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662 reviews
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
3.0
3.5 stars!
Summary
A group of friends travels to the Scottish Highlands for their early New Years Eve reunion. They've been friends since college and have been making these trips for 10 years. But this year feels different. Years of secrets and resentments are causing the group to fracture. When a massive blizzard hits, the group is stranded at the lodge.
Now one of them is dead... and another of them did it.
Overview
This is told in 4 POVs - 1 in present day, and 3 leading up to the murder. Eventually the timelines converge as the mystery is revealed.
This is a very classic feeling mystery! If you're a fan of Agatha Christie, or An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lepena, this book will be right up your alley.
Content Warnings: A lot of these are spoilers and may spoil 1 or more of the reveals.
What I Liked
1. This book was wonderfully atmospheric. The isolated lodge added so much tension and mystery to the story. I love a good isolated setting in mystery/thrillers and this one was perfectly done.
2. I loved how the reveals were done. 3 of the chapters take place a few days in the past and slowly work their way to the present and 1 of the chapters takes place in the present. When the timelines meet, the mystery is revealed. I really loved the classic feel of a mystery slowly unfolding.
3. While the story itself may not be anything earth shattering in the mystery genre, I thought the author did a great job making all of the characters appear guilty. She builds lots of tensions amongst the group and at one point I suspected all of them. Overall the mystery elements were well handled and surprising.
What I Didn't Like
1. I didn't love that one of the POVs was written in 3rd person while the other 3 were is in 1st. I didn't really understand the choice at all found it really jarring every time I got to Doug's chapters.
2. I never fully connected to this story or the characters. Everyone is very unlikeable so I don't know if that played a role. But in general, I found it very easy to put this book down.
Overall, I really enjoyed this mystery! I love classic-esque mysteries and this one absolutely fit the bill. I will for sure read any future mysteries Lucy Foley writes!
Summary
A group of friends travels to the Scottish Highlands for their early New Years Eve reunion. They've been friends since college and have been making these trips for 10 years. But this year feels different. Years of secrets and resentments are causing the group to fracture. When a massive blizzard hits, the group is stranded at the lodge.
Now one of them is dead... and another of them did it.
Overview
This is told in 4 POVs - 1 in present day, and 3 leading up to the murder. Eventually the timelines converge as the mystery is revealed.
This is a very classic feeling mystery! If you're a fan of Agatha Christie, or An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lepena, this book will be right up your alley.
Content Warnings: A lot of these are spoilers and may spoil 1 or more of the reveals.
Spoiler
Cheating, personality disorder, drug & alcohol use, stalking, sexual assault/aggression, murder, PTSD, depression, on page animal deathWhat I Liked
1. This book was wonderfully atmospheric. The isolated lodge added so much tension and mystery to the story. I love a good isolated setting in mystery/thrillers and this one was perfectly done.
2. I loved how the reveals were done. 3 of the chapters take place a few days in the past and slowly work their way to the present and 1 of the chapters takes place in the present. When the timelines meet, the mystery is revealed. I really loved the classic feel of a mystery slowly unfolding.
3. While the story itself may not be anything earth shattering in the mystery genre, I thought the author did a great job making all of the characters appear guilty. She builds lots of tensions amongst the group and at one point I suspected all of them. Overall the mystery elements were well handled and surprising.
What I Didn't Like
1. I didn't love that one of the POVs was written in 3rd person while the other 3 were is in 1st. I didn't really understand the choice at all found it really jarring every time I got to Doug's chapters.
2. I never fully connected to this story or the characters. Everyone is very unlikeable so I don't know if that played a role. But in general, I found it very easy to put this book down.
Overall, I really enjoyed this mystery! I love classic-esque mysteries and this one absolutely fit the bill. I will for sure read any future mysteries Lucy Foley writes!
Someone We Know by Shari Lapena
4.0
3.5 stars
I received this as an arc from Penguin Publishing via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review
Summary
This follows a small, suburban community in the wake of a murder.
A few weeks ago, of the neighborhood wives disappeared. Everyone thought she left her husband until her and her car is found at the bottom of the lake. The once quiet neighborhood is thrown into chaos as secrets and lies are revealed.
Overview
This story is told for tons of different perspectives. It jumps around frequently with little to no differentiation or notice.
This story feels very much like a class, whodunit mystery.
Content Warnings: Murder, Cheating, Underage Drinking
What I Liked
1. Like An Unwanted Guest, this gave me all the classic-whodunit-mystery vibes. This isn't a suspenseful, uber-twisty thriller. Instead it's more a slow, walk-through reveal. If you like that classic mystery feel, this could definitely be the book for you!
2. I also really enjoyed the look into suburban living. Everyone was in everyone's else's business and lying and keeping secrets.
3. The final reveal was really well done! I personally didn't guess whodunit, but once it was revealed, I realized I should have seen it coming from the very beginning. I love when reveals feel very believable and this one definitely had hints from the start. I thought it was so well concealed amongst the chaos of the characters and community.
What I Didn't Like
1. Note: I did read this as an arc so this may be different in the finished copy. There were a lot (too many) POVs in this story. While I usually enjoy multi-pov books, this had way too many and they weren't labeled. So it was a little difficult to get into at first because I struggled to remember who everyone was and who I was reading from.
2. I don't think this story did anything particularly new or inventive. While I loved the classic vibes, I wished it had put some type of twist on it.
3. What was this ending??... Shari Lapena usually blows me away with her Epilogue endings. But this was one made no sense to me.. I was so confused. It felt more like a cliffhanger than ending. I might have given this 4 stars if I had skipped the Epilogue.
Overall this was solid mystery. I love Shari Lapena's writing and the classic style she brings to her mysteries. This one wasn't my absolute favorite, but I think it was still really well done and it had my attention from start to finish. This is a quick mystery I think a lot of people will enjoy.
I received this as an arc from Penguin Publishing via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review
Summary
This follows a small, suburban community in the wake of a murder.
A few weeks ago, of the neighborhood wives disappeared. Everyone thought she left her husband until her and her car is found at the bottom of the lake. The once quiet neighborhood is thrown into chaos as secrets and lies are revealed.
Overview
This story is told for tons of different perspectives. It jumps around frequently with little to no differentiation or notice.
This story feels very much like a class, whodunit mystery.
Content Warnings: Murder, Cheating, Underage Drinking
What I Liked
1. Like An Unwanted Guest, this gave me all the classic-whodunit-mystery vibes. This isn't a suspenseful, uber-twisty thriller. Instead it's more a slow, walk-through reveal. If you like that classic mystery feel, this could definitely be the book for you!
2. I also really enjoyed the look into suburban living. Everyone was in everyone's else's business and lying and keeping secrets.
3. The final reveal was really well done! I personally didn't guess whodunit, but once it was revealed, I realized I should have seen it coming from the very beginning. I love when reveals feel very believable and this one definitely had hints from the start. I thought it was so well concealed amongst the chaos of the characters and community.
What I Didn't Like
1. Note: I did read this as an arc so this may be different in the finished copy. There were a lot (too many) POVs in this story. While I usually enjoy multi-pov books, this had way too many and they weren't labeled. So it was a little difficult to get into at first because I struggled to remember who everyone was and who I was reading from.
2. I don't think this story did anything particularly new or inventive. While I loved the classic vibes, I wished it had put some type of twist on it.
3. What was this ending??... Shari Lapena usually blows me away with her Epilogue endings. But this was one made no sense to me.. I was so confused. It felt more like a cliffhanger than ending. I might have given this 4 stars if I had skipped the Epilogue.
Overall this was solid mystery. I love Shari Lapena's writing and the classic style she brings to her mysteries. This one wasn't my absolute favorite, but I think it was still really well done and it had my attention from start to finish. This is a quick mystery I think a lot of people will enjoy.
Final Girls by Riley Sager
4.0
Summary
10 years ago Quincy was the lone survivor of a massacre known as the Pine Cottage Murders. She instantly became a member of the Final Girls - a group of girls who were also the lone survivor.
Now Quincy is living her life with her soon-to-be-fiance and running a baking website. She still can't remember any details of the night of the murders. But she's happy to keep that night in the past.
Until Lisa, another Final Girl, if found dead and Sam, the 3rd Final Girl, shows up on her doorstep. Now they are thrust back into the spot light and Quincy's seemly normal and perfect life starts to unravel.
Overview
This book was so suspense and so well written.
This is told in alternating time lines - in the present from Quincy's POV and flashes back to the night of the murder. I absolutely loved the flashes into the past as it was slowly revealed what really happened that night.
Content Warnings: Murder, Gore, Death of a Parent, Cancer, Sexual Assault, Cheating, PTSD, Drug Addiction/Abuse, Violence
What I Liked
1. This book was SO suspenseful! Riley Sager so perfectly built this air of unsureness and unease. I started off feeling so confident in the narrator but grew to question her reliability, along with everyone else's, as the story went on. It was the perfect slow burn build up.
2. These twists totally got me! My the half way point I was certain I had some of this figured out. Boy was I wrong! But not only were the reveals surprising but they were believable. Once everything was revealed I immediately thought - how did I miss that?! Which is exactly how I want to feel about my thriller reveals. Clues were 100% hidden, but I missed all of them.
3. The alternating format worked so well for this. I was desperate to get to more of the Pine Cottage chapters because I NEEDED to know what happened!
What I Didn't Like
1. The first quarter of this was a little slow. It took me 2 days to read the first 80 pages but then I binged the last 250+ pages in a single night. Once the story picked up, it PICKED UP. But the early chapters were repetitive and drawn out. I was honestly a little sick of hearing about the details of Quinn's baking.
2. A few of the wrap-ups were a little convenient and I didn't care for how the main characters were just "forgiven" for some pretty terrible actions. More specifically for anyone who's read this
Overall I absolutely loved this. Riley Sage is definitely up there on my list of must read thriller authors now. I'm so glad I own his other 2 books because I can't wait to read more from him! If you're looking for a twisty, suspenseful thriller - definitely check this one out!
10 years ago Quincy was the lone survivor of a massacre known as the Pine Cottage Murders. She instantly became a member of the Final Girls - a group of girls who were also the lone survivor.
Now Quincy is living her life with her soon-to-be-fiance and running a baking website. She still can't remember any details of the night of the murders. But she's happy to keep that night in the past.
Until Lisa, another Final Girl, if found dead and Sam, the 3rd Final Girl, shows up on her doorstep. Now they are thrust back into the spot light and Quincy's seemly normal and perfect life starts to unravel.
Overview
This book was so suspense and so well written.
This is told in alternating time lines - in the present from Quincy's POV and flashes back to the night of the murder. I absolutely loved the flashes into the past as it was slowly revealed what really happened that night.
Content Warnings: Murder, Gore, Death of a Parent, Cancer, Sexual Assault, Cheating, PTSD, Drug Addiction/Abuse, Violence
What I Liked
1. This book was SO suspenseful! Riley Sager so perfectly built this air of unsureness and unease. I started off feeling so confident in the narrator but grew to question her reliability, along with everyone else's, as the story went on. It was the perfect slow burn build up.
2. These twists totally got me! My the half way point I was certain I had some of this figured out. Boy was I wrong! But not only were the reveals surprising but they were believable. Once everything was revealed I immediately thought - how did I miss that?! Which is exactly how I want to feel about my thriller reveals. Clues were 100% hidden, but I missed all of them.
3. The alternating format worked so well for this. I was desperate to get to more of the Pine Cottage chapters because I NEEDED to know what happened!
What I Didn't Like
1. The first quarter of this was a little slow. It took me 2 days to read the first 80 pages but then I binged the last 250+ pages in a single night. Once the story picked up, it PICKED UP. But the early chapters were repetitive and drawn out. I was honestly a little sick of hearing about the details of Quinn's baking.
2. A few of the wrap-ups were a little convenient and I didn't care for how the main characters were just "forgiven" for some pretty terrible actions. More specifically for anyone who's read this
Spoiler
I didn't like that Tina took the fall for the beating/coma or that she and Quinn forgave each other and became friendly. They royally screwed up each other's lives and it was just all forgive and forget. It was a little too convenient and neat.Overall I absolutely loved this. Riley Sage is definitely up there on my list of must read thriller authors now. I'm so glad I own his other 2 books because I can't wait to read more from him! If you're looking for a twisty, suspenseful thriller - definitely check this one out!
The Wife Between Us by Sarah Pekkanen, Greer Hendricks
3.0
2.5 stars...
Summary
This follows a woman who is obsessed with her ex-husband's new fiancé. She slowly reveals what happened in her marriage and all the dark secrets that have been hidden.
I really don't want to say much here - there isn't a ton of plot to this story and I don't want to spoil anything.
Overview
This is domestic thriller following an unreliable female character.
I personally did not find this book book suspenseful or creepy in any way. However it does touch on some pretty serious subjects. So check out the content warnings below if you're sensitive to any triggers. However! Many of them are spoilers so I recommend skipping them if you can handle most thrillers.
Content Warnings:
What I Liked
1. The twist at the halfway point was FANTASTIC. I couldn't believe how much it took me by surprise. I actually gasped out loud at the gym. Unfortunately it was the only shocking thing in this book...
2. I enjoyed the subtle insanity of the characters. Unlike a lot of other thrillers I've read recently, this book was not over the top with it's twists or character arcs. Everything about this felt realistic and plausible.
What I Didn't Like
1. This was so. dang. slow. This book dragged on for way too long. Half the time I felt like we were aimlessly following the main character as she repeated the same things over and over.
2. The final reveal(s) felt really disappointing. I was expecting another twist or something shocking... but it just ended. I wanted so much more from this.
Overall, this was quite disappointing. I was expecting a twisty, suspenseful thriller but this is more domestic fiction. I didn't get a single spooky/thrilling vibe out of this. However, I did enjoy the authors' writing style so I still plan to check out some of their other books!
Summary
This follows a woman who is obsessed with her ex-husband's new fiancé. She slowly reveals what happened in her marriage and all the dark secrets that have been hidden.
I really don't want to say much here - there isn't a ton of plot to this story and I don't want to spoil anything.
Overview
This is domestic thriller following an unreliable female character.
I personally did not find this book book suspenseful or creepy in any way. However it does touch on some pretty serious subjects. So check out the content warnings below if you're sensitive to any triggers. However! Many of them are spoilers so I recommend skipping them if you can handle most thrillers.
Content Warnings:
Spoiler
Emotional & Physical Abuse, Stalking, Alcohol & Drug Abuse, Macular Degeneration, DepressionWhat I Liked
1. The twist at the halfway point was FANTASTIC. I couldn't believe how much it took me by surprise. I actually gasped out loud at the gym. Unfortunately it was the only shocking thing in this book...
2. I enjoyed the subtle insanity of the characters. Unlike a lot of other thrillers I've read recently, this book was not over the top with it's twists or character arcs. Everything about this felt realistic and plausible.
What I Didn't Like
1. This was so. dang. slow. This book dragged on for way too long. Half the time I felt like we were aimlessly following the main character as she repeated the same things over and over.
2. The final reveal(s) felt really disappointing. I was expecting another twist or something shocking... but it just ended. I wanted so much more from this.
Overall, this was quite disappointing. I was expecting a twisty, suspenseful thriller but this is more domestic fiction. I didn't get a single spooky/thrilling vibe out of this. However, I did enjoy the authors' writing style so I still plan to check out some of their other books!
On the Rocks by Kandi Steiner
4.0
I received an arc of this from the author via Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review.
Summary
19 year old Ruby Grace is engaged the perfect man.
Noah works at the whiskey distillery the entire town revolves around.
When Ruby Grace goes to the distillery to buy her fiancé a barrel, she is greeted by the man she hasn't seen in 10 years. Noah sees right through her facade of designer shoes and snooty attitude. And for the first time since she got home from college, she's able to be herself.
As Noah and Ruby grow closer, Ruby Grace starts questioning if she really wants the future laid out before her.
Overview
This is an age gap, forbidden romance told in dual perspective from Ruby Grace and Noah's POV.
Just a note in case these aren't your cups of tea - there is quite a bit of grey area cheating as well as plenty of unlikeable characters.
Content Warnings: Gambling, Addiction, Death of a family member
What I Liked
1. Kandi Steiner writes some of the best angsty romance ever. I can't get over the drama she is able to build in her story without it feeling too heavy or too much. It is a true art
2. The romance in this totally had me. The chemistry between Noah and Ruby Grace was built up so well and jumped off the page. I couldn't help but root for them even when I totally disagreed with their actions. Again just a note there is grey area cheating in this book - so tread lightly if that's not something you're okay with reading about.
3. I want to join Noah's family. Ugh I fell in love with literally all of them and I'm so excited that we are getting a story from all the brothers!!
What I Didn't Like
1. Ruby Grace's family is insanely unlikeable. Which in of itself doesn't bother me, but I didn't like the they were forgiven so easily. It's mentioned right at the end that their relationship is still strained, but I don't think I could ever forgive what they had done.
2. I'm still a little unclear about the whole marriage situation. This is a spoiler for the twist so don't read this next part if you haven't read the book yet.
3. There are a lot of open plot points. I know there are like 3 more books in the series (one for each remaining brother I'm assuming). But there are a lot of open threads and I want to know now!!
Overall, I cannot wait to continue on with this series. I'm completely in love with the Becker family and need more from them asap. I don't think I could ever not love a book Kandi Steiner writes ❤❤ I devoured this and highly recommend it if you want a small town, forbidden, angsty romance!
Summary
19 year old Ruby Grace is engaged the perfect man.
Noah works at the whiskey distillery the entire town revolves around.
When Ruby Grace goes to the distillery to buy her fiancé a barrel, she is greeted by the man she hasn't seen in 10 years. Noah sees right through her facade of designer shoes and snooty attitude. And for the first time since she got home from college, she's able to be herself.
As Noah and Ruby grow closer, Ruby Grace starts questioning if she really wants the future laid out before her.
Overview
This is an age gap, forbidden romance told in dual perspective from Ruby Grace and Noah's POV.
Just a note in case these aren't your cups of tea - there is quite a bit of grey area cheating as well as plenty of unlikeable characters.
Content Warnings: Gambling, Addiction, Death of a family member
What I Liked
1. Kandi Steiner writes some of the best angsty romance ever. I can't get over the drama she is able to build in her story without it feeling too heavy or too much. It is a true art
2. The romance in this totally had me. The chemistry between Noah and Ruby Grace was built up so well and jumped off the page. I couldn't help but root for them even when I totally disagreed with their actions. Again just a note there is grey area cheating in this book - so tread lightly if that's not something you're okay with reading about.
3. I want to join Noah's family. Ugh I fell in love with literally all of them and I'm so excited that we are getting a story from all the brothers!!
What I Didn't Like
1. Ruby Grace's family is insanely unlikeable. Which in of itself doesn't bother me, but I didn't like the they were forgiven so easily. It's mentioned right at the end that their relationship is still strained, but I don't think I could ever forgive what they had done.
2. I'm still a little unclear about the whole marriage situation. This is a spoiler for the twist so don't read this next part if you haven't read the book yet.
Spoiler
Her mother said that they made a deal with Anthony when he came to ask for her hand. So did he actually love her? Like obviously he was going to propose before the deal was made... So what did his family get out of it? I'm a little unclear. Because to me, he was always going to propose and use her as his arm candy. So why take the deal? I'm a little confused.3. There are a lot of open plot points. I know there are like 3 more books in the series (one for each remaining brother I'm assuming). But there are a lot of open threads and I want to know now!!
Overall, I cannot wait to continue on with this series. I'm completely in love with the Becker family and need more from them asap. I don't think I could ever not love a book Kandi Steiner writes ❤❤ I devoured this and highly recommend it if you want a small town, forbidden, angsty romance!
The First Mistake by Sandie Jones
1.0
I received an arc of this from Minotaur Books via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.
1.5 stars... this is going to be a quick one because unfortunately I don't have much to say about this...
Summary
Alice is an interior designer and business owner. She has 2 daughters, Sophie and Olivia, and a husband, Nathan. Nathan helps run the financial side of Alice's business.
Beth is Alice' best friend. When Beth shares that she intends to track down the father of her child, the secret turns Alice's life upside down.
Overview
This is told in 3 parts: Present day from Alices POV (first person), 9 years in the past from Beth's POV (first person), and Present day omniscient third person.
Content warnings: Depression, abandonment, death of a spouse
What I Liked
1. Honestly there wasn't much of anything I LIKED about this book. It was fine. It didn't do anything offensive or outrageous. But I can't say I enjoyed my time reading at all.
What I Didn't Like
1. I didn't particularly like the change to third person in the last part of the book. After 200ish pages of first person pov, it was really jarring.
2. This moved so dang slowly. I was 3/4 of the way through the book and it felt like the only thing happening was Alice accusing her husband(s) of cheating. It felt so repetitive and drawn out and honestly I was bored to the point of skim reading.
3. The big reveal was so fast, kind of confusing, and underwhelming. It didn't help that the foreshadowing and hints were not well concealed so I had a pretty good idea of what the twist was going to be by the time we got there.
Overall this was not for me.
1.5 stars... this is going to be a quick one because unfortunately I don't have much to say about this...
Summary
Alice is an interior designer and business owner. She has 2 daughters, Sophie and Olivia, and a husband, Nathan. Nathan helps run the financial side of Alice's business.
Beth is Alice' best friend. When Beth shares that she intends to track down the father of her child, the secret turns Alice's life upside down.
Overview
This is told in 3 parts: Present day from Alices POV (first person), 9 years in the past from Beth's POV (first person), and Present day omniscient third person.
Content warnings: Depression, abandonment, death of a spouse
What I Liked
1. Honestly there wasn't much of anything I LIKED about this book. It was fine. It didn't do anything offensive or outrageous. But I can't say I enjoyed my time reading at all.
What I Didn't Like
1. I didn't particularly like the change to third person in the last part of the book. After 200ish pages of first person pov, it was really jarring.
2. This moved so dang slowly. I was 3/4 of the way through the book and it felt like the only thing happening was Alice accusing her husband(s) of cheating. It felt so repetitive and drawn out and honestly I was bored to the point of skim reading.
3. The big reveal was so fast, kind of confusing, and underwhelming. It didn't help that the foreshadowing and hints were not well concealed so I had a pretty good idea of what the twist was going to be by the time we got there.
Overall this was not for me.
The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro
3.0
3.5 stars!
It's been over a month since I finished this, so the details are a little blurry. So this review will be a little shorter/different than normal.
Synopsis
This follows Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson right conclusion of book 1, in England for the holidays. When Charlotte's uncle goes missing, the 2 of them head to Germany to find him. They uncover an art forgery scheme and quickly get pulled into diabolical plots.
Review
Overall, I really enjoy this series! I absolutely love the relationship Charlotte and Jamie. The will-they-won't-they angst is everything I've ever wanted.
However the mystery plot in this one left something to be desired. It felt kind of convoluted and hard to follow at times. And I didn't fine the conclusion satisfying at all.
The ending of this though! How could Brittany Cavallaro leave me like that?! I'm really excited to pick up book 3 and see where this series goes!
It's been over a month since I finished this, so the details are a little blurry. So this review will be a little shorter/different than normal.
Synopsis
This follows Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson right conclusion of book 1, in England for the holidays. When Charlotte's uncle goes missing, the 2 of them head to Germany to find him. They uncover an art forgery scheme and quickly get pulled into diabolical plots.
Review
Overall, I really enjoy this series! I absolutely love the relationship Charlotte and Jamie. The will-they-won't-they angst is everything I've ever wanted.
However the mystery plot in this one left something to be desired. It felt kind of convoluted and hard to follow at times. And I didn't fine the conclusion satisfying at all.
The ending of this though! How could Brittany Cavallaro leave me like that?! I'm really excited to pick up book 3 and see where this series goes!
Ruckus by L.J. Shen
4.0
Summary
Dean has been in love with Rosie since high school. The only problem: he dated her sister.
Rosie doesn't want love or a relationship. She is sick and knows that her time is limited.
They are pushed together for a long weekend back home and they rely on each other to make it through. Back in New York, they're falling for each other. But Rosie knows that it may not last forever...
Overview
Like book 1, this is told from dual POV's - Rosie and Dean.
This is definitely a series you need to read in order - there are continuing story lines and characters from previous books that are addressed.
Content Warnings: Chronic illness, talk of death, child abandonment, alcohol and drug addiction/abuse
What I Liked
1. I can't speak to it's accuracy, but I really appreciated the chronicle illness (Cystic Fibrosis) rep in this. I feel like it's not something that is often explored especially in romance and I really appreciated that L.J. Shen tackled that.
2. L.J. Shen is the queen of angst. And oh man it was given in droves with this book. There is so much stacked against these characters and everyone is beyond flawed. I can't get enough.
3. So. Much. Steam. (Although see section below) These series brings with the sexy scenes. Just know that this series plays with the line of bully/bad boy romance.
4. I absolutely loved Dean's character. In fact I might like him more than Vicious. Dean is definitely less bully-ish than Vicious which I appreciated (although he has PLENTY of his own flaws to make up for it). But his redemption arc just felt more natural and you could tell right away how much he loved Rosie.
What I Didn't Like
1. The number 1 reason I didn't rate this higher is there is a sex scene in this that made me feel so. dang. uncomfortable. I just couldn't get behind this one.
Overall, this is another romance series I'm obsessed with. Definitely continuing with book 3 as soon as I can!
Dean has been in love with Rosie since high school. The only problem: he dated her sister.
Rosie doesn't want love or a relationship. She is sick and knows that her time is limited.
They are pushed together for a long weekend back home and they rely on each other to make it through. Back in New York, they're falling for each other. But Rosie knows that it may not last forever...
Overview
Like book 1, this is told from dual POV's - Rosie and Dean.
This is definitely a series you need to read in order - there are continuing story lines and characters from previous books that are addressed.
Content Warnings: Chronic illness, talk of death, child abandonment, alcohol and drug addiction/abuse
What I Liked
1. I can't speak to it's accuracy, but I really appreciated the chronicle illness (Cystic Fibrosis) rep in this. I feel like it's not something that is often explored especially in romance and I really appreciated that L.J. Shen tackled that.
2. L.J. Shen is the queen of angst. And oh man it was given in droves with this book. There is so much stacked against these characters and everyone is beyond flawed. I can't get enough.
3. So. Much. Steam. (Although see section below) These series brings with the sexy scenes. Just know that this series plays with the line of bully/bad boy romance.
4. I absolutely loved Dean's character. In fact I might like him more than Vicious. Dean is definitely less bully-ish than Vicious which I appreciated (although he has PLENTY of his own flaws to make up for it). But his redemption arc just felt more natural and you could tell right away how much he loved Rosie.
What I Didn't Like
1. The number 1 reason I didn't rate this higher is there is a sex scene in this that made me feel so. dang. uncomfortable. I just couldn't get behind this one.
Overall, this is another romance series I'm obsessed with. Definitely continuing with book 3 as soon as I can!