chaptersofchase's Reviews (1.12k)

Acts of Violet

5.0

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Acts of Violet || Thank you, Booksparks and Libro. Fm, for the perfect reading experience!

Genre: Fiction
Trope: Mystery, Magical Realism
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 7.5.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

For me, Margarita Montimore is an auto-buy author — after reading Oona Out of Order in 2020, I can't get enough of Montimore's writing style. I love a story that makes me think outside of the box. I want to read a book that challenges me to see the world through different eyes; that is just what this book did for me.

Acts of Violet may end up being my favorite audiobook of 2022 (thank you, Libro.Fm for the ALC). I started listening to this book as my physical copy hadn't arrived yet, and I am SO glad I chose to listen over reading. I can see where people who read the book didn't love the formatting (think Daisy Jones and the Six). But, me? I devoured this book and loved every.single.moment. The narration was perfect. I am a sucker for a full-cast narration, and I think the format of Acts of Violet was perfect for that type of audio. I felt like I was listening to a true crime podcast and not a work of fiction.

Acts of Violet is part mystery, magical realism, part family drama; absolutely everything I needed to read this month. I genuinely did not want the story to end.

Honestly, I think this would be a phenomenal movie. All the concepts brought up throughout Acts of Violet were fascinating; stories of Houdini, leylines, energy hotspots, and the luminal vortex. I was constantly reaching for my phone to look up the accuracy of what I was hearing.

‼️ Listen to the audiobook
🪄 World of magic
🔎 Part mystery & family drama
🫣 Creepy/Unreliable narrator
📦 Out-of-the-box thinking
😭 That ending

In case you didn't know, I loved Acts of Violet, and I hope you do as well. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook to get the full effect of the story — use my code 'BookendListens' with Libro.FM!

______

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The It Girl

Ruth Ware

3.0

mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: No

Book Review 👱🏼‍♀️

Genre: Mystery
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 7.12.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆

"In books, a bad thing might happen on page 207; that was true. But, it would always happen on page 207, no matter what. And when you reread, you could see it coming, watch out for the signs, prepare yourself."

It pains me to write this review because I LOVE Ruth Ware. She was probably my first auto-buy when I joined bookstagram. But, her last two books have just not been it for me. Especially this particular book. I felt that The It Girl was taken directly from the pages of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife (which I didn't like, either).

The story was so slow to take off that I fell asleep while reading it in the pool. The story finally picked up (a bit) around page 160 when Hannah met with the journalist, but it dropped back again.

I had so much hope for this one, but it wasn't for me. The whole story didn't make sense and was frankly dull (nothing thrilling about it), and the characters were all unlikeable. It just lacked the writing style of Ruth Ware that I used to love.

Here are my favorite Ruth Ware books (in order) for those who are wondering.

🔑 The Turn of the Key
🤫 The Lying Game
🏚 The Death of Mrs. Westaway
🌳 In a Dark, Dark Wood
🛳 Woman in Cabin 10 (Reese’s Book Club pick)
⛷ One by One
👱🏼‍♀️ The It Girl

And as always, this is only my opinion. Many people out there did enjoy this one, and I'm so glad to see that. If you decide to add this to your reading list, I hope you are one of the people who love it!

______

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While We Were Dating

Jasmine Guillory

4.0

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Thank you, Berkley Publishing, for the gifted copy of While We Were Dating {partner}

Genre: Romance
Trope: Fake Dating,
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 7.13.2021
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆

“You dare to accuse me of not being a morning person? Just because I may not be able to speak a word to anyone else before I drink an entire cup of coffee does not mean I’m not a morning person! I love mornings! I just love to observe them from my bed, that’s all.”

☝🏼this quote is me. Please do not bother me in the mornings until I’ve had one cup of coffee and read for an hour.

In true Jasmine Guillory style, she created such chemistry between Ben and Anna that she had me fanning myself during certain *ahem* scenes. I don’t recommend listening to this one on audiobook with your windows down.

I applaud all the nods to mental health and the importance of all genders seeking therapy when they aren’t feeling like their best selves. As someone who often struggles with anxiety, it was a breath of fresh air to read as Anna recounted how she struggled and overcame her anxiety. Guillory provided the perfect balance between the heavier topics, humor, and 🔥.

Oh, and one more thing, I can’t let this review conclude without giving the nod to Ben Stephens. After reading some particularly dreadful romances involving just meh men, he was a breath of fresh air. Men worldwide could stand to spend a few minutes learning from Ben and how you should treat the person you love.

🧠 Normalizing mental health
🥵 Steamy, Steamy, Steamy
😍 Character chemistry
🥰 Ben Stephens
🎬 Hollywood setting

If you enjoyed reading A lot Like Adios or Get a Life Chloe Brown, I recommend you read While We Were Dating.

______

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The Dead Romantics

Ashley Poston

5.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Thank you, Berkley, for the gifted copy of The Dead Romantics {partner}

Genre: Romance
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 6.28.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

"..the wind is just the breath of everyone who came before us. All the people who've passed on, those who've taken a breath. They're still in the wind. And they'll always be in the wind singing."

Well, first of all, I loved this book. I love books that are different or make me think outside the box. I usually find something to relate to in a book about grieving the ones you've lost because it's something we've all encountered or will encounter in our lives. So, if I can find a story that gives me the faintest bit of hope that the people I love most are still with me, I will gladly read that book.

The Dead Romantics was one of my most anticipated summer reads, and it lived up to all the hype I had given it. Also, I'm so happy to be chosen as a GMA July Book Club Pick! The book contains beautiful quotes about life, death, and what it means to grieve and love between those two. Once I started reading it, I had to force myself to put it down so I could savor the story. I plan to reread it.

I loved the chemistry between Florence, the ghostwriter, and her ghost; it was full of love and respect. They may be my favorite "couple" for 2022. But, I can't go into too many details without giving away essential story parts.

Ashley Poston's writing was beautiful and full of all the wit and humor I find in Emily Henry's books. Poston created characters that I loved, ghosts and all. I most certainly cried on several pages, especially the ones towards the end of the book. I didn't know which direction Poston would take her readers, and I was nervous to say goodbye to the characters I'd come to love. But, she did a marvelous job; The Dead Romantics is one I'll keep close to my heart.

🥰 Witty & delightful
💖 Romance genre at its finest
👻 Hauntingly romantic
🤩 Fun & quirky characters

If you enjoyed reading Emily Henry's books, I recommend reading The Dead Romantics.

______

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Circe

Madeline Miller

4.5

adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Book Review 🏛 |

Genre: Fantasy
Trope: Greek Mythology
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 4.10.2018
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

"But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me."

I was in the mood to read a book with a strong female character that would make me feel a little bit more in control of my life; enter Circe. If you're looking for a character who takes all that life throws at her and is not willing to back down but instead pushes back, this is the story for you. For a "minor" Greek Goodness, Circe truly shines throughout this novel.

Circe's character development was phenomenal, and I applauded her acceptance that her life may have been forced to be one way, but she didn't have to accept it. She deeply respected nature, and I enjoyed watching her learn how nature could provide for her.

I also loved the development of Circe's relationship with Penelope. I don't want to give too much away about this part of the story, but I will say it left me feeling hopeful and appreciative of both women.

🏛 Retelling of Greek Mythology
💪🏼 Strong female MC
✨ Witchcraft
🎧 Audiobook brought the story to life

❌ - rape

As mentioned before, I recommend reading Circe if you want a story with a strong female main character. You do not have to be knowledgeable about Greek Mythology to appreciate the beauty of this exceptional retelling.

______

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Content Warnings

The Road Trip

Beth O'Leary

3.5

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Complicated

Thank you, Berkley Publishing, for the gifted copy of The Road Trip {partner}

Genre: Romance
Trope: Second Chance
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 4.17.2021
Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5

"Everyone's got the potential to do the wrong thing – if we were measured that way, we'd all come up short. It's about what you do."

What happens when you put two people who used to be in a relationship date, their best friends, and some random person in a car and send them on a road trip to a wedding? Well, lots of antics ensue. This merry band of misfits were all piled into a mini-cooper for an extenuating period. The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary this story had me laughing so hard during specific scenes.

I listened to The Road Trip and wholeheartedly recommend listening instead of reading this one; I adored the narrators - they were perfect for Addie and Dillon. I also enjoyed the unique take on the' then' and 'now' narration - it made it feel more of a "their" story than just a story about one character.

What didn't I like? Dillon's best-friend Marcus. I can't begin to count how many times Marcus (and his actions) made me want to punch a wall. He was hopeless, and I don't know how Addie tolerated Dillon not seeing the true side of Marcus for the entirety of their relationship. By the end of the book, I was genuinely unsure whether I wanted Addie and Dillon to get back together. How he treated her and allowed Marcus to treat her was unforgivable (in my opinion).

Still, The Road Trip was a fun story to read that dealt with some moderately heavy topics (addiction and assault). It felt a little different from the previous Beth O'Leary book I read, but not necessarily in a bad way.

🚙 Mini-Cooper with five people
🤣 Hilarious
🤬 Marcus
🤷🏽‍♀️ Unsure about the ending?
💯 Highly recommend the audiobook

I recommend you read The Road Trip if you enjoyed reading Fool Me Once or Twice in a Blue Moon.

______

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Content Warnings

On Rotation

Shirlene Obuobi

3.5

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Thank you, Avon Books, for the gifted copy of On Rotation {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Trope: Coming-of-Age
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 6.21.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5

"Finding someone to love you romantically is easy… there's a whole cocktail of brain chemicals at work.. plus a rulebook for relationships we've all been following since infancy. Friendship doesn't have any of that, so finding someone who will hold you down for no reason is rare."

I don't read many books circulating in the medical profession because they all seem wayyyy over my head. But, I decided to pick up On Rotation because of the fun cover, and I saw a reviewer compare it to Grey's Anatomy (does anyone still watch that show? I mean, how is it still on?). Within the first chapter, I was cackling as Angie went into detail about all the issues a person with a larger butt can face. It was hilarious and spot-on 🍑

Please take this part of my review with a grain of salt, considering when I was reading this book, A LOT of things happened in the US that upset me. But, throughout the story, I had a myriad of conflicting opinions, and by the time I finished the book, I couldn't quite figure out how I felt.

Here are two of the aspects from On Rotation that left me conflicted:

Obuobi did something unique with this book in that she added footnotes to the bottom of the page, where she described what each medical term reference meant - which I appreciated. But then, halfway through, it started to distract me from the story because I'd see the * and look to see what it meant. And whenever I went back to read where I was, I felt like I'd just been interrupted and lost my spot in the story. It made it difficult to be invested in what I was reading.

Then, there is my issue with Ricky. Okay, I completely understand that he is supposed to be a flawed character that is dealing without a lot of problems that he has with his family. But, I didn't particularly appreciate how he treated Angie. She deserved so much more than a man who wanted to have his cake and eat it too. If I were Angie, I would've said "no, thank you" and kept doing my own thing. But then I also enjoyed their comradery and that their relationship was based on friendship first. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Overall, this story was about Angie learning to put her foot down and pursue her dreams, not the dreams others had for her, which is something I applaud.

🏥 Hospital setting
🇬🇭 Ghanian traditions
👩🏾 More a coming-of-age story
✨ Filled with drama (and lots of laughs)

On Rotation is the debut novel for Shirlene Obuobi, and I can't wait to read what she writes next!

______

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The Beach Trap

Ali Brady

4.5

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Summer Reading ☀️

Genre: Fiction
Trope: Romance, Chick-Lit
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 6.14.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

"The point of life is to be alive in the world, to feel every emotion, even the messy and painful ones. To challenge yourself, to take risks, to find beauty in the imperfections and be grateful for the opportunity to experience it all."

The Beach Trap is the perfect summer read for your backyard, pool, beach, or even snuggled on the couch with your favorite reading companion 🐾. I'm always in awe of how two authors can come together and create a story. Although sometimes, when reading a co-written book, I can tell the difference in writing styles, that was not the case with the Beach Trap; it was seamlessly written.

As for the characters, Blake was my cup of tea from her first chapter - I loved her determination and unwavering love for her grandfather. Conversely, Kat was not a character I identified with, and she was a bit too much for me. But then I began to appreciate her and loved reading along as Kat's character development progressed. I even loved the girl's romantic interests (hello, Noah 😍).

The Beach Trap is more a novel on friendship and sisterhood than romance (which I needed). But, don't get me wrong, some romance was mixed into the storyline, and I appreciated the excitement the steamier scenes added to the book.

By the end of the story, I loved Kat, Blake, Noah, Henry, and Max (but let's be honest, I loved Max from the beginning 🐶).

👯‍♀️ Alternating perspectives from Kat & Blake
👏🏼 Character development
🥹 Ending that gave me all the feels (and some tears)
✍🏼 Co-written story
💞 More about friendship & sisterhood

For those who enjoyed watching The Parent Trap and It Takes Two, I recommend you check out The Beach Trap by Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey (aka Ali Brady).

____

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The House Across the Lake

Riley Sager

3.0

dark mysterious slow-paced

Voyeuristic Mystery Coming Your Way! 👀 || Thank you, Dutton Books, for the gifted copy of The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager! {partner}

Genre: Psychological Suspense
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 6.21.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆

Sigh… I honestly don't know where to begin with this review. Riley Sager is one of my first "bookstagram made me do it," I loved Home Before Dark, Final Girls, and The Last Time I Lied. But I've been thoroughly let down by his latest books, and I can't quite put my finger on why.

I think I'm just bored with the whole female protagonist with a drinking problem theme that so often goes with this genre. I also understand that Sager typically has some sort of theatrically influence on his books — for The House Across the Lake, it was Rear Window. He even references it in the novel, which is fine. I can deal with that, I don’t love it, but I’ll deal with it. At one point, Sager is writing from the perspective of the female MC and has her say something along the lines of "this is what being a man must feel like." And, I don't know, that whole line rubbed me the wrong way. It just felt icky coming from him. Again, just my opinion.

Now that I have reviewed what didn't work for me, let's move on to what I did enjoy about this story. I love a good story that doesn't leave me feeling like the wool had been pulled over my eyes for 75% of the book (I call it the Scooby-Doo effect. Sometimes it's nice to be appropriately scared without the author providing an easy explanation.

If you were wondering, here's a breakdown of my ranking on each Sager book.

Home Before Dark
Final Girls
Last Time I Lied
House Across the Lake
Lock Every Door
Survive the Night

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#duttonbooks #psychologicalthriller #suspense #newbook #bookreview #Homelibrary #goodreads #booksbooksbooks #bookworm

These Impossible Things

Salma El-Wardany

5.0

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Thank you, Grand Central Publishing, for the gifted copy of These Impossible Things {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 6.7.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“Some evenings demand you walk through them. You can’t get on a bus or in a car because then you’ll miss it. Miss the exact moment the changing summer sky turns from blue to pink to black.”

I know that my review will not do this book justice, but I will still try to convince you to read this incredible, heartbreaking, uplifting story of friendship, love, and all the ways the world can bend us to do impossible things.

Salma El-Wardnay is an exceptionally talented writer who describes even the most mundane moments with such beauty that I re-read whole pages to experience them again. I wish I could accurately articulate how she represents the characters of this book — I was so invested in them. I laughed with them, felt the love they experienced, and wept as their hearts were shattered.

These Impossible Things is a testament to female friendship and how meaningful these relationships can be. Besides friendship, I learned a lot about the Muslim religion, and I’m embarrassed to say that it’s not something I’ve spent much time reading about, but this book made me want to change that.

There were several beautiful moments in this story, but there were just as many difficult passages to read. Mixed within these pages are references to gaslighting, domestic/emotional/mental abuse, abortion, and rape. I do not want any of these triggers to prevent you from reading this book. If you have any concerns, please message me.

Again, thank Grand Central Publishing for the gifted book; Read with Jenna for giving this the attention it deserves; and, most importantly, thank you to Salma El-Wardany for writing this story. These Impossible Things will be going on my favorites of 2022 list.

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Content Warnings

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