the story plays out. 

With that said, I liked the first half of the story. The first reveal was a jaw-dropper.
Luke Ryder wasn't Luke Ryder at all. He was a con man. Born Jonah McKenna, he faked his death in Canada. From there, he took on the identity of Eric Fulton, a man murdered in New York. Finally, he met the real Luke Ryder in Beirut when a car bomb went off. Luke died, but Eric took on Luke's identity.
I was not expecting that and it added so much to the mystery of who could have killed him. It changed the original investigation and opened up new motives for why someone would want Luke dead. I felt the second half of the book and the killer reveals to be lackluster in comparison.
So you think that fake Luke would have someone from his past who killed him? Oh no, Guy as a 10-year-old killed Luke for no other reason than he hated him? Guy has no recollection of this. His sister, Amelie, covered it up. There's no point in writing that Luke is a Con Man if he ends up being murdered by a family member. It felt like a waste of a reveal to me.
I mentioned the similarity between this book and the "Hunt a Killer" boxes. I have completed some of the "Hunt a Killer" boxes where the killer reveal seems out of place and I'd put Murder in a Family in that category. 

The characters aren't the focus, yet they end up playing a big role in the end. I felt this to be a bit implausible as well as forced.
All 6 investigators have a connection to the case. Bill is a PI who knew Luke Ryder wasn't Luke Ryder before the show was filmed. Alan's sister was conned by the fake Luke. Those 2 connections were fine, the others, not so much. Mitchell was having sex with Maura, Guy's sister when she was underage. Hugo was having an affair with Caroline, Luke's wife, and Guy's mom. Laila's brother was killed by a drunk driver who was believed to be killed by the real Luke before his identity was stolen. Finally, JJ is believed to have been Caroline's son before she had Guy. I think it was interesting that some of the investigators had information about the crime, I don't think they all had to be involved, it got to be too much
OH and on top of that, I can't believe Hugo wouldn't admit that he had an affair with Caroline. The investigation focused on "Caroline's Mystery Man" and he didn't think to come out and be honest. C'mon.
All the connections to the original crime were a bit much towards the end. 

I'm glad I read this! I thought this was a fast read and I looked forward to reading this book to figure out what truly happened to Luke. If this author writes more books in this format in the future, I'd read them in a heartbeat. 
The Guest List by Lucy Foley

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 January is one of my least favorite months. It's dark, snowy, and depressing. Part of why I chose to read The Guest List is that it seemed to be a darker thriller. The Guest List immediately captured my attention. I wanted to read The Guest List any time I had free time and spent my entire Friday night reading half the book in one sitting. I loved the Guest List and even though I did guess one of the bigger reveals early on, it was still so satisfying to see that I was right.

A wedding party flocks to a remote, Irish island. The wedding is breathtaking until someone is murdered. As the story progresses, secrets are revealed, and everyone seems to have ulterior motives.

One reason I loved The Guest List is the setting. The wedding takes place on this remote Irish island with a chapel, house, and lavish tents are set up to house guests. There's a small Celtic cemetery located nearby giving this island a haunted feel to it. I took pauses while reading The Guest List to imagine the island in my mind. The setting for me helped solidify the story and made me want to continue reading.

There were several perspectives to read from. Usually, I'm not a fan of this because it becomes too many characters to hear from, however, Lucy Foley does a great job balancing all the characters. Out of all the character perspectives, I felt drawn to Hannah especially. Hannah (plus-one) was the best. I love how protective she felt over Olivia and how Olivia reminded her of her sister Alice. Hannah is an outsider to the wedding party especially because she comes from a working-class background. Hannah seems like a cool person who's down to have fun, however, she's subjected to this wedding and being there because of her husband Charlie being best friends with the bride, Jules. Hannah was the character I was rooting for. Besides Hannah, I liked seeing Hannah bonding with Olivia. Olivia is Jule's half-sister. 

The big reveal as mentioned above was something I ended up predicting about halfway through the book. In some cases, I can become disappointed if I predict a book's plot, although, in The Guest List, I was more excited to see how everything came together. There was a smaller reveal that felt more shocking to me.

As far as the ending to The Guest List, I thought it wrapped everything up while also leaving a few loose ends. It wasn't enough to feel that there was a glaring plot hole, but enough for me to think about what could happen after The Guest List ended 

The Guest List was everything I wanted in a thriller: an intriguing setting, a sprinkling of characters to root for and characters you would like to see burn, and a few twists throughout. I don't have anything bad to say about The Guest List. If anything I wish I had read this earlier! 
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