chaptersofchase's Reviews (1.12k)

Scarlet in Blue

4.5

challenging informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Thank you, Dutton Books, for gifting me a copy of Scarlet in Blue {partner}

Genre: Mystery
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 3.8.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

"I've come to understand that the so-whats and the what-does-it-matters, like the forgets, are really no different than the pretends. They are all just ways to fend off hurt."

I love going into books blind. I knew I wanted to read Scarlet in Blue because I had added it to my reading list, but did I remember anything about the synopsis? Nope. While reading, I was constantly seconding guessing; I couldn't figure out what was real or what was being created in the character's minds. This novel would make for a great book club discussion. It was fascinating.

If you decide to read this (and you absolutely should), know that the first 100 pages of the story are a bit slow, mainly because the author was setting the stage for the remainder of the story.

The story is told from 3 different perspectives, Scarlet, Blue, and Henry. Scarlet is a character that I didn't care for at first, but at the same time, I was intrigued by her, and as her story unraveled, more of her personality made sense, and I eventually grew to appreciate her for who she was; flaws and all.

I found the mixture of the art world and psychology in Scarlet in Blue fascinating and ultimately what drew me into the book, unable to put it down. I felt like I was constantly holding my breath or sitting on the edge of my seat.

✌🏼 Dual timeline
🎨 🎹 Combination of art, music & psychology
🧐 Constantly questioning everything
🥺 character's to empathize with
🤯 Ending

❌ - domestic violence, child abuse, sexual abuse, self-harm

Overall this was an incredible story that had me taking pages of notes and writing down any clues/questions that I had. I don't want to say that the book reminded me of the Silent Patient, but I think some similarities lead me to suggest reading Scarlet in Blue if you also enjoyed reading Silent Patient.

Are you artsy or musically inclined? I have been itching to get back into painting and drawing; I need to find the time...

______
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Content Warnings

The Summer Place

Jennifer Weiner

4.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

Perfect Beach Read 🏖 Thank you, Atria Books, for gifting me a copy of The Summer Place {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Trope: Chick-Lit
Format: 📖🎧
Pub Date: 5.10.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆

"For forty years, the house had stood, silvery cedar and gleaming glass, on the edge of the dune, overlooking the waters of Cap Code Bay."

I love Jennifer Weiner's books as she has this way of writing that allows the reader to get to know her characters in such an in-depth way that you begin to question whether you know them better than your own family. The Summer Place is just that type of reading. I genuinely feel that I may know that flawed cast of characters better than my own family.

It took a while for me to get into the frame of mind that each chapter would focus extensively on one character and then the next. Some chapters took me 30-40 minutes to read because they were long and packed full of information. But, by the end, I was flying through and in awe of all the connections revealed between family members and long-buried secrets that had been dug up. It was a fascinating look into one family, their flaws, love, and forgiveness. And somehow, I needed more from the ending? I don't know; maybe I just wasn't to say goodbye to the characters.

There were two characters that I think I enjoyed the most, and that is the house (read the book, and you'll see what I mean) and Annette. I loved Annette's addition to the story and her brutal honesty. Our world is so forgiving of the men who walk away, but it is cruel to the women who do or the women who choose not to have their own families.

📖 Long chapters
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 In-depth character descriptions ( 8 )
😩 Quick ending
📝 Felt like a book of short stories

I recommend you read The Summer Place if you're a fan of Liane Moriarity books.

What do you think your biggest flaw is? I am absolutely an over-thinker.

_____

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It Ends with Us

Colleen Hoover

5.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Checking off another Coleen Hoover book ✅

Genre: Fiction
Trope: Romance
Format: 📖🎧
Pub Date: 8.2.2016
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.”

I purchased It Ends With Us at the beginning of the pandemic when I was trying to support my local bookstore through curbside pick up, and the book has sat on my shelf since then. Why? Because there is SO much hype surrounding this book. It's probably up there with Verity with the number of times I've seen it while scrolling Instagram. But now there's the prequel coming out, so it was time to sit down and start reading…

I worked as a domestic violence victim's advocate in my former life, and I knew when I was first introduced to Ryles's character that there was something not right. Too many red flags were thrown, and I found myself saying to Lily, "why aren't you walking away from him?? Don't you see it??" But then I remembered being young and "in love" and utterly unaware of toxic relationships.

I don't think I have ever had SO many outbursts while reading a book. The best part is that I listened to 75% of it, so I wasn't aware of how loud my bursts were… I had to stop listening several times and vent to my husband about what was going on. He was kind enough to remind me that love is blind to these types of relationships, and don't I "remember working with survivors and how many times it takes for them to be able to leave?".

Needless to say, this book consumed me. I don't think I was fully aware of what I would read when I picked up IEWU. In true CoHo fashion, it was incredible and addicting. But, it also broke my heart. It is not an easy read, and please know going into this book that it deals very heavily with domestic violence. Some chapters left me crying because of how real it felt. And, do yourself a favor, make sure to read the author's note.

I can't wait for It Starts With Us to be published so I can finally read more from Atlas. As little as his character appears in IEWU, he sure left an impression on my heart.

Have you read anything from your backlisted titles recently?

_______

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Content Warnings

The Tobacco Wives

Adele Myers

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

\DEBUT NOVEL REVIEW ✨ Thank you, William Morrow, for gifting me a copy of The Tobacco Wives {partner}

Genre: Historical Fiction
Time: 1946
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 3.1.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

"Imagine living like that. Not having to hold your breath every time the checkout girl rings up your groceries, not having the shame when you have to put something back. Not having to worry. "

Adele Myers has such a beautiful way of writing that I couldn't stop reading; it was full of rich, vibrant details that brought the characters and their stories to light. I devoured this novel in less than 24 hours and knew that it would be a 5 star for me very early on.

One of my favorite sections of the book featured Maddie picking out the color swatches for the wives - the details were perfect and made me feel like I was in the room with her. My ONLY complaint about the book is that I wish Myers had included sketches of the dress and hats. I need to see what inspired all the outfits!

Without giving anything away, I also appreciated the end of the story. Obviously, everything couldn't be wrapped up in a pretty bow because there was still a lot that would go into (and honestly still is) the awareness and prevention of smoking. But, I loved that Myers gave the readers one more chapter to spend with some of the characters.

🥰 Believable & lovable characters
👌🏽 Ending was well thought out
💜 Cornelia may be one of my favorite characters
🤩 Beautiful descriptions of the people, town, & fashion
🧐 Has a bit of mystery to it
🕰 Post WWII

❌- due to the nature of the book, there were references to infant death, birth defects, and miscarriage. If you have any questions or concerns, please DM me.

This was a debut novel for Adele Myers, and I can't wait to read what she writes next! I had so many people message me for my review on this book, so I hope I've convinced you to go out and pick it up from your local bookstore! 😘

If you could be successful at any hobby, what would it be? I would LOVE to be able to make my own clothes (and it does not look like I made my own clothes…)

_____
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Content Warnings

The Younger Wife

Sally Hepworth

3.0

mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Thank you, St. Martin Press, for gifting me a copy of The Younger Wife {partner}

Genre: Mystery
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 4.5.22
Star Rating: ☆☆☆

“Perhaps the very worst people still had some good in them. And perhaps the very best had some bad.”

Last year, I listened to The Good Sister and LOVED everything about the characters and the storyline, so I was looking forward to Hepworth’s newest release. Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. Maybe if I had listened to the audio, I would’ve liked it better?

I had a tough time with one of the MCs, Tully. She grated on my every nerve, and I dreaded when her chapter came around. But, one of the biggest problems that I had was that the transition from present to past wasn’t apparent, so I found myself having to re-read and re-read to better understand what was happening in the story.

❓Confused when it switched between past & present
🚗 Cliche parental car crash
🐌 Very slow build
🙅🏽‍♀️ Dislike all the characters
🙄 Predictable ending

❌ - Dementia, domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, gaslighting

I know I didn’t really love this one, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t read it. That’s the beauty of books — they work for some, but they don’t work for others. I will still look forward to the next book that Hepworth writes.

What is the last book that fell flat for you and why?

____
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Content Warnings

Sunflower Sisters

Martha Hall Kelly

4.5

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Sunflower Sisters 🌻

Genre: Historical Fiction
Time: Civil War
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 3.31.2021
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

"Do that which you fear to do, and the fear will die."

In complete honesty, I read Sunflower Sisters and had no idea that there were two books before it. I plan to go back and read the other two books published before this one. Maybe I missed something, but I never felt like I did.

I loved this book, and I wouldn't say I liked this book either. There were several times that I felt sick to my stomach over how people were treated throughout the story. I had to skip a few parts because it was too much. I detested Anne-May and felt that she deserved every bad thing that came her way.

Martha Hall Kelly did an exceptional job putting together this story. I can tell that she spent hours researching and perfecting her story - it was an absolute labor of love. By the end of the book, I was cheering for Jemma and her family/friends. I wanted her to have the entire world. Sunflower Sisters could've just been Jemma's story, and I would've been happy.

Sunflower Sisters is one of my first novels set during the Civil War. Do you have any recommendations for another that I should read?

______

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Outlander

Diana Gabaldon

5.0

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Book 1 of Outlander ✅

Genre: Historical Fiction
Time: 1743
Format: 📖 & 🎧
Pub Date: 6.1.1991
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

"You're mine, mo duinne...Mine alone, now and forever... Aye, I mean to use ye hard, my Sassenach...I want to own you, to posses you, body and soul."

What is there to say about Outlander that hasn't been said?

I decided to listen to this one after reading the first 100 or so pages. My reasoning? I felt that I was missing out on hearing the correct pronunciation of the Scottish landmarks and dialogue.

I feel like Jamie Fraser is the original of the book boyfriends, and I could read about him all day… which I will be doing as I want to finish the Outlander series this year. Some might not agree with his tactics, but he loved Claire with all of his heart.

And there there is Claire. She is the heroine of her own story, and I love her wit, tenacity, and strength. I can't tell you how many times I thought to myself, "how is this woman staying so collected? I would've lost my marbles at this point."

I'm looking forward to following this series through and seeing how Diana Gabaldon continues to transform her characters.

___
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Content Warnings

It Happened One Summer

Tessa Bailey

4.0

funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

It Happened One Summer ☀️

Genre: Romance
Trope: Grumpy Sunshine
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 7.13.2021
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆

"What he felt for Piper turned him into a young man in the throes of his first infatuation, while also calling on the deepest roots of his maturity."

It Happened One Summer is the first Tessa Bailey book I've read in a while. Her others, I felt, focused pretty heavily on the steamier side of a relationship and while there were those moments in It Happened One Summer, there was a lot more to the story.

Piper was an acquired taste for me (I didn't feel bad for her), but by page 150, I loved her character development. She came a long way in a short time, which made me enjoy reading her chapters even more. I'm looking forward to the next Tessa Bailey book, which features Piper's sister, because I thoroughly enjoyed Hannah's character.

Brenden is 100% a fabulous guy, and I loved his descriptions of Piper and his feelings for her (see above quote). One of my favorite moments for both characters was when Brenden finally took his ring off; there was so much said in that one gesture.

🐌 Slow to start
👱🏽‍♀️ Quick character development
🥴 Didn't love the "bad" and "honey" talk
🔥 Steamy read, but those pages felt like they went with the story

I recommend you read It Happened One Summer if you're a fan of the Simple Wild series.

___
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The Wedding Veil

Kristy Woodson Harvey

4.5

emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Kristy Woodson Harvey wrote a historical fiction book! { Uplit Reads & Gallery Books }

Genre: Historical Fiction
Time: 1914 & Present Day
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 3.29.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

“My entire life, that veil had been a symbol of happiness, but I realized that, for me, its significance wasn’t even really about marriage. It was the connection that touching it, wearing it, seeing it, made me feel to Babs and mom, to my great-grandmother, and Aunt Alice.”

I loved exploring family relationships in the Peachtree Bluff series, so I was worried I would miss that familiar style of writing from Kristy. But, as it turns out, she incorporated that same theme into her newest novel, The Wedding Veil. I love so many things about Kristy’s writing, but one of my favorites is that for each character she creates, I can find a bit of myself in them.

My husband and I went on our mini-honeymoon to Asheville and spent a lot of time at the Biltmore, which made this novel so much fun to read as it took me right back there and taught me a lot about the Vanderbilt family that I wasn’t familiar with.

But, overall, my favorite aspect of this story was Julia’s relationship with her grandmother, Baby. I loved the character’s banter and honesty with one another, and it made me miss my grandmother something fierce. I was so glad to see Julia’s character grow throughout the book, and I think Babs helped guide her granddaughter but not push her before she was ready.

👩‍👧 Exploration of relationships
🏰 Biltmore setting
🥰 Loveable characters
✌🏼Dual timeline

On an entirely personal note, Kristy added my name in the acknowledgments section of this book, and I can’t tell you what an honor it is. I will forever be a fan of yours and am so excited for you and what your future holds as an author. I will make it to one of your tour stops one day, and we can celebrate. 😘😘

___
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11/22/63

Stephen King

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious tense medium-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: Yes

I did it. I finally read a Stephen King novel. 🏆

Genre: Historical Fiction
Time: 1958-1963
Format: 📖 & 🎧
Pub Date: 11.8.2011
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

"Life turns on a dime. Sometimes towards us, but more often it spins away, flirting and flashing as it goes: so long, honey, it was good while it lasted, wasn't it?"

I've had 11/22/63 sitting on my bookshelf since last summer, and it's been taunting me, telling me that I would never actually pick it up to read. But, I did it, and I was unsure at first, but what an incredible novel.

Coming in at just over 800 pages, there may be people who would argue that something could've been cut from the story. But, for me, it's perfect just the way it is. I know not all SK books are written like this (because this one made me cry), but it's a testament to the author's ability to write a book that leaves you thinking about it for days to come.

11/22/63 felt like much more than just a book about time travel; it was full of history, action, suspense, and romance. I'm so glad that all of you SK lovers out there suggested this be the first book of his that I pick up and read.

I listened and read this book, and to be honest, the audiobook was phenomenal. I've never listened to an audiobook and genuinely felt like the narrator became a part of the story. He became Jake Epping. Because of this, if you have the opportunity to listen to this on audio, I recommend doing so!

⏰ Time travel
💯 Audiobook narration
👉🏼 Perfect for the first time Stephen King reader
😮‍💨 hold-your-breath moment

___
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