bookrecsbyjess's reviews
868 reviews

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

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3.0

Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

Thank you to Forever for the ARC of Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong. All opinions are my own.

The premise of this book is great, and I think I could really picture an author doing this in real life (although maybe not to that extent).

I enjoyed the first half of this book a lot more than the second half. Chris was funny, and I loved reading about him and Daphne in her home territory.

The second half of the story wasn’t bad, but I didn’t like how spicy it got, and I thought the conflict was kind of stupid. Considering that they were both adults, they both acted kind of immature. I also just really don’t like it when characters jump to conclusions.

My favorite character was Chris because he was just really sweet and awkward.

Overall, I enjoyed a lot of the story, but I would only recommend it to certain people.

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One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the ALC and ARC of One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette. All opinions are my own.

I would’ve never known that this was a debut novel had I not looked it up. It was written so well and had such a unique premise. I don’t think I’ve read many stories about modeling, and I loved the setting as well.

Second chance romance is one of my favorite genres, and I especially enjoy when authors include flashbacks to the previous relationship. In this story, the flashbacks were so cute. I loved seeing Emerson and Theo when they were teenagers. Their friendship was so wholesome and envious.

I also liked the present-day chapters because the characters were still great and hadn’t let fame or life circumstances change them too much. I also appreciated the dual POVs because I could see how much each character cared about the other.

The setting was beautiful, and I would definitely love reading more books set there. It was also interesting to read about the behind-the-scenes aspects of modeling and photoshoots since I knew very little about them.

My only issue with this book was the miscommunication. If Emerson and Theo would’ve talked things through early on, they would’ve avoided so much heartache.

Overall, I think this was a great debut, and I would definitely be interested in reading another book by this author.

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Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 49%.

This book has been more smut than plot so far. It’s just too spicy for me.

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Secondary Target by Angela Carlisle

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emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Thank you to Bethany House Fiction for the ARC and gifted copy of Secondary Target by Angela Carlisle. All opinions are my own.

This was an excellent debut novel!

Thrillers are not my typical genre because I can’t handle really scary stories. While there were a few scenes that freaked me out a bit, this book was thrilling without being gory.

The author did a great job of making me care about the characters and want the best for them. I felt so bad for them as they just had one bad thing after another happen to them.

I loved having the point of view of Carina and Bryce. It was so nice to know what both were thinking throughout the story. The POV of the killer was really hard to read from because it was so disturbing.

I thought the author executed the topic of grief well, and I loved seeing the characters grow (including the spiritual growth).

Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone looking to read a mystery thriller that has an interesting premise and a hard to guess mystery.

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The Roads We Follow by Nicole Deese

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for the ARC and physical copy of The Roads We Follow by Nicole Deese. All opinions are my own.

Last year, I read my first Nicole Deese book, which was The Words We Lost, the first Fog Harbor book. I knew after enjoying that book that I would want to read the next book in the series.

While this book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, I did really enjoy it.

The Roads We Follow is marketed as a contemporary romance, but I would say that the romance isn’t the focus of the book. With family being the main focus, I would classify it more along the lines of contemporary fiction or women’s fiction.

This story follows Raegan and Micah and is told using dual points of view. I enjoyed reading from both perspectives, and I think that added to the meaningfulness of the story.

One thing that Deese does well is to tell stories in such a beautiful and heartfelt way. I loved how she talked about family, faith, communication, and learning to accept yourself in the way that God sees you instead of focusing on what others want from you.

The Farrow sisters had such an unhealthy relationship with each other, so it was nice to see each sister grow and realize that they didn’t have to be stuck in the choices they had made.

Micah was such a sweet character. I loved how he and Raegan connected quickly and formed a strong friendship. I also liked that Micah helped reconnect the Farrow family members and taught them how to communicate better while also dealing with his own issues. He was so calm and thoughtful, and I liked how he brought out the best in other people.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a slower paced story that’s more about character growth and reuniting with family.

This is a story of redemption and growth. It shows that it’s never too late to change the path you have chosen in life.

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