marekcornett's reviews
766 reviews

The Last Love Note by Emma Grey

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This was a tough read to start after a family member passed away far too young. Seeing the heartbreak ripple throughout the family was incredibly hard to read, but this is also a story of second chances. It’s a beautiful story. 
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The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

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dark mysterious tense medium-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

Pulse-pounding with twists strewn throughout. It starts off with a simple, “huh, something is amiss,” but quickly devolves into a much richer story.
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Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

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emotional funny reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The author did a great job walking us through these three days while balancing the past vignettes to give us context. Very quick but emotional read.
The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Had potential, but fell short. The characters weren’t fully realized, the main twist was revealed super early so the rest of the book, I was left waiting for the next big thing. And, you guessed it, it didn’t deliver. 
The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

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hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

There was a lot of potential for me with this one,  but it just fell flat. I loved the stories weaving together, but I didn’t love the characters so it was hard for me to connect. To be fair, I think a few of the characters were supposed to be hard to love.
Tilt by Emma Pattee

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

5.0

I’m not generally a dystopian novel fan, but this one has been second guessing that. Beautifully written, fully immersive, terrifying. 
The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

There’s nothing more disappointing than figuring out the plot within the first 20% & then reading the rest to find out if you’re right. 
When She Returned by Lucinda Berry

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Exactly the type of thriller I love: fast-paced, hits keep coming while I’m grasping for how it’s going to end, and then BAM! A twist you never saw coming. Loved it! 
We Are Watching by Alison Gaylin

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

4.0

This one is dark, boarding on dystopian. What would you do if everyone thought YOU and your family were the harbingers of the end of the world? This one gets wild with plenty of twists. Very easy to binge, too! 
Crush by Ada Calhoun

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emotional funny informative reflective medium-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? No

3.75

I’ll start by saying this novel isn’t for everyone. It takes on the line between poly vs. cheating. The writing feels very honest and hilarious at times, but it fell just a tad bit short for me in the end.