redlipstickandreading's reviews
427 reviews

Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

dark funny mysterious 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 was wondering how this one was going to weave into the other Ruinous Love books and I loved that the timeline spanned both of the first two. We got to see all the scenes we had to imagine before. It really endeared me to Rose and her journey. This has all the dark humor of the previous books with way less food ruining (the cotton candy is debatable). And still had all the spice you expected. I'm sad the trilogy is over but I think the epilogue made me excited to see where Brynne goes next. 

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

I surprised myself by devouring this book not was definitely one where I kept saying one more chapter and then oops it was 2am. This thriller was high paced and kept me engaged the whole time. I could have done with a bit less of some of the side plots but it was a great read overall. 

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto

lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

I had been interested in this one since it came out and it was just delightful. Full of some of my favorite romance tropes, grumpy sunshine, he takes care of her while sick, forced proximity. It also includes a trope I don't usually pick second chance romance, but I liked it in this case. I mean what's not to like about a florist wedding planner romance. It's told in a dual POV with his leading up to their breakup and hers starting at seeing/working with with him again. I will say the lead up to the breakup I expected to be mad at Ama but man did Elliot fumble HARD. If you read it, you'll see what I mean!

The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke

challenging dark tense 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? No

3.0

Trying to post all of my review backlog but I've made it to books I read in February! This book probably would have been better in spooky season but was overall okay. The book is told in dual POV/timelines. One is Clem, a modern mother who is told her daughter was in a terrible accident of unknown origin and the other is Alison a mother in 1594 who is accused of using witchcraft to attempt to kill an Earl. Going back and forth between the POVs was odd since Alison's was in first person and Clem's was in third person which felt jarring every time it switched. While I appreciated how much historical research went into Alison's story (it's based on a real woman/event) I kept waiting for a little bit more to happen on Clem's side. The whole time I felt like there was going to be more and then it just fell flat. 

Original Sins by Erin Young

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I started this book not realizing it was the second in a series. Fortunately while there are references to the first book it was able to be read as a standalone. Unfortunately, that meant I kept at it when I probably should have DNFed. This is a more of a traditional crime novel versus the more thriller type I usually read. I found the pace SO slow even though I ended up listening at 2x speed. Really nothing in the book was exciting or different. I found the plot predicable and plodding and felt like it could have been 25% shorter and everything still would have happened the same. 

Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by Laura Piper Lee

funny lighthearted 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

5.0

So I'm still catching up on reviews for January reads. I had surgery on Friday and I anticipated a lot of reading time but it's more napping and doom scrolling so far. But back to the book at hand. This was a book I knew I was going to like but somehow I still put off reading it for months. I got to meet @laurapiperlee at @romance_con and hear her talk on a panel about writing comedy in romance and she's so awesome and sweet. Truly this book is SO fun. Made me laugh out loud several times, while also really relating to Hannah despite objectively being very different (aka I am a single Pringle and Hannah is a recently dumped single mom). There's something so relatable about knowing what your problem is mentally but still struggling to execute the solution. My one small gripe is what Hannah asked of River was such the bare minimum and he still made it a big deal. But seriously, a great book. Also she has a new related novel (Zoe Brennan, First Crush) coming out that I will definitely be reading much quicker! Also highly recommend checking out her newsletter for a cut scene from Hannah Tate involving curing mastitis with a vibrator. I cried laughing 🤣 

A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young

emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Adrienne Young is an auto buy author for me so I had to get this one as a book of the month add on. This book follows James who returns to her small hometown after years away following the unexpected death of her twin brother Johnny. As she investigates she believes her connection with Johnny is still active and begins seeing things through his eyes. Young's writing style is evocative and atmospheric which really feeds the story and feeling of the book. I really enjoyed the gentle fantasy/sci-fi elements, but this is mainly a story about family and the lengths you will go for family and loyalty. I wish the ending wasn't quite so tidy but highly recommend. 

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

This was my book of the month pick for January. I'm not sure what exactly I thought this was going to be like but it really surprised me. The book is set up as a faux memoir of mysterious author Cate Kay which includes her recollections, excerpts from the book she wrote, but most interestingly it includes parts written by the other characters in the book. What I like most is sometimes these inclusions directly contradict both Cate's (aka Annie aka Cass) and others sections. You see Cate's footnotes throughout which I thought were really fun, just a little thoughts that made it feel so personal. The character main character felt so fleshed out and tangible which was an interesting contrast to the themes of identity and self discovery. This is outside the genres I gravitate towards and it surprised me in a really nice way. 

The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner

emotional funny inspiring 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

5.0

Despite a resolution to post reviews soon after I finish the book I am behind on my January reads. This was a surprise 5 star read. I picked it from the TBR Jar and it ended up being great timing since the book is set a New Years where the main character Sadie wishes for a do-over of the past year. I liked that it wasn't a one for one last time this event happened and I'm going to do better. There were some obviously, but it did make it feel like her decisions had stakes. This book had my favorite early 2000s rom com vibes while still dealing with some heavier stuff (trigger warning for sexual harassment). I read this book in one sitting i liked it so much.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

mysterious 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

2.0

This is one of those books that made me wish I was better a DNF-ing books. I was in the mood for a thriller but never vibed with this one. It was clear what was developing on the island and the twist to make it come together felt a little like 'we'll just fo this and it will all tie together'. I liked the multiple perspectives but Abby's chapters felt a little too Gone Girl esque. This was a book I finished just to say I finished. High point? A very cute dog named Columbo.