olivialoverderheinheimer's reviews
338 reviews

The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A significant amount better than book 1, so much more happens and everything is more exciting and fast paced.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I was really intrigued by the concept and overall enjoyed the book but it was really slow to start, it was hard to get into and didn’t pick up until like 3/4 in. The slowest I’ve read a book all year. The ending was much more riveting and I’m hoping the second book stays on pace with that. 

I think the main reason I even finished the book was because of the flash forwards and wanting to know how she gets to that point. If it wasn’t for those I don’t think I could have finished this. 

What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline

emotional mysterious 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

4.0

You get hooked right from the beginning with this one, a twist from the start I didn’t expect. More twists along the way some expected, some unexpected, some realistic, some far fetched. I had a hard time putting this book down either way, I just had to know how deep the story went. 

The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre

emotional funny reflective medium-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? Yes

4.0

I love St. Claire! This town is just full of magic and so many people looking for love. This cast of characters is loveable and it’s heartwarming to see them find their family. 

Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

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

4.0

This was a pretty fun read, it was a bit slow in the build of the relationship and had a little more sexism than I would have liked but the MCs were good and Carter was a good guy who did his best to not let Evie be treated like shit by Brad. 

Dear Child by Romy Hausmann

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

3.5

I was really expecting something more thrilling and chilling, the first few chapters were and the last few chapters were but the middle of the book felt more like an example of three people dealing with their own emotional distress. 

I think the book would have been more thrilling if we knew from the beginning the captor was still alive, up until the last 50 pages we thought he and the threat were dead. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Murder, Child death, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Medical trauma

Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena

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? It's complicated

3.75

This was a good fast paced mystery for the first 60% of the book, constantly keeping you guessing and not knowing who to believe or what could have happened to Avery. Then once the big twist was revealed it all came to a halt and felt unrealistic.

Avery being the “mastermind” behind the whole thing felt very much like the Netflix show “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window” basically a total goof.

 
I partly enjoyed the ending cause it felt like a good form of justice but kind of wished we got to see more of the fallout. 

The Club by Ellery Lloyd

dark mysterious slow-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

2.5

This wasn’t very mysterious or thrilling. The characters were hard to like and I didn’t care when they went missing or died. The writing concept of multiple narrators and some of the story being told from a magazine article was an interesting concept with very little success. It mostly felt like a book about selfish celebrities thinking they are above everyone else and what it’s like to own a hotel.

From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoy the world of Thistle Grove, it’s just such a fun witchy town that I really wish I could visit. 
It was great getting to know Rowan more in this book and Issa was a great character to follow, I felt like she was a character I really related too. The romance felt like it could have had a better build but ultimately they seem like a couple that would work.  

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

funny hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.5

I was not a fan of this story at all. The first and biggest is that Jordan is the worst, she is not likable at all.

the only reason I kind of forgave her bad attitude was because we thought her wife was dead but turns out she  was alive and well and Jordan had gotten dumped. Second she is the one who pushed Astrid to take credit for the design and then didn’t ever defend Astrid for that. She kind of let everyone think Astrid too the credit on her own. Like wtf?

The only reason I kept going was to see if Jordan got any better and she honestly didn’t really. I just can’t understand how Astrid was okay with being with Jordan after she treated her so poorly. Astrid was her own problem too, she always fell kind of flat to me, like her only personality trait was not knowing who she is and had no more dimension.