celeste_velocci's reviews
498 reviews

The Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I literally read this all day today and couldn’t put it down! It is the first book in Lisa Gardner’s FBI profiler series and I can’t wait to read the rest of her books. It was very fast paced and me hooked from the jump. 

An abused wife and mother will stop at nothing to protect her child. After sending her abusive husband to jail for being a diabolical serial killer Theresa is trying to rebuild her life for her and her daughter Samantha. When her ex escapes from jail he has one thing on his mind and it’s to take out his ex wife and take his daughter. Running scared Theresa decides she needs to fight for her life and will stop at nothing. 

If you enjoy cat and mouse type thrillers then I definitely recommend this one! 

Down the Drain by Julia Fox

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

WOW! What an incredible memoir. This has made it's to my top memoirs of all time. I went in pretty blind not knowing much about Julia Fox other than she was in Uncut Gems and enjoys watching Bravo shows. (she was just on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen). After seeing her on WWHL I knew I wanted to learn more about her - the best way to describe her is that she is COOL.  I saw a lot of readers raving about this one and was lucky enough to receive a gifted copy from Simon & Schuster. 

To say Julia Fox had a chaotic life from birth to adulthood would be an understatement. This girl has been through it all and then some. Told straight from Julia Fox herself find out what in her life had her feeling like she was going down the drain and learn the strength and poise she found in herself to pull her out. 

The hype around this one is real I highly encourage you to pick this book up!

Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? No

3.0

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson publishing for the gifted copy of Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter. All opinions are my own. This story had a lot of heart and I found myself relating to the characters. It was a beautiful story about second chances and the ability to overcome struggles through love. 

The book was fast paced and kept my attention. My only complaint is that it seemed to go too fast - I wanted more of a slow burn for the characters to learn their lessons along the way instead of it feeling rushed the last 20% of the book.

Overall I enjoyed this romance read and would recommend it.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

dark mysterious tense 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

3.75

I liked this one! It was a very intricate plot and was pretty unique. The twists were twisty and the characters questionable. 

At times it seemed a bit drawn out but it all came together nicely in the end. It was a solid thriller. 

The Cheat by Miranda Rijks

dark mysterious fast-paced

This was a fun and twisty novella. Too short to rate and pretty obvious what was going on but it was a good story and will help toward your reading goal! 

Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

This is the thriller I’ve been waiting for. WOW. The entire book had me in a complete chokehold. It was incredibly fast paced and well structured. I loved the podcast element to it. I suggest going in pretty blind to this one - I did and I think it helped me enjoy it even more! 

As an avid thriller reader I don’t toss out 5 star ratings on thrillers all of the time but this book has my Celeste stamp of approval. It was incredibly captivating, dark , disturbing , twisty , and will have you questioning what exactly a moral compass is. It is not easy to write such a standout thriller in the world of books these days. This story was incredibly unique. Kudos to Carter Wilson I can’t wait to read his backlist! 

I won’t be shutting up about this one for a bit!

Karma Never Sleeps by R. John Dingle

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

Huge thank you to R John Dingle and Tule Publishing for the early release of Karma Never Sleeps. All opinions are my own. Wow what an amazing debut! I thoroughly enjoyed this crime fiction novel and am looking forward to reading more of Dingle’s future work. 

This book kept me engrossed and guessing until the very end. It was a very believable and well written book. 

Friends for decades the “Possee” has some secrets they will take to the grave. Who said conniving and bullying is only present in younger girls? Those young girls will become diabolical and treacherous adults if their behavior goes unnoticed and under the radar. 

When women in a small friend group start getting murdered one by one it makes these friends question who would ever want to hurt them - as wives , mothers , career women and staples in their community who would do this? Perhaps their past will be catching up to them and a scorned killer will stop at nothing but a full circle moment of revenge. 

A Happy Marriage by A.R. Torre

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.75

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the early release copy of A Happy Marriage. A.R. Torre is one of my favorite psychological thriller authors. This book was incredibly fascinating and fast paced. I finished it in less than twenty four hours. 

Follow along a "happy" couple who may be hiding quite the sinister side of themselves from their world around them and from each other. What could possibly go wrong when you are a Los Angeles homicide detective and your husband is a psychiatrist? A power couple in the eyes of many will stop at nothing to keep the past hidden in the past. Some secrets you'll kill to keep. 

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

3.75

I enjoyed this cute romance read - it was perfect to kick off February. I listened on audio and really enjoyed the story. It was light hearted , heartwarming , and taught some important lessons along the way. 

Adult ADHD Executive Function 7-Week Power-Up by Estelle Rose

funny informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

This was my second book by Estelle Rose and I enjoyed this one just as much as I did the first! One thing I love about Estelle Rose is her way to get a lot of information to you but in a fun and lighthearted way. Rose’s reads are always educational with a humor flair that comes with quick wit and solid facts. 

I always appreciate when a writer can show a lot of different sides of themselves through their writing. Rose humanizes things that maybe we are ashamed to say we struggle with in an easy and thought provoking way that ends the stigma surrounding ADHD and other issues.