juanat77's reviews
163 reviews

Green Dot by Madeleine Gray

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
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The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander by Denny S. Bryce

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The story takes place in Connecticut. My home state. So it was fun to see so many references to places especially Beardsley Park which is not far from where I live. It is told from dual POVs. One by Joanna who cooks, cleans and takes cares of the children while Leo seems to be oblivious to it all and the other POV is by Piper who recently moved from the West Coast to start over and wants to do that with Leo and his children. 

Little by little Piper “steals” the children from Joanna who refuses to give up. However this does send her spiraling making it difficult to gain access back to the children. 

Wow. The twist in this book. I had no clue. I can usually guess what it is or at least be a bit close. I wasn’t. At all. I actually had to go back and re-read that page. This is the fastest I’ve read a Liv Constantine book. They are one of my favorite thriller writers!  Highly highly recommend!! 

And don’t miss the TV movie adaptation on the Lifetime network on March 29!! It’s already on my calendar!! 

5 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Say a Little Prayer by Jenna Voris

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emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Say a Little Prayer is a Young Adult book for gay kids who are made to feel like being gay is a sin. Riley is an angry teen who is kicked out of church for this “sin” by Pastor Young who is known for excommunicating parishioners if they don’t follow his rules. After an altercation at school Riley’s punishment is to attend church camp which is run by Pastor Young. Riley does not make the best choices during camp. To complicate matters she has a crush on the Pastor’s daughter. At a time when teens are exploring and growing they are limited and controlled by the church.  Riley brings adventure and fun to the camp while also learning she has more in common with her peers than she thought. 

This is a well written emotional but also humorous book. The author was able to flawlessly include human rights and differing beliefs while also keeping it light with wit and Taylor Swift references. Riley’s character develops so well and strongly throughout the book and learns to embrace kindness and values. 

I attended Catholic school most of my life so I related to the strict rules and the close-mindedness of certain subjects. This book is so relatable on so many different levels I couldn’t recommend it enough! 

Four stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Jenna Voris and Penguin Teen for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wanted to read a Romantasy with less raciness compared to others. I received a YA recommendation of The Sacred Stones Trilogy. I went through the first book pretty quickly. 

Fast paced. Enemies to lovers. Magic. Fae. Secrets. Sassy banter. Dragons. 

In the midst of a war, a young healer (Arwen) exchanges her life to protect her brother’s. She is to work as a healer for the rest of her life at the Kingdom of Onyx. As you can imagine she connects with the ruthless King though not easily. Arwen is a very believable character. Besides showing her bravery she also shows her fear. She makes mistakes. In the beginning she is pretty naive but as the war progresses her character strengthens. Physically and emotionally. 

The world building was crafted really well. The author did a phenomenal job of explaining the history of the fae and the how the magical system worked. 

Btw—I did not see the twist coming at the end of book one. Love how it was handled. It’s set up very well for the sequel. 

I’m surprised this book isn’t talked about more!

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is my second Finlay Donovan book but it is the fifth in a series. Even though I did not read two through four I was still able to follow the story. The author did a great job with recaps. 

Finlay Donovan is a divorcee with two children. She is also an author AND an amateur sleuth with her cohort Vero. From start to finish the story is entertaining, suspenseful and hilarious. And Finlay’s children are a riot! There was not one dull moment. Very quick read. And that cliffhanger!! 

Going to have to catch up with the other three books in the series so I can get more Finlay laughs! 

4 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgally @ellecosimano and @ for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 
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Together We Will Go by J. Michael Straczynski

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

WOW! If I could give this 10 stars I would! You know what….I will!! This book is not for everyone. It has heavy themes of depression, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, suicide and assisted suicide. So if that’s a trigger I would be wary. I’ve had mental health issues most of my life and the way this was handled was beautiful to me. Together we will go is an engrossing, honest, hilarious, dark, heart-wrenching, joyful, powerful and suspenseful read. 

Quick synopsis. A man, Mark, hires someone to drive a bus cross country picking up people from different stops. These people answered an ad about going on a bus trip through the country and ending it in a final farewell over a cliff. The journey is for those only serious about suicide. Waivers and such have to signed. As you can imagine many diverse people come together on this bus. Interesting adventures and mishaps are had! We get to learn about each character and what brought them to the bus and to the journey. 

As I said I would not recommend this book to just anyone. People obviously interpret it different ways. I thought it was beautiful. I thought it was handled so well. I love how the humor was spot on. The story was really about living. And loving. And being understood. Being seen. Finding the right people in your life, whether friends or loves, because there is always right people in your life somewhere. 

10/5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Leftover Woman follows two woman. One is Jasmine Yang who runs away from an abusive husband and her homeland to a new life in the states. She starts her life as a paperless immigrant working at an underground strip club.

The other woman is Rebecca Whitney, a white privileged wealthy woman married to a handsome intelligent professor with an adopted Chinese daughter and live in nanny. 

Though both did display a bit of self centeredness they dominated with strength and perseverance. They have such different lives but soon their worlds intersect. Jean Kwok gives layers to this story not just as a family drama but also as a mystery thriller. It is done really well. 

One of my favorite quotes in the story:

“….I made the mistake of losing you once. I won’t do that again. When you love the house, you must love the crows on the roof as well.”

It is a novel of culture, motherhood and class. Thought-provoking. Character and plot driven. Raw emotion. Fast paced. An eye opener on the one child China policy. 

Eager to read what’s next for Jean Kwok!

4 stars! ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Three Days in June follows 61 year old socially inept Gail Baines for three days: the day before her daughter’s wedding, the day of and the day after. She is passed up for a promotion at work, her ex husband shows up with a cat to stay the weekend and her daughter faces a challenge with her upcoming nuptials. Gail is very aware of her lack of social skills and how it affects her work and personal life. The weekend forces her to re-evaluate her life, the changes and her vulnerabilities.

In under 200 pages Anne Tyler was able to explore well developed thoughtful characters balancing humor and emotional depth with a bittersweet ending. 

4 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley and @aaknopf for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Change of Heart by Falon Ballard

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Banter. Romance. Magical realism. I’m here for it! I have to say this is my favorite Falon Ballard book! It captured my attention from page one and did not stop until the last page. The FMC, Cam, is hilarious. She is the kind of character you don’t usually read in books. She actually sounds like a couple of my friends lol. Cam is developed very well throughout the story. Loved the banter between Cam and the MMC Ben. Also as always my favorite: NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP!!! It is Open Door which is not my cup of tea but I did over look it because I enjoyed the rest of the story so much. 

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley @falonballard and @putnambooks for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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