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jenni_elyse's reviews
483 reviews
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
4.0
I couldn't sleep last night because of reasons so I decided to crochet and listen to THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME audiobook. I'm so glad it was as engaging as it was because it made the long sleepless night short and as enjoyable as it could be under the circumstances.
I really liked this story. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I feel like I went through the gambit of emotions just like Hannah. I guessed some of the reasons behind why things happened, but I thought the story was still engrossing. I thought the ending was bittersweet and, honestly, I feel like if Laura Dave wanted to write a sequel, she could. I personally think the author ended the story in the perfect place for this type of book.
I really liked this story. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I feel like I went through the gambit of emotions just like Hannah. I guessed some of the reasons behind why things happened, but I thought the story was still engrossing. I thought the ending was bittersweet and, honestly, I feel like if Laura Dave wanted to write a sequel, she could. I personally think the author ended the story in the perfect place for this type of book.
Sign Here by Claudia Lux
3.0
SIGN HERE was different than I thought it would be. I didn't love it, but I enjoyed the premise. I thought some aspects of it were funny while other aspects were frustrating. I thought there were way too many POV, but I understood why they were needed. I liked the ending more than I thought I would because it made me think about life, its ups and downs, loneliness, neglect, and love.
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
4.0
What a wonderfully creepy and disturbing tale. I especially loved the nod to Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. I'm so glad I decided to wait to read DAISY DARKER in October.
I knew about Daisy's predicament very early into the story. I just didn't know the how, the when, or the why, and I wasn't disappointed when all the questions were finally answered. I did feel like the story was dragged out a bit and I'm glad it didn't go on more than it did.
I knew about Daisy's predicament very early into the story. I just didn't know the how, the when, or the why, and I wasn't disappointed when all the questions were finally answered. I did feel like the story was dragged out a bit and I'm glad it didn't go on more than it did.
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
5.0
Carley Fortune is one of my favorite authors so I was really excited when it was finally my turn to check out THIS SUMMER WILL BE DIFFERENT from my library. As with most of the books I read this year, I read the audiobook and I liked the narrator a lot.
As far as the story goes, I absolutely adored it. I loved both Lucy and Felix. I loved their on-again, off-again, not-sure-what-this-is relationship. It was steamy, sweet, and a lot of fun. I loved Lucy's sister-like friendship with Bridget. I adored the setting of Prince Edward Island and all the references to ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Reading this, makes me want to visit PEI even more than I did before. It has also made me want to try oysters for the first time ever in my life.
As far as the story goes, I absolutely adored it. I loved both Lucy and Felix. I loved their on-again, off-again, not-sure-what-this-is relationship. It was steamy, sweet, and a lot of fun. I loved Lucy's sister-like friendship with Bridget. I adored the setting of Prince Edward Island and all the references to ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Reading this, makes me want to visit PEI even more than I did before. It has also made me want to try oysters for the first time ever in my life.
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
4.0
I've been waiting to read HELL BENT since it came out in 2023; I just never got around to it until now. I'm so glad I finally read it because it was quite the ride! As gritty as NINTH HOUSE (maybe more), HELL BENT had me on the edge of my seat from the very first page. I love the paranormal aspect of the secret societies of Yale and all the historical elements of these books. I also loved delving deeper into the uncanny and learning more of its secrets. I'll be on pins and needles waiting for book #3 and excited to see where the next installment takes its readers.
The Passengers by John Marrs
3.0
I read THE PASSENGERS because it's my IRL book club's pick for October. I knew nothing about the story or characters when I first started reading it. While it wasn't my favorite book, I think the discussion surrounding this book will be interesting (and maybe a little bit uncomfortable).
I liked the premise of THE PASSENGERS and I thought the story was very compelling. It definitely kept me reading to the end despite the fact that I hated most of the characters and found parts of the story hard to get through because of the content. *coughSofiacough*
I think THE PASSENGERS is plausible except for Clare's ability to clothe and move her large, dead husband from their bed to the trunk of their car while she's 7 months pregnant . I also think the story portrays an interesting view of Cancel Culture, social media, online anonymity, mob mentality, bipartisan politics, and the future of AI.
I liked the premise of THE PASSENGERS and I thought the story was very compelling. It definitely kept me reading to the end despite the fact that I hated most of the characters and found parts of the story hard to get through because of the content. *coughSofiacough*
I think THE PASSENGERS is plausible
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
4.0
I've always been interested in secret societies like Skull and Bones at Yale. When I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. I loved this gritty tale of magic and murder among college students. I really like Alex, the main character, and I have high hopes about her and a certain someone in the rest of the series. I loved that Bardugo had me questioning everyone's motives and trying to figure out what happened. I'm glad the big douchebags got what they deserved. However, I was way off in the end and blown away at what Bardugo accomplished with the story and where it leads for book #2.
A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross
5.0
I'm so happy I read A FIRE ENDLESS. It's everything I wanted in a sequel / conclusion. Just like its predecessor, as soon as I started reading, I was hooked. I didn’t want to put it down. I stayed up until 2am last night finishing it.
I loved getting a chance to experience life in the West and seeing how different it was from the East. I loved seeing Adaira grab hold of her lineage without sacrificing where and how she was raised. I also loved seeing Torin and Sidra growing into their roles as Laird and Laird's consort.
I was a little disappointed in the romance from the first book because there wasn't enough. I was glad the romance didn't sacrifice the story, though. I was pleasantly surprised by what happened in A FIRE ENDLESS. I thought there was a perfect balance of romance and story. It made my heart happy!
I loved learning more about the Folk, their origins and history, and their hierarchy. I especially loved being a part of the Spirits realm and seeing how it worked.I guessed that Eagan (sp?) turned into Bane and was excited to see that I was right.
I still loved the Gaelic / Scottish feel to the story and I loved Ruth Urquhart's narration. Her Scottish accent added so much to the story. Any time I read this duology, I'll read it via audio.
I loved getting a chance to experience life in the West and seeing how different it was from the East. I loved seeing Adaira grab hold of her lineage without sacrificing where and how she was raised. I also loved seeing Torin and Sidra growing into their roles as Laird and Laird's consort.
I was a little disappointed in the romance from the first book because there wasn't enough. I was glad the romance didn't sacrifice the story, though. I was pleasantly surprised by what happened in A FIRE ENDLESS. I thought there was a perfect balance of romance and story. It made my heart happy!
I loved learning more about the Folk, their origins and history, and their hierarchy. I especially loved being a part of the Spirits realm and seeing how it worked.
I still loved the Gaelic / Scottish feel to the story and I loved Ruth Urquhart's narration. Her Scottish accent added so much to the story. Any time I read this duology, I'll read it via audio.
A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
5.0
As soon as I started to read the story of Cadence and its inhabitants in A RIVER ENCHANTED, I was hooked. When I was reading A RIVER ENCHANTED, I didn’t want to put it down and I couldn’t stop thinking about it in between reads. I stayed up until 4am finishing it because I was that invested in the characters and the story. I haven’t done that for a very long time.
I loved that RIVER ENCHANTED was written from different POVs and that it wasn’t done chapter by chapter. The story was told from whoever’s POV it needed to be told from at that moment. (Don’t worry. It’s not confusing in any way.) I also loved all the characters and the slow-burn romances. I wish there was more kissing, but I’m glad the story wasn’t sacrificed for the romance.
I adored the mythology of A RIVER ENCHANTED. It was fascinating. The magical system with the spirits was fun to read about and experience.
I really loved the Scottish feel to A RIVER ENCHANTED and I think Ross could’ve pushed that aspect of the story a lot more. My guess is she didn’t want to make it hard for her readers to pronounce the names and places or dialogue between the characters. Because she didn’t embrace the Scottishness whole-heartedly, the story felt a little YA at times. (Ross states in her “review” on Goodreads that A RIVER ENCHANTED started out that way.) The YA feel doesn’t take away from the story. However, as a lover of adult high fantasy, I think A RIVER ENCHANTED could’ve been that much better if Ross had pushed the envelope a lot more.
I’ve been trying to decide if I want to give A RIVER ENCHANTED 4 or 5 stars. I finally settled on 4.5 stars. I’m so glad I finally got a chance to read it. It was a delight to read and I look forward to reading its sequel. It’s going to be a very long wait until Decemberbecause the ending killed me .
During my second read, I listened to the audiobook and I loved it so much. It gave me the extra Scottishness I wanted because the narrator was Scottish. As an audiobook, I have no qualms giving this story 5 stars.
I loved that RIVER ENCHANTED was written from different POVs and that it wasn’t done chapter by chapter. The story was told from whoever’s POV it needed to be told from at that moment. (Don’t worry. It’s not confusing in any way.) I also loved all the characters and the slow-burn romances. I wish there was more kissing, but I’m glad the story wasn’t sacrificed for the romance.
I adored the mythology of A RIVER ENCHANTED. It was fascinating. The magical system with the spirits was fun to read about and experience.
I really loved the Scottish feel to A RIVER ENCHANTED and I think Ross could’ve pushed that aspect of the story a lot more. My guess is she didn’t want to make it hard for her readers to pronounce the names and places or dialogue between the characters. Because she didn’t embrace the Scottishness whole-heartedly, the story felt a little YA at times. (Ross states in her “review” on Goodreads that A RIVER ENCHANTED started out that way.) The YA feel doesn’t take away from the story. However, as a lover of adult high fantasy, I think A RIVER ENCHANTED could’ve been that much better if Ross had pushed the envelope a lot more.
I’ve been trying to decide if I want to give A RIVER ENCHANTED 4 or 5 stars. I finally settled on 4.5 stars. I’m so glad I finally got a chance to read it. It was a delight to read and I look forward to reading its sequel. It’s going to be a very long wait until December
During my second read, I listened to the audiobook and I loved it so much. It gave me the extra Scottishness I wanted because the narrator was Scottish. As an audiobook, I have no qualms giving this story 5 stars.
An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn
4.5
After enjoying both THE DUKE AND I and THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME, I pretty much knew I'd love the third installment of the Bridgerton series as well and I was right. I'm really glad there hasn't been a long waitlist at my library for the audiobooks so far.
AN OFFER FROM A GENTLEMAN is my favorite of the series so far. I absolutely adored the CINDERELLA (and EVER AFTER) retelling aspect of this one. I loved getting to know Benedict better as we don't see or hear much from him in the previous two novels. I loved Sophie. She was the perfect stand-in for Cinderella. I especially loved the immediate connection she had with Benedict. Their banter and sexual tension was so much fun to read.
I really love the setting of Regency era England in these books. I especially love the exploration of etiquette and reputation and how marrying someone below your station may affect your standing in polite society and how that may color one's decisions. It definitely makes for interesting stories and situations.
The edition I read had a second epilogue, which I enjoyed (not quite as much as the second epilogue for THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME, but much more than the one for THE DUKE AND I). I loved getting to see Posey's happy ending as well as get a glimpse into Benedict's and Sophie's life together.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series, ROMANCING MR. BRIDGERTON, and getting to read Colin's story. He and his mother have been to constants in each of these stories and I already know I love his character.
AN OFFER FROM A GENTLEMAN is my favorite of the series so far. I absolutely adored the CINDERELLA (and EVER AFTER) retelling aspect of this one. I loved getting to know Benedict better as we don't see or hear much from him in the previous two novels. I loved Sophie. She was the perfect stand-in for Cinderella. I especially loved the immediate connection she had with Benedict. Their banter and sexual tension was so much fun to read.
I really love the setting of Regency era England in these books. I especially love the exploration of etiquette and reputation and how marrying someone below your station may affect your standing in polite society and how that may color one's decisions. It definitely makes for interesting stories and situations.
The edition I read had a second epilogue, which I enjoyed (not quite as much as the second epilogue for THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME, but much more than the one for THE DUKE AND I). I loved getting to see Posey's happy ending as well as get a glimpse into Benedict's and Sophie's life together.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series, ROMANCING MR. BRIDGERTON, and getting to read Colin's story. He and his mother have been to constants in each of these stories and I already know I love his character.