rachelisathomas22's reviews
375 reviews

Thank you to NetGalley and DialPress for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

At it’s core, Like Mother Like Mother is a story about generational trauma. The story told mostly by Lila, Grace, and Zelda, a matriarchal line of about three generations, and many secondary familial additions. Author Susan Riegar takes readers through their experiences in life and love, and explain how similar they are to one another despite how much they all may not want to admit. Grace does a majority of the unraveling of their family’s influences and history to come to terms with her relationship with her mother. It’s through Grace that readers get a complete picture of the overarching narrative and a lot of the themes Riegar hopes to get across.

Overall, I rated this book a 2.75/5 stars. The general theme and part 3 of the book were the highpoints of the novel for me. I thought that the story was nuanced and layered to help readers see the impacts of generational trauma. The twist that comes in part 3 was interesting and helped wrap up the story. I wanted to finish the story and see what happens, and that always means this story will get at least two stars from me.

The difficulty I had with this story was mostly the writing style. The narrative was very stream of consciousness and felt sudden and circular. One minute we’s be talking about one moment and the next paragraph we could be from a completely different perspective or time period. It was often hard to read. The general construction of the story was a lot of retelling moments from the main narrator’s past, so it felt like it took a while to get to the topics of the biggest interest. I often got bored when reading certain sections because I didn’t feel like the story was moving anywhere.

All-in-all, this story has great elements and ideas but, for me, missed the landing.

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Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-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

4.75

What a fun, beautiful story! This romantic comedy made me feel so many things. I felt the tension between the two characters, the chemistry from the growing relationship, and the longing and hurt from their own insecurities. Both characters felt relatable and understandable. It was a wonderfully fun read!

Fate of the Sun King by Nisha J. Tuli

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adventurous emotional fast-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 third installment of the Artefacts of Ouranos ups the adventure and spice, leaving readers at the edge of their seats.

Lor must navigate shifting politics and dangerous truths as she tries to restore her magic. She fights mental, physical, and emotional battles as she learns more about the world around her. I have to say, this was the most I’ve enjoyed the characters in this story as I feel like all of the characters have finally found their stride. The story was fast paced and filled to the brim with events.

The only reason this is not a 5 star read is because I wish there were a few more quiet moments and time with the siblings to flesh them out further. This is a personal preference to an overall enjoyable read. Can’t wait for the final installment!

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