gwendolyn_kensinger's reviews
1349 reviews

Picking Daisies on Sundays by Liana Cincotti

4.0

I wasn’t as immediately invested in the romance, but it definitely grew on me as the story progressed. The story follows Daisy, a hopeless romantic finishing college who agrees to embark on a fake relationship with her childhood best friend, who, unfortunately for her, also happens to be her first love. The issue I usually have with childhood friends-to-lovers is I don’t see the moment or moments that led to them falling in love in the first place. I’m told they fell in love, I see the gap in time and then I see them falling back in love or see their new chapter together. I want more of their backstory, and this one offered too little of that. The grief also felt a bit awkward on Daisy’s end. It felt forced, rather than sincere. So those two things kept me from immediately loving it. Daisy’s lack of confidence and self worth were also constantly being mentioned and like, same girl but I don’t need to hear about it all the time ya know. Levi was a completely different story. He was such a cutie from the very beginning. I could go on and on about the awww moments I had with Levi, and I wish I was able to have more of them with the use of dual POV. The dedication that man has to his family, his dark curly hair, the way he blushes, his care and love for Daisy. Everything he did spoke volumes and Daisy was too caught up to see what he was trying to tell her all along. I loved Levi’s family and I loved Daisy’s friends. I appreciated the breakthrough both Levi and Daisy had and I wish them the best on their next adventure.

The Catch by Amy Lea

3.0

In a last-ditch effort to rescue her brand from the brink of irrelevance, Boston fashion influencer Melanie Karlsen finds herself in a rural fishing village on the east coast of Canada. The star of the story for me was the setting. It felt reminiscent of A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss and It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey. The romance was really basic and I didn’t necessarily feel the romance in the way that makes me giddy and rooting for the couple. It was cute don’t get it wrong but it wasn’t anything I haven’t read before so I wasn’t fully invested. It did have some influencer themes but not as many as in the previous books in the series and I missed those moments. Also there’s no way this story should have been almost 400 pages.

The Favorites by Rosemary Hennigan

2.0

Audrey, Jessie’s older sister, was one of Professor Crane’s favorites. But something must have happened between the professor and Audrey because her whole demeanor changed. She dropped out of school, took off to Central America and ended up dying in a bus accident. Jessie suspects that Audrey had an inappropriate relationship and she sets out to avenge her sister. Jessie finds out Audrey had been sleeping with her professor, Jay Crane, and Jay had sexually assaulted her. Believing Crane’s abuse is to blame for her sister’s death, she enrolls in Franklin University, where Crane has tenure, and manages to be selected for his exclusive six-person law seminar. She knows that Crane plays favorites so she sets her sights on becoming his next. 

The story addresses some really important themes and topics such as the #metoo movement, the abuse of power between teacher/student relationships, misogyny, and believing victims (esp women), the justice system and how it can fail victims & protect those in power. That being said I don’t think it did a good job of tackling those topics because of the way that Jessie was coming on to the professor and trying to entrap him. Her plan is to have sex with the professor and have someone catch them in the act and then blame him for assaulting her. In the meantime she finds herself becoming charmed by him. This ended up giving me the reverse ick and going against everything I think the author was trying to say. Ultimately it never reached the level of thrills I needed or expected, but I did like the setting and I was able to finish the book in a day.

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.

I tried! I really, really did. But ultimately I am extremely bored and I will basically do ANYTHING but pick up this book to read. I made it to page 85 and it took me 4 days to get there.I don't read a ton of historical fiction to begin with and the pacing is super slow so it didn't exactly pull me in like I would have needed it to. Plus no offense to poor Gloria but I don't care what's going on in her life. I wanna hear more about Robert! His portions are the most interesting and they are few and far between. I am glad this story is out in the world for other readers to discover and love but it's just not for me.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

4.0

While it didn’t blow me outta the water I had a lot of fun reading it. I was hoping for higher stakes, maybe more heart pumping moments and I feel like even though the beginning was slower it led to some reveals that really got me. I didn’t know anything going in. I haven’t even looked at the synopsis on the dust jacket, so I don’t know how much is revealed, but just know that the story is multi-layered, not to take everyone at face value and the timeline flashes back to other jobs Evie has worked to show the evolution of where she is now. There are some unrealistic moments for sure, but if you just go along for the ride you’ll have a good time. Which is what I did.

Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham

3.0

I can see why this is getting mixed reviews and a high DNF tally. It’s not like her previous books and I’m not sure what quality was missing to make me more invested in the story and characters. I tend to enjoy books with an academic setting and a group of friends but this one didn’t work out as well as I hoped for. Margot is dealing with the grief of losing Eliza, her best friend from childhood who died three weeks after high school graduation. Now she’s moving into a new house with new roommates and trying to integrate into this new life at college. In the present timeline we know that a guy is dead and one of the girls, Lucy, is missing and the police are looking for her in connection with the deceased. The story flips between flashbacks of Margot and Eliza from high school, to the year Margot moved into the house with Lucy, Sloane and Nicole and finally to the present. It really convoluted the story. The middle timeline was the most interesting and I think it might have been stronger focusing solely on what happened then. It discusses the nature of friendships and belonging, loyalty, envy, and betrayal but it just didn’t have that extra umph I was seeking.

Murder Road by Simone St. James

3.0

A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road. That’s all you really need to know going into the story. That and it has the signature Simone St. James paranormal twist. I keep trying again and again to get into paranormal stories and I just don’t think they’re my thing. Whether I know it’s gonna be paranormal or not I have a hard time rationalizing anything that happens or whatever twist is thrown at me because of course if ghosts are real anything can happen. That being said, I'm saving my in depth thoughts for an upcoming episode of Talk Bookish to Me, so stay tuned for that episode dropping April 22nd.

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy

3.0

I feel like this has a classic set up of townie vs. rich kid with a bit of revenge like I’m gonna steal your woman and prove I’m the better man thrown in. Not exactly the best set up. I mean can a relationship even have a solid foundation when it begins with a lie or rather an omission? Not really. I also didn’t like how many mindless sex scenes were tossed in. Like I get it, you’re both hot ok. Other than those 2 things I did enjoy the setting of Avalon Bay, Cooper and Evan’s friend group, and I liked Mac and was glad she was able to break away from some of the toxic things in her life. Despite his disdain for the trust-fund kids he sees coming and going from his town, Cooper soon realizes Mac isn’t just another rich clone and falls for her. Hard. But as Mac finally starts feeling accepted by Cooper and his friends, the secret he’s been keeping from her threatens the only place she’s ever felt at home. I’m not running out to buy the other books in the series but I have them on my radar and wouldn’t mind continuing in the series.

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

3.0

This is the story of a female robot and her human owner. Annie Bot is a book with layers upon layers. It’s about our own personal relationships with AI and what AI should or should not be. But underneath, it is a story about self-determination, power dynamics, bodily autonomy, and what it means to have a sense of self. I was never quite sure what point the author was trying to make other than Doug is a douchebag and Annie deserves better, but at the same time since the story is told with Annie as the main character I wonder if I was manipulated to root for Annie. Even though this story has a sci-fi lean we get very little science. It’s much more focused on the relationship and the dynamics of the relationship between Annie and Doug. There was a slightly sinister undercurrent in the first half that unfortunately fizzled out by the end. The book delves into domestic abuse including control, emotional and psychological abuse so if this is triggering to you, I would stay away from this one.

I loved this quote from Clare Beams…

"A brilliant and enraging exploration of ownership and love, and the way our creations have of growing far beyond us. Sierra Greer raises questions as current and pressing as our present-day anxieties about AI, and as ageless and enormous as the territory of Mary Shelley, about what constitutes humanity and what we owe to each other. Annie is a glorious creation-- and self-creation-- and I will never forget her, or this sharp and astonishing book." — Clare Beams, author of The Illness Lesson

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

5.0

Ok wow! Now I understand the Agatha Christie hype. I will say this is only my second book of hers, and the first And Then There Were None I have read so many reimagings plus I was spoiled. That being said the first time I read it I rated it 3 stars and upon re-read I bumped it up to a 4. But for Murder on the Orient Express somehow I have avoided spoilers and I am so happy I did because my reaction when I finished and the feeling I had was amazing. It’s one of those books that will be hard to forget. This definitely has me wanting to read even more Christie novels. The story revolves around a fictional famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot as he investigates a murder that occurs on the luxurious Orient Express train during its journey from Istanbul to Calais. The story is divided into 3 parts. In part one we get a bit of set up and at the end of part 1 we have the body. In the second part the detective is interviewing everyone on the train. And in the 3rd part we have the reveal. It was masterfully done. I don’t go into mysteries often trying to guess whodunit and I can confidently say even if I did I would not have guessed correctly.