halle_elizabeth's reviews
100 reviews

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.5

3.5/5 Stars 

I think easy read & great book get confused a lot. I love Freida books for what they are: fast paced, easy reads. 

Was this groundbreaking? No. 

Is it overhyped? 100%

I enjoyed my time with this book & it was a nice fast paced read in between bigger books. 

I feel like the “twist” wasn’t twisty enough. I was lowkey thinking it was going to be crazy like the daughter did the killing or something way out there. I honestly was going to rate this higher but the ending really fell flat for me. 

Would I recommend? Maybe? I read it because I want to see the movie when it comes out. So if you plan to watch the movie, yeah you should read the book. 

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

5/5 

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Wow! This is my first 5 star read since JULY, considering it is now November I was due for a phenomenal read. 

I won’t lie, at first I was like I cannot with this book. If I wasn’t reading along with The Readheads book club podcast I probably would have DNF’d. The beginning is so confusing with multiple POVs, characters, & timelines. I’m also someone who usually loves multiple POVs & timelines but the beginning of this book is overwhelming. 

However, please stick with this book!! It was like reading about two true crime cases simultaneously. It was less of a “who done it” & more of just going along for the ride. 

The atmosphere in this book was amazing. Campy. Spooky. Chilling. Woodsy. 

Did I hope the outcome was different on multiple accounts? Yes. Was the ending a bit underwhelming? A tad. However, this was such a well done book & even though it’s hefty I really didn’t want it to end. I wanted more. 

I would recommend to readers who want something with true crime vibes that isn’t too graphic or scary but does deal with serious topics. 

This book is the perfect mixture of girlhood, behind the scenes of crime, outdoor adventure, family dynamics, & the difference between right & wrong. 

The Cabin by Natasha Preston

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

3.75/5 Stars 

I got this book from a “blind date with a book” & have never read this author before! The beginning of this book had me very hooked & was decently paced. 

The middle dragged for me a bit I’m not going to lie. I lost interest & wondered if I would finish it. 

The last like 25% of the book I thought was really well done! There were multiple twists & turns! I was really engaged in the story. 

But. THE ENDING? Are you kidding me right now??? Who let this book be published like this?! I couldn’t believe that’s how it ended. Immediately took off on the rating for how it ended. Is there going to be a sequel? Orrrrr what? 

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams

challenging emotional mysterious slow-paced

2.75

2.75/5 Stars 

Meh. This book was mediocre at best. 

This might be the first time ever that a book that was half current day/half historical fiction that had me more intrigued in the current day storyline. I ALWAYS prefer the historical POV better but not in this case. 

Honestly the whole thing was anticlimactic & unbelievably predictable. So much so that I almost DNF’d in the first few chapters…

This book would have been 10x better if it was all present day & we learned about the main character uncovering her past. 

Honestly such a miss for me & I’m sad about it. Wouldn’t recommend. There are such better books that do past & present POVs. 

The Coworker by Freida McFadden

dark mysterious tense

3.25

3.25/5 Stars 

Fast paced, easy read. 

Enjoyable but not groundbreaking. 

Mediocre? 

Seems like it needed revised a few more times before hitting publication…

Not really any big twists for me, wouldn’t recommend but also wouldn’t tell you not to read it. 

Bakeries and Buffoonery by Elizabeth Pantley, Elizabeth Pantley

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

4.0

4/5 

Ahhhh I just adore this series. So cozy, whimsical, funny, & easy. This series has become a comfort read for me this year. 

This book is my least favorite in the series so far, I think it’s because it was a little longer & at times I found the plot to be a little repetitive (because everyday was very similar). That being said, I still enjoyed my time with the book & all the very lovable characters. 

****Spoiler****

The ending made me sooooo saddddd. Vee is one of my favorite characters. 

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

dark mysterious fast-paced

4.5

4.5/5 Stars 

Brilliannnnnnnt. I love when I get an unhinged story with unpredictable people. 

My only issues with this book is everything to do with the police station. The brutality, sloppy work, & unprofessional behavior. 

I loved the ending & was hoping the more it went on that, that’s who did it. (Obviously from a FICTIONAL standpoint, in real life I hope not like this ever happens. But when I read books give me crazy, unbelievable, unhinged, etc) 

I flew through this book & it was great for the reading slump I’ve found myself in recently. 

Cackle by Rachel Harrison

funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.25

4.25/5 Stars 

Soooooooo cooooozzzyyyyy

✨🔮🕯️🫖🪄🍂🏠🌙💜

The fact that this is marketed as: horror fiction, thriller, paranormal & supernatural fiction is a CRIME. This is a cozy witchy read that focuses on womanhood, friendship, & finding yourself. I genuinely think this could almost be marketed as a YA coming of age novel - the moral of the story is: you don’t need a man, believe in & trust yourself, everyone needs a friend. I think all of these messages are good for young women.

Even though I loved it, I do think I was mislead on what the book was about - I was expecting spooky & horror but ended up with warm & fuzzies. 

I think this book is a PERFECT fall cozy read. The reason this wasn’t 5 stars was because I know she is trying to get over her breakup & find herself but, damn. The main character can get a little too whiny at times. 

Side Note: did anyone envision Sophie as Alice from Twilight?? I know Alice is a vampire & Sophie is a witch but the descriptions & mannerisms & everything!! If this becomes a movie, pleaseeeee cast Ashley Greene! 

When We Were Enemies by Emily Bleeker

slow-paced

2.75

2.75/5 Stars 

Snoooooze fest. On the surface this sounds amazing: 2 timelines, war & love, family drama, & old Hollywood..

This book missed the mark on every single account & as someone who grew up Catholic it was just real bizarre, tbh. 

Would definitely skip this one!! 

The September House by Carissa Orlando

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.75

4.75/5 Stars 

This was ALMOST a 5 star read for me & we will get to that in a bit. 

This book was a mix of spooky & psychological. I’m not sure if the genre “horror” is perfect though. It was a good mix of spooky, paranormal, suspense, mystery, & horror. If you like the show, “Ghosts” I think you will eat this book up. 

This book had me hooked from the very beginning & was a fast & easy read! (I read most of it in 1 sitting) I definitely recommend reading in September or as close to September as possible! 

I think one of the best writing styles in the book was accurately describing what it’s like to live with sleep deprivation: confused, paranoid, forgetfulness, etc! 

The reason it was not 5 stars (SPOILERS)

1. “He’s down there” was a bit too obvious for me, wasn’t a twist at all. 
2. If everyone who had died there was a prankster…where the f*ck was Hal’s ghost??
3. No follow up at the end. Does anyone got to jail? Does she stay? End up in a hospital? I could have used like a 50 page epilogue. 

**This being said: this is the perfect book to kick off spooky season!! I will be recommending it to friends!