jenc424's reviews
835 reviews

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I went into this Reese Witherspoon March 2025 book club pick without reading the synopsis.  To be frank, I loved every gut-wrenching moment of it.

Filled with two epic love stories, a thrilling mystery and unexpected twists, Broken Country filled me with intense emotions. Told in dual time lines, the story unravels in a way that effortlessly pulled me along through the story. I highly recommend this one. 
Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No

3.0

There are some series that I can pick up and read at any point and the story works. This wasn’t one of them.

When I started reading, the story seemed like it picked up where series installment #39 left off. No backstory, no character development. Just BAM!  Someone’s dead. I usually like stories that start with a bang but this one was too enigmatic for me. 

I’ll probably start this series from the beginning at some point, but I’m in no rush.
The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

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

3.0

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a uniquely written story that explores identity, love and loss. Originally feeling disjointed for me, this story gradually developed into a clearer picture.  

Overall, it took me quite some time to get into this story. I was confused at points. It did wrap up nicely but this was just an ok read for me.