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mackenzierm's reviews
1612 reviews
The Broken Heart Playlist by Lara Martin
4.0
Kate is an exceptional food stylist, using a whole slew of tricks to make food look deliciously perfect. She is also the survivor of a brutal marriage and has stylized her life into the perfect façade, hiding her brokenness and loneliness from those closest to her. The sole love of her life is her eight-year-old daughter, Lisset. A handsome stranger moves onto their street and uses his own tricks to charm Kate, slowly breaking down her walls and invading her heart. But Gideon has his own secrets, and if Kate leans into their undeniable attraction, the truth could risk everything they’ve built.
THE BROKEN HEART PLAYLIST features the POV of a single mom and a slow burn romance.
I adored that the book was separated into seasons (winter, spring, and summer) with a short playlist for each. This was such a neat aspect.
I loved seeing Kate’s work as a food stylist and was truly captivated by the tricks she uses to make food look its best. Truly one of the coolest jobs I’ve read a character doing. A special mention to her colleague Joel, who I hope we get to see in a future book with his own HEA.
Kate is a single mom who has been through a difficult marriage and is now, a few years after the fact, still picking up the pieces. I loved the strength of her character, her self-discovery, and relearning how to live and love. Gideon is an absolute gem of a gentleman, as is his dog Uno (who I absolutely adored). I loved how patient, kind, and caring he is. He is protective and knew exactly when to push and retreat with Kate, allowing for the perfect balance between them.
I loved the emotional connection that develops between Gideon and Kate over the course of the story and couldn’t help rooting for them from the beginning. There are some swoon worthy moments with ample amounts of angst and tension as their relationship deepens. The taste testing scene is simply amazing 🥵.
The remaining characters in this book are also excellent. I loved Lisset and the journey she takes as well as the connection she forms with Uno and Gideon – so sweet. I adored seeing Aaron and Tess (main characters from this author’s Phishing for Love) heavily featured within these pages – the love and support they provide for Kate and Lisset is so heartwarming and special.
The ending threw me for a bit of a loop and wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I liked how the author tied it off though.
Regardless, I’ll continue to read anything Lara chooses to write!
Many thanks to the author, Lara Martin, for gifting me an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.
THE BROKEN HEART PLAYLIST features the POV of a single mom and a slow burn romance.
I adored that the book was separated into seasons (winter, spring, and summer) with a short playlist for each. This was such a neat aspect.
I loved seeing Kate’s work as a food stylist and was truly captivated by the tricks she uses to make food look its best. Truly one of the coolest jobs I’ve read a character doing. A special mention to her colleague Joel, who I hope we get to see in a future book with his own HEA.
Kate is a single mom who has been through a difficult marriage and is now, a few years after the fact, still picking up the pieces. I loved the strength of her character, her self-discovery, and relearning how to live and love. Gideon is an absolute gem of a gentleman, as is his dog Uno (who I absolutely adored). I loved how patient, kind, and caring he is. He is protective and knew exactly when to push and retreat with Kate, allowing for the perfect balance between them.
I loved the emotional connection that develops between Gideon and Kate over the course of the story and couldn’t help rooting for them from the beginning. There are some swoon worthy moments with ample amounts of angst and tension as their relationship deepens. The taste testing scene is simply amazing 🥵.
The remaining characters in this book are also excellent. I loved Lisset and the journey she takes as well as the connection she forms with Uno and Gideon – so sweet. I adored seeing Aaron and Tess (main characters from this author’s Phishing for Love) heavily featured within these pages – the love and support they provide for Kate and Lisset is so heartwarming and special.
The ending threw me for a bit of a loop and wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I liked how the author tied it off though.
Regardless, I’ll continue to read anything Lara chooses to write!
Many thanks to the author, Lara Martin, for gifting me an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.
Falling For You by Marissa James
4.0
Avery’s Thanksgiving plans were simple: she was planning to eat a frozen pizza while watching reruns of her favorite show, read, and knit. Her roommate, Caro, wouldn’t hear it and convinced Avery to go home to her parent’s house with her. Avery never expected to run into Caro’s twin brother on Thanksgiving morning though. Thatcher is a man she hasn’t seen for the last 15 years, a man she’s had a crush on since college. It feels like the universe is giving Avery a second chance at love.
FALLING FOR YOU is a Thanksgiving novella ringing in at 131 pages. It’s a super cute and heartfelt read, packing an emotional punch despite its short page length.
I fell in love with Marissa’s writing with her debut novel, Hot Shot, and it’s lovely to see how much her writing continues to develop with each book/novella she publishes.
I loved getting to know Avery and Thatcher through this story. I am a sucker for second chance romances and dual POVs so this one checks all the boxes for me. I also adored that these characters are in their mid30s which is so refreshing to read, with their maturity and knowing what they want/need evident. The characters were well developed and dynamic and I loved seeing their connection and relationship develop. Thatcher gets an A+ for his romantic gestures. There’s also some well-placed, open-door spice.
The epilogue was excellent, and I adored how it tied off this romance neatly. I hope to see a novella featuring Caro and her HEA in the future!
I would like to thank the author, Marissa James, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.
FALLING FOR YOU is a Thanksgiving novella ringing in at 131 pages. It’s a super cute and heartfelt read, packing an emotional punch despite its short page length.
I fell in love with Marissa’s writing with her debut novel, Hot Shot, and it’s lovely to see how much her writing continues to develop with each book/novella she publishes.
I loved getting to know Avery and Thatcher through this story. I am a sucker for second chance romances and dual POVs so this one checks all the boxes for me. I also adored that these characters are in their mid30s which is so refreshing to read, with their maturity and knowing what they want/need evident. The characters were well developed and dynamic and I loved seeing their connection and relationship develop. Thatcher gets an A+ for his romantic gestures. There’s also some well-placed, open-door spice.
The epilogue was excellent, and I adored how it tied off this romance neatly. I hope to see a novella featuring Caro and her HEA in the future!
I would like to thank the author, Marissa James, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.
The September House by Carissa Orlando
4.0
Margaret and Hal bought a large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street for a surprisingly reasonable price. They couldn’t believe their luck…until the hauntings began. Every September, the walls drip blood and ghosts of former inhabitants appear, all of whom are terrified of what lurks in the basement. Margaret refuses to leave because it is her house. After four years, Hal can’t take it and leaves abruptly. But now he’s not returning calls and their daughter Katherine arrives, intent on finding out what happened to her missing father. To make things worse, September has just begun and as Margaret and Katherine search for Hal, the hauntings get more and more harrowing because there are some secrets that the house must keep.
THE SEPTEMBER HOUSE is such a fun and spooky read and was the perfect read to enjoy during spooky season! I chose to read this one as an audiobook and the narration is fantastic.
The setting of THE SEPTEMBER HOUSE has all the right elements to make this a spooky and thrilling read with a Victorian-age house filled with ghosts and other creepy hijinx!
I was quickly invested in the story within the first few minutes of the audiobook. Orlando’s writing style is crisp, creative, beautifully written, and easy to follow. I loved the characters, the plot, and the spooky elements that led to some humorous and some frightening scenarios as the book progressed. Each horror/paranormal element served to up the tension. This is a truly complex story, although easy to understand, with a very interesting (although somewhat unhinged) ending.
What a unique debut 👏🏻
THE SEPTEMBER HOUSE is such a fun and spooky read and was the perfect read to enjoy during spooky season! I chose to read this one as an audiobook and the narration is fantastic.
The setting of THE SEPTEMBER HOUSE has all the right elements to make this a spooky and thrilling read with a Victorian-age house filled with ghosts and other creepy hijinx!
I was quickly invested in the story within the first few minutes of the audiobook. Orlando’s writing style is crisp, creative, beautifully written, and easy to follow. I loved the characters, the plot, and the spooky elements that led to some humorous and some frightening scenarios as the book progressed. Each horror/paranormal element served to up the tension. This is a truly complex story, although easy to understand, with a very interesting (although somewhat unhinged) ending.
What a unique debut 👏🏻
The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic
4.0
When Anna was a child, her memories were sealed away from her conscious mind by a controversial hypnosis treatment. Now Anna is a decorated sheriff’s lieutenant in a rural county, living far away from her father’s shadow. When Anna kills a man in the line of duty, her repressed memories return and she begins to dream of her beloved father with his hands red with blood surrounded by flower-decked corpses that he sacrificed to the forest god. A serial killer emerges, copying the trademark of her father, and who knows who Anna really is. As Anna haunts the forest looking for clues, will she find what she needs most or lose herself in the darkness?
This is such a fantastic debut!
THE HUNTER’S DAUGHTER features Anna as the main character. She is written complexly, is well developed, and with relatable flaws. I was very intrigued to learn more about the traumas she experienced as a child that formed her into the person she is now. I loved the flashes we get into her childhood.
The plot is fast-paced, well-developed, and intriguing with just enough twists and small reveals to keep the story moving forwards and keep the reader guessing as the pieces slowly come together. I had a hunch as to what was to come at the end but ended up being pleasantly surprised!
I really enjoyed the unique horror/magical elements interspersed with the Forest God, making this for a really original thriller!
This is such a fantastic debut!
THE HUNTER’S DAUGHTER features Anna as the main character. She is written complexly, is well developed, and with relatable flaws. I was very intrigued to learn more about the traumas she experienced as a child that formed her into the person she is now. I loved the flashes we get into her childhood.
The plot is fast-paced, well-developed, and intriguing with just enough twists and small reveals to keep the story moving forwards and keep the reader guessing as the pieces slowly come together. I had a hunch as to what was to come at the end but ended up being pleasantly surprised!
I really enjoyed the unique horror/magical elements interspersed with the Forest God, making this for a really original thriller!
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
2.0
Phoebe arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, wearing a green dress and gold heels. She is immediately mistaken in the lobby as being one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall Inn who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe has come to the Inn because it’s been her dream for years to stay here with her husband, only now she’s here without him. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every possible disaster, except for Phoebe, which makes it even more surprising when Phoebe and the bride continually confide in one another.
THE WEDDING PEOPLE is receiving rave reviews but I am not one of them. This is just not my cup of tea shall we say. I can see and appreciate some of the dark, comedic humour shared and while it did elicit a soft chuckle from me from time to time, the story as a whole ended up missing the mark.
I think my biggest issue with the story was moreso structurally – why are the chapters so long? THE WEDDING PEOPLE is told by day over a week span and each chapter is one of those days, but these chapters are very long-winded and winding. I think I would have appreciated it more if the story pertaining to Phoebe’s past would have been separated into its own chapters as flashbacks rather than during the chapter of a specific day of the wedding week. For me, this would have improved the pacing as I felt it was really dragging along within many of the chapters.
As for the characters, the story is told in Phoebe’s POV, and I really didn’t much like her. I couldn’t really connect with her, and I found her to be quite hypocritical in certain circumstances (I won’t say anything further about this as I don’t want to spoil the story). Lila (the bride) was another central character to this story and while she was entertaining to a degree, she was too self-centered for my liking. Overall, the characters aren’t very likable and border on annoying.
No one really talks about this, but please check the trigger warnings as there are some pretty hefty ones right out of the gate. Alas, I am definitely an outlier so take my review with a grain of salt!
THE WEDDING PEOPLE is receiving rave reviews but I am not one of them. This is just not my cup of tea shall we say. I can see and appreciate some of the dark, comedic humour shared and while it did elicit a soft chuckle from me from time to time, the story as a whole ended up missing the mark.
I think my biggest issue with the story was moreso structurally – why are the chapters so long? THE WEDDING PEOPLE is told by day over a week span and each chapter is one of those days, but these chapters are very long-winded and winding. I think I would have appreciated it more if the story pertaining to Phoebe’s past would have been separated into its own chapters as flashbacks rather than during the chapter of a specific day of the wedding week. For me, this would have improved the pacing as I felt it was really dragging along within many of the chapters.
As for the characters, the story is told in Phoebe’s POV, and I really didn’t much like her. I couldn’t really connect with her, and I found her to be quite hypocritical in certain circumstances (I won’t say anything further about this as I don’t want to spoil the story). Lila (the bride) was another central character to this story and while she was entertaining to a degree, she was too self-centered for my liking. Overall, the characters aren’t very likable and border on annoying.
No one really talks about this, but please check the trigger warnings as there are some pretty hefty ones right out of the gate. Alas, I am definitely an outlier so take my review with a grain of salt!
Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
3.0
Jen Weinstein and Lauren Parker are the queens of Fire Island every summer, where they hold sway on the beach and tennis court, in addition to being adept at manipulating others to get what they want. Their husbands, Sam and Jason, have spent their summers on Fire Island since childhood. Rachel is their sole single friend and is looking to meet her match, whether it’s a tennis pro or someone else’s husband. This summer season starts off quietly until a body is discovered, face down off the side of the boardwalk.
BAD SUMMER PEOPLE is set on Fire Island, a popular location for city dwellers to spend their summer in beachside homes. It features a huge cast of characters who each share their POV through the narration of this story. There are so many characters and so many POVs shared that I began to wonder what the point of some of the POVs was as they didn’t really add anything tangible to the story and could have easily been removed without impacting the story.
Each character is unlikeable but they’re certainly interesting to read about, as their poor behaviours lead to entertaining scenarios with drama escalating as the novel progresses.
I have trouble with the idea of this book being labelled as a crime fiction or thriller, because to me it felt more like a domestic drama with some light suspense. I can’t say that I was overly surprised by the big reveal as it was really too easy to put these pieces together from the beginning but it was fun to see the secrets and grudges slowly come to light.
Overall, this is a light and easy debut!
BAD SUMMER PEOPLE is set on Fire Island, a popular location for city dwellers to spend their summer in beachside homes. It features a huge cast of characters who each share their POV through the narration of this story. There are so many characters and so many POVs shared that I began to wonder what the point of some of the POVs was as they didn’t really add anything tangible to the story and could have easily been removed without impacting the story.
Each character is unlikeable but they’re certainly interesting to read about, as their poor behaviours lead to entertaining scenarios with drama escalating as the novel progresses.
I have trouble with the idea of this book being labelled as a crime fiction or thriller, because to me it felt more like a domestic drama with some light suspense. I can’t say that I was overly surprised by the big reveal as it was really too easy to put these pieces together from the beginning but it was fun to see the secrets and grudges slowly come to light.
Overall, this is a light and easy debut!
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
4.0
In 1947, following the aftermath of WWII, Charlie St. Clair, an American college girl, is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her family. She’s also hoping that her cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France, might still be alive. Charlie’s parents banish her to France to take care of her ‘little problem’, which she sees as the perfect opportunity to break free and find out what happened to her cousin. In 1915, Eve wants to join the fight against the Germans and is unexpectedly recruited as a spy and sent to enemy-occupied France where she is trained by Lili, code name Alice, the ‘queen of spies’. Thirty years have passed since Eve’s spy days and she spends most of her time drunk and secluded in her London home until a young American barges in and launches them both on a mission to find the truth.
THE ALICE NETWORK is a highly intriguing story set during WWI about women in espionage. It also features a timeline in 1947, following WWII, where an American woman is searching for a lost cousin.
Eve’s POV was my favorite in this novel – I loved seeing the world of women spies via her lens and the danger that came with it. There’s a lot of tension and anticipation as the story unfolds to reveal what happens to the Alice Network. Charlie’s POV was lacking for me and I truly didn’t love it. Her narrative is set in 1947 where she is searching for what happened to her cousin during WWII. I found her POV to be slow and disruptive to the pacing of the novel as a whole. I did enjoy where Charlie and Eve’s stories overlap, but if I was offered the choice of which POV to stay in – it would be Eve’s.
The audiobook narration is well done and brings the story to life with the many accents used.
THE ALICE NETWORK is a highly intriguing story set during WWI about women in espionage. It also features a timeline in 1947, following WWII, where an American woman is searching for a lost cousin.
Eve’s POV was my favorite in this novel – I loved seeing the world of women spies via her lens and the danger that came with it. There’s a lot of tension and anticipation as the story unfolds to reveal what happens to the Alice Network. Charlie’s POV was lacking for me and I truly didn’t love it. Her narrative is set in 1947 where she is searching for what happened to her cousin during WWII. I found her POV to be slow and disruptive to the pacing of the novel as a whole. I did enjoy where Charlie and Eve’s stories overlap, but if I was offered the choice of which POV to stay in – it would be Eve’s.
The audiobook narration is well done and brings the story to life with the many accents used.
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
4.0
Before dawn, hundreds of men and women are lined up for the opening of a job fair in an American city. It’s cold and foggy, the people are desperate. A lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again, killing eight people and wounding fifteen. The killer escapes. Ex-cop Bill Hodges is haunted by this unsolved crime and is contemplating suicide when he gets a crazed letter from the ‘perk’ claiming credit for the murders. Brady Hartfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house he was born in. He loved the feel of death beneath the Mercedes’ wheels and wants that rush again. Only Bill Hodges with a couple of mismatched allies can prevent the killer from striking again.
MR. MERCEDES is my first Stephen King novel but it certainly won’t be the last. King’s storytelling feels conversational, his characters are interesting and relatable, and his plot easy to follow.
I enjoyed Bill Hodges, a retired detective who is still coming to terms with his life as a retiree. He’s a bit melancholic as he contemplates ending his life. The remaining characters who are central to this story: Pete, Jerome, and Holly, are unique, well-written, and characters I want to get to know better, so I hope we get to see them in future installments of this trilogy.
The plot is somewhat of a typical mystery, one where the reader knows whodunnit but the main character does not. I loved the investigative prowess that Hodges’ exhibits working alongside his newfound allies. The ending was well-written with ample tension and suspense, leaving me figuratively biting my nails in anticipation, hoping against all hope, that Hodges would put all the pieces together in time.
The last few pages left me intrigued and I will absolutely be picking up the next two books in this trilogy soon!
MR. MERCEDES is my first Stephen King novel but it certainly won’t be the last. King’s storytelling feels conversational, his characters are interesting and relatable, and his plot easy to follow.
I enjoyed Bill Hodges, a retired detective who is still coming to terms with his life as a retiree. He’s a bit melancholic as he contemplates ending his life. The remaining characters who are central to this story: Pete, Jerome, and Holly, are unique, well-written, and characters I want to get to know better, so I hope we get to see them in future installments of this trilogy.
The plot is somewhat of a typical mystery, one where the reader knows whodunnit but the main character does not. I loved the investigative prowess that Hodges’ exhibits working alongside his newfound allies. The ending was well-written with ample tension and suspense, leaving me figuratively biting my nails in anticipation, hoping against all hope, that Hodges would put all the pieces together in time.
The last few pages left me intrigued and I will absolutely be picking up the next two books in this trilogy soon!
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
4.0
Eva never really wanted to be a mother, especially not the mother to an unlovable boy who murdered seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker, and a much-adored teacher two days before his sixteenth birthday. Two years after this event, Eva is still trying to come to terms with her marriage, family, parenting, and Kevin’s horrific rampage through a series of letters to her estranged husband, Franklin.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is a disturbing and chilling story. It’s also incredibly well crafted and compelling, leaving it hard to put down. It’s a novel that will leave you thinking about it long after it is over.
The novel is written in a series of letters from Eva to her estranged husband. The plot has a slow and careful build up to the climax, which will leave you shaken, although possibly unsurprised. I wasn’t surprised, but I was horrified and heartbroken.
This is a dark and ugly story but leaves much food for thought. The characters are well crafted, complex, and not wholly likable – they’re all truly horrible in their own ways. This makes it hard to root for any of them, nor really put yourself in one camp or another.
I’d highly recommend it but do be warned it is a heavy, devastating, and taxing read so do check the triggers.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is a disturbing and chilling story. It’s also incredibly well crafted and compelling, leaving it hard to put down. It’s a novel that will leave you thinking about it long after it is over.
The novel is written in a series of letters from Eva to her estranged husband. The plot has a slow and careful build up to the climax, which will leave you shaken, although possibly unsurprised. I wasn’t surprised, but I was horrified and heartbroken.
This is a dark and ugly story but leaves much food for thought. The characters are well crafted, complex, and not wholly likable – they’re all truly horrible in their own ways. This makes it hard to root for any of them, nor really put yourself in one camp or another.
I’d highly recommend it but do be warned it is a heavy, devastating, and taxing read so do check the triggers.
Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting
4.0
London has just broken up with her boyfriend and is not in the mood to be hit on, especially not when she’s out celebrating her single status with her sisters. An attractive man pays for their drinks and slips London his number, she hands it right back with a “thanks, but no thanks”. London is the business administrator for their family’s event hotel, the Spark House, and is searching for new clientele. A few months later, a multimillion-dollar company calls seeking a potential partnership and London is eager to prove to herself and her sisters that she can make this deal. The company’s CEO walks in during her presentation, leaving London surprised to find that it’s the same guy she turned down at the bar. As they begin to spend more time together, their working relationship blossoms into something more.
STARRY-EYED LOVE is the first novel I’ve read by this author and despite it being the second in the Spark House series, it is easily enjoyed as a standalone. I really enjoyed Hunting’s writing style and will be checking out her other books soon!
I loved the premise, cute setting, and adorable characters within this novel. I enjoyed the look at balancing a business and family/life. I think this was more of a slow burn but it was definitely worth the wait!
London and Jackson were so cute together with excellent chemistry. The spice was well-written. I really enjoyed seeing how supportive Jackson was of London from early on. The epilogue was so sweet and the perfect end to this story!
STARRY-EYED LOVE is the first novel I’ve read by this author and despite it being the second in the Spark House series, it is easily enjoyed as a standalone. I really enjoyed Hunting’s writing style and will be checking out her other books soon!
I loved the premise, cute setting, and adorable characters within this novel. I enjoyed the look at balancing a business and family/life. I think this was more of a slow burn but it was definitely worth the wait!
London and Jackson were so cute together with excellent chemistry. The spice was well-written. I really enjoyed seeing how supportive Jackson was of London from early on. The epilogue was so sweet and the perfect end to this story!