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fazila's reviews
307 reviews
One Little Secret by Cate Holahan
3.0
FBRC REVIEW :
I received an ARC( advance review copy) of this book for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.
The story of 3 couples who happen to be neighbors decides to take a break from their busy lives and plan a small summertime vacation at a rental beach house in Hamptons. These couples all have their own secrets and if any of it comes out their entire lives would unravel in front of them. They are well-do families whose expensive vacation costs them more than their money. The story was intriguing and definitely fast-paced with multiple POVs shedding light on the inner workings of the female character's minds. These women are focused, protective and goal-oriented and stand out individually. The story pulls in with a very intriguing prologue that starts off with a bang.
This is a typical whodunnit story that is executed very well and the mystery/suspense element is carried out beautifully till the very end. The readers will hang on to the storyline with twists and storylines that will make you question as to who is innocent. There is domestic violence, infidelity, murder and so much more that will make you want to continue reading it. This book could have been an easy 4 stars for me but the way Mariel's story ended was not satisfactory to me personally. I felt that she should have gotten justice for what happened to her. Which is why I am giving it 3.75 stars.
Gabby Watkins is a wife, mother and a detective who got recently promoted to be a Sergeant. She is career-focused but does her other roles equally well. She is pulled to investigate a possible date-rape case that leads her with more questions and uncertainty than answers. She gets called onto a murder scene at the beach jetty where a woman is seen to be drowned to death. There are signs of struggle and fight. The woman is discovered by her neighbors who were vacationing with the victim's family. The couples at the house are taken into the police station and upon questioning Gabby finds out that there are secrets that each couple has that could make each of them suspects.
Gabby's family story and the cases tie together making it even more interesting to follow the story. There are links between each event in the book that will tie together the whole story making it impossible to figure out who the murderer is.
Each couple in the book has their own secrets and problems they hide to keep the front of a perfect happy family. They don't trust one another, nor do they like each other that much. For the sake of politeness and society standards, they play nice until one of them decides to put some problems and spill some secrets out in the open. What should have been a fun, get to know one another and possibly a start of new-friendships becomes shrouded in darkness, filled-with jealousy and revelation of secrets that leads to cold-blooded murder.
All the female POVs are interesting and fascinating as it gives us a glimpse into their minds and why they did what they did. They are the picture of composed, beautiful, strong-willed women but at the same time, their insecurities and fears come into a full-blown existence that makes situations between the couples unpredictable and explosive.
I enjoyed the story and the characters very much. My only problem was with the Marie storyline. Other than that this book is definitely a fast-paced, quick fun read with the suspense keeping you glued to it till the end. I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the whodunnit trope.
I received an ARC( advance review copy) of this book for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.
The story of 3 couples who happen to be neighbors decides to take a break from their busy lives and plan a small summertime vacation at a rental beach house in Hamptons. These couples all have their own secrets and if any of it comes out their entire lives would unravel in front of them. They are well-do families whose expensive vacation costs them more than their money. The story was intriguing and definitely fast-paced with multiple POVs shedding light on the inner workings of the female character's minds. These women are focused, protective and goal-oriented and stand out individually. The story pulls in with a very intriguing prologue that starts off with a bang.
This is a typical whodunnit story that is executed very well and the mystery/suspense element is carried out beautifully till the very end. The readers will hang on to the storyline with twists and storylines that will make you question as to who is innocent. There is domestic violence, infidelity, murder and so much more that will make you want to continue reading it. This book could have been an easy 4 stars for me but the way Mariel's story ended was not satisfactory to me personally. I felt that she should have gotten justice for what happened to her. Which is why I am giving it 3.75 stars.
Gabby Watkins is a wife, mother and a detective who got recently promoted to be a Sergeant. She is career-focused but does her other roles equally well. She is pulled to investigate a possible date-rape case that leads her with more questions and uncertainty than answers. She gets called onto a murder scene at the beach jetty where a woman is seen to be drowned to death. There are signs of struggle and fight. The woman is discovered by her neighbors who were vacationing with the victim's family. The couples at the house are taken into the police station and upon questioning Gabby finds out that there are secrets that each couple has that could make each of them suspects.
Gabby's family story and the cases tie together making it even more interesting to follow the story. There are links between each event in the book that will tie together the whole story making it impossible to figure out who the murderer is.
Each couple in the book has their own secrets and problems they hide to keep the front of a perfect happy family. They don't trust one another, nor do they like each other that much. For the sake of politeness and society standards, they play nice until one of them decides to put some problems and spill some secrets out in the open. What should have been a fun, get to know one another and possibly a start of new-friendships becomes shrouded in darkness, filled-with jealousy and revelation of secrets that leads to cold-blooded murder.
All the female POVs are interesting and fascinating as it gives us a glimpse into their minds and why they did what they did. They are the picture of composed, beautiful, strong-willed women but at the same time, their insecurities and fears come into a full-blown existence that makes situations between the couples unpredictable and explosive.
I enjoyed the story and the characters very much. My only problem was with the Marie storyline. Other than that this book is definitely a fast-paced, quick fun read with the suspense keeping you glued to it till the end. I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the whodunnit trope.
Seven Letters by J. P. Monninger
4.0
FBRC REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for proving me with an ARC of this book. I received an advanced review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story of Ozzie and Kate is a beautiful, poignant tale of two people who fall too hard too fast in love and finding out for themselves that they are at odds with one another when reality intrudes on them. Their story is of love, passion, hope, forgiveness, and mercy. The story is set mostly in Ireland with the sea and the Islands giving it a romantic atmosphere and evoking warm feelings while reading the book. The setting and the story with an interesting group of characters makes the story move forward at a good pace.
I loved this book. I loved the pacing of it and the way the characters were portrayed. Kate appeared to me as a really smart woman who is passionate about her research and a strong desire to find out and learn more about her Irish roots. She is determined, passionate and seems to have a good head on her shoulders. When it comes to Ozzie she is either fully in or fully out in almost every situation. She is confused and indecisive of her feelings. We see her struggle with her physical attraction to Ozzie and how she doesn't want to be a fling and someone unforgettable. Their relationship was doomed from the beginning in my opinion. I liked how they bickered with one another, they had good interactions, similar passion, and love for Ireland and The Islands. They bonded over these but failed to build a strong foundation before they dived ahead into their relationship. They relied on their lust and physical part of their relationship to help them through their journey. They find that while Ozzie is in love with Kate, he cannot be the kind of husband Kate wants unless he can get rid of his demons that haunted him from his Army days.
Ozzie is wild, has sea inside of him that leaves him restless if he is too much on the land. He is chases danger, loves adventure, is rough around the edges, outdoorsy and, too much of a sea-man. He is set in his ways, drinks too much, and fights demons that no one knows about. His lack of direction, stability, and need for some sense of a family setting upsets Kate and she decides to take a break from him. The break doesn't quite the uncertainty but leaves more questions than answers for her predicament. Eventually, they separate and decide to move on with their separate lives.
Living apart is not what Kate envisioned and things get complicated real fast. News of Ozzie getting lost in the sea off the coast of Italy comes as a shock to her. He was involved in rescuing people from war and other difficult life circumstances and dropping them off to Italy. Kate finds out about a lot of Ozzie's work and his kindness after he is believed to be dead. She goes on a journey to trace the paths Ozzie might have traversed hoping to find some closure. She regrets being separated from him and becomes more and more confused about her feelings for Ozzie.
The story is set for the better part in Ireland. The way the author sets the plot is really amazing and beautiful. The way Ireland and the Island are described in so much detail and vivid imagery that it will transport you to that place. The picturesque quality of her writing and the atmospheric setting of Ireland is the perfect backdrop for Ozzie and Kate and their love. The story weaves a poignant tale of two young souls who found each other too fast and too soon that they failed to establish a sturdy foundation for their love to flourish and grow. The yurt, the cottage, the cabin and every other detail that made this story and it's setting so beautiful and almost haunting in its nature gives you all the feels and warm fuzzy emotions. I loved this book and I rated it 4 stars.
The book overall will give you a romantic story set in Ireland with vivid imagery and history that will make you want to fly to Ireland. Definitely check this book out. Let me know in the comment section the books that made you want to go to the places the stories were set in. Happy Reading!!!
DISCLAIMER : Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for proving me with an ARC of this book. I received an advanced review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story of Ozzie and Kate is a beautiful, poignant tale of two people who fall too hard too fast in love and finding out for themselves that they are at odds with one another when reality intrudes on them. Their story is of love, passion, hope, forgiveness, and mercy. The story is set mostly in Ireland with the sea and the Islands giving it a romantic atmosphere and evoking warm feelings while reading the book. The setting and the story with an interesting group of characters makes the story move forward at a good pace.
I loved this book. I loved the pacing of it and the way the characters were portrayed. Kate appeared to me as a really smart woman who is passionate about her research and a strong desire to find out and learn more about her Irish roots. She is determined, passionate and seems to have a good head on her shoulders. When it comes to Ozzie she is either fully in or fully out in almost every situation. She is confused and indecisive of her feelings. We see her struggle with her physical attraction to Ozzie and how she doesn't want to be a fling and someone unforgettable. Their relationship was doomed from the beginning in my opinion. I liked how they bickered with one another, they had good interactions, similar passion, and love for Ireland and The Islands. They bonded over these but failed to build a strong foundation before they dived ahead into their relationship. They relied on their lust and physical part of their relationship to help them through their journey. They find that while Ozzie is in love with Kate, he cannot be the kind of husband Kate wants unless he can get rid of his demons that haunted him from his Army days.
Ozzie is wild, has sea inside of him that leaves him restless if he is too much on the land. He is chases danger, loves adventure, is rough around the edges, outdoorsy and, too much of a sea-man. He is set in his ways, drinks too much, and fights demons that no one knows about. His lack of direction, stability, and need for some sense of a family setting upsets Kate and she decides to take a break from him. The break doesn't quite the uncertainty but leaves more questions than answers for her predicament. Eventually, they separate and decide to move on with their separate lives.
Living apart is not what Kate envisioned and things get complicated real fast. News of Ozzie getting lost in the sea off the coast of Italy comes as a shock to her. He was involved in rescuing people from war and other difficult life circumstances and dropping them off to Italy. Kate finds out about a lot of Ozzie's work and his kindness after he is believed to be dead. She goes on a journey to trace the paths Ozzie might have traversed hoping to find some closure. She regrets being separated from him and becomes more and more confused about her feelings for Ozzie.
The story is set for the better part in Ireland. The way the author sets the plot is really amazing and beautiful. The way Ireland and the Island are described in so much detail and vivid imagery that it will transport you to that place. The picturesque quality of her writing and the atmospheric setting of Ireland is the perfect backdrop for Ozzie and Kate and their love. The story weaves a poignant tale of two young souls who found each other too fast and too soon that they failed to establish a sturdy foundation for their love to flourish and grow. The yurt, the cottage, the cabin and every other detail that made this story and it's setting so beautiful and almost haunting in its nature gives you all the feels and warm fuzzy emotions. I loved this book and I rated it 4 stars.
The book overall will give you a romantic story set in Ireland with vivid imagery and history that will make you want to fly to Ireland. Definitely check this book out. Let me know in the comment section the books that made you want to go to the places the stories were set in. Happy Reading!!!
The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe
4.0
DISCLAIMER : Thank you Netgalley and Udon Entertainment for providing me with the arc of this book. I received a review copy for free from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
FBRC REVIEW :
This is another one of the Classic that I have yet to read in its original format. I have been wanting to but was intimidated by the prospect of it, so I put it off. Here I am reading the Manga version of it before the original work because I am thinking it will be easier to read and if I like it then I might pick the book later on. This book definitely has the creepy, horror and macabre vibes spot on. I liked the short stories individually and I have some favorites from it as well. The chances of me reading the original book is definitely a priority as with the other classics I need to get to.
The stories were dark, creepy, terror-inducing and had the gothic setting making the readers feel eerie and creeped out at the same time. I feel the need to check out the colored version as I am only getting the arcs that are black and white. I believe the effect of the colored ones would be even more amazing. I enjoyed the stories and the way it's written to bring forward feelings in the reader is fascinating. The stories were very well done with the pictures and scenes helping us follow the story. The gothic aspect and the dark, eery vibe stays and has a bigger presence in the stories.
My favorite of these would be The tell-tale heart, The Raven and The Masque of red death. I loved the other two as well. The stories are going to be staying in my mind for a long time and I am sure the madness, the frenzy and paranoia of these characters with the imagery is a great way of giving a lasting impression to the readers. I absolutely loved the haunting, sometimes, supernatural aspect to the stories. I adore the trivia gems that part of this brilliant book and it is always one of the things I look forward to in these editions. I am giving this book 4.5 stars as well with the chances of getting it bumped to 5 stars after I read the original. I highly recommend checking the classic edition of Manga if you are a fan of the manga format and have a love for the classics stories. Definitely check them out.
The full review will be on my blog.
FULL REVIEW
FBRC REVIEW :
This is another one of the Classic that I have yet to read in its original format. I have been wanting to but was intimidated by the prospect of it, so I put it off. Here I am reading the Manga version of it before the original work because I am thinking it will be easier to read and if I like it then I might pick the book later on. This book definitely has the creepy, horror and macabre vibes spot on. I liked the short stories individually and I have some favorites from it as well. The chances of me reading the original book is definitely a priority as with the other classics I need to get to.
The stories were dark, creepy, terror-inducing and had the gothic setting making the readers feel eerie and creeped out at the same time. I feel the need to check out the colored version as I am only getting the arcs that are black and white. I believe the effect of the colored ones would be even more amazing. I enjoyed the stories and the way it's written to bring forward feelings in the reader is fascinating. The stories were very well done with the pictures and scenes helping us follow the story. The gothic aspect and the dark, eery vibe stays and has a bigger presence in the stories.
My favorite of these would be The tell-tale heart, The Raven and The Masque of red death. I loved the other two as well. The stories are going to be staying in my mind for a long time and I am sure the madness, the frenzy and paranoia of these characters with the imagery is a great way of giving a lasting impression to the readers. I absolutely loved the haunting, sometimes, supernatural aspect to the stories. I adore the trivia gems that part of this brilliant book and it is always one of the things I look forward to in these editions. I am giving this book 4.5 stars as well with the chances of getting it bumped to 5 stars after I read the original. I highly recommend checking the classic edition of Manga if you are a fan of the manga format and have a love for the classics stories. Definitely check them out.
The full review will be on my blog.
FULL REVIEW
Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan
4.0
FULL REVIEW
FBRC REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press and Macmillan USA and Wednesday Books for providing me with the arc of this book. I received a review copy for free from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I was really excited to read this book and wanted to waste no time diving deep into Kalyazin and Tranavia. I have to say that this was a slower read for me than Wicked Saints. There was a lot of shifting taking place within the characters and their dynamics. The book is filled with body horror and for some weird reason, it didn't necessarily faze me as much as I thought I would be. I guess Emily did tone it down for the YA audience. I think the gore, the horrors could have been better if it wasn't for YA. A lot of questions lingering around events from Wicked Saints needed answers and I felt I had to wait a long time to even get to the surface of it. The new set of powers and the power structure is bound to bring in more chaos and horror that will destroy their nations despite their effort to keep the peace. Malachiasz and Serefin and their band of misfits were just as entertaining as usual. I believe more backstory for the Gods, the Saints, and other clerics would have been a great addition. The snippets about various Saints and clerics were definitely informative, but I think it would have been amazing if we had more information about the Pantheon and their backstory.
I gave the book 4.75 stars. The reason this book is not 5 stars is that I wanted more chaos and overall horror to keep up, but I didn't feel the terror the author wanted to evoke in the readers. This book is definitely more gory, grotesque and morbid than Wicked Saints. I have to say it was very much enjoyable, though a slower read than Wicked Saints. I definitely recommend it and I would consider it a great book in the series. My favorite of the two is still Wicked Saints and I can't wait to read the next book and I am really excited to know how the whole chaos and war will end.
FBRC REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press and Macmillan USA and Wednesday Books for providing me with the arc of this book. I received a review copy for free from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I was really excited to read this book and wanted to waste no time diving deep into Kalyazin and Tranavia. I have to say that this was a slower read for me than Wicked Saints. There was a lot of shifting taking place within the characters and their dynamics. The book is filled with body horror and for some weird reason, it didn't necessarily faze me as much as I thought I would be. I guess Emily did tone it down for the YA audience. I think the gore, the horrors could have been better if it wasn't for YA. A lot of questions lingering around events from Wicked Saints needed answers and I felt I had to wait a long time to even get to the surface of it. The new set of powers and the power structure is bound to bring in more chaos and horror that will destroy their nations despite their effort to keep the peace. Malachiasz and Serefin and their band of misfits were just as entertaining as usual. I believe more backstory for the Gods, the Saints, and other clerics would have been a great addition. The snippets about various Saints and clerics were definitely informative, but I think it would have been amazing if we had more information about the Pantheon and their backstory.
I gave the book 4.75 stars. The reason this book is not 5 stars is that I wanted more chaos and overall horror to keep up, but I didn't feel the terror the author wanted to evoke in the readers. This book is definitely more gory, grotesque and morbid than Wicked Saints. I have to say it was very much enjoyable, though a slower read than Wicked Saints. I definitely recommend it and I would consider it a great book in the series. My favorite of the two is still Wicked Saints and I can't wait to read the next book and I am really excited to know how the whole chaos and war will end.
Frankly in Love by David Yoon
5.0
FULL REVIEW
I heard so many good things about this book and so I decided to check it out and see what the hype was about. I absolutely loved the book and was relatable in so many ways. The story of Frank Li is something that will make you think. Even though the book is classified as YA romance it discusses some serious topics that will eventually lead to bigger conversation and discussion. The topics of race, cultural baggage, arranged marriage concept all are woven into the story effortlessly and make it even more engaging. I am not a huge fan of Frank Li and some of the decisions he made, but I still loved him for his awkwardness and nerdiness. I really liked his friendship with Q and how they interacted with one another. They were just the cutest duo. The characters and their interactions were all great. I loved how the cultural nuances in the book and the expectations of older generations from the younger generations brought in scenarios that as an Indian I could relate to. I understood where his parents were coming from and their thought process was not one of malice but of ignorance. Joy and Frank's relationship was interesting to watch as it progressed. The adorable romance, humor and nerd talk all just elevated the story and made it very enjoyable.
Overall the book was a great read. It was simple, cute and just adorable. It was 5 star read for me and I glad I picked it up. I am curious to see what the second book will be about and who will be in it. I definitely recommend checking it out, it is an adorable YA romance that also sheds light on some serious issues that lie within some communities.
I heard so many good things about this book and so I decided to check it out and see what the hype was about. I absolutely loved the book and was relatable in so many ways. The story of Frank Li is something that will make you think. Even though the book is classified as YA romance it discusses some serious topics that will eventually lead to bigger conversation and discussion. The topics of race, cultural baggage, arranged marriage concept all are woven into the story effortlessly and make it even more engaging. I am not a huge fan of Frank Li and some of the decisions he made, but I still loved him for his awkwardness and nerdiness. I really liked his friendship with Q and how they interacted with one another. They were just the cutest duo. The characters and their interactions were all great. I loved how the cultural nuances in the book and the expectations of older generations from the younger generations brought in scenarios that as an Indian I could relate to. I understood where his parents were coming from and their thought process was not one of malice but of ignorance. Joy and Frank's relationship was interesting to watch as it progressed. The adorable romance, humor and nerd talk all just elevated the story and made it very enjoyable.
Overall the book was a great read. It was simple, cute and just adorable. It was 5 star read for me and I glad I picked it up. I am curious to see what the second book will be about and who will be in it. I definitely recommend checking it out, it is an adorable YA romance that also sheds light on some serious issues that lie within some communities.
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
3.0
FULL REVIEW
Serpent & Dove was all I could see for a while almost everywhere on the internet. The book was fun to read, not so believable at times. I liked the story but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. I love the cover and found it be really stunning, the blurb also drew me in. The idea of a witch hunter and witch in an arranged marriage, the possibility of a hate-to-love trope all appealed to me. I am not sure entirely what the problem was with the book and why I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought. Reid and Lou seemed to be a recipe for disaster and their interactions were fun to read. I would have loved to see more of the witches, their story and history in the book rather than the abrupt explanation we got towards the ending of the book. Lack of knowledge about the different kinds of witches and their inner workings was evident in Reid's behavior. The idea of hating something without having enough evidence or knowledge about it is very clear in this book. The fact that they were the organization meant to eradicate the witches but have no idea of the presence of the two kinds of witches but have heard of the head of the covens seemed a little bizarre. I think there is potential for the book to pick up from the ending and develop more of the magic system and give us some clarity to the events. Overall the book was long and a bit slow and I expected more of magic, action, drama and adventure and some cool world-building as well. So I can understand where the book failed me. But I still think it can be picked up.
I felt the main focus was on the romance and hence the magic system and the world-building took a back seat to it. I can see the possibility of a great story and hopefully we will get a more adventurous and action-packed book to follow up on this one.
I gave it 3.5 stars. If you love romantic fantasy that has a marriage-of-convenience, hater-to-lovers trope set in a fantasy world then this book is for you. I recommend checking it out and seeing if this is something you will be interested in.
Serpent & Dove was all I could see for a while almost everywhere on the internet. The book was fun to read, not so believable at times. I liked the story but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. I love the cover and found it be really stunning, the blurb also drew me in. The idea of a witch hunter and witch in an arranged marriage, the possibility of a hate-to-love trope all appealed to me. I am not sure entirely what the problem was with the book and why I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought. Reid and Lou seemed to be a recipe for disaster and their interactions were fun to read. I would have loved to see more of the witches, their story and history in the book rather than the abrupt explanation we got towards the ending of the book. Lack of knowledge about the different kinds of witches and their inner workings was evident in Reid's behavior. The idea of hating something without having enough evidence or knowledge about it is very clear in this book. The fact that they were the organization meant to eradicate the witches but have no idea of the presence of the two kinds of witches but have heard of the head of the covens seemed a little bizarre. I think there is potential for the book to pick up from the ending and develop more of the magic system and give us some clarity to the events. Overall the book was long and a bit slow and I expected more of magic, action, drama and adventure and some cool world-building as well. So I can understand where the book failed me. But I still think it can be picked up.
I felt the main focus was on the romance and hence the magic system and the world-building took a back seat to it. I can see the possibility of a great story and hopefully we will get a more adventurous and action-packed book to follow up on this one.
I gave it 3.5 stars. If you love romantic fantasy that has a marriage-of-convenience, hater-to-lovers trope set in a fantasy world then this book is for you. I recommend checking it out and seeing if this is something you will be interested in.
Unverified by Kristin Giese
4.0
FBRC REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : I received an ARC( advance review copy) of this book for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.
Unverified is a story for all those who enjoy social media and keenly follow the influencers. I enjoyed this book and finished it in a day. I loved everything about the plot and the idea of social media stardom is what made me want to check this book out. The book is about Matt and Margo who are brought together by their unusual circumstances in life. The story is about the two of them trying to figure out the solutions to their problems together. The story has fake-dating trope and roommates to lovers trope combined with the social media influencer world. Overall I believe the story has the perfect recipe for Turkish Drama Series.
Matt is a fun-loving, party-boy with zero care for money or responsibilities. He is arrogant, entitled and rich. He is a trust-fund baby who blows through his cash carelessly on parties, alcohol, and women. Matt is given an ultimatum by his dad Brooks Milles Lade to clean up his act and, take up responsibilities. His trust fund is frozen by his dad and only a small amount is transferred monthly to his account. Everything Matt depended on is taken away from him and we get to witness the difficulties Matt faces as a result of his financial situation. Matt's friends have all made a name for themselves. His best friend has a successful business empire that makes Matt feel like he is living in the shadow of people around him. Matt is also asked to move out from his home due to the misunderstanding between Brook's trophy-wife candidate Tiffany. Tiffany is an opportunist of the highest order and is vengeful and deceitful. Most interactions between Matt and Tiffany are explosive with Matt having to face problems because of them. Matt's hunt for a house leads him to Margo Melon.
Margo is the kind of girl I could relate a lot with. She was successful in school and college. She was the one for whom life was straight forward. She studies hard, got great grades. Theoretically, in the real world, she should have great success, but she failed. Her unwillingness to take risks left her playing safe and waiting for opportunities to knock on her door. For her life is not simple and she is hoping things would get better. So far she reminded me of myself. She is sure of herself and thinks she needs to only work in her chosen field as an editor. Her stubbornness to not look at other options leaves her jobless and staying at home in her mid-twenties. She feels frustrated and devastated by her lack of profession and her inability to find success in any endeavor. She is rude and jealous of her sister Kirby.
Kirby is Margo's sister who made a name for herself by developing her business with her partner at a young age. Kirby is a college dropout who has garnered attention and respect in the business and home life with her work. Kirby is kind and considerate and offers Margo a job at her company. Margo decides to take on the position with full fervor and works hard to provide success at the firm. Margo decides to stand on her own two feet with a small help from her sister. Her search for a house leads to Matt.
Matt and Margo's meeting is coincidental. They get misunderstood for a couple and decides to play the role to get the house. One lie after the other, the story spirals out of their control. Their life changes for the better in some aspects and for worse in some others. Their lies of being a social media (Instagram-knockoff) influencer backfire when their profile meant to trick the owner of the house gets verified and catapulted to overnight fame and success. Their chemistry was amazing throughout the book and the banter adding to their effortless and easy friendship. The book is an easy read with lots of humor and fun scenes that will make us want to be part of it. The story is an amazing rom-com with a great group of characters that can be easily made into a TV series.
MY THOUGHTS :
I loved the book and am waiting eagerly for a second book. I have no idea if there will be a second book, but the ending kind of made me hopeful about it. I will be immensely disappointed if there wasn't a sequel to this book.
The writing in this book is a bit difficult to follow at first as the storyline and the back story of characters kept going back and forth. The book I believe is more apt for TV than a novel, but still highly entertaining and enjoyable.
The book was primarily written for TV but didn't get picked up. So I guess that is one of the reasons why it felt similar to TV series for me. I have been obsessed with a few for the past month and binge-watching some of them. Almost every aspect and trope of this book reminded me of some of my favorite Turkish TV Series that I have seen. If you are a fan of these shows I recommend checking Unverified out. You will absolutely enjoy it. The chemistry between Matt and Margo reminded me of Erkenci Kuş. A couple of characters and their craziness also reminded me of the eccentricity seen in the series. The fake dating trope can also be seen in Erkenci Kuş and Dolunay as well. The sharing of the apartment, roommates to lovers trope is seen in Her Yerde Sen. I believe this book is for everyone who will love the simplicity of the romance and the effortless chemistry shown by the characters. I think you will absolutely enjoy Unverified if you love the above-mentioned TV series. Do check the book out and the series as well. I am certain you will love it as much as I did.
DISCLAIMER : I received an ARC( advance review copy) of this book for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.
Unverified is a story for all those who enjoy social media and keenly follow the influencers. I enjoyed this book and finished it in a day. I loved everything about the plot and the idea of social media stardom is what made me want to check this book out. The book is about Matt and Margo who are brought together by their unusual circumstances in life. The story is about the two of them trying to figure out the solutions to their problems together. The story has fake-dating trope and roommates to lovers trope combined with the social media influencer world. Overall I believe the story has the perfect recipe for Turkish Drama Series.
Matt is a fun-loving, party-boy with zero care for money or responsibilities. He is arrogant, entitled and rich. He is a trust-fund baby who blows through his cash carelessly on parties, alcohol, and women. Matt is given an ultimatum by his dad Brooks Milles Lade to clean up his act and, take up responsibilities. His trust fund is frozen by his dad and only a small amount is transferred monthly to his account. Everything Matt depended on is taken away from him and we get to witness the difficulties Matt faces as a result of his financial situation. Matt's friends have all made a name for themselves. His best friend has a successful business empire that makes Matt feel like he is living in the shadow of people around him. Matt is also asked to move out from his home due to the misunderstanding between Brook's trophy-wife candidate Tiffany. Tiffany is an opportunist of the highest order and is vengeful and deceitful. Most interactions between Matt and Tiffany are explosive with Matt having to face problems because of them. Matt's hunt for a house leads him to Margo Melon.
Margo is the kind of girl I could relate a lot with. She was successful in school and college. She was the one for whom life was straight forward. She studies hard, got great grades. Theoretically, in the real world, she should have great success, but she failed. Her unwillingness to take risks left her playing safe and waiting for opportunities to knock on her door. For her life is not simple and she is hoping things would get better. So far she reminded me of myself. She is sure of herself and thinks she needs to only work in her chosen field as an editor. Her stubbornness to not look at other options leaves her jobless and staying at home in her mid-twenties. She feels frustrated and devastated by her lack of profession and her inability to find success in any endeavor. She is rude and jealous of her sister Kirby.
Kirby is Margo's sister who made a name for herself by developing her business with her partner at a young age. Kirby is a college dropout who has garnered attention and respect in the business and home life with her work. Kirby is kind and considerate and offers Margo a job at her company. Margo decides to take on the position with full fervor and works hard to provide success at the firm. Margo decides to stand on her own two feet with a small help from her sister. Her search for a house leads to Matt.
Matt and Margo's meeting is coincidental. They get misunderstood for a couple and decides to play the role to get the house. One lie after the other, the story spirals out of their control. Their life changes for the better in some aspects and for worse in some others. Their lies of being a social media (Instagram-knockoff) influencer backfire when their profile meant to trick the owner of the house gets verified and catapulted to overnight fame and success. Their chemistry was amazing throughout the book and the banter adding to their effortless and easy friendship. The book is an easy read with lots of humor and fun scenes that will make us want to be part of it. The story is an amazing rom-com with a great group of characters that can be easily made into a TV series.
MY THOUGHTS :
I loved the book and am waiting eagerly for a second book. I have no idea if there will be a second book, but the ending kind of made me hopeful about it. I will be immensely disappointed if there wasn't a sequel to this book.
The writing in this book is a bit difficult to follow at first as the storyline and the back story of characters kept going back and forth. The book I believe is more apt for TV than a novel, but still highly entertaining and enjoyable.
The book was primarily written for TV but didn't get picked up. So I guess that is one of the reasons why it felt similar to TV series for me. I have been obsessed with a few for the past month and binge-watching some of them. Almost every aspect and trope of this book reminded me of some of my favorite Turkish TV Series that I have seen. If you are a fan of these shows I recommend checking Unverified out. You will absolutely enjoy it. The chemistry between Matt and Margo reminded me of Erkenci Kuş. A couple of characters and their craziness also reminded me of the eccentricity seen in the series. The fake dating trope can also be seen in Erkenci Kuş and Dolunay as well. The sharing of the apartment, roommates to lovers trope is seen in Her Yerde Sen. I believe this book is for everyone who will love the simplicity of the romance and the effortless chemistry shown by the characters. I think you will absolutely enjoy Unverified if you love the above-mentioned TV series. Do check the book out and the series as well. I am certain you will love it as much as I did.
The Killing Fog by Jeff Wheeler
5.0
FBRC REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and 47North for providing me with an ARC of this book.
The Killing Fog by Jeff wheeler is the first book in the Grave Kingdom series. It is a very promising first book and pulled me in from the very beginning. The book is about an orphaned teenager Bingmei who belongs to a school where they are trained to be warriors. They are available for hire by the Kings to complete various missions. Bingmei and her journey are one of exploration, growth, and sacrifice. Will she able to sacrifice herself for the people and do they deserve it? The story was fascinating, engaging, and a definite page-turner with the right pacing and story development. I also loved the glossary and the character details provided in the book as a reference. There were proverbs (Dawanjir) spread out throughout the book that I really loved.
The group is lead by a fierce leader Kunmia. Kunmia is hired by King Budai to collect various artifacts that contain magic. He then comes across a fisherman who found a rare piece of stone that is claimed to be the part of the Summer Palace. They set forth on this journey teaming up with another Quonsuun to find out if the stories of the Summer Palace and its existence is true or not. The team is ambushed by bandits and by following their leader's instructions they get pulled into an unexpected situation. Bingmei unknowingly brings Echion the Emperor of Darkness into existence and therefore dooming their country into destruction, despair, and tyranny.
Bingmei is our central character and we follow her from when is 12 yrs old to her teenage years as a young adult. Her character is brave, smart and special. She is someone who is said to have the winter sickness which is loathed in certain parts of her country whereas welcomed and respected in other neighboring countries. Her pale skin and white hair have always been looked at with contempt and wariness by people. Her parents and her grandfather loved her enough to avoid getting hurt by outsiders. Her training began at a very young age. She was a hard worker who had the passion and dedication to be a warrior. Her character was not that of a perfect girl who is flawed, selfish at times and someone who made her own survival a priority. I loved her character and the role she plays in bringing the story together.
Kunmia is a fierce warrior with the heart of gold. She was a second parent to Bingmei and guided her journey. She is protective, selfless and a great example to follow for her young followers. I loved her and how she was secure and confident in her position as the leader of her Quonsuun. She handled her situations very well and was always humble.
Marenqo, Zhui, and Meishi were great cast as well. They were different and had their voices with interesting traits. The fisherman Quion is also a great supporting character. They all were amazing. Bao Damanhur is the leader of the second Quonsuun. He is arrogant, prideful and a great warrior as well. He is an interesting character and his relationship with Prince Rowen is also fascinating. They are all unique. All these characters and their motivation to be part of the expedition to find the Summer Palace. Their skillset and strengths help them move forward on their journey. The expedition itself was risky to attempt and the outcome was unknown. The greed and need to be in power shifts from some characters to the other character.
Rowen as a character hasn't shown his true nature, he is very good at controlling his emotions and not letting it get the best of him. He is prideful, jealous, and ambitious. He is not what you expect in a prince and yet you can't help their cause because they are all banded together to ward off the enemies. One thing the book has in common is the characters are gray. Morality, right or wrong is something they grapple with. They do understand the severity of situations but have difficulty doing the right thing as well.
Emperor Echion is truly a great villain and the perfect antagonist with powers unknown to the characters and dark magic that rivals the living world. His limitations are unknown and the extent to which he might use magic to gain power is not something we can imagine at this point. He is without mercy, prideful and arrogant. I want to know more about him and how it all connects him to Bingmei.
We see the elements of greed, revenge and the aftermath of these. How the power and the greed for more end up with more people dead. The book is not heavy on gore, it was clean but at the same time had fight sequences, adventures they take us on. I am extremely curious about Bingmei and her special skills. I wasn't a fan of it in the beginning and after the story progressed I was OK with it. I want to know more about their background, history of the place and the connections they have to current events. I wonder how Bingmei will accomplish her task and come out unscathed as well. It is nearly impossible, but I love her determination and motivation to do things. Hopefully, we will get an amazing sequel to this book. I can’t wait to read it and discover more of Echion, Bingmei, and Rowen.
Overall this was a fun and engaging read. I loved it and totally recommend it to all YA fantasy readers. It's unique, well written and amazing...Definitely check it out...
DISCLAIMER : I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and 47North for providing me with an ARC of this book.
The Killing Fog by Jeff wheeler is the first book in the Grave Kingdom series. It is a very promising first book and pulled me in from the very beginning. The book is about an orphaned teenager Bingmei who belongs to a school where they are trained to be warriors. They are available for hire by the Kings to complete various missions. Bingmei and her journey are one of exploration, growth, and sacrifice. Will she able to sacrifice herself for the people and do they deserve it? The story was fascinating, engaging, and a definite page-turner with the right pacing and story development. I also loved the glossary and the character details provided in the book as a reference. There were proverbs (Dawanjir) spread out throughout the book that I really loved.
The group is lead by a fierce leader Kunmia. Kunmia is hired by King Budai to collect various artifacts that contain magic. He then comes across a fisherman who found a rare piece of stone that is claimed to be the part of the Summer Palace. They set forth on this journey teaming up with another Quonsuun to find out if the stories of the Summer Palace and its existence is true or not. The team is ambushed by bandits and by following their leader's instructions they get pulled into an unexpected situation. Bingmei unknowingly brings Echion the Emperor of Darkness into existence and therefore dooming their country into destruction, despair, and tyranny.
Bingmei is our central character and we follow her from when is 12 yrs old to her teenage years as a young adult. Her character is brave, smart and special. She is someone who is said to have the winter sickness which is loathed in certain parts of her country whereas welcomed and respected in other neighboring countries. Her pale skin and white hair have always been looked at with contempt and wariness by people. Her parents and her grandfather loved her enough to avoid getting hurt by outsiders. Her training began at a very young age. She was a hard worker who had the passion and dedication to be a warrior. Her character was not that of a perfect girl who is flawed, selfish at times and someone who made her own survival a priority. I loved her character and the role she plays in bringing the story together.
Kunmia is a fierce warrior with the heart of gold. She was a second parent to Bingmei and guided her journey. She is protective, selfless and a great example to follow for her young followers. I loved her and how she was secure and confident in her position as the leader of her Quonsuun. She handled her situations very well and was always humble.
Marenqo, Zhui, and Meishi were great cast as well. They were different and had their voices with interesting traits. The fisherman Quion is also a great supporting character. They all were amazing. Bao Damanhur is the leader of the second Quonsuun. He is arrogant, prideful and a great warrior as well. He is an interesting character and his relationship with Prince Rowen is also fascinating. They are all unique. All these characters and their motivation to be part of the expedition to find the Summer Palace. Their skillset and strengths help them move forward on their journey. The expedition itself was risky to attempt and the outcome was unknown. The greed and need to be in power shifts from some characters to the other character.
Rowen as a character hasn't shown his true nature, he is very good at controlling his emotions and not letting it get the best of him. He is prideful, jealous, and ambitious. He is not what you expect in a prince and yet you can't help their cause because they are all banded together to ward off the enemies. One thing the book has in common is the characters are gray. Morality, right or wrong is something they grapple with. They do understand the severity of situations but have difficulty doing the right thing as well.
Emperor Echion is truly a great villain and the perfect antagonist with powers unknown to the characters and dark magic that rivals the living world. His limitations are unknown and the extent to which he might use magic to gain power is not something we can imagine at this point. He is without mercy, prideful and arrogant. I want to know more about him and how it all connects him to Bingmei.
We see the elements of greed, revenge and the aftermath of these. How the power and the greed for more end up with more people dead. The book is not heavy on gore, it was clean but at the same time had fight sequences, adventures they take us on. I am extremely curious about Bingmei and her special skills. I wasn't a fan of it in the beginning and after the story progressed I was OK with it. I want to know more about their background, history of the place and the connections they have to current events. I wonder how Bingmei will accomplish her task and come out unscathed as well. It is nearly impossible, but I love her determination and motivation to do things. Hopefully, we will get an amazing sequel to this book. I can’t wait to read it and discover more of Echion, Bingmei, and Rowen.
Overall this was a fun and engaging read. I loved it and totally recommend it to all YA fantasy readers. It's unique, well written and amazing...Definitely check it out...
The Forgotten Child by D.E. White, Daisy White
3.0
FBRC REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER :
I received an ARC( advance review copy) of this book for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, NetGalley and HQ DIGITAl for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.
The synopsis is what sold me on this book. It had me intrigued so much that I had to pick this book up. The problem was that I soon realized that the story was going in a direction I did not expect at all. I wasn't really sure if that was a good thing or not. I kept reading it and kind of was not invested in the story after about 50 pages. After a couple of days, I picked it back up again and found myself pulled back into the story.
The story, the plot all of it was interesting and intriguing. The plot twists were not what I assumed would be at all. I did not expect the way the book ended. Those were the great things I found in the book.
The cons were difficult to ignore as it is vital to the story and to connect the readers to book and characters. The dialogues in the book were not natural. It felt forced and stilted a lot of the time. The interaction between the characters didn't feel like it was organic. There was no flow to it. This was frustrating as I wanted the dialogues to be natural and the conversations felt a lot like it was being forced and the responses didn't match the questions for some reason. This took away the enjoyment of the story.
The main character Holly is someone I didn't like as much. I didn't like the way she was behaving a lot of times, The whole cursing in front of the kids, not bothering to censor certain words were a few things I didn't particularly like about her character. She is also seemed to be having this weird character ARC that makes it hard to pin her down. Her life prior to her marriage and her life post-marriage are so vastly different. She keeps contradicting herself, her behavior and thoughts just were out of sync.
I don't know if the organized crime plotline was something I expected when I read the synopsis. But once I got over that, I was able to enjoy it. It wasn't a great book, but I liked it. I liked how the plot came about and how it concluded. I don't know if a certain character in the book would be able to do what he did in the end. It seemed improbable to me considering his age and the way he behaved also just seemed to be highly difficult to imagine.
There were a few characters that were part of the story, but we don't get to know much about their involvement or their contribution to a vital event in the book. So overall it was an OK book for me. The story and the plot were definitely intriguing and I did want to know how the story would end, but I didn't expect the twists or the climax. The dialogues need to be reworked in my opinion. Holly's character needs to be more clear in terms of her life and the various events that shape her. She is almost portrayed as this badass woman who is strong and courageous, but her inner thoughts and her actions do not match up to that character trait.
I gave it a 3 star rating. If you are interested in a book with good twists and unexpected climax definitely check it out and see if you like it.
DISCLAIMER :
I received an ARC( advance review copy) of this book for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, NetGalley and HQ DIGITAl for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.
The synopsis is what sold me on this book. It had me intrigued so much that I had to pick this book up. The problem was that I soon realized that the story was going in a direction I did not expect at all. I wasn't really sure if that was a good thing or not. I kept reading it and kind of was not invested in the story after about 50 pages. After a couple of days, I picked it back up again and found myself pulled back into the story.
The story, the plot all of it was interesting and intriguing. The plot twists were not what I assumed would be at all. I did not expect the way the book ended. Those were the great things I found in the book.
The cons were difficult to ignore as it is vital to the story and to connect the readers to book and characters. The dialogues in the book were not natural. It felt forced and stilted a lot of the time. The interaction between the characters didn't feel like it was organic. There was no flow to it. This was frustrating as I wanted the dialogues to be natural and the conversations felt a lot like it was being forced and the responses didn't match the questions for some reason. This took away the enjoyment of the story.
The main character Holly is someone I didn't like as much. I didn't like the way she was behaving a lot of times, The whole cursing in front of the kids, not bothering to censor certain words were a few things I didn't particularly like about her character. She is also seemed to be having this weird character ARC that makes it hard to pin her down. Her life prior to her marriage and her life post-marriage are so vastly different. She keeps contradicting herself, her behavior and thoughts just were out of sync.
I don't know if the organized crime plotline was something I expected when I read the synopsis. But once I got over that, I was able to enjoy it. It wasn't a great book, but I liked it. I liked how the plot came about and how it concluded. I don't know if a certain character in the book would be able to do what he did in the end. It seemed improbable to me considering his age and the way he behaved also just seemed to be highly difficult to imagine.
There were a few characters that were part of the story, but we don't get to know much about their involvement or their contribution to a vital event in the book. So overall it was an OK book for me. The story and the plot were definitely intriguing and I did want to know how the story would end, but I didn't expect the twists or the climax. The dialogues need to be reworked in my opinion. Holly's character needs to be more clear in terms of her life and the various events that shape her. She is almost portrayed as this badass woman who is strong and courageous, but her inner thoughts and her actions do not match up to that character trait.
I gave it a 3 star rating. If you are interested in a book with good twists and unexpected climax definitely check it out and see if you like it.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
5.0
Check out my full review on my blog : FULL REVIEW
FBRC REVIEW :
I have been wanting to read a Khaled Hosseini since forever. I recently bought 3 of his works from Amazon India while I was vacationing in Kerala. I started reading it at the end of December and was unable to put it down. The book was an emotional rollercoaster, hard-hitting contemporary that I have read in a long time. This is one of the most heartbreaking and heartwarming stories I have read in my entire life. I am certain of the fact that this book will haunt me and stay with me for a long time. I absolutely loved the book and loved how flawed and broken Amir was and how unconditionally loving and loyal Hassan was. Their relationship is one of the hardest and tragic ones and will tug at your heartstrings, of that, I have no doubt. Definitely check it out if you are in the mood for a hard-hitting, deeply touching mesmerizing story set in Kabul, Afghanistan. I highly recommend it!!!.
FBRC REVIEW :
I have been wanting to read a Khaled Hosseini since forever. I recently bought 3 of his works from Amazon India while I was vacationing in Kerala. I started reading it at the end of December and was unable to put it down. The book was an emotional rollercoaster, hard-hitting contemporary that I have read in a long time. This is one of the most heartbreaking and heartwarming stories I have read in my entire life. I am certain of the fact that this book will haunt me and stay with me for a long time. I absolutely loved the book and loved how flawed and broken Amir was and how unconditionally loving and loyal Hassan was. Their relationship is one of the hardest and tragic ones and will tug at your heartstrings, of that, I have no doubt. Definitely check it out if you are in the mood for a hard-hitting, deeply touching mesmerizing story set in Kabul, Afghanistan. I highly recommend it!!!.