jenni_elyse's reviews
483 reviews

The Unwedding by Ally Condie

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3.5

I was really excited to read THE UNWEDDING not only because I know Ally Condie personally, but also because it was chosen as the June book for Reese’s Book Club. Thankfully, my IRL book club decided to read it as our August book.

When I found out that THE UNWEDDING was a murder mystery, I was hoping the story would be more of a thriller. To my disappointment, it wasn’t. While the story’s suspenseful at times, I never had that edge-of-my-seat feeling I crave when reading thrillers mysteries.

Despite my disappointment with the mystery in THE UNWEDDING, I still found Ally’s writing a joy to read. As always, her writing has a poetic and lyrical feel and paints a clear picture of love, loss, and healing. The emotionality was my favorite part. I especially loved reading the aspects of the story that came from her life.

I really liked the characters. I loved watching Ellery become stronger despite her grief. I loved Ravi and Nina, Grace and Gary, Morgan and Maddox, and Andy, Rachel, and Olivia. Each personality and backstory added to the emotionality of the overarching story.

I’ve been trying to decide how to rate THE UNWEDDING. I’ve been toying with 3 or 4 stars. Even though I thought the mystery fell flat, I still loved the characters and emotions throughout the story. Because of this, I’ve settled on 3.5 stars.
The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey

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4.0

As I said in my HELLO, TRANSCRIBER review, I found out WHEN I’M DEAD, one of my Book of the Month (BOTM) books, is the third book in the Black Harbor series. I wanted to read it this month so I decided to check out the first (HELLO, TRANSCRIBER) and second (THE WIDOWMAKER) books from my library.


Even though THE WIDOWMAKER is the second book in the Black Harbor series, it’s not really sequel to HELLO, TRANSCRIBER. Investigator Kole, now Sgt. Kole, does return as a secondary character, but the commonality between the two stories is the setting–Black Harbor, Wisconsin–the most crime-ridden city in the state. And, THE WIDOWMAKER’s told in a dual POV.


I thought the story was captivating and suspenseful. I love Morrissey’s beautifully descriptive prose. Because of the dual POV, it took me a few chapters to understand what was happening. At that point, I zipped right through the story. When I wasn’t listening to the audiobook, I was thinking about the characters and their lives.


THE WIDOWMAKER is a very dark thriller that kept me guessing until the end. It’s very thought-provoking and deals with hard subjects like child abandonment, abuse, and sexual assault.


I liked both of the main characters. I also liked the narrators for the audiobook. They both did a great job bringing Morgan and Investigator Hudson to life. I thought some of the secondary characters were a bit flat and could’ve been fleshed out more. I liked the little Easter eggs pointing to HELLO, TRANSCRIBER when Hudson was interacting with and talking about Sgt. Kole.


Even though I wouldn’t have missed anything by skipping HELLO, TRANSCRIBER and THE WIDOWMAKER, I’m glad I decided to read both of them. I liked getting to know Black Harbor and its people and I’m even more excited to finally read WHEN I’M DEAD.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

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3.5

I’ve been wanting to read read WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING ever since I saw the trailer for the movie release in 2022. I started to read the book, but I stopped when I started dealing with some health issues and wasn’t really reading. About two weeks ago, while I was waiting for an audiobook hold from my library to come available, I checked for other available audiobooks I could listen to in the meantime and checked out WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING and started reading it once more.

While I’m a little miffed at the ending, I’m still glad I read WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. I really loved Kya and I was invested in her life. I loved that she not only survived, but thrived despite the hardships she faced. I thought her story was beautifully told and emotional.

I thought the dual timeline in WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING was the perfect vehicle for the story, especially the mystery aspect of it. I liked getting snippets of Kya’s life in the past as I wondered what lead to the present circumstances.

I really loved the characters in WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, especially those that showed kindness to Kya instead of believing her to be trash and dirty. I adored Jumpin’ and Mabel. They did all that was within their power to help Kya survive, feel loved, and succeed despite facing the racism of the south during the 40s, 50s, and 60s. I also loved Tate. I love that he saw Kya as more than just the “Marsh Girl.” He wasn’t perfect, but he took responsibility for his faults and did what he could to help Kya.

I truly loved WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING until the last few pages. I feel like the last few pages undid what the author was trying to say and/or show about who Kya grew to be after the trial.
I actually don't care that Kya killed Chase. I feel like he would've continued to harass and assault her. I feel like she was justified in thinking that killing him was her only option. I'm miffed because it seemed like Kya never told Tate about the sexual assault and that he was unaware of the full reason she killed Chase. Even though he kept her secret for the rest of his life, it left me feeling like her secret tainted their love and life together.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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5.0

I’ve been wanting to read FOURTH WING for a little over a year. I put it on hold at my library, sadly to be informed that my turn wouldn’t come for several months. I waited patiently and then when my turn was only two weeks away, my friend told me I could borrow her physical copies of both FOURTH WING and IRON FLAME. Needless to say, I jumped at the offer.

I’m so glad I finally read FOURTH WING. It was everything I wanted in a romantasy and more. There’s so much hype surrounding this and I get it. When I was reading it, I didn’t want to put it down and I couldn’t stop thinking about it in between reads. I stayed up until 2am on Wednesday night finishing it because I was that invested in the characters and the story.

I adored the characters, especially Violet and Xaden. I could feel the sexual tension between them from the very beginning and I loved it. I loved that there was no instalove. FOURTH WING is a slow-burn romance. that leaves you wanting for more. The secondary characters were amazing too. Rhiannon, Ridoc, and Liam were my favorite.

I loved the world in which FOURTH WING takes place. Rebecca Yarros built a beautiful world based on folktales, lore, war, power, and political drama, which is my recipe for a fantastic story. I loved the Gaelic feel to FOURTH WING thanks to the names of some of the characters, most of the dragons, and lot of the places. I also loved that riders are bonded to their dragon so we can hear their voices and get to know their personalities.

Finally, I adored the mythology of FOURTH WING. It was fascinating. The magical system with signets was fun to read about and experience.

Anyway, FOURTH WING has earned a spot as one of my favorite books. I’m glad my friend let me borrow IRON FLAME too because I need to read it now.
Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey

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4.0

I found out WHEN I’M DEAD, one of my Book of the Month (BOTM) books, is the third book in the Black Harbor series. I wanted to read it this month so I decided to check out the first (HELLO, TRANSCRIBER) and second (THE WIDOWMAKER) books from my library.

I’m glad I decided to read HELLO, TRANSCRIBER. It was a captivating romantic thriller. Thanks to Morrissey’s beautifully descriptive prose, I zipped right through it by staying up all night listening to the audiobook. It hooked me right from the beginning and has left me thinking about the characters and their relationships.

HELLO, TRANSCRIBER is more than a thriller with romantic fluff. It’s also a thought-provoking story that deals with hard subjects like spousal abuse, depression and suicidal ideation, homo- and transphobia, and drug use in minors.

As I read HELLO, TRANSCRIBER, I could see the big twist at the end. Knowing about the twist didn’t ruin the suspense or story for me, though, because I still wanted to know how everything would play out. View Spoiler »

Before I started reading HELLO, TRANSCRIBER, I thought the series was a classic series with the same characters in each novel. However, I’ve since learned that the sequels are companion novels with different characters that take place in Black Harbor. Despite this, I look forward to reading both sequels and any others Morrissey writes.
Sunrunner's Fire by Melanie Rawn

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5.0

I loved SUNRUNNER'S FIRE and I love Melanie Rawn's writing. I love the epic fantasy-ness of this series thanks to the awesome world building, characters, relationships, political intrigue, and the ethical/moral issues the books explore.

While DRAGON PRINCE is my favorite book in the series because I adore Rohan and Sioned, I loved SUNRUNNER'S FIRE because it’s the end of the trilogy and most of the events that had been brewing from the beginning came to an end.

One of my favorite aspects of the trilogy is the <em>farahd’im</em> (Sunrunners) and <em>diarmahd’im</em> (Sorcerers). People who are born with <em>faradhi</em> gifts are sent to Goddess Keep to be trained in the sunrunning arts of weaving light using the power of the sun and moon, call fire and wind, and conjure images of the future. The <em>diarmahd’im</em> have been in hiding for hundreds of years because of their differences with the <em>farahd’im</em>. They also weave light, call fire and wind AND earth and water, and produce conjurings, using the forbidden power of the stars.

I loved that the Sorcerers had a more central role in SUNRUNNER'S FIRE. We didn't know much about them before this book so I loved learning more about their powers and finding out why they hate Sunrunners as much as they do.

I'm really glad I reread this trilogy and I hope to start reading the Dragon Star trilogy (sister trilogy to Dragon Prince trilogy) within the next couple of months. I’m excited to find out what happens.
Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

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3.5


My IRL book club has done a memoir-of-choice-month in July for the last three or four years. This year I chose to read CHOOSE YOUR OWN AUTOBIOGRAPHY by Neil Patrick Harris (NPH).


I have been a fan of NPH for a while. I loved him as Barney Stinson in the sitcom HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and as Dr. Horrible in Joss Whedon’s DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG. And, I thought it would be fun to read his memoir.


CHOOSE YOUR OWN AUTOBIOGRAPHY is written in the style of the choose your own adventure novels. This style lends mostly to true stories about NPH with the occasional “if you want to listen to your own horrible death, keep listening” anecdotes. Like most celebrity memoirs, NPH narrates his own audiobook. I really enjoyed listening to him recount his own story. I also really loved when he broke out into song. Despite the choose your own adventure style which would’ve worked better in book form, the audiobook’s definitely the way to go.

I really loved a lot of the over-the-top parts. I especially loved listening to the sometimes true, sometimes comedic notes from his friends. However, my favorite parts were the stories of his life with his husband, David Burtka, and their twins, Gideon and Harper. When he talked about his family, I saw a regular person instead of a celebrity.


NPH’s memoir’s the first one I’ve read that focuses on the author’s entire life instead of some challenge he had to deal with. CHOOSE YOUR OWN AUTOBIOGRAPHY is just about NPH as a whole and gives him a chance to be funny. Because of this, I didn’t feel really feel inspired like I have with other memoirs.


Even thought I didn’t feel inspired or like I got a lot out of NPH’s memoir, it was fun to listen to in an entertaining way and I’m glad I read it. I’d definitely read another memoir by him if he ever decides to write one.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

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4.0

Amazing memoir. It was fascinating to read about the life of a mixed person's life growing up during the apartheid. It was also interesting to read about Trevor Noah's life since he's one of my favorite comedians. The first time I read Born a Crime, I read the ebook, so I decided to listen to the audiobook this time around. If you have a choice between reading it or listening to it, I highly recommend listening to it as Noah reads it himself. He reads each of the African languages and he has a knack for accents so it makes each language and person more real.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

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5.0

My IRL book club chose to read REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES for our January book. I’m so glad we chose it. Otherwise, I might never have read it and I absolutely adored this book.

As soon as I started reading REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, I could tell it was going to suck me right in. I laughed, I cried, and I mostly smiled as I read this heart-warming story of love, loss, grief, and resilience.

REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES is mostly told in a third-person limited POV and a charming first-person POV from Marcellus, the octopus, the star of the book. Marcellus is smart, snarky, a little bit cranky, and a delightful narrator. I especially loved his friendship with Tova, the main human character. Their friendship reminds us, not in a preachy way, that animals know more than they let on and they each have feelings and deserve our kindness and respect.

Besides Marcellus, I loved the cast of characters in REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES. Tova is such a likable person despite being a bit closed off because of her grief. She reminded me a bit of my own grandmother whose family, like Tova’s, immigrated to the US while she was very young.

When I finished REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, I promptly rated it 5 stars on Goodreads. I’m still in awe that this is Van Pelt’s debut and I think her next book has a lot to live up to. I’ll keep a look out for it, though, and make sure it goes straight to the top of my TBR.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry

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5.0

My IRL book club chose to read BOOK LOVERS for our February book. I’m glad we did because I loved it.

The enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes are two of my favorites and BOOK LOVERS didn’t disappoint. The execution of the enemies-to-lovers trope was excellently written, producing a spicy slow-burn romance with some of the best bantering I’ve ever read. The sexual tension between Nora and Charlie is palpable and leaves you wanting for more.

In her author’s note, Emily Henry mentions that she loves watching Hallmark movies. Most of the movies were about some kind of rich, cold business man who leaves the big city to shut down a struggling small business and turn it into a profitable chain location. While the business man’s there, he meets a small-town girl that helps him realize life isn’t all about work or money. He falls in love and decides to stay there, dumping his equally heartless girlfriend in the big city. She said BOOK LOVERS is about her question of does the seemingly heartless ex-girlfriend get her happily ever after?

I love concept of BOOK LOVERS. I love that Nora was successful as a book agent and that she loved living in New York. I love that she loved her authors and worked hard for them. And, I especially love that she didn’t have to compromise her dreams for her happily ever after.

BOOK LOVERS isn’t just a heart-warming romance, it’s also a story with some meat to it. It explores complicated familial relationships, feelings of not fitting in, extreme anxiety, different types of love, loss, and healing. It hit very close to home and is as if Emily Henry wrote about my own feelings of struggling after my mom’s passing. (This isn’t a spoiler as you learn that Nora’s and Libby’s mom passed away in the first chapter.)

I honestly don’t want to say anymore because I don’t want to give anything away. Just know that BOOK LOVERS may be a fun contemporary romance AND it’s so much more! It’s my second 5-star read of the year and I look forward to reading more books by Emily Henry.