brownikins's reviews
34 reviews

The Vacation House by Jane Shemilt

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

4.5

I loved the pacing of this novel. I thought the story was meticulously planned and loved the addition of the "villain" towards the end to help give the reader a sense of justice/retribution. The sexual assault was awful, it was really hard to read and this book does not shy away from the heavy topics of sexual assault and abuse. I could feel the shame, horror, numbness, and then ultimately the relief at the end. This was a cathartic read for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Child abuse

A Small Affair by Flora Collins

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Twisty, turny, and didn’t go the way I was expecting. Good character development with a realistic depiction of many flawed individuals. I liked seeing things from different perspectives as well, I think it rounded out the story quite well. 

The Duke Starts a Scandal by Sophie Jordan

emotional fast-paced

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

2.0

I liked that this was a quick, but deep read. It tackled some serious topics that I think are not explored enough in historical romance. I liked learning about the personal histories of both the Duke and Susanna, and I thought these histories gave them so much in common and so much ground that could (and should) have been explored. I have read other books from Sophie Jordan and found them to be fun, lighthearted, and emotional but I found this title to be lacking. The character development was minimal, beyond the short exploration of the two main character's "checkered" pasts, and that made it hard to believe in or understand the relationship between the Duke and Susanna. The relationship between the two seemed very shallow, considering the ways in which they should be able to connect.

Windfall by Wendy Corsi Staub, Wendy Corsi Staub

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.0

I found this story to be well-written, twisty, and set in an appropriately dangerous and murky setting. The ending was a surprise, but once I finished it, I felt the story mostly made sense. I found some of the characters to be well-formed and deep, but others needed more teasing out. I have to say, I think the mental illness issues that one of the characters had felt rather glossed over and it honestly seemed like that person was just absolutely villainized, without explanation, for why they were experiencing what was happening. Yes a trauma occurred, but how you get from that to a person having a seeming mental break serious enough to cause injury/death of others just seemed rather abrupt and not explored deeply enough.  

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this folk tale within a folk tale. Very surprising (to me anyways) ending -- it did not go how I was expecting. It leaves me wanting more information and with more questions than answers. 

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was striking and I find myself thinking about it often. It contains a thoughtful and emotion-filled trip through the brutal, heartbreaking, and deeply loving relationship of a fractured family touched by drug addiction, mental illness, and grief.

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Intriguing, darkly funny, and just a great read. I really enjoyed this book. I thought the characters were so well done and the book was so timely. Great encapsulation of a tumultuous time is history, with current events woven into the story of a woman confronting both the ghosts of her past and present. Lovely. 

Longbourn by Jo Baker

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I loved being able to read the “other” side of the story of Pride and Prejudice. This story was emotional, charming, and provided a well-researched, behind the scenes view of one of my favorite novels. I found myself rooting for Sarah the whole way. 

When We Fell Apart by Soon Wiley

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I thought this was a really lovely, thought-provoking read. The characters were depicted realistically based on their cultural upbringing and I found the story to be ultimately a heart breaking story of what could have been. 

Matrix by Lauren Groff

challenging emotional slow-paced

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

5.0

I usually shy away from religious-themed reads but this was a really well-written fictional exploration of the life of the Marie de France. Really beautiful prose and very engaging character development and plot. I just really enjoyed this book - it sucked me in.