mlsweeten's reviews
229 reviews

Holly by Stephen King

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

3.5

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

adventurous mysterious medium-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

3.5

Very unique and I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like this before. It had a lot of characters and was a bit hard to keep track of what was going on. 

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.5

I liked this one a lot. I sympathized with Cora and found it realistic that her attitudes on certain issues would change over her lifetime.  I kind of think the last part of the book went on too long, or the book should have ended before it did. Louise was cruel but a complex self-destructive person.  Her mother was a hard character to tolerate. 

Christmas Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke

lighthearted medium-paced

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

1.5

This is mainly a dessert cookbook with a flimsy mystery used to introduce each recipe. I thought I liked cozy mysteries but this was too cozy, and short on mystery. There is a man with amnesia, but the biggest mystery is how these people can eat so much sugar. This book was not for me. I hope, at least, the recipes are good.

Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by Maureen Johnson, John Green, Lauren Myracle

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach

challenging informative slow-paced

3.75

Admittedly I don’t read much non-fiction. I expected this book to be more funny stories of wildlife and human interaction. She describes a lot of scientific research that was a bit too much information for me. Parts were interesting but much of it was probably meant more for a person who has an interest in animal control and conservation. 

Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes

hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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? Yes

3.75

It was exactly what I wanted from a little Christmas romance book. Predictable, but Vermont sounds beautiful. Fletcher finally grew a backbone. Lola could have used more supervision by her father. I found that odd. 

The Widow's Christmas Surprise by Jenna Jaxon

hopeful lighthearted tense 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

3.75

I enjoyed this book more than I expected.  It wasn’t a syrupy romance and the villains made the storyline more exciting. I liked Hugh and Maria. At times I found Jane a bit overbearing. Also at the beginning it described Maria as having “amber colored eyes wide and bright” but later as “blue eyes sparkling.” The details needed to be more consistent. 

The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? No

4.0

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

adventurous emotional sad 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

4.25