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chaptersofchase's Reviews (1.12k)
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
What a wild ride!
Thank you, William Morrow, for the gifted copy of The Midnight Feast {partner}
Genre: Mystery
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 6.18.2024
Pages: 354
Star Rating: ☆☆☆
"It all began with a secret fifteen years ago. Now, the past has crashed the party. And it'll end in murder at The Midnight Feast."
Even though Midnight Library got off to a slow start, I really enjoyed the dual timeline and atmospheric feel of the story. These two additions really gave the overall mystery a more sinister vibe. I love a good whodunnit—especially when the opening chapter lets you know one of the characters will be dead by the end.
However, when it comes to Lucy Foley's books, I need to remember that they will always be very character-heavy, have a bit of a slow burn, and usually have a wild ending. If I can remember that for her following books, maybe I won't be as let down by the ending. There was just something about the ending of The Midnight Feast that felt too over the top and left me wanting more.
Read if you enjoy:
⛰️Atmospheric settings
✌🏼 Dual timelines
🔍 Slow burn mysteries
🗣️ Alternating POV
I recommend reading Lucy Foley if you love a character-driven mystery.
-
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funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
The Enemy Review
Sarah Adams - you are a true gem! 💎
Thank you, Dell Romance, for the gifted copy of The Enemy {partner}
Genre: Romance
Trope: Enemies to Lovers
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 8.29.2020
Pages: 256
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆
“I’m basically trying to throw sprinkles on top of a broccoli sundae, hoping to make it look more appealing.”
After finishing The Match, I was eager to return to the world of Sarah Adams and the most recent installment in the It Happened in Charleston series—The Enemy. In The Match, I was giddy over service dogs, but in The Enemy, I was drooling over delicious specialty donuts (naturally, I had to treat myself to donuts after finishing the book).
The Enemy was, in true Sarah Adams fashion - light, funny, and refreshing. I adored Ryan and the ease/confidence of his character, but what I loved the most was that he was the one who (seemingly) fell first. I always adore an MMC who puts his heart on the line. The whole book had me beaming as it was a true delight to read.
Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆
The Enemy was narrated by Connie Shabshab (who is new to me, and I enjoyed her narration style) and Will Damron. Will has narrated Listen for the Lie, Bride, and The Rule Book - he was the perfect choice to narrate Ryan. I feel like most rom-coms gravitate towards the FMC’s point of view a lot, but in The Enemy, we heard a lot from Ryan, which just meant I could enjoy some extra time listening to Will Damron.
Read if you enjoy:
🚪 Closed door romance
✌🏼 Dual Narration
🔥 Character Chemistry
💪🏼 Strong FM
🫶🏼 A Cinnamon Roll MMC
🍩 Specialty donuts
I recommend reading The Enemy if you’re in the mood for donuts - I promise you’ll want to order them while reading this book.
_
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funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Another romance win from Sarah Adams 💛
Thank you, Dell Romance, for the gifted copy of The Match! {partner}
Genre: Romance
Trope: Single Dad
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 5.30.2020
Pages: 284
Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5
"You can't control other people, but you can control who you surround yourself with."
What a cute, light romance this was! I loved the premise behind the story and was fully invested once we met Evie's dog, Charlie 🤍 I loved Evie's kindness and selfless attitude towards those around her. She's one of those characters that genuinely brought me so much joy.
The MMC, Jake, was equally adorable, but I did find him to be a tiny bit emotionally immature. This may have been due to his previous relationship, which began at a very young age. Either way, I enjoyed watching his character grow into the person Evie deserved.
I especially enjoyed the parts of the story that discussed the importance of service dogs. I wish everyone who needs a service dog could have access to one, as they can make such a huge difference in someone's life.
Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆☆ ( @libro.fm)
The Match was narrated by Rusty Mewha and Leanne Woodward. Both narrators did a great job bringing their characters to life. I'm always hesitant to start an audiobook set in the South because some narrators overdo Southern accents, and it doesn't come out favorably. I also believe that every dual POV romance book needs to be narrated by two narrators. What a difference it can make to the book!
Read if you enjoy:
🧍🏽Single Dad
🫶🏼 Disability Rep
🦮 Service Dogs
🥰 Found family
⛵️ Charleston, SC settings
✌🏼 Dual POV
😅 Complex family dynamics
I recommend reading The Match if you want a light and fun romance to add to your end-of-summer reading list.
_
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emotional
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Here’s your next swoon-worthy romance 🎣
Thank you, St Martins Press, for the gifted copy of Catch and Keep {partner}
Genre: Romance
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 10.15.2024
Pages: 320
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
From start to finish, I was head over heels for Karen, Joe, and his two children, Anders and Lucy. I loved Maren’s courage and positive nature - it was a joy to be a part of her flashbacks with her old fishing partner, Fost. Joe is one of those book boyfriends that will stay on my favorites list for a long time to come - I adored his honest, sensitive nature and wanted him to find someone to love him for him.
The relationship between Maren and Joe was a breath of fresh air for the romance genre (there was no third-act breakup, by the way). There was just something about the ease of their relationship; it felt solid because it had been built on their friendship first. I couldn’t put the story down because I wanted to hold onto that comforting feeling for a few moments longer.
As I mentioned, I quickly fell in love with the characters, and I genuinely loved Joe and Maren together. But the relationship that stole the show (and brought tears to my eyes) was between Maren and Joe’s children, especially Lucy—a moment between those three characters at the end of the book turned me into a blubbering mess.
Read if you enjoy:
👩🏽 Best friend’s little sister trope
🧍🏽 Single dad trope
✌🏼 Dual POV
🛶 Beautiful settings
🤩 No third act break ups
I highly recommend adding Catch and Keep to your fall reading list! I hope you love it just as much as I do 🩷
_
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slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Let's go to Mumbai! ✈️
Thank you, Dell Romance & PRH Audio, for the gifted copy of Match Me If You Can {partner}
Genre: Romance
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 6.4.2024
Pages: 304
Star Rating: ☆☆☆
"A young magazine writer in Mumbai must prove her matchmaking skills—and contend with growing feelings for her close family friend—in this debut desi romance."
Unfortunately, I wanted way more from Match Me If You Can. There was very little to no romance - maybe a drunk kiss here and there, but we don't really see the characters together until the end. I also found the FMC to be annoyingly entitled and self-absorbed - she irritated me with her meddlesome behavior and disregard for those around her. The MMC was better, but he didn't seem emotionally available, which meant the character's chemistry was relatively non-existent.
The story felt like one of those reality dating shows you watch, and then you find out the characters split up a few months after the show ended.
Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆
Match Me If You Can was narrated by Mayuri Bhandari, and she did an excellent job. I look forward to listening to her next audiobook narration!
Read if you enjoy:
🐌 Slow Burn
🤷🏽♀️ Not much romance
📖 Debut novels
🫠 Miscommunication trope
🙄 Meddlesome MC's
While Match Me if You Can didn't feel like my special cocktail, I look forward to reading the author's next book!
_
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adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Perfect for all you magical realism lovers ✨
Thank you, PRH Audio and Random House Books, for the gifted copy of The Lost Story {partner}
Genre: Fantasy/Magical Realism
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 7.16.2024
Pages: 352
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
"All books are magic. An object that can take you to another world without leaving your room? A story written by a stranger, and yet it seems they wrote it just for you or to you? Loving and hating people made out of ink and paper, not flesh and blood? Yes, books are magic. Maybe even the strongest magic there is."
I read and loved The Wishing Game last year, so I was eager to return to Meg Shaffer's vivid imagination. I wasn't prepared for all the adventure and emotion I would feel while reading this story. It read just like an adult fairy tale, and there was just something about the story that helped to ease my anxious heart and left me completely mesmerized. The Lost Story is one of those books that is best to go into with an open heart and mind.
Trigger warnings: child abuse, homophobia
Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆
The Lost Story is narrated by the lovely and talented Jorjeana Marie (she has also narrated Practice Makes Perfect, The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley, and Recipe for a Perfect Wife). My only two complaints about the audio are that Marie gave the MC's voice an almost childlike quality, which didn't match the 20-something-year-old character. I also struggled to keep track of the POV, but this was mainly due to the story's formatting. This may be one of the few stories best read through the physical format.
Read if you enjoy:
🫶🏼 Found family
🏔️ Adventure
📚 The power of books
🚪 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe Vibes
I recommend reading The Lost Story if you're looking for the right book to get lost in.
_
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Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
F I V E 🩷 S T A R S
Thank you, Dell Romance, for the gifted copy of Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young {partner}
Genre: Romance
Trope: Forced Proximity/Surprise Pregnancy
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 7.11.2023
Pages: 357
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
"Isn't that all that we ever want? To be seen and heard, validated even when we're not able to ask for it."
Hannah Bonam-Young has stolen my heart with Out on Limb. I knew I'd love it as soon as I read her author's note—if she could evoke that much emotion in me before I started reading her book, I was destined to cry at some point in the story.
I typically avoid surprise pregnancy tropes - some people love them, but they usually aren't for me. I've been hesitant to start Out on a Limb, fearing that I wouldn't end up liking the story and would have to DNF (and it's been such a hyped book). But I stuck with it, and it is seriously one of the best, most tender romances I have ever read.
It was about so much more than Win's pregnancy. Instead, it was about Winifred and Bo finding one another after never feeling whole enough for anyone else. Their chemistry is unmatched—everyone should get to experience this type of love.
Read if you enjoy:
🤍 A heartfelt author’s note
💪🏼 Disability representation
🥹 What true love should look like
🥰 Cinnamon roll MMC
🏠 Forced Proximity
🔥 Open door romance
If you're like me and the accidental/surprise pregnancy trope is not your cup of tea, I highly recommend adding Out on a Limb to your reading list. It's well worth it!
_
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slow-paced
Book Five
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 11.6.2001
Pages: 1443
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
"When the day shall come that we do part," he said softly and turned to look at me, "if my last words are not 'I love you'—you'll ken it was because I did have time."
Just when I think that I'll never make it through this series, I read another book and am sucked right back into the story.
I think that The Fiery Cross may be my new favorite in the series. There was so much packed into this story (as there should be since it's almost 1500 pages), but there was just something about this specific book that seemed to hit differently than all of the others. I feel like we were given a deeper glimpse into the innermost thoughts of all the characters, which made me appreciate their individual stories even more.
Now to tackle book six, A Breath of Snow and Ashes!
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reflective
slow-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
✨F I V E ✨S T A R S✨
Thank you, Crown Publishing, for the gifted copy of Here One Moment {partner}
Genre: Fiction
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 9.10.2024
Pages: 512
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
This book. I was hesitant and skeptical because Liane Moriarty's books are often heavily character-driven and frequently include a lot of internal dialogue (which I must be in the mood for). But once I started, I didn't want it to end.
How can I feel that way after reading a book that's 512 pages long? Because I became so invested in every character's life—their happiness, livelihood, families, and futures. I felt like I knew them better than most of my friends, and I was not ready to let them go. I wanted to follow each one for always.
I cried. I cried so much, especially for the main character—our mysterious Death Lady. I loved getting to hear her life story and what brought her to that fateful trip that changed the characters' lives. My heart broke for her, and I still feel that sadness in my heart when I think back to her and her life. The whole book put so much in perspective for me and really had me thinking about the fragility of life and how we can be here one moment…
Read if you enjoy:
🗣️ Multiple POV
🫶🏼 Heartfelt reads
🐌 Slow burn
📖 Long chapters
😍 Character-driven stories
I recommend reading Here One Moment if you enjoyed reading The Measure by Nikki Erick.
______
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dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Wedding People 🍾
Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for the gifted copy of The Wedding People {partner}
Genre: Fiction
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 7.30.2024
Pages:384
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆
“Nobody was ever really watching except Phoebe; Phoebe was the only person ever waiting in the dark to condemn herself to every single thing when the day was over.”
Honestly, I almost DNF The Wedding People — the first 2 hours were so depressing that I could feel it affecting my mood. And yet, I hadn’t seen a warning about it before starting the audio, which made it even more unsettling. So, not to ruin the plot, but I think it should be shared that within those first 2 hours, the FMC describes infertility, IVF, miscarriage, infidelity, divorce, loneliness due to Covid, the death of her cat and finally, she decides that she wants to end her life at a hotel she’s always dreamed of going to. Needless to say, that first little bit of the book was hard to listen to because I felt so much compassion for Phoebe.
Ultimately, the story progressed towards a lighter/happier note, ending with a HEA for Phoebe. It encompassed one of my favorite tropes, found family, and highlighted that just one person can make a difference in someone else’s life. I cheered our FMC on as she realized how important her life was and that she still had to hold on because the best was coming her way.
Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆☆
The Wedding People was narrated by the always-talented Helen Laser (who has also narrated Yellowface, Husbands & Lovers, and Crow Talk). Laser’s attention to the smallest details of the story probably added to the heaviness of those first two hours, as her narration was that of a woman feeling completely lost in a world that kept passing her by. But Laser’s narration became happier and lighter as Phoebe found her true self again.
Read if you enjoy:
🗣️ Single narrator
🫶🏼 Quirky, flawed characters
🧠 Mental health rep
🖤 Dark Humor
👰🏽♀️ Wedding week chaos
‼️ Trigger warnings: please see above for possible triggers
I recommend reading Wedding People if you feel you’re in the right headspace. As mentioned, the book does take on a lighter note as it progresses.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of harm, please contact the Crisis Helpline at 988 or go to your nearest emergency room. 🤍
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of harm, please contact the Crisis Helpline at 988 or go to your nearest emergency room. 🤍
--
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Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts