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booksbytheglass's reviews
879 reviews
The Housemaid's Wedding by Freida McFadden
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
a satisfying interlude in between THE HOUSEMAID’S SECRET and THE HOUSEMAID IS WATCHING!
the time jump in the third installment was so jarring to me - I have to admit, I never thought enzo and millie were going to last… but I loved seeing this novella talking about their wedding day & how millie got into her side hustle!
millie is trying not to let a terrifying phone call from an abuser ruin her wedding day, and honestly me too girl 🫠 except I’d call the effing police lol - and the way that it panned out was so classic freida it was very cute
the couple that beats up bad guys together stay together 😮💨😮💨
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: new zealand sparkling wine
the time jump in the third installment was so jarring to me - I have to admit, I never thought enzo and millie were going to last… but I loved seeing this novella talking about their wedding day & how millie got into her side hustle!
millie is trying not to let a terrifying phone call from an abuser ruin her wedding day, and honestly me too girl 🫠 except I’d call the effing police lol - and the way that it panned out was so classic freida it was very cute
the couple that beats up bad guys together stay together 😮💨😮💨
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: new zealand sparkling wine
Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
this was not my favorite of lisa jewell’s, and I think it’s due to the fact that the “wrongfully accused” trope is one of my least favorites in thrillers… especially judging by the state of the world today…
told in three parts, INVISIBLE GIRL focuses on saphfyre, a teenager struggling from trauma; cate, her therapist’s wife; and owen, the next door neighbor. I loved seeing the plot unfold through all of their different eyes, but the unfolding itself was glacier slow 🫠 I wanted more from the backstory, but in theory, it felt so irrelevant until the last 15% of the book…
there are a ton of troubling aspects and triggers throughout this book (will be listed at the bottom of the review!), and while misogynistic a-holes aren’t new, it was disturbing to hear from them as one of the main points - which indeed was the point but still unsettling for me as a reader.
lisa jewell’s endings are always the best, and firmly landed this book in 3 star category for me - I pumped my fist in the air on the last chapter!!
overall, another bingeable read, but not my favorite in the least!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: tasmania pinot noir
told in three parts, INVISIBLE GIRL focuses on saphfyre, a teenager struggling from trauma; cate, her therapist’s wife; and owen, the next door neighbor. I loved seeing the plot unfold through all of their different eyes, but the unfolding itself was glacier slow 🫠 I wanted more from the backstory, but in theory, it felt so irrelevant until the last 15% of the book…
there are a ton of troubling aspects and triggers throughout this book (will be listed at the bottom of the review!), and while misogynistic a-holes aren’t new, it was disturbing to hear from them as one of the main points - which indeed was the point but still unsettling for me as a reader.
lisa jewell’s endings are always the best, and firmly landed this book in 3 star category for me - I pumped my fist in the air on the last chapter!!
overall, another bingeable read, but not my favorite in the least!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: tasmania pinot noir
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death of parent
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.0
okay I think I’m ready to write my review … weeks later … 💀 this one was definitely better than IRON FLAME but it’s still missing that same spark I got from FOURTH WING…
picking up after the events of IRON FLAME, xaden and violet and co are dealing with the fallout of the venin takeover, and how to better ward their kingdoms against the destruction. I loved that they returned to an academic structure in the beginning, but I wished it had lasted a bit longer before violet and her “quest squad” went off to discover the cure for venins & andarna’s missing dragon species 🥲
I loved the world building and expanding upon the land beyond navarre & tyrrendor - but it felt a bit repetitive at times 🥴 go to a new country, try and explain why they need their help, end up way over their heads and having to complete some sort of challenge, repeat 👀
even though this book was long, I felt as though nothing drastic really happened? I definitely went through alllll of the emotions & found new favorite characters (hello ridoc & broccoli & dain’s redemption arc) 🫶🏼
and while it definitely felt like a “filler” book in the series, it was packed with non-stop action & entertainment the entire way!! and in traditional RY fashion, it ended with a cliffhanger that left us with wayyyy more questions than answers 😵💫
another fantastic installment, but definitely left me wanting so much more!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: columbia valley pinot noir
picking up after the events of IRON FLAME, xaden and violet and co are dealing with the fallout of the venin takeover, and how to better ward their kingdoms against the destruction. I loved that they returned to an academic structure in the beginning, but I wished it had lasted a bit longer before violet and her “quest squad” went off to discover the cure for venins & andarna’s missing dragon species 🥲
I loved the world building and expanding upon the land beyond navarre & tyrrendor - but it felt a bit repetitive at times 🥴 go to a new country, try and explain why they need their help, end up way over their heads and having to complete some sort of challenge, repeat 👀
even though this book was long, I felt as though nothing drastic really happened? I definitely went through alllll of the emotions & found new favorite characters (hello ridoc & broccoli & dain’s redemption arc) 🫶🏼
and while it definitely felt like a “filler” book in the series, it was packed with non-stop action & entertainment the entire way!! and in traditional RY fashion, it ended with a cliffhanger that left us with wayyyy more questions than answers 😵💫
another fantastic installment, but definitely left me wanting so much more!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: columbia valley pinot noir
The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
as most jessica goodman books go, they are very bingeable and addicting - but overall, not much to write home about 🫠
for YA thrillers, I’m always looking for the next pretty little liars & I fear nothing can live up to that hype I felt in middle school reading those 🤠 BUT private boarding schools are the perfect place for a murder mystery!
I loved the back and forth mystery between roommate amy and school newspaper editor liz who team up to solve the murder of amy’s roommates, ryan and sarah. while the pacing was quick, I didn’t really feel the urgency and felt there were way too many red herrings that were never really explained at all 🤔
the whodunnit itself was fairly obvious to me - I guessed it almost immediately - and the lead up to it could have used a bit more hidden clues rather than plain sight … I mean, the perp clearly throws a victim’s phone at the wall to hide evidence and everyone is like oh he must have anger issues? very odd
a big thank you to netgalley and razorbill for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: woodbridge zinfandel
for YA thrillers, I’m always looking for the next pretty little liars & I fear nothing can live up to that hype I felt in middle school reading those 🤠 BUT private boarding schools are the perfect place for a murder mystery!
I loved the back and forth mystery between roommate amy and school newspaper editor liz who team up to solve the murder of amy’s roommates, ryan and sarah. while the pacing was quick, I didn’t really feel the urgency and felt there were way too many red herrings that were never really explained at all 🤔
the whodunnit itself was fairly obvious to me - I guessed it almost immediately - and the lead up to it could have used a bit more hidden clues rather than plain sight … I mean, the perp clearly throws a victim’s phone at the wall to hide evidence and everyone is like oh he must have anger issues? very odd
a big thank you to netgalley and razorbill for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: woodbridge zinfandel
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Toxic relationship, Murder
Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
this would have easily been a 5 star read if it wasn’t for the ending folks 🤠 when it comes to the first book of trilogies, especially in fantasy novels, the author needs to find that sweet spot between wrapping up the first conflict & characterizations but still leaving the readers wanting to know more…
and I fear it did none of that
elara and enzo have my entire heart 🤍✨ they are the peak enemies to lovers couple - and I love their slow burn romance!!! this is 100% a romance first novel with plot and characterization taking a back burn (but honestly loved every scene of them slowly trusting and opening up to each other are we KIDDING)
the beginning plot read a lot like SPARK OF THE EVERFLAME between the politics & prince/princess vibes - but I adored the world building of celestia so much 🌙 I want to bottle up every detail and description and just live there
but can we talk about that ending? loved the soulmate vibes, but I felt like a lot of revelations were just thrown out there without any sort of explanation and resolution 👀 and yes it’s setting up for the sequel, but I low key feel like it was a cheap shot to create drama and prolong the conflict…
more characterization in the sequels please!!! can’t wait to return to celestia soon!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: blanc de noirs champagne
and I fear it did none of that
elara and enzo have my entire heart 🤍✨ they are the peak enemies to lovers couple - and I love their slow burn romance!!! this is 100% a romance first novel with plot and characterization taking a back burn (but honestly loved every scene of them slowly trusting and opening up to each other are we KIDDING)
the beginning plot read a lot like SPARK OF THE EVERFLAME between the politics & prince/princess vibes - but I adored the world building of celestia so much 🌙 I want to bottle up every detail and description and just live there
but can we talk about that ending? loved the soulmate vibes, but I felt like a lot of revelations were just thrown out there without any sort of explanation and resolution 👀 and yes it’s setting up for the sequel, but I low key feel like it was a cheap shot to create drama and prolong the conflict…
more characterization in the sequels please!!! can’t wait to return to celestia soon!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: blanc de noirs champagne
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
DNF @ 35% - you might be thinking, “what the heck is wrong with you shannon?? this is a leigh bardugo book and you can’t even get past 30%?” reader, that is absolutely correct …
if there’s one thing I adore about leigh’s writing, it’s her world building. this time, in historical early spain during the late eras of witchcraft (boo) and christian savor worship (yay), our story surrounds a maid, luiza, who knows how to perform magic. except, it’s never really talked about, other than she has a weird family….
and don’t get me started on the cast of characters. for someone who is the QUEEN of writing unique lovable characters, they were all sullen, bland, and pretty much the evilest of evil of historical fiction. I couldn’t even find myself rooting for luiza as she barely even wanted to fight for herself…
I fear this one just didn’t hit the spot for me, and that’s mostly due to the characterization and lack of compelling story for me. however, I do adore leigh’s writing style, despite the fact it felt more like poetry than actual descriptive sentences sometimes.
if there’s one thing I adore about leigh’s writing, it’s her world building. this time, in historical early spain during the late eras of witchcraft (boo) and christian savor worship (yay), our story surrounds a maid, luiza, who knows how to perform magic. except, it’s never really talked about, other than she has a weird family….
and don’t get me started on the cast of characters. for someone who is the QUEEN of writing unique lovable characters, they were all sullen, bland, and pretty much the evilest of evil of historical fiction. I couldn’t even find myself rooting for luiza as she barely even wanted to fight for herself…
I fear this one just didn’t hit the spot for me, and that’s mostly due to the characterization and lack of compelling story for me. however, I do adore leigh’s writing style, despite the fact it felt more like poetry than actual descriptive sentences sometimes.
Parents Weekend: A Novel by Alex Finlay
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
if there’s one thing alex finlay knows to do, it’s write a fast-paced, addicting, heart-pounding thriller 🤯 I love a good ol thriller that I can’t put down!!!
five students go missing during parents weekend, leaving their parents scrambling to cover up their own secrets while find out the truth about what happened 😮💨 and it definitely felt more like a true crime doc more than anything
there wasn’t much mystery to this one, as the detective (the same one from EVERY LAST FEAR and THE NIGHT SHIFT) methodically ruled out every red herring until they were only left with one solution - and while I thought it was obvious, I lived for the drama between all of the parents!! there’s something about a messy secret that just gets me going 😂
this was definitely a telling rather than showing type of story, and the cast of characters was so huge that it felt a bit overwhelming at times. even when the readers were supposed to connect with the missing kids, I felt like I didn’t really know them due to the lack of characterization and time spent with each character 🤷🏼♀️
a huge thank you to netgalley and minotaur for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: burgundy red blend
five students go missing during parents weekend, leaving their parents scrambling to cover up their own secrets while find out the truth about what happened 😮💨 and it definitely felt more like a true crime doc more than anything
there wasn’t much mystery to this one, as the detective (the same one from EVERY LAST FEAR and THE NIGHT SHIFT) methodically ruled out every red herring until they were only left with one solution - and while I thought it was obvious, I lived for the drama between all of the parents!! there’s something about a messy secret that just gets me going 😂
this was definitely a telling rather than showing type of story, and the cast of characters was so huge that it felt a bit overwhelming at times. even when the readers were supposed to connect with the missing kids, I felt like I didn’t really know them due to the lack of characterization and time spent with each character 🤷🏼♀️
a huge thank you to netgalley and minotaur for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: burgundy red blend
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Infidelity, Suicide
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse
Finale by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
OK THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!! the tension, the pining, the will they won’t they, the fighting for each other but also fighting for the world- I was screaming the whole time thanks 😍
donatella and scarlett both shared the page this time, reeling after the events of bringing the fate gods back to life as well as their mother… and of course our favorite brothers julian and legend 👀
while scarlett was still the world’s biggest idiot (like you’re telling me you didn’t escape prison for safety because you were ASHAMED of how you looked?? ok sis), I applaud how the whole crew worked together to reach the common goal of bringing down the gods that will only bring ruin upon the mortals!
and the conversation about immortality and its price was SO well done 🫡 even if it all wrapped up a little too perfectly at the end… I’m always suspicious of a happy ending for all iykyk
but I fear what I’m most excited for is jacks’ story in the next trilogy because his back must hurt from carrying the best parts of this series 😮💨😮💨 even though I’m still team legend all the way ok
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: blanc de noirs sparkling wine
donatella and scarlett both shared the page this time, reeling after the events of bringing the fate gods back to life as well as their mother… and of course our favorite brothers julian and legend 👀
while scarlett was still the world’s biggest idiot (like you’re telling me you didn’t escape prison for safety because you were ASHAMED of how you looked?? ok sis), I applaud how the whole crew worked together to reach the common goal of bringing down the gods that will only bring ruin upon the mortals!
and the conversation about immortality and its price was SO well done 🫡 even if it all wrapped up a little too perfectly at the end… I’m always suspicious of a happy ending for all iykyk
but I fear what I’m most excited for is jacks’ story in the next trilogy because his back must hurt from carrying the best parts of this series 😮💨😮💨 even though I’m still team legend all the way ok
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: blanc de noirs sparkling wine
Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I definitely fear I’m an outlier on this one 😔 the more I think about it, the angrier I get at the actions of poe, our true crime podcast main character…
poe interviews cons, felons & sometimes even unalivers on her podcast - so when she seemingly interviews her mother’s killer, all heck breaks loose (especially because she thought she unalived him 7 years ago 🤯)
and while the premise is catchy, the story doesn’t really go anywhere from there. the entire slow burn is poe making idiotic decisions to preserve herself while trying to figure out if this new stalker is indeed her mother’s killer or not… and boy, kip was the only sound character I fear when he looked her in the eyes and said “but you killed someone” 🫡
poe as a character was very uninteresting to me, and spent more time flipping back and forth between drowning in guilt from her actions of the past and being a tough BITCH who is hunting down the killers herself. it was very jarring and didn’t lend very well to relatability.
overall, it was a quick binge, but there was little to no mystery for me. and it left me wanting more from the story as a whole! I fear I’m just getting tired of the female protagonist making idiotic decisions to “protect” the ones they love when really…. just call the damn police okay????
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: oregon pinot noir
poe interviews cons, felons & sometimes even unalivers on her podcast - so when she seemingly interviews her mother’s killer, all heck breaks loose (especially because she thought she unalived him 7 years ago 🤯)
and while the premise is catchy, the story doesn’t really go anywhere from there. the entire slow burn is poe making idiotic decisions to preserve herself while trying to figure out if this new stalker is indeed her mother’s killer or not… and boy, kip was the only sound character I fear when he looked her in the eyes and said “but you killed someone” 🫡
poe as a character was very uninteresting to me, and spent more time flipping back and forth between drowning in guilt from her actions of the past and being a tough BITCH who is hunting down the killers herself. it was very jarring and didn’t lend very well to relatability.
overall, it was a quick binge, but there was little to no mystery for me. and it left me wanting more from the story as a whole! I fear I’m just getting tired of the female protagonist making idiotic decisions to “protect” the ones they love when really…. just call the damn police okay????
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: oregon pinot noir
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder
Minor: Vomit
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.0
I definitely enjoyed this one way more than CARAVAL, and that’s mostly due to the fact that donatella is the narrator of this story… after the turmoil and tests that her sister scarlett went through, this time it’s donatella who must solve the mystery behind caraval, its mastermind legend, and how it ties together with her mother!
this series reads like a YA novel, and I fear I would have enjoyed it more when I was in high school during the hunger games / divergent era 😶 trying my best to get into the correct mindset though!!
the romance in this one was SO much better, this time focusing on donatella and dante (with a little side of jacks but let’s be real, we’d all pick dante) 👀 I loved the slow burn forbidden-esque romance!!!
and even though donatella is a literal ✨ child ✨ she’s way more mature than her sister in realizing the stakes of the world and what must be done for the greater good
still not my favorite fantasy series ever - and I missed the fantasy world building in this one (where was the magic!!! where was the beauty!!!), but the cliffhanger ending had me sucked back in ready for the next installment!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: provence sparkling rosé
this series reads like a YA novel, and I fear I would have enjoyed it more when I was in high school during the hunger games / divergent era 😶 trying my best to get into the correct mindset though!!
the romance in this one was SO much better, this time focusing on donatella and dante (with a little side of jacks but let’s be real, we’d all pick dante) 👀 I loved the slow burn forbidden-esque romance!!!
and even though donatella is a literal ✨ child ✨ she’s way more mature than her sister in realizing the stakes of the world and what must be done for the greater good
still not my favorite fantasy series ever - and I missed the fantasy world building in this one (where was the magic!!! where was the beauty!!!), but the cliffhanger ending had me sucked back in ready for the next installment!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: provence sparkling rosé