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notesbynnenna's Reviews (513)
The hype is real for this one! I’ve been meaning to read this for ages and this is my third TJR book.
This was a fun read and once we really got into Evelyn’s story, I was fully engrossed. It was fascinating and juicy and I loved the setting of Hollywood from the 50s onward. I’m just now realizing that TJR likes to write about famous people and I think she does it well. I loved that Evelyn was a flawed character, ambitious and ruthless. Despite her flaws and her mistakes, I sympathized with her and I felt like I understood her.
I was less interested in Monique’s story, however, and unsure about the decision to make her a biracial character as I tried to determine what it added to the story. The topics of race and identity were brought up a few times for both Evelyn and Monique, but I thought they were barely explored, and I wished TJR had gone deeper on those themes.
I’m glad I finally read this one as I’ve been very curious about it, and it was an enjoyable read. And for the three TJR books I’ve read, here’s my ranking from fave to least fave: DAISY JONES & THE SIX, THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO, and MALIBU RISING.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Ahhhh, I loved this warm, charming and sweet book! Between this book and her debut last year, Denise Williams has become an auto-buy author for me.
I thought the way that Williams wrote about body image and wellness and fitness was so well done and relatable. I think so many of us have complicated relationships with our bodies, and seeing a character have some of those same feelings made me feel less alone. Also, her Author’s Note at the beginning set the scene perfectly while providing content warnings, so definitely check that out for any triggers. She tackles some heavy subjects in this book, such as addiction and eating disorders, and I thought she wrote about those topics carefully and gracefully.
Britta, our main character, was so fun. I loved her confidence and vulnerability, and she sounded like someone I’d want to be friends with. And I enjoyed the way that the relationship between her and Wes developed over time (including multiple swoon-worthy moments!). With the tension however, I have to say that I didn’t fully understand what the stakes were until towards the end of the book. When I did, I realized that the characters had taken some pretty big risks and made some pretty bad decisions. And really, Wes didn’t read any of her articles that whole time?! There definitely was a lack of communication going on here, but those are my minor complaints.
For me, this was such an enjoyable romance read with wonderful depth, and I’d highly recommend it.
This was a solid sequel and I enjoyed delving back into this mystery. I didn’t love this book quite as much as the first, but that’s not too surprising to me given that it’s the second book in a series. I did feel that the beginning had a bit too much recap/repetition for me. I think because I’d read the first book pretty recently, the story was still pretty fresh in my head, so that feeling might be pretty specific to my reading experience.
I still don’t understand the relationship between Stevie and David and why they’re attracted to each other. But I do like that the author explores the tension between Stevie’s feelings for David and her feelings about his father. Is the son tainted by the sins of his father?
The ending was so exciting and I’m still so invested in the Ellingham case. I had so many questions at the end and I’m looking forward to reading the third book and finding out how this case wraps up!
Thank you to LibroFM for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
This was on my list of books that I really wanted to read in 2021, so I decided to make it a priority for Nonfiction November. I listened to the audiobook and it was just as wonderful as everyone said it would.
Thomas writes about coming into his identity as a gay Black man. He described his childhood and his journey of figuring out who he was, who he wanted to be, and what he wanted his life to look like. He also writes about religion and faith and the tension between the institution of Christianity and his sexual orientation.
I loved his writing and his voice. He is truly hilarious, as in, I was actually laughing out loud at various points! I really enjoyed hearing about his life and you can now officially count me as an R. Eric Thomas fan.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this debut thriller! I feel like only a small portion of the mystery/thrillers I’ve read have been written by Black authors, so when @zakiyadalilaharris told me about this one, I immediately put it on my list.
When Ellice discovers her white boss (who she was having an affair with) dead in his office, she panics and leaves him there for someone else to find. She’s running from a dark past and is afraid that all her secrets will come to light, and her carefully crafted life will dissolve into shambles. But after that day, her life will never be the same and she starts to realize that maybe she can’t outrun her past forever.
I thought Ellice was a great character. She definitely has her flaws, which makes her feel very human, but she’s also smart and capable. Ellice is often the only Black person in the room and she deals with both racism and sexism: microaggressions, coded language, and outright threats. From the beginning, I was highly suspicious of the situation and I had a feeling that bad things were going to happen (I mean, duh, it’s a thriller, but I could really feel that little pit of dread in my stomach).
Maybe it was a little slow in terms of pacing in the first half, but then I felt like I absolutely raced through the second half. I was intrigued and engaged by the story the whole way through and I think I was holding my breath towards the end! The chapters are relatively short, particularly the flashbacks to her past. I really wanted to know what happened in her past and what she was running away from.
Some truly wild and difficult things happen in this book, so definitely check out trigger warnings before reading if needed. If you’re looking for an engaging and tense thriller that you won’t want to put down, I would recommend this one.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I was really looking forward to this book because I loved her first novel, GRACE, but sadly this book wasn’t for me.
It’s difficult to describe what it’s about. Looking back at the synopsis of the book, I think the plot summary is actually a lot more straightforward than the story actually is. I wouldn’t say that it’s plot driven because not much happens until the very end. Perhaps it was more character-driven, but given that our main character is a person who has lived many lives, it was hard to get a grasp on their many selves.
This book is a mix of historical, literary, and speculative fiction, but those elements didn’t fully come together for me. I think the book was ambitious and tried to tackle a lot, but I found it most compelling when it focused on the story of Lou. Lou is a Black woman working as a reporter for the LA Times in the 1930s and of course she has to contend with both racism and sexism. In fact, the synopsis says she’s the first Black female journalist, but I don’t think that’s really highlighted in the story. It was interesting to read about the City of Angels in the 1930s because usually I’m reading about contemporary LA.
I would definitely read another book by Deón because I do think she’s a good writer, it was just that I was not the right reader for this particular book.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I’ve wanted to read this book for years and then I told myself that I had to read it before the movie comes out in November. It’s a quick read and I was invested from start to finish.
Clare is such a fascinating character because her only allegiance is to herself. Her ability to persuade and manipulate and get exactly what she wants seems unparalleled. But it’s a very dangerous life she’s living. I think at one point, Irene says that Clare is living on the edge, which is very true. She’s living a double life and trying to straddle two identities, white and Black.
And then you have the relationship between Irene and Clare. Irene is captivated by Clare, but she also disapproves of her. She doesn’t agree with Clare’s lifestyle, but she also assists her with maintaining that lifestyle. Irene struggles with her contradictory feelings since she also feels a duty and loyalty to Clare because of their race and past history. Irene herself also “passes,” but only in selective moments.
It was so interesting to see these Black women living what seemed to be quite a glamorous lifestyle in the 1920s. They seemed to travel often and I recall some designer names being mentioned. It stood out to me because I don’t think I’ve read about Black women being glamorous in this time period before.
As I was reading, a feeling of dread was building up in me. There’s a scene that takes place when some characters are having tea together that had me gasping! Larsen writes about race and identity and the methods that people utilize to survive and/or get ahead in this world. There is so much tension in this book and I’m excited to see how that plays out on the screen. I loved the writing and the drama of this story and now I really cannot wait to see the movie!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Ok, so I’ve just finished the book and I’m trying to figure out why Emmy would leave and not come back for five years (even though I know exactly why) because Thistle Grove sounds like an absolutely magical and wonderful place. Someone take me to Thistle Grove!
There was a lot that I enjoyed about this novel, such as the relationship between Emmy and her best friend, Lin. Their friendship seemed really special and there was a scene where they were talking about how their friendship had changed that felt very real. I also loved the development of the relationship between Emmy and Talia. Talia just seemed like the coolest (edgy on the surface, but a romantic at heart) and I was rooting for the two of them.
I also related to Emmy and some of her feelings about her family. At one point, she talks about how her family didn’t really delve into FEELINGS and I experience that tug of recognition as I’ve had similar thoughts about my own family. She feels weighed down and limited by her family’s legacy and I get that. More than the romance actually, I felt this book is about Emmy coming to terms with her family’s legacy, confronting her past, and realizing where she wants to put down roots. And a big part of the book is the fun stuff- getting revenge on her terrible ex!
Emmy had a really strong voice from the beginning, quite wry and sarcastic, which I really enjoyed. I think at one point she says something like, “damn, this ghost service is on point” and I cracked up! But, I did think that the author’s writing style was perhaps a bit too wordy for my taste. It felt to me like a thesaurus was consulted often and a lot of words were thrown in and then repeated. I think the writing did distract me from the story sometimes and kept me at a bit of distance.
I have been very on theme this month and this book is a great choice for this season. I enjoyed it and think it would be really fun to see certain scenes play out on the screen (such as the magical competition)!
I’ve been wanting to read this series ever since I saw Taryn and Taylor raving about it last year! And since it’s a mystery, I thought it would be perfect for this time of year, and I was right.
I really enjoyed TRULY DEVIOUS! I loved stepping into the world of Ellingham Academy, the private and nontraditional school that the main character, Stevie, attends. I thought the setting was so atmospheric, with this unconventional school remotely located up in the mountains and surrounded by the woods.
I also thought the mystery was really compelling. I really wanted to know more about the tragic history of Albert Ellingham, who founded the school, and his family. The book flashes back and forth between the past and the present and I thought it was great to be able to read perspectives from characters in the past as well.
Stevie is my kind of character- super smart and a little bit weird. The author explored the theme of belonging and wanting to fit in, which I thought was very relatable, especially at that age. I will say that I wasn’t quite on board with the relationship between Stevie and one of the other characters yet, but I’m curious to see where it goes in the next book.
This was such a fun and engaging read that’s perfect for fall. I definitely want to continue the series and I’m desperate to know what happened to the Ellinghams!
Congrats to this book for 100% creeping me out! I mean, I am a scaredy cat, so take this with a grain of salt. But at one point, I was reading it at night and it was getting scary and I could feel myself tensing up. I was like, nah, I have to put this down, before I give myself nightmares! And y’all, the ending of this book had me STRESSED.
I loved the setup from the beginning. They’re the new family in town and they’re moving into an area that’s abandoned, but that people are trying to revitalize. Their new neighbors are not the most welcoming. The construction workers that are renovating their house can’t seem to get out of there fast enough at the end of the day. It’s all very weird!
Jackson establishes the tension right away and then it just builds and builds and builds. This book reminded me of WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING. I don’t want to give spoilers, so I won’t get into it too much, but the gentrification angle made that story especially insidious to me, and I got that same feeling when I was reading this book. It’s a horror story that’s grounded in real world issues, such as the war on drugs and mass incarceration, and I’m discovering that that is my jam.
The way she crafts a story is just SO good. You’ve got great characters that you’re rooting for (I loved the sister/brother relationship between Marigold and Sammy) and a great plot. And then for like the last 25 or so pages, I felt like I was holding my breath. She just leaves us on this cliffhanger and she’s said there will not be a sequel (!!!), but you know, I’m not mad at the ending.
This was my second Tiffany D. Jackson book and it’s definitely my goal to read all of her books at some point because I just love the way she tells a story.