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chaptersofchase's Reviews (1.12k)

What Happened to the McCrays?

Tracey Lange

5.0

emotional funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Oh, Tracey Lange, you have done it again.

Thank you, Celadon Books & Macmillan Audio, for the gifted copy of What Happened to the McCrays? {partner}

Genre: Fiction

Format: 🎧📖

Pub Date: 1.14.2024

Pages: 352

Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“Small towns don’t forgive easily. And even why they do, they never forget.”

If Tracey Lange writes it, I will read it. I will read it with tears streaming down my face, but that’s just to be expected in her books. Lange has this beautiful way of telling stories about people who feel very real. They could be your neighbor, best friend, or someone inside your family.

What Happened to the McCrays? broke my heart in so many ways, but like the characters in the book, it started to heal with every page I read. By the end, I was hopeful for the people of Potsdam, New York. I had hoped that they would all find the happiness that they deserved.

That is why I love Tracey Lange’s books—the characters are brought to life on every page, and I’m always so sad to see them go.

Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆☆

Stephanie Nemeth-Parker (The Honeymoon Crashers, A Court of Wings & Ruin) and William Demerit (Jackal) narrated the audiobook. I loved the emotion and character depth they brought to the narration. They did an incredible job, and I’d absolutely recommend the audiobook to listeners.

Read if you enjoy:

🏘️ Small town

🥹 Stories of forgiveness

🫶🏼 Second chance romance

🏒 Underdog sports team

I recommend reading What Happened to the McCrays if you enjoyed any of Lange’s previous books or were a fan of Beartown.

______

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Content Warnings

What Does It Feel Like?

Sophie Kinsella

5.0

emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

What an impact this story had on my heart 🩷

Thank you, The Dial Press & PRH Audio, for the gifted copy of What Does it Feel Like by Sophie Kinsella. {partner}

Genre: Fiction

Format: 🎧📖

Pub Date: 10.8.2024

Pages: 144

Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

"And right then, this is her only aim in life, the only happy ending she wants. Just to keep going."

What Does It Feel Like is the perfect example of how impactful a short story can be. It took on an auto-biographical feel as the author, Sophie Kinsella, has recently gone through with the main character of the book is experiencing. The story was phenomenal and absolutely broke my heart. By the end, I thanked my lucky stars for my healthy body and mind and reminded myself how quickly things can change and to try to find the little joys in every day.

To Sophie Kinsella, keep fighting, keep going, and keep writing. I will always be a huge fan of yours, but your courage and tenacity have left me in awe.

Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆☆

This book was narrated by Sally Phillips. I haven't listened to any of Phillips' previous narrations, but she did a terrific job with What Does It Feel Like, so I will add her to my audiobook narrator watchlist!

______

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A Very Bad Thing

J.T. Ellison

3.5

mysterious medium-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A Very Bad Thing

Genre: Mystery

Format: 🎧📖

Pub Date: 11.1.2024

Pages: 446

Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5

“There are only a few motivations to do bad things. Love. Money. Power.”

I read this one on a whim since it’s available through Kindle Unlimited. It started off relatively strong and gave me some Evelyn Hugo-ish vibes. I enjoyed the dual POV and timeline, but something about it didn’t quite do it for me.

There were a few twists that I did predict - but they were pretty evident from the start. However, there was one big twist that I didn’t see coming (and it wasn’t revealed until the very end).

But my biggest issue was that there were so many people to keep straight, and in the end, their relationships all kind of melted into one pot. I know there are pieces of the puzzle I missed along the way because I was trying to keep everything together.

If you’re looking for a good escape from the day-to-day, I recommend adding A Very Bad Thing to your reading list (and it’s a plus because it’s on KU).

_____

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Lost and Lassoed

Lyla Sage

4.5

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Finally back at Rebel Blue Ranch 💙

Thank you, The Dial Press & PRH Audio, for the gifted copy of Lost and Lassoed {partner}

Genre: Romance

Format: 🎧📖

Pub Date: 11.5.2024

Pages: 368

Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆

“Life had begun to feel bittersweet, and I was getting all of the bitter, and everyone else was getting the sweet.”

I adore Lyla Sage and am so grateful that she created this series. It provides the perfect feel-good stories with lovable characters and very little drama. It’s one of those that I will happily read again and again.

Lost and Lassoed was definitely entertaining (and steamy), but there was just something about the character chemistry that didn’t quite make me swoon. However, it should be noted that when I read the book, I wasn’t in the best headspace,so take that with a grain of salt.

I loved the dynamic between Teddy and her dad. One scene in particular had me crying, but in true Lyla Sage fashion, she didn’t leave us in a puddle of tears for long.

And that ending?? Heck yes! Bring on Wild & Wrangled 🐎

Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆

Jason Clarke (Not in Love and Hopeless) and Samantha Brentmoor (Leather & Lark) narrated the audiobook. They both did a fabulous job narrating Gus and Teddy. I can’t wait to see who narrates the next books!

Read if you enjoy:

😉 Enemies to lovers

💁🏽‍♂️ Single dad

😘 Grumpy/Sunshine

🤩 Fun banter

🔥 Spice Spice Spice

I recommend reading this series in order, or you’ll miss out on a lot of fun!

_____

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From Here to the Great Unknown

Lisa Marie Presley, Riley Keough

5.0

dark emotional fast-paced

Another Non-Fiction November read!
Thank you, Random House & PRH Audio, for the gifted copy of From Here to the Great Unknown {partner}

Genre: Non-Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 10.8.2024
Pages: 304

"This was a huge lesson for me—the only way out is through. You must allow pain in to free yourself from it."

It's hard not to know who Elvis is — he's an icon of the music world, cemented his place in the genre's history. But, growing up with him as your dad? It seems unimaginable to live a life in that type of stardom.

I was eager to read Lisa Marie Presley's book but wasn't quite prepared for the sadness that would consume me as I read her life story.

There was so much raw content in this book - things that I didn't realize about her life. From her wild childhood, the death of he father, the toxic relationships that plagued her early adult life, her marriage to Michael Jackson, the birth of her children, her opioid addiction, and the death of her son. It was just all so incredibly heartbreaking. It had me thinking that there really is a price that comes with being that famous.

I admire Riley for continuing with her mom's story, and my heart breaks for her because she never really got to say goodbye.
____


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The Third Gilmore Girl

Kelly Bishop

5.0

emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Kelly Bishop will always be the first Gilmore Girl for me 🫶🏼

Thank you, Gallery Books, for the gifted copy of The Third Gilmore Girl {partner}

Genre: Memoir

Format: 🎧📖

Pub Date: 9.17.2024

Pages: 256

Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

"Well then, buy me a boa and drive me to Reno because I am open for business!"

There aren't many fictional characters I love quite like I love Emily Gilmore. Her wit, eye for detail, tenacity, and love for her granddaughter have always brought comfort to my life because she reminds me so much of my grandmother.

But the actress who plays Emily? Kelly Bishop is a true force of nature. I'd read about her background but had no idea what an incredible life she'd lived. I savored every word of this audiobook—I learned so much about Bishop's life and how she eventually took on the role of Emily. I believe she was meant for that role, it all led back to her

She didn't hold back and put her whole self out there for us. I laughed out loud, re-listened to chapters, and cried big ol' ugly tears as she described saying goodbye to the love of her life. Her love of life, music, and dance, her honesty about choosing not to have children, and her immense love of animals—if there were a celebrity I'd like to sit down with and have a cup of tea, it would be Kelly Bishop.

Even if you've never watched Gilmore Girls, I highly recommend listening to Kelly Bishop tell her life story because what a life she has lived (and she still has plentyyyyy of life left to live, too).

______

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The Ones We Love

Anna Snoekstra

3.0

dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A dysfunctional family with a big secret 🤫

Thank you, Dutton Books, for the gifted copy of The Ones We Love {partner}

Genre: Mystery

Format: 🎧📖

Pub Date: 5.6.2025

Pages: 336

Star Rating: ☆☆☆

The Ones We Love is one of those stories that needs to be read by the right reader at the right time. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the right reader at the right time. It was still a good story that I did finish; it just wasn’t what I had hoped it would be.

I did think the story started strong - those first few chapters were addicting. A daughter wakes up covered in bruises without any memory of what happened, and her parents are obviously hiding something. But what?

Each chapter slowly peeled back a layer of truth—one misguided decision after the other, one dysfunctional family member failing to communicate the truth. The feeling of slowly revealing the truth was enticing and kept me reading, but unfortunately, I figured out the direction of the story fairly quickly and wasn’t blown away by the path the author took to get there.

Maybe if the characters had been more likable? It’s one of those things that the characters weren’t likable because of what they were doing, making the story more exciting, but it was also hard to find redeeming qualities to cheer for. The only character I did love was Casper, the younger brother/son (and I rarely ever like POVs from a child narrator).

Read if you enjoy:

😬 Dysfunctional family

🗣️ Multiple POV

👏🏼 Character development

📖 Multi-layered

I recommend reading The Ones We Love if you enjoyed reading Everyone Here is Lying.

_____

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Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show

Bethany Joy Lenz

5.0

emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

Non-Fiction November

Thank you, Simon Buddies, for the gifted copy of Dinner for Vampires {partner}

Genre: Non-Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 10.22.2024
Pages: 320

“I think we’re all little cathedrals of contradiction. Terrifying darkness and shocking beauty coexist in everyone, and God doesn’t wait for us to clean out all the bad before celebrating the good. It’s scandalous.”

I watched One Tree Hill for the first time earlier this year. It was one of those shows I knew about but was never interested in (for some odd reason). I had friends in college who religiously watched it every week (and not to age myself, but this was when you had to sit down to watch a show—it wasn’t streaming). So when I saw that Bethany Joy Lenz was releasing a memoir about her life, I immediately added it to my TBR list. Then I realized it was about her life in an actual cult, not just life on a TV show.

Still, after listening to her tell her story, I cannot fathom that Haley Scott from OTH went through all that she did while filming the show. They took advantage of her kind heart, her desire to help others, and her longing for a large family.

I’m so happy that she was finally able to tell her story—the true story of what happened to her and how she found light in a dark and isolated tunnel.

I recommend reading Dinner for Vampires even if you’re not an OTH fan - very little “behind the scenes” is mentioned in the book. Bethany Joy Lenz narrated the book, and, as always, that’s my favorite way to listen to a memoir — through the voice of the person who lived it.
______


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This Book Will Bury Me

Ashley Winstead

5.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

THIS BOOK! 👀

Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmarks, for the gifted early copy of This Book Will Bury Me{partner}

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Trope: True Crime

Format: 🎧📖

Pub Date: 3.25.2025

Pages: 480

Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Y’all, this book is THE BOOK. It pulled me right out of my reading slump, provided the perfect distraction from the world, and kept me reading until the middle of the night. It did not feel like a 480-page mystery—I flew through it.

It had everything I needed, and I was utterly hooked from the first page. When I wasn’t reading it, I thought about the story and tried to put everything together. True Crime typically terrifies me, but now I’m starting to believe that, in some morbid way, it gives me something to focus on and figure out. I love unlocking all the clues and trying to bring everything together.

Sure, there were a few over-the-top moments, but it was still the perfect book. When everything came together, it was SO GOOD. It was eerily similar to a genuine case that swept the nation last year, which added to the overall unease of what was transpiring. I had to remind myself to breathe and not hold my breath during the big reveal, but I was genuinely invested in everything happening.

Read if you enjoy:

💻 True Crime

🔪 Serial Killer

👏🏼 Complicated characters

😳 Twisty

I genuinely can’t wait for everyone to read This Book Will Bury Me, but it won’t be out until March 2025! So, until then, add this book to your TBR list—I promise you’ll thank me later.

______

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Content Warnings

The Hitchcock Hotel

Stephanie Wrobel

3.0

mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: No

Do you have a favorite Alfred Hitchcock movie? Then this may be the book for you!

Thank you, PRH Audio, for the gifted copy of The Hitchcock Hotel {partner}

Genre: Mystery

Format: 🎧📖

Pub Date:

Pages:

Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“October is a month crafted for Hitchcock. This is the lone time of year when villains don’t have to hide in the shadows when frights are welcomed, even begged for.”

This was a unique take on the locked-room mystery, and while it was entertaining, it was not what I had hoped for.

For starters, I struggled with all the Hitchcock references. There were so many times that I knew I missed an integral moment because I was not familiar with his movies. This is completely my problem, but it was frustrating to try and find my footing with the book when there were key moments that I didn’t catch.

The characters were all presented in a way that made them easy to get to know, but they were all the most unlikable people, and they did nothing to make me like them throughout the story. If anything, they gave me more reasons to dislike them.

Finally, Hitchcock Hotel is told in dual timeline format so that we, as the reader, can see where the friendship between the characters began and where it disintegrated. However, there were times when reading that the timeline would jump without warning, and I would think we were in the current time when really it was something that happened in the past. So, I would have to reread whole pages to ensure I didn’t miss anything substantial.

Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆☆

The Hitchcock Hotel is a multiple-POV story. It is narrated by Michael Crouch (who has narrated Horror Movie, North Words, The House is on Fire, The Great Believers), Gail Shalan (who has narrated The Writing Retreat and Hearts Still Beating), and Helen Lloyd (who has narrated How the Penguins Saved Veronica, The Lost Ticket, and The Spectacular). So, it has an all-star cast of voice actors who brought all the eccentric characters of the story to life.

Read if you enjoy:

🗣️ Multiple POV

🎭 Lots of drama

✌🏼 Dual timeline

🔐 Locked room

I recommend reading The Hitchcock Hotel if you’re a fan of Hitchcock movies or are just looking to be entertained by unlikable characters who behave badly.