marekcornett's reviews
759 reviews

Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.

I really enjoyed her first book, but I couldn't get into this one. While I'm all for learning new things while reading, it went SO hard into the art world that I felt like I wasn't going to be able to connect with the characters as that was their sole personality trait to kick off the book. If it had been a gentler intro to the characters so we could learn more about them than their passions, I think I would have stuck around.

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews

funny hopeful mysterious medium-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? No

4.0

I read Mary Kay Andrews' Christmas books each holiday season and really enjoy her writing style! I hadn't read any of her traditional mysteries, so I was excited to add this one to the list. The book was lively, the characters were interesting and there were twists I wasn't expecting. That said, there were very few tense parts, so it felt more like a lighthearted mystery (several mysteries, actually!).  Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this prior to publishing! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Minor: Infidelity

Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

If you like “thrillers” where everything happens in the last 10 pages, this will be great for you. 

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

emotional funny mysterious reflective 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

5.0

What a fascinating premise! Really enjoyed this one. The first half of the book is very light-hearted and fun, but the second half is much more reflective. Really beautiful story, and I can’t wait for my book club to talk about it! 

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

If you enjoy classic whodunit novels with a main character who loves breaking the fourth wall, this one is for you. I had a hard time connecting with the main character to begin, but that didn't keep me from being heavily invested in this murder mystery. This book is cheeky, had several misdirections and ultimately a fun ending that points to the plot of the second book in the series. 

Readers who enjoyed Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone will enjoy this one, perhaps even more! 

Special thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the option to read this book in advance of publication in return for honest feedback.

One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy

emotional funny informative reflective fast-paced

A fun trip down memory lane with something that can be summarized as our collective history (if you’re a female millennial). So many times I audibly said, “Yes! I remember that!!” Fun read that also gets into some really tough topics like our generation’s obsession with weight loss, general misogyny with the things girls are expected to like but then chastised for liking, and infertility challenges. 

She's Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

adventurous 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? No

4.5

What a ride! About 150 pages from the end, I couldn’t put it down. Was completely taken back by one of the twists but there were a couple that didn’t land as hard-hitting. All around great read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Suicide attempt

Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal-Moura

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I’m sure this book will be an absolute hit for some, but it wasn’t for me. It was too wordy, and I often found myself saying, “just get to the point!” Given that it’s a short book to begin with, that’s not something you expect to think. It felt like a nod to an imbalance in power dynamics until the last 5% of the book when it finally hit head-on. Didn’t care for the pace of this one at all. 

Good Material by Dolly Alderton

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? No

4.5

A great traipse through the shambles of a breakup. A comedian (him) and a business exec (her) fall apart and then truly fall apart. Loved Alderton’s writing and the perspectives of the characters.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

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

3.0

I’m a huge thriller fan, and I just kept waiting for the twist(s). By the 80% part of the book, I was still waiting for the twist and was pretty sure I’d figured it out. It wasn’t until the last chapter that I finally got a taste of excitement, and it was too little, too late, unfortunately.  I might even classify this as a mystery over a thriller because it’s never very tense. It’s very dark, and there is a lot of child abuse involved, so brace yourself if you decide to dive in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Child death