middleagedbookworm's reviews
139 reviews

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.25

Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

Disclaimer: I don’t compare these types of books to any other genre… like lit fic, etc. I only compare spicy romance to other spicy romance… and this one is almost perfect. The spice is 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 and there are some really cute moments and the dialogue is perfect… but I took off 1/4 ⭐️ for some pretty corny parts. And this must be a “me” issue because many of the parts I found 🌽 were the most highlighted by other readers, soooo…. Maybe I have a heart of stone or something. They just make me cringe. Anyways, this is one of Elsie Silvers best, and if you like her, you will love this!

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A new all time favorite book. ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Play Along by Liz Tomforde

fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

*For the type of book this is… spicy contemporary romance, it’s really good. Granted, it is not a literary masterpiece in any sense of the word. Also not my genre of choice… I use these as more of a palate cleanser.  I have been reading some heavier topic novel’s lately. That being said, I loved Isaiah and I loved the spice. It’s also compulsively readable.  

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley, Riley Keough

dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I absolutely loved this novella. I loved the writing, the sparse bits of humor, and the disturbing content. I just loved everything about it… whatever that says about me. Maybe a bit predictable, but I was still there for the ride. So much fun!! 

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

3.0

Not my cuppa tea. I’m sorry! I know this is a beloved novella, with some deep feelings and a strong feminist voice, but it was just too slow and depressing for me… also, I do not like an ambiguous ending. I like finality or close to it. 

The Only One Left: A Novel by Riley Sager

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

One of Our Own by Lucinda Berry

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.75

This was my first Lucinda Berry. I knew nothing going into this audiobook, other than one of my fave YouTubers highly recommended it. I was expecting more of a thriller, but I would categorize this as a psychological drama with a thriller undertone? It was a story with actual psychological principles and insights. I loved that aspect of it because the author is a psychologist and she knows what she’s talking about. The thoughts and reflections that the mother in the story has are extremely relatable. Overall, a chilling and emotional story. 

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0