patsy's reviews
201 reviews

The Murder After the Night Before by Katy Brent

adventurous dark emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I was expecting to like this much more than I did as I really enjoyed this author’s first book. 
This one just fell flat for me. I didn’t like any of the characters, which isn’t a deal breaker for me but I found Molly so annoying 🙄 she acted much younger than the 32 year old she was. I didn’t much care about Posey, awful name by the way 😐 
As for all the best friends forever guff, there were more secrets and lies than a Tory cabinet 😀 
Overall this kept me reading but I found I wasn’t as eager to pick it up as I usually am with a good book.  

Dead Heat by Keane Jessie

medium-paced

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

2.0

I usually enjoy a gangland thriller but this isn’t one of them. There are far better out there. 
This was way too long.  It all felt very surface level and repetitive, I was sick to death of that bloody view 🤦🏼‍♀️ 
You can skim read this and not loose any of the story. 

Number Thirty-Two by Cassie Steward

challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad 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

4.0

This was a brilliant debut 👏🏻 I thought it wasn’t for me at first but as I got to part two I was fully invested, I’d have raced through it had life and work not gotten in the way 😩
I loved the characters, especially the relationship between Anna and Arthur 🙂
I’m looking forward to reading more from this author 

Every Move You Make by C.L. Taylor

adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

2.5 ⭐️

This was a middle of the road book for me. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. It started off well but I lost my way with it around half way through, it felt repetitive and ploddy. It got going again towards the end and I didn’t guess the culprit or the twist but I didn’t like any of the characters so I didn’t much care 🤷🏼‍♀️

One Day With You by Shari Low

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

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

3.0

This story was told over 24 hours by multiple POVs. I enjoyed it, it was a nice easy read. I have the next one lined up ready to read when I fancy a quick read. 

Take It Back by Kia Abdullah

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this more than I expected to as I’ve never been a big fan of court room dramas but this, fantastic. 
My only gripe is the overlong chapters. 

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

3.0

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it 🤷🏼‍♀️ the octopus got on my nerves and the magical realism just didn’t engage me.  It was sad at the end and I did cry but overall I found it confusing which took away from what could have been a really good story 🙁

Flowers in the Attic: 40th Anniversary Edition by V.C. Andrews

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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

2.0

This was a reread for me. I first read it as a young teenager 40 something years ago 🫣 at that time, before the interweb, multiples of television channels and download everything, this book was THE book to read, we all thought it was shocking 😱 and it was. Then. 
Fast forward to today, reading as an adult, it was terrible 🥱 the writing, the ‘good golly days’ 🙄 
I read it for the nostalgia and luckily it was on KU I doubt I would have bought a copy. 

Thorn In My Side by C.J. Skuse

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad slow-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

4.0

This was a 3⭐️ possibly a 3.5⭐️ all the way through. It was a slow start, still enjoyable, what’s not to like about a caustic psychopath? 🤷🏼‍♀️
Anyways, it was plodding along and then the ending 😲
Looking forward to the next instalment 

Please Don't Take Mummy Away by Maggie Hartley

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

2.0

Not my usual genre, it was passable. It got me out of a reading slump