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justagirlwithabook's reviews
432 reviews
Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Overview:
A group of long time friends who seem to love the thrill of haunted, ghosty adventures, settle on a Heian-era mansion as the location for one of the existing couple's wedding venue (which has been a childhood dream of the bride-to-be). The friends' individual relationships are already a bit complicated, and after a night of settling in, drinking, eating, and swapping ghost stories, things begin to intensify and reach a terrifying peak. Before the wedding even has begun, the night turns horrifying, and no one will ultimately walk out the mansion the same as they walked in (and in some cases ... fail to walk out at all).
What I loved:
- I loved the Japanese folklore incorporated seamlessly in this story. I kept my phone close and did a lot of translating and Googling as I progressed, and I loved every bit of it!
- I will forever be impressed by authors who can create a strong mood and atmosphere in a short amount of time and just jam-pack what could be a full novel's worth of content into less than even 200 pages. Cassandra Khaw does this so well. There were moments I found myself physically cringing in response to some of the descriptions. This story sets you up with eerie "something's not right" vibes right of the bat and never lets go.
- It's creepy, and it's creepy well-done.
- I could easily see this play out as an hour and a half horror movie on Netflix and it do phenomenally well.
What I didn’t love:
- Honestly, my only complaint is that I wanted MORE of it. I would've been entirely happy with another 100 pages and not even blinked about it.
Overall:
Fantastic Japanese-centered haunted house/horror tale in under 200 pages! It had me feeling creeped out at times, physically repulsed at others, and overall very satisfied. If you're in the mood for a solid creepy tale that won't take too long to read but scratch that horror itch, this one is so worth picking up! I've thrown it in my "favorites of 2021" as I think this one has left me lingering and wishing for more.
A group of long time friends who seem to love the thrill of haunted, ghosty adventures, settle on a Heian-era mansion as the location for one of the existing couple's wedding venue (which has been a childhood dream of the bride-to-be). The friends' individual relationships are already a bit complicated, and after a night of settling in, drinking, eating, and swapping ghost stories, things begin to intensify and reach a terrifying peak. Before the wedding even has begun, the night turns horrifying, and no one will ultimately walk out the mansion the same as they walked in (and in some cases ... fail to walk out at all).
What I loved:
- I loved the Japanese folklore incorporated seamlessly in this story. I kept my phone close and did a lot of translating and Googling as I progressed, and I loved every bit of it!
- I will forever be impressed by authors who can create a strong mood and atmosphere in a short amount of time and just jam-pack what could be a full novel's worth of content into less than even 200 pages. Cassandra Khaw does this so well. There were moments I found myself physically cringing in response to some of the descriptions. This story sets you up with eerie "something's not right" vibes right of the bat and never lets go.
- It's creepy, and it's creepy well-done.
- I could easily see this play out as an hour and a half horror movie on Netflix and it do phenomenally well.
What I didn’t love:
- Honestly, my only complaint is that I wanted MORE of it. I would've been entirely happy with another 100 pages and not even blinked about it.
Overall:
Fantastic Japanese-centered haunted house/horror tale in under 200 pages! It had me feeling creeped out at times, physically repulsed at others, and overall very satisfied. If you're in the mood for a solid creepy tale that won't take too long to read but scratch that horror itch, this one is so worth picking up! I've thrown it in my "favorites of 2021" as I think this one has left me lingering and wishing for more.
Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Overview:
Hugh Standish, Earl of Faredam, is known as a bit of a scoundrel. Hugh is determined to never become like the Standish men who have come before him, who've made terrible husbands, and therefore has settled on remaining a bachelor the rest of his life. His mother, who has settled in America, has entirely different plans for Hugh and wants nothing more than to see him married. In order to keep her at bay, he's come up with a fake fiancée and a story to match that, so far over the two years, has worked to satisfy his mother's expectations. Now, she's on her way over the ocean to finally meet this woman, and Hugh has to scramble to keep the story up. Enter Minerva Merriwell, who over the last few years has found herself raising her two other sisters and trying to keep a roof over their heads. After stumbling across each other, they discover they could mutually benefit from one another's situation: Minerva can act as Hugh's betrothed, while in turn Hugh will offer Minerva a large sum of money, enough to put the Merriwell's in a much better financial position for the future. Will the plan ultimately work?
What I loved:
- There were a handful of side characters that offered up comedic relief at various times, and those parts made me smile and chuckle to myself (a friend of Hugh's hires an actress to act as Minerva's mother, and she's fantastic).
- In a handful of ways, the tone and voice of the story reminded me a bit of The Importance of Being Earnest. A bit witty, a bit quirky and humorous, but also includes a bit of a light love story.
What I didn’t love:
- Minerva and Hugh both weren't that loveable as characters. The side characters were more entertaining, quirky, and loveable.
- I wanted a bit more humor and wit. While there were parts that were humorous and witty, I was expecting more to be there than what there was. Descriptions of the book made it out to be a rolling-on-the-floor rom-com full of "one thing after another" and wit and charm, so I came into the story having high expectations for it to fully deliver in this regard but it fell short.
Overall:
Ultimately, I rate this book at a 3.5 star (for the sake of Netgalley's 5-pointrating system, I've rounded up to a 4-star). A 3-star rating for me is "I didn't love it but a didn't hate it," and I felt that I enjoyed it slightly more than just feeling neutral about it. But at the same time it wasn't a 4-star rating, which for me is "I really enjoyed this but it wasn't an absolute favorite that I could rave for days about." So, the rating falls somewhere in between: decently enjoyable, enough to finish and recommend to others as a light rom-com that has moments of humor and wit, but also not something to really write home about.
Hugh Standish, Earl of Faredam, is known as a bit of a scoundrel. Hugh is determined to never become like the Standish men who have come before him, who've made terrible husbands, and therefore has settled on remaining a bachelor the rest of his life. His mother, who has settled in America, has entirely different plans for Hugh and wants nothing more than to see him married. In order to keep her at bay, he's come up with a fake fiancée and a story to match that, so far over the two years, has worked to satisfy his mother's expectations. Now, she's on her way over the ocean to finally meet this woman, and Hugh has to scramble to keep the story up. Enter Minerva Merriwell, who over the last few years has found herself raising her two other sisters and trying to keep a roof over their heads. After stumbling across each other, they discover they could mutually benefit from one another's situation: Minerva can act as Hugh's betrothed, while in turn Hugh will offer Minerva a large sum of money, enough to put the Merriwell's in a much better financial position for the future. Will the plan ultimately work?
What I loved:
- There were a handful of side characters that offered up comedic relief at various times, and those parts made me smile and chuckle to myself (a friend of Hugh's hires an actress to act as Minerva's mother, and she's fantastic).
- In a handful of ways, the tone and voice of the story reminded me a bit of The Importance of Being Earnest. A bit witty, a bit quirky and humorous, but also includes a bit of a light love story.
What I didn’t love:
- Minerva and Hugh both weren't that loveable as characters. The side characters were more entertaining, quirky, and loveable.
- I wanted a bit more humor and wit. While there were parts that were humorous and witty, I was expecting more to be there than what there was. Descriptions of the book made it out to be a rolling-on-the-floor rom-com full of "one thing after another" and wit and charm, so I came into the story having high expectations for it to fully deliver in this regard but it fell short.
Overall:
Ultimately, I rate this book at a 3.5 star (for the sake of Netgalley's 5-pointrating system, I've rounded up to a 4-star). A 3-star rating for me is "I didn't love it but a didn't hate it," and I felt that I enjoyed it slightly more than just feeling neutral about it. But at the same time it wasn't a 4-star rating, which for me is "I really enjoyed this but it wasn't an absolute favorite that I could rave for days about." So, the rating falls somewhere in between: decently enjoyable, enough to finish and recommend to others as a light rom-com that has moments of humor and wit, but also not something to really write home about.
Frankly in Love by David Yoon
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Made in Korea by Sarah Suk
lighthearted
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
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Verity by Colleen Hoover
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy
What I Didn't Love:
Content Warnings:
Minor: child abuse, cursing, death of a parent, dementia, grief, thoughts of infidelity, medical content, sexism, sexual content, violence
Moderate: mental illness, stalking
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Oh, this book was unputdownable. I recently posted a little blurb about great psychological thrillers on Bookstagram and was given a handful of recommendations back that I immediately added to my TBR; this was one of those books, and it did not disappoint!
This one gets most of its stars (I'd give it a 4-4.5) for the consistent plot twists thrown into the storyline. I fell prey to every kind of assumption the author was likely hoping that readers would fall prey to, so when the twists hit, my eyes got big, my jaw dropped, and I felt like an idiot having made all the assumptions I had. (And then I of course went back to the beginning to rifle through chapters and review the previous information in an entirely new light.)
This book has SO much plot and just enough character that it kept me utterly interested until the very end. As an added nugget, if you're a bit of a horror fan (think Stephen King's <i>Misery</i>), you'll appreciate the nod and will entirely eat this up.
So! To the brief lists:
What I Loved:
This one gets most of its stars (I'd give it a 4-4.5) for the consistent plot twists thrown into the storyline. I fell prey to every kind of assumption the author was likely hoping that readers would fall prey to, so when the twists hit, my eyes got big, my jaw dropped, and I felt like an idiot having made all the assumptions I had. (And then I of course went back to the beginning to rifle through chapters and review the previous information in an entirely new light.)
This book has SO much plot and just enough character that it kept me utterly interested until the very end. As an added nugget, if you're a bit of a horror fan (think Stephen King's <i>Misery</i>), you'll appreciate the nod and will entirely eat this up.
So! To the brief lists:
What I Loved:
- The twists, and not just one huge one but a handful that kept me having to rethink the story and characters that I thought I'd come to know fairly well
- The psychological aspects (a main character who is a therapist and another character who eavesdrops and diagnoses all said therapist's clients)
- The nod to Stephen King's <i>Misery</i> (as well as <i>The West Wing</i> references that came at perfect moments)
- The fast pace (entirely bingeable!)
What I Didn't Love:
- I wish the story had a been a little bit longer just because I wanted more (more twists, more backstories, more sordid details into other characters' lives), but for it being under 300 pages and such a great read, this is really more of a compliment to the author than a complaint!
Content Warnings:
Minor: child abuse, cursing, death of a parent, dementia, grief, thoughts of infidelity, medical content, sexism, sexual content, violence
Moderate: mental illness, stalking
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Stalking
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Sexism, Sexual content, and Violence