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drops_everything_and_reads's Reviews (1.2k)
Reading a book by Deanna Raybourn is always a joy and this one did not disappoint!
I really enjoy that this book is about an older demographic - four women who are retired but are forced back to "work" when they are under threat. And their work? being assassins. SIGN ME UP YES PLEASE!
There's humour and drama and mystery and suspense and ugh I love it so much.
The book followed through to a logical ending. I don't know if I had to suspend belief at all for some of the scenes because a part of me really wants to believe and have confidence that there is a group of bad-ass women out there taking out the bad guys and throwing themselves out of trains and wearing disguises and all of that.
This is such a great series!
Thanks to Berkley for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
I really enjoy that this book is about an older demographic - four women who are retired but are forced back to "work" when they are under threat. And their work? being assassins. SIGN ME UP YES PLEASE!
There's humour and drama and mystery and suspense and ugh I love it so much.
The book followed through to a logical ending. I don't know if I had to suspend belief at all for some of the scenes because a part of me really wants to believe and have confidence that there is a group of bad-ass women out there taking out the bad guys and throwing themselves out of trains and wearing disguises and all of that.
This is such a great series!
Thanks to Berkley for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
Absolutely wonderful. Beautiful writing, beautiful story. It was emotional, funny, romantic. Elladee is such a strong female character and following her growth over the course of the book to find not just new love, but confidence in herself, her talent, her career was wonderful.
Miles is a fantastic MMC: kind, patient, tender, not afraid of his feelings.
The friends and colleagues that surround Elladee and Miles really showcase what a strong support system looks like; standing alongside a friend through challenging times, cheering for successes, calling their friend out for when they messed up, loving them through it all.
This was my first book by Myah Ariel and it absolutely will not be my last.
Thanks to Berkley for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
Miles is a fantastic MMC: kind, patient, tender, not afraid of his feelings.
The friends and colleagues that surround Elladee and Miles really showcase what a strong support system looks like; standing alongside a friend through challenging times, cheering for successes, calling their friend out for when they messed up, loving them through it all.
This was my first book by Myah Ariel and it absolutely will not be my last.
Thanks to Berkley for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
I DNF'd this book at about 35% because I just really did not like Emery and I think it's because I really didn't know much about her, apart from that she has a medical condition which results in her heart stopping when surprised, stunned, etc. Going through the time jumps, I didn't learn much about her interests, goals, personality, but the focus was on an activity that she really wanted to do, even knowing it could cause her heart to stop.
It's an interesting premise for a book, but I wish we had more time with Emery as a person outside of her medical condition earlier on in the book so that I could grow to care for her, root for her, etc. It felt like all of her actions were taken in spite.
Thanks to Forever for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
It's an interesting premise for a book, but I wish we had more time with Emery as a person outside of her medical condition earlier on in the book so that I could grow to care for her, root for her, etc. It felt like all of her actions were taken in spite.
Thanks to Forever for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
Reading the synopsis, I was very intrigued by the book, however, I ended up skimming through a lot of it as I was confused a lot of the time reading it, trying to figure out the motivations of the MCs, what the aim of the plot was, etc. It was a pretty slow-paced book and it felt like significant beats to really move the plot forward were few and far between.
I really couldn't not build empathy for the MCs, each of whom came across as selfish and purely motivated by self-interest (which very well could have been the point), consequently, I just couldn't get into the book as I had wanted to.
I think this is a book that will be polarizing; people will love it or not get it. I'm in the latter but I sincerely hope that this book finds its readers.
Thanks to Berkley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
I really couldn't not build empathy for the MCs, each of whom came across as selfish and purely motivated by self-interest (which very well could have been the point), consequently, I just couldn't get into the book as I had wanted to.
I think this is a book that will be polarizing; people will love it or not get it. I'm in the latter but I sincerely hope that this book finds its readers.
Thanks to Berkley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
I really wanted to like the book, but I found it a bit too cheesy and insta-lovey for me. The premise is very clever and it was fun to see how it was explained how Griffin ended up as a statue, and then his exploring modern life once freed.
I struggled to empathize with Emily, as it felt like her happiness really depended on having a man love her.
The ending wrapped things up in a way that suited the story line.
Thanks to Berkley for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
I struggled to empathize with Emily, as it felt like her happiness really depended on having a man love her.
The ending wrapped things up in a way that suited the story line.
Thanks to Berkley for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
After quickly reading and LOVING the first book in the series, A Most Agreeable Murder, I was incredibly excited to read A Terribly Nasty Business and I absolutely was not disappointed.
This series has the elements I love in mystery books: historical, strong female lead character who doesn't quite fit societal norms, a hint of romance, and engaging mystery. This series takes it up a notch and adds eccentricity in its characters and storyline, throws in some hints that a sibling is a werewolf, and tops it off with great humour that is engaging and delightful.
Beatrice is a wonderful character - a young woman finding her way in the world, now living in London and having to lead a bit of a double life: one of a young debutante 'seeking' a husband (to make her mother's dreams come true) and also as a private investigator, now in partnership with Inspector Drake. The world's collide when Beatrice and Drake are tasked with solving a murder that took place amongst an elite social circle in London.
As they begin to investigate, Beatrice has to deal with the ongoing pressure from her mother, the misogyny of the older men in the society group, another murder, and the attentions of one Sir Huxley.
From start to end, this book kept my attention, had me laughing, and trying to figure out whodunnit alongside Beatrice and Drake. A very satisfying conclusion that also sets up for more books in the series. I will happily be reading the third book.
Thanks so much to Random House for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
This series has the elements I love in mystery books: historical, strong female lead character who doesn't quite fit societal norms, a hint of romance, and engaging mystery. This series takes it up a notch and adds eccentricity in its characters and storyline, throws in some hints that a sibling is a werewolf, and tops it off with great humour that is engaging and delightful.
Beatrice is a wonderful character - a young woman finding her way in the world, now living in London and having to lead a bit of a double life: one of a young debutante 'seeking' a husband (to make her mother's dreams come true) and also as a private investigator, now in partnership with Inspector Drake. The world's collide when Beatrice and Drake are tasked with solving a murder that took place amongst an elite social circle in London.
As they begin to investigate, Beatrice has to deal with the ongoing pressure from her mother, the misogyny of the older men in the society group, another murder, and the attentions of one Sir Huxley.
From start to end, this book kept my attention, had me laughing, and trying to figure out whodunnit alongside Beatrice and Drake. A very satisfying conclusion that also sets up for more books in the series. I will happily be reading the third book.
Thanks so much to Random House for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
Reading this book reminded me of the movie Pleasantville, starring Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire. As I love that movie, it is definitely a compliment!
This is a lovely story about finding oneself after feeling so lost, metaphorically and then, to get into the town, literally. Eloraton is a fictional town of the book series beloved by Eileen, a book series that has provided comfort, joy, and perhaps even escape from the real world over the years. It also ends up being the place where Eileen (Elsy) can find herself again after a miserable couple of years of feeling directionless.
The cast of characters (in a very meta way) are engaging and also perhaps feeling a bit lost, too, as the author of the book passed away prior to writing what was expected to be the concluding book of the series.
Also lost, in many ways, is Anderson, who was not a character in the books. Finding out who he is and why he is in Eloraton is heartbreaking as he is on his own journey but is perhaps also scared of moving forward.
The ending is heartwrenching but beautiful. I enjoined how Elsy found herself, found her direction, and then pursued it, regardless of whether Anders was going to be with her or not. She was no longer going to hold herself back. of course, the HEA was beautiful and really emphasized that Elsy's and Anders's relationship represented new chapters (pun intended) for both of them.
Ashley Poston is fantastic at writing magical realism and this book is no exception.
Thanks to Berkley for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
This is a lovely story about finding oneself after feeling so lost, metaphorically and then, to get into the town, literally. Eloraton is a fictional town of the book series beloved by Eileen, a book series that has provided comfort, joy, and perhaps even escape from the real world over the years. It also ends up being the place where Eileen (Elsy) can find herself again after a miserable couple of years of feeling directionless.
The cast of characters (in a very meta way) are engaging and also perhaps feeling a bit lost, too, as the author of the book passed away prior to writing what was expected to be the concluding book of the series.
Also lost, in many ways, is Anderson, who was not a character in the books. Finding out who he is and why he is in Eloraton is heartbreaking as he is on his own journey but is perhaps also scared of moving forward.
The ending is heartwrenching but beautiful. I enjoined how Elsy found herself, found her direction, and then pursued it, regardless of whether Anders was going to be with her or not. She was no longer going to hold herself back. of course, the HEA was beautiful and really emphasized that Elsy's and Anders's relationship represented new chapters (pun intended) for both of them.
Ashley Poston is fantastic at writing magical realism and this book is no exception.
Thanks to Berkley for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A delightful cozy read!
This book is like if the Great British Bake-off met Kimberly Lemming's Mead Mishaps world, but with a lot more baking and a lot less spiciness.
It reads as a new adult book, with the FMC, Arleta, a human in her early 20s, on a journey to really find herself, her confidence, her path in life, and love.
The main characters we spend time with in the book - Arleta, the Orcs who are her surrogate dads, Theo, Doli, and Jez, make for a wonderful group of friends and over the course of the book, found family.
The book does touch on some heavier subjects, including racism (or would it be specism?) as Arleta, as a non-magical human, is often looked down upon as compared to all the other magical species around her. While we don't necessarily see the perpetrators of discrimination brought to justice, we do see how it affects Arleta.
As the first book in the series, I will keep reading. It makes for a calming read on a rainy day. If only I had Doli's ability to make tea on the spot...
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
This book is like if the Great British Bake-off met Kimberly Lemming's Mead Mishaps world, but with a lot more baking and a lot less spiciness.
It reads as a new adult book, with the FMC, Arleta, a human in her early 20s, on a journey to really find herself, her confidence, her path in life, and love.
The main characters we spend time with in the book - Arleta, the Orcs who are her surrogate dads, Theo, Doli, and Jez, make for a wonderful group of friends and over the course of the book, found family.
The book does touch on some heavier subjects, including racism (or would it be specism?) as Arleta, as a non-magical human, is often looked down upon as compared to all the other magical species around her. While we don't necessarily see the perpetrators of discrimination brought to justice, we do see how it affects Arleta.
As the first book in the series, I will keep reading. It makes for a calming read on a rainy day. If only I had Doli's ability to make tea on the spot...
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
Thanks to Forever for an eARC; all opinions are my own.
I really wanted to like this book but I just... didn't. I felt like Max wanted Delia to fail and then when she didn't, he was all "I will save you." he lied to her about who he was, led her on and then expected her to trust him (which he did) and it just didn't do it for me. He just seemed like not a great guy.
I really wanted to like this book but I just... didn't. I felt like Max wanted Delia to fail and then when she didn't, he was all "I will save you." he lied to her about who he was, led her on and then expected her to trust him (which he did) and it just didn't do it for me. He just seemed like not a great guy.
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Thanks to the author for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
I would seriously love to know how Lynn Ora up with the ideas for the books in this series, and the companion Verity Lark series, because they are so interesting and creative and detailed and I love it all.
In this one, Beatrice is getting ready to remove to the country estate and continues to feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities of running a huge manor, finds out that a friend has gone ahead and issued invitations to a house party at said manor without telling Beatrice, and also needs to investigate, at the behest of London’s notorious criminal mastermind, the murder of her husband’s cousin.
And of course, she must find time to relax in her office of rout cake enjoyment.
In addition to murder, there’s forgeries and theft and so much more.
If you enjoy the Veronica Speedwell series, I highly recommend trying out this series!
I would seriously love to know how Lynn Ora up with the ideas for the books in this series, and the companion Verity Lark series, because they are so interesting and creative and detailed and I love it all.
In this one, Beatrice is getting ready to remove to the country estate and continues to feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities of running a huge manor, finds out that a friend has gone ahead and issued invitations to a house party at said manor without telling Beatrice, and also needs to investigate, at the behest of London’s notorious criminal mastermind, the murder of her husband’s cousin.
And of course, she must find time to relax in her office of rout cake enjoyment.
In addition to murder, there’s forgeries and theft and so much more.
If you enjoy the Veronica Speedwell series, I highly recommend trying out this series!