emlawley's reviews
91 reviews

The Stranger Times by C.K. McDonnell

adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

5.0

I LOVED this book! I was totally hooked after the first few minutes of listening despite it being so off the wall and not at all linear - you just get thrown right into the utterly glorious Stranger Times world. Honestly, it has soared into my top books and, subsequently, series of all time. The narration is truly exceptional too. 

Sweet Briar Rose by Alex Smith

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Troy by Stephen Fry

adventurous emotional funny informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

As ever, I loved Stephen Fry’s writing style, exceptional storytelling (I love the detail he includes along with the humorous elements dotted throughout) and always-wonderful narration. It took me a few months to listen to it all as I dipped in and out due to the detailed/informative and semi-historic nature of the story as I find this style harder to listen to “all in one go”. Also, after reading Clytemnestra and Circe previously it makes reading this male-centred telling of the sacking of Troy more difficult for me to ‘accept’! 

The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I devoured this book in two days! After not enjoying the last book of Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series I didn’t have high hopes, but I was very much proved wrong! I love the way he writes characters, and this bunch was central to my enjoyment of the story. I also really liked the fact I didn’t guess who was guilty until the very end. A thoroughly enjoyable listen! 

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was a really interesting book. It’s not the usual genre I would choose, fantasy, but I really enjoyed the story and was intrigued by what was happening to June. I found the story quite sad and heart-wrenching in places and didn’t love the ending as it left things feeling a bit unresolved. I also found some of the descriptions of the various timelines and time travel elements a bit confusing at times which detracted from my enjoyment of the story. 

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is the first novel by Christina Lauren that I’ve read and I really enjoyed it! The depth of the characters and the character progression really surprised me as it’s not a given in novels of this genre and it added to how much I enjoyed it. Just sexy enough for me without being too graphic, OTT or dismissive of women’s pleasure. 

Hatchet Hill by David J. Gatward

dark mysterious tense 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? No

4.5

This was Gatward back at his best! I loved the vulnerability Gordy showed again in this book and learning more about her again. I couldn’t wait to find out what had happened and enjoyed how the investigation unfolded. Unlike some of Gatward’s other books where I’ve been able to guess the culprit, I wasn’t able to this time which is a big bonus for me. 

The Black Loch by Peter May

mysterious reflective sad medium-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

2.0

After loving the Lewis Trilogy I was excited that a fourth book was added to the series. Sadly I was left disappointed - while I enjoyed some of the flash backs to Finn’s childhood as it explained some of the previous plot points, I found the story quite slow-moving and I didn’t like any of the characters. I had to really “push through” to finish the book. Overall, a bit disappointing.