peppersbookpicks's reviews
190 reviews

It Was You All Along by Russ

inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.5

Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks

informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver

dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

The expectations for this book were HIGH following Butcher & Blackbird - and Brynne definitely delivered! 

Although B&B is still my favorite, I had a lot of fun reading Leather & Lark's twisted story, and I look forward to getting more time with all of these characters in the next book :)

Silver Foxed by Kayla Grosse

lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.25

I will pretty much read anything Kayla Grosse writes at this point - she really is the queen of spicy novellas! Also the age-gap trope was executed perfectly. I only wish the book was longer because I didn't want to leave these characters behind! 

Kayla, if you're reading this - I'll take more, please. Ok thanks :)

Twisted Hate by Ana Huang

lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.0

The same scene that ruined this book for everyone else also ruined it for me. I am giving it 3 stars because I did enjoy the first 75% of this book, but it really took a nose dive at the end there... so badly that I almost didn't finish it.

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

adventurous slow-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

2.5

I promise I really do like Rebecca's writing style... but this was not great. I was really hoping that the world building would continue to develop in this sequel because the storyline really needed it - but that didn't happen at all. There was way too much "telling" and not enough "showing," leaving readers with a ton of unanswered questions and vague information. Unfortunately, this book just left me feeling unsatisfied. 

PS - as the final book in the Letters of Enchantment duology, I will say this felt EXACTLY like the final book in Rebecca's Elements of Cadence duology, which I also found somewhat dull.

The Teacher by Freida McFadden

mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

There was nothing about this book that I really liked or disliked... I just didn't care for any of the characters and was hoping for a bit more excitement. I also found the story line to be far too predictable.

How to Resist Amazon and Why by Danny Caine

informative medium-paced

5.0

A MUST read for all book lovers out there! We all know how much unchecked power Amazon has, but Danny Caine really exposes that control and demonstrates how it influences all aspects of the publishing industry. 

It is understandable that boycotting Amazon entirely today is nearly impossible (this review being posted on an Amazon-owned platform being a prime example)... but we can choose to resist as often as possible and be intentional with the type of business and community we want our money to support. A single person choosing to shop local instead of purchasing through Amazon won't necessarily hurt Amazon, but it WILL support a local bookstore where a single sale could make all the difference.

Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who's Been There by Tara Schuster

funny informative lighthearted slow-paced

3.0

A good read if you need a little pep talk! This was a combination of memoir + self help and definitely had elements of both... but toward the end it gave more of a let-me-rant-about-this-now-too vibe. Despite that, l still found the first half of this book really relatable and thought Schuster provided some generally good advice and perspective.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

adventurous emotional sad tense fast-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? No

5.0

This book utterly consumed me. I could not put it down or think about anything else. My heart was beating out of my chest one moment, and then I was bawling like a baby the next. I feel like I lived an entirely different life within these pages... like I am not the same person I was before I started this book. It was heartbreaking and dire at times, but also absolutely beautiful. 

I honestly don't know how to accurately express how deeply this story moved me... but I can say with certainty that these characters will stay with me forever. Kristin Hannah gave this book one of the most beautiful endings l've ever read, and a love story that I hardly believe anything else will ever compare to. I give The Great Alone infinity stars - and it will forever live on my "Favorites" shelf.