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chaptersofchase's Reviews (1.12k)
slow-paced
All the love for this one! 🩵
Thank you, Tor Books, for the gifted copy of The Bones Beneath My Skin {partner}
Genre: Sci-Fi
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 10.26.2018
Pages: 416
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5
“You think yourself alone. You think yourself lost. We wanted to show you that there was so much more than this place. We didn't come to hurt you. We didn't come to save you. Only you can do that. We came to be your friend. To make you understand that, in the end, you are never alone.”
I have to admit, I’m a big fan of TJ Klune, but sometimes his books dive so deep into sci-fi that I end up feeling a bit lost in the plot. While I always connect with his characters, the storylines can sometimes leave me scrambling to keep up.
That wasn’t the case with The Bones Beneath My Skin. This book was a completely different experience. I found myself fully invested in the characters, the plot, and even the sci-fi elements. The story did start off a little slow, but honestly, that gave me the time to really get to know the characters and dive into their world. It also allowed me to appreciate the incredible growth they went through over the course of the book.
To put it simply: I loved it and didn’t want it to end.
Read if you enjoy:
🫶🏼 Found family
🥹 Emotional
📖 Slow pacing
📈 Character growth
🏕️ Adventure
I recommend reading The Bones Beneath My Skin if you enjoyed watching K-Pax or Stranger Things.
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funny
slow-paced
Hello, Baltimore, you’re on the air…
Thank you, PRH Audio, for the gifted copy of First Time Caller by B.K. Borison {partner}
Genre: Romance
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 2.11.2025
Pages: 448
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆
I’m a sucker for the grumpy x sunshine trope—it’s always so heartwarming to watch characters struggle to let themselves be loved, especially when they’re not used to it.
First Time Caller started off a little slow for me. The characters were endearing and had me rooting for them, but something just didn’t click in the first half. But once I hit the halfway point, I was all in. Aiden and Lucie’s POVs became so much more engaging, and even though the plot was a little predictable, it felt comforting. Sometimes, a little predictability is just what you need in a world that’s anything but.
What really stole the show for me, though, wasn’t even the leads—it was the supporting cast. Lucie’s ex, his husband, and their daughter, Maya, brought so much heart and humor to the story. They were the perfect comic relief and added so much to the overall vibe of the book.
Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆
First Time Caller is narrater by E.J Bingham - who appears to be new to the voice acting community and Hathaway Lee - who has narrated The Full Book and Business or Pleasure. I really enjoyed the narration but had a hard time find the right speed for the narrators cadence. I either had to slow it way down or speed it up, so that made it hard to really get into the story, too.
Read if you enjoy:
🫶🏼 Grumpy Sunshine
📖 Slow Burn Romance
😆 Witty Banter
✌🏼 Dual POV
I recommend reading First Time Caller if you’re in the mood for a grumpy sunshine that provides provides all the feel good that you need right now!
_
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Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
challenging
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Why has this book been sitting on my shelf for so long??
Genre: Young Adult
Trope: Mystery
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 9.1.2020
Pages: 386
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
I’m going to keep this review short and sweet. I started Inheritance Games on a Sunday and finished it on Monday. It is absolutely one of those books that I am unable to put down because it was absolutely addicting - I loved the concept of solving the riddles, the mystery, the romance and just the characters in general. Yes, it is a Young Adult book but besides their lives in their private high school, I never really felt like it was a YA novel.
As soon as I finished reading Inheritance Games, I immediately ordered books 2-3 and 4 will be ordered next.
Thank you to all of the people who saw this as one of the books I wanted to read in 2025 and told me that I needed to read it right now.
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slow-paced
Don’t Let Him In 🚪
Thank you, Atria Books, for the gifted copy of Lisa Jewell’s newest novel {partner}
Genre: Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 6.24.2025
Pages: 384
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Lisa Jewell is one of those authors I look forward to reading their new books each year - one of Jewell’s earlier books, Then She Was Gone, is still one of my all-time favorite novels. What I love about her books is how they always offer something new — a fresh layer to the complex, often hidden parts of our world. Whether it’s incels, stalkers, or cults, Jewell has a way of peeling back the layers on uncomfortable, sometimes downright disturbing aspects of human nature. And with Don’t Let Him In, she does it again, exploring yet another chilling type of behavior.
I’ve seen some people mention that the mystery in this book felt slow, and I get it. But here’s the thing: this is Lisa Jewell’s pacing. She doesn’t do the breakneck thrillers or heart-pounding action sequences. What she does is build tension - a slow-burning suspense that grabs you. The unease is there from the start, and it lingers, keeping you hooked, wondering, “What’s going to happen next? Will he get away with it this time?”
The story shows one man’s terrifying grip over three women’s lives, and the lengths he will go to maintain that control. It’s a fascinating, unsettling look at manipulation, obsession, and the darkness that can hide behind even the most handsome of faces.
Read if you enjoy:
😳 Slow Build
🙅🏽♀️ Toxic Relationships
😬 Domestic Suspense
🗣️ Multiple POV
I recommend reading Don’t Let Him In if you enjoyed reading Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell.
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slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Oh, how I wanted to love this one!
Thank you, William Morrow Books, for the gifted copy of Kill Your Darlings {partner}
Genre: Mystery
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 6.10.2025
Pages: 288
Star Rating: ☆☆
Alright, so this review pains me to write because I typically do love Swanson’s books, but this one was just not for me. Maybe it was the formatting? Or perhaps it was just how unlikable the characters were, but once I hit the 30% mark, I could not wait for the book to end.
I think it’s one thing to have morally grey characters. Still, Thom and Wendy Graves were so awful to one another and the people around them and just a general hindrance to the world that I could not fathom reading about their terrible qualities for another minute.
I have read one book that is written from the current time moving backward, and it was a breakup romance - that concept worked, but for a mystery, it didn’t. It was confusing, hard to follow, and seemed to remove any amount of suspense from the storyline.
Again, I would love to recommend this, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. If you’re looking to read something from Swanson, I recommend starting with Before She Knew Him!
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dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There’s a little something of everyone inside Julie Clark’s newest book!
Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark, for the gifted copy of The Ghostwriter {partner}
Genre: Mystery
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 6.3.2025
Pages: 368
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5
Okay, Julie Clark, you’ve officially got me! The Ghostwriter was an absolute rollercoaster of a story – I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, especially with the timeline jumping around, but once I found my bearings, I was completely hooked. This book kept me up late into the night because I just couldn’t put it down!
Not only was The Ghostwriter a gripping mystery (with some serious thriller vibes), but it also offered such a deep, emotional look at the stories we tell ourselves about our pasts. It’s a mystery, sure, but it’s also a heartbreakingly beautiful story that unraveled in ways I never saw coming. The way everything came together left me in total awe of Clark’s story telling abilities.
Trigger warnings: Lewy Body Dementia, animal abuse resulting in death (2)
Read if you enjoy:
😳 Dysfunctional family dynamics
🗣️ Multiple POV
🧐 Thought provoking
✌🏼 Dual Timeline
I recommend reading The Ghostwriter this summer when you have an afternoon to yourself - once you start reading, you won’’t be able to put it down!
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Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So.. about this book 🫣
Thank you, Forever Books, for the gifted copy of You Between the Lines {partner}
Genre: Romance
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 2.18.2025
Pages: 368
Star Rating: ☆☆☆
When I first read the synopsis for You Between the Lines, I was immediately intrigued – I haven’t read a romance set in an MFA program before. However, it ended up being one of the two reasons why the book didn’t quite work for me. Initially, it was fine, but the author spent so much time delving into poetry and the dynamics within the program that it distracted from the main point of the book.
My second issue was with the female protagonist, Leigh. She was really difficult to connect with. One moment she was passionate, and the next, she was distant—constantly indecisive about what she wanted from life, school, or her relationships. At times, her behavior felt so immature that I just wanted to scream at William to run away and never look back.
Read if you enjoy:
🐌 Slow burn
💥 Rivals to lovers
👩🏽🏫 Academic settings
I recommend reading You Between the Lines if you love a good academic setting and characters that may test your patience a bit.
______
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adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Grab something warm and curl up with A Killing Cold! 🥶
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 2.4.2025
Pages: 304
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5
“Angry people do unpredictable things. We all have violence inside of us. It needs only the right fuel.”
Kate Alice Mitchell has done it again! Every year, I eagerly await her new releases, and A Killing Cold was no exception. As a fan of psychological thrillers, I love a story that keeps me on the edge of my seat, forcing me to question everyone and trust no one. This book was exactly that—packed with twists, turns, and a plot that kept me frantically flipping pages.
One of the things I absolutely adored about A Killing Cold was the protagonist, Theo. In a genre often filled with morally gray or unlikable characters, she was a refreshing change. Theo has faced unimaginable hardship in her short life, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. I wanted her to survive, to thrive—and I can’t say that about all the characters in the book!
As for triggers, I’ll share a full list below, but one important theme in A Killing Cold is hunting. There are graphic descriptions of hunting with a bow and arrow, as well as field dressing, which, while fitting to the story, were a bit too much for me at times. I found myself skipping over some of those paragraphs, but for readers who aren’t squeamish, it definitely adds to the atmosphere.
The way this story unraveled was so well done—it’s a slow burn, revealing pieces of the puzzle one at a time. Just when I thought I had it figured out, Mitchell threw in another twist. It was a thrilling ride from start to finish, and I know it’ll make my top favorites list for 2025.
Trigger warnings: domestic abuse, child abuse, miscarriage
Read if you enjoy:
❄️ Atmospheric
🎭 Family drama
📖 Short Chapters
🏔️ Isolated setting
🔀 Unexpected twists
I recommend reading A Killing Cold if you’re looking for the perfect winter thriller to keep you occupied!
______
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Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Miscarriage
Moderate: Domestic abuse
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh, do I have a new series for you all! 👀
Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for the gifted copy of Head Cases {partner}
Genre: Mystery
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 1.28.2025
Pages: 352
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5
"Head Cases follows an enigmatic group of FBI agents as they hunt down a murderer seeking his own justice in this electrifying—and commercial—series debut."
Well, Head Cases has officially become my newest obsession! I went into this book knowing little about it, and what a delightful surprise it was. Not only is it the first book in a gripping series, but it's also being adapted into a TV series—how exciting is that?!
As a huge fan of police procedurals, I'm always looking for something that will keep me hooked, and the FBI-centered plot had me completely sold. From the first page, I was on the edge of my seat, and let's say I did more than a bit of stress cleaning in the kitchen while reading this one. It's one of those books that's so addicting you could easily devour it in one sitting.
The only reason I took off half a star is because the ending felt just a tiny bit too drawn-out, but aside from that, it was phenomenal!
Trigger warning: there is a brief mention of an animal death around the 59% mark in Chapter 30.
Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆☆
Head Cases is narrated by Will Damron, one of my favorite voice actors. He has narrated The Rule Book, Listen for the Lie, and Bride. Damon becomes the character that he describes, so he helps bring the audio to life!
Read if you enjoy:
👏🏼 Quirky characters
🚨 Police/FBI procedural
🤩 Clever plots
🫢 Sprinkles of humor
💯 Character development
I recommend reading Head Cases if you enjoy watching Criminal Minds.
______
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