chaptersofchase's Reviews (1.12k)

Nine Lives

4.0

dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Complicated

Thank you, William Morrow Books, for gifting me a copy of Nine Lives {partner}

Genre: Mystery
Trope: Serial Killer
Pub Date: 3.15.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆

"The awful thing about loneliness, is that it isn't always cured by other people."

I am always skeptical when reading a novel based on an Agatha Christie story. There's a reason why her name is still so well known around here — she wrote fabulous stories with unexpected plot twists. But, I think that Peter Swanson did well with Nine Lives, and I was hooked from the first page.

Things could've gotten confusing with nine characters (plus an additional 1 or 2 supporting characters). But, Swanson gave readers a character glossary at the beginning of the story, and I LOVED that touch to the book. I flagged the page and went back and forth until I figured out who was who. I was not too fond of some characters (Jay is a POS), and then there were characters that I loved (Ethan and Caroline). There was also a big twist that I hadn't connected the dots to. Overall, I felt like the story was unique to the genre and very entertaining.

Here are some things that I enjoyed about Nine Lives:

🤏🏼 Short chapters
9️⃣ Multiple perspectives
📝 Detailed character list
🤯 Character connections I didn't put together
🕵🏽‍♀️ Some tense moments, but it definitely felt more like a mystery than a thriller

I recommend you read Nine Lives if you're a fan of One by One, And Then There Were None, and Eight Perfect Murders.

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One Italian Summer

Rebecca Serle

5.0

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

Thank you, Atria Books, for gifting me a copy of One Italian Summer{partner}

Genre: Fiction
Trope: Magical Realism
Pub Date: 3.1.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“There is beauty to the run-down buildings, the laundry strung overhead, the rhythm and drawl of the daily life here. There is beauty, too, in the old Mediterranean architecture, buildings left over from centuries ago, before Naples became what is today. There is beauty in discrepancy — two things that seem oppositional, coming together.”

Any book that begins with one of my favorite Gilmore Girls quotes is one that I know I’ll love.

I started reading One Italian Summer when I had a few minutes to spare in my afternoon. But, that quickly became pushing things on my to-do list back another day. Rebecca Serle wrote with such ease and magic, the seamless transitions between past and present, that I didn’t want to put the book down because the magic would disappear.

The beginning of the book felt so painfully real. It will be difficult to get through for those of you who have lost someone who meant the world to you, but the story is worth every minute.

Serle wrote about the people of Positano, the town, the views — it was all mesmerizing. I kept wanting to look up places that she referenced to feel like I was there with the characters. I want to visit this town and Hotel Poseidon more than anything.

I adore a magical realism aspect to a book, and One Italian Summer is no exception. It was perfect. Towards the end of the book, there's one point that made me realize just how very short life can feel. The entire novel was a reminder to seize the opportunities presented to you and love the ones you're with, as you never know when it will be too late to take that trip or hear that story. I never wanted this story to end.

Thank you, Rebecca, for writing a story with a female protagonist that I admire 😘

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Content Warnings

The Boys' Club

Erica Katz

4.5

challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

BOOK REVIEW ✨

Genre: Fiction
Pub Date: 8.4.2020
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

“He turned to me, and I laughed too loudly, to assure him there was no need to censor himself. I shoved the feeling that I was somehow betraying my own sex out of my mind. It was all too easily replaced by the sweetness of inclusion.”

If there was ever a quote that described a book perfectly, it is this one. I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Boys Club, but it was a roller coaster ride. I found myself fascinated and, at the same time, repulsed by everything within the Klasko & Fitch law firm. I knew that these groups exist, but it’s another way to read about all their inside deals.

I kept setting my book down to either take a deep breath at the nativity of Alex or tell my husband that latest crazy part that I had just read. Erica Katz is one heck of a writer, and I can’t wait to read the next book she writes.

Trigger warning: sexual assault, rape, and drug usage

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Part of Your World

Abby Jimenez

5.0

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted 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: Complicated

Thank you, Forever Books, for gifting me a copy of Part of Your World partner}

Genre: Romance
Pub Date: 4.19.2021
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“There is a peace in knowing the one thing you can’t live without. It simplifies all things. There was her, and then there was everything and everyone else. And only she really mattered.”

Every year, I read an Abby Jimenez book, and every year I think, “there is no way she can top this book,” and then the following year, she goes and does just that. But, for some reason, I feel like it’s going to be incredibly difficult for her top Part of Your World. The love exuded from Daniel, Alexis, Brie, and the whole town of Wakan is the type of love that everyone deserves.

A point in the book had me in tears because Daniel’s love for Alexis poured from the pages. It was heartbreaking and honest. I’m lucky enough to have a Daniel in my life, and I felt like Part of Your World emphasized that for me on so many levels.

In true Abby Jimenez style, she had me rolling with laughter picturing baby goats in pajamas and dogs running around knocking things over. There were plenty of moments of hilarious, laugh-out-loud dialogue as well.

“I’d follow a clown into a storm drain if he had a baby goat in pajamas.”

Abby Jimenez tackled some tough topics within the pages of this book, but she did so with respect and love. It was never overwhelming, but it felt natural, and it is something that far too many people have survived — domestic violence. If you have any questions about what is depicted in this story, please reach out to me.

“Love follows you. It goes where you go. It doesn’t know about social divides or distance, or common sense. It doesn’t even stop when the person you love dies. It does what it wants.”

There was truly nothing that I didn’t love about this book. It was perfection, and as soon as I finished reading it, I wanted to start again immediately.

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Black Cake

Charmaine Wilkerson

4.5

emotional inspiring 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: Complicated

Thank you, Penguin Random House, for the gifted copy of Black Cake! {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Trope: Multi-Generational Story
Pub Date: 2.1.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

"Sometimes, the stories we don't tell people about ourselves matter even more than the things we do say."

What an incredible debut novel! Charmaine Wilkerson should be so proud of herself and the hard work/love that she poured into each chapter of this novel. Black Cake is full of one family's exploration of their mother's secrets hidden from them until after her death.

"Everything is connected to everything else if you only go far enough back in time."

I was floored by all of the research and Wilkerson's characters while telling this story. At first, I was a little overwhelmed — there were a lot of characters to keep track of and different storylines to follow, but as I read more, the easier it became to follow.

Eleanor Bennett's story is a multi-generational tale that will likely resonate with many immigrants and their families as they struggle to find their footing in a world that could be very unforgiving.

Overall, Black Cake was an incredible debut filled with stories of sorrow, hope, determination, forgiveness, and lots of love. I recommend it to all of you who love an excellent multi-generational tale.

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A Thousand Boy Kisses

Tillie Cole

5.0

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

“For believers in true, epic, soul-shattering love. This one’s for you.”

Genre: YA
Trope: Romance
Pub Date: 3.15.16
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“I didn’t know why, but capturing moments, fascinated me. Maybe it was because all we get are moments. There are no do-overs; whatever happens in a moment defines a life — perhaps it is life.”

For those of you who are going to add A Thousand Boy Kisses to your reading list after reading this review, remember - I warned you, you will cry a lot. A Thousand Boy Kisses will leave you in a puddle of tears on more than just one occasion, and the ending? Yeah, the ending is going to hurt a lot.

I decided to read this book listening to three of my friends talk about how heartbreakingly beautiful it is, and they were correct. Everyone deserves a lot like Rune and Poppy. It’s a love that will outlast all other loves and lifetimes.

I usually stray away from YA romances as they can be a little mushy-gushy, and while A Thousand Boy Kisses has those moments, I never felt like it wasn’t genuine. I would love to see this story made into a movie/tv series, but I also know that I would need to watch it alone because my sobbing will likely ruin it for everyone else.

I have so many more things I wanted to say about this story, but I’m worried I’ll end up giving too much away. Just know that I am so glad I read this book and that Poppy and Rune’s love will stay with me for a long, long time.

I recommend you read A Thousand Boy Kisses if you enjoyed crying for hours during The Notebook, Fault in Our Stars, and A Walk to Remember.

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An American Marriage

Tayari Jones

4.5

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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 REVIEW ✨

Genre: Fiction
Pub Date: 1.29.2018
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

"But home isn't where you land; home is where you launch. You can't pick your home any more than you can choose your family. In poker, you get five cards. Three of them you can swap out, but two are yours to keep: family and native land."

I've had An American Marriage on my reading list for some time now, but I kept pushing it farther back on my reading list. I decided to pick it up for February and read/listen to it through my library.

I want to tell you that I loved this book. On some level, I did. I think what I loved most was the absolute, brutal honesty portrayed by every character. In the beginning, it felt like all of the characters (mainly Roy and Celestial) were tripping over one another, hiding feelings, trying to bury them beneath some facade that they needed to keep.

But, when real-life hit, honesty was the only thing they could give one another. I'm not going to lie; I found myself incredibly frustrated with Celestial and the decision she made after her and Roy's lives were turned upside down. But, once the story was over, I understood her more. I understood all of them - Roy, Celestial, Andre... every one of them.

"Much of life is timing and circumstance, I see that now."

An American Marriage was not a happy story. But, I knew that going in. However, it was an honest one, and sometimes, that's the only thing you can hope for when reading a story.

If you haven't had a chance to pick this one up, I highly recommend doing so; the audiobook was excellent as the narrators portrayed all of the emotions so well.

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The Night Shift

Alex Finlay

3.5

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Thank you, Minotaur Books, for gifting me a copy of The Night Shift {partner}

Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Trope: Serial Killer
Pub Date: 3.1.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5

"All these years, he was a monster in plain sight."

How could I pass up reading the opportunity to read a book about a serial killer set during the '90s in a video store? I mean, come on? It has slasher films written all over it. The concept for the story might not be original, but I've always found these types of books to be fun and a relatively quick read.

The Night Shift was a quick read — when paired with the short chapters and multiple perspectives, I was constantly finding myself wanting to know more.

However, there were some aspects to the story that I didn't necessarily love. One of the main characters, Agent Keller, was desperate to find the person (or persons) responsible for the heinous crime in the video store and then the ice cream shop. However, Agent Keller was eight months pregnant… with twins. Now, I'm not saying that someone pregnant isn't capable of tracking down a serial killer, but Agent Keller put herself in harm's way a few too many times. There is absolutely nothing about this part of the story that felt genuine or believable. It made her chapters a little harder to enjoy.

🩸 Serial killer
🔪 90's slasher-movie-vibes
📖 Short chapters
🕵🏽‍♀️ Multiple perspectives
🔁 Character connections
😕 Epilogue was a letdown

I recommend reading The Night Shift if you enjoyed Final Girls by Riley Sager.

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Beneath the Stairs

Jennifer Fawcett

3.0

dark mysterious slow-paced

Thank you, Atria Books, for gifting me a copy of Beneath the Stairs {partner}

Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Pub Date: 2.22.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆

I started this book before bed one night, and as soon as the Octagon House made its appearance, I had to shut the book and pick it up in the daylight. The beginning was challenging as it was a lot slower than I anticipated, but that was mainly due to the author setting the backstory for the house and its previous occupants. While it took me a bit to get into the story, I anxiously awaited the chapters centered around the Octagon House as they were terrifying.

There were aspects to the story that I didn’t love: The ‘mean girl’ vibe from the chapters from 1998 was over the top and made me roll my eyes, but they were a relatively accurate representation of just how terrible girls can be. Then there was the storyline involving the main character Clare and her husband Josh — in my opinion, it’s a backstory that I see too often in thrillers.

🕰 Multiple timelines (1936, 1965, 1998, present)
🏚 Terrifying house with all kinds of secrets
🐌 Slow to start
🙃 Predictable, but interesting ending

❌- Domestic violence, cancer, graphic miscarriage (probably one of the worst I’ve read)

Overall, it was an exciting story that kept my attention and gave me lots of goosebumps - especially when it came to the creepy Octagon House.

If you discovered a sealed door in an abandoned house, would you try to open it? Absolutely not; Beneath the Stairs is precisely why I wouldn’t. In fact, I think I’d leave the whole house alone and never come back.

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Weather Girl

Rachel Lynn Solomon

3.5

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Thank you, Berkley Pub, for gifting me a copy of Weather Girl ⚡️ {partner}

Genre: Romance
Trope: Office Romance
Pub Date: 1.11.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5

"That's the thing about depression. You can know it's there, know it's part of you, but you can go ages without seeing it. It lives with you, an invisible roommate."

Do you ever read a book and not feel much for the characters themselves but appreciate the message in the story?

That's me, with the Weather Girl. I didn't feel much for the characters, but the story's underlying message about mental health is what made the book for me. The main character, Ari Abrams, is so many people who struggle with depression and don't let the world know what's going on beneath the surface.

In the author's note, Rachel Lynn Solomon said that Weather Girl was a deeply personal story for her, and I can see that after finishing the story.

🧠 Mental Health awareness
✡️ Jewish Representation
🌩🏈 Unique Rom-Com (my first office romance?)
🥴 Open Door Romance
💙 Love for all body types

I usually try to compare the book I'm reviewing to a book I've already read, but Weather Girl is a unique one.

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