redlipstickandreading's reviews
427 reviews

Moral Injuries by Christie Watson

mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This was an interesting one. I bought it a while ago and just got around to listening. Three friends from medical school get involved in teens accident that is reminiscent of something that has plagued them since middle school. It was an interesting exploration of family both biological and the family you choose and the lengths you will go to protect and be loyal to those two groups. But the three main characters felt a little too superficial at times and the ending felt a little too tied up with a bow given how ambiguous most of the book was.

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

When I saw this one I knew I had to read it 😂 and yes it's what you're thinking, he shape shifts into the Loch Ness monster at night. Only Lana Ferguson can take monster f*cking and make it mainstream. This is a fated enemies to lovers story between Lachlan (Nessie) and Key who travels to Scotland to reconnect with her family after her father dies. This book is so silly but definitely a fun read. I will say you can see the 'twist' (I hesitate to even call it that) a mile away. Plus once they read the full curse I was literally screaming that the answer was SO obvious. Still a fun read especially since it was an audiobook I listened to on my commute. 

A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell

adventurous informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Today is a rough day for some of us Americans. So as a little escapism let me tell you about one of the most badass ladies you've never heard of, Virginia Hall. She said I don't want to be a socialite I want to be a diplomat. But despite being highly qualified, the State Department said you can be a secretary. So she did that for a few years until he lost her leg below the knee in a hunting accident, after which everyone thought she was going to go home and be a spinster. But nope, she started driving ambulances in France during the beginning of WW2. When it got too dangerous she didn't go home she got recruited by the British SOE to go into Nazi occupied France and work to build a resistance network. Which she did better than literally every other man they sent in. She was so effective she was the subject of a Nazi manhunt. And she escaped by climbing a mountain range, again with a wooden leg. Then instead of saying well job well done it's too dangerous she went back to France and continued to be the best resistance leader until the end of the war. Highly recommend checking out this book or any biographies of Virginia Hall because she is so amazing and I want more people to know about her. Mini rant over. 

Wildfire by Hannah Grace

lighthearted medium-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? Yes

3.0

The start to this year has been a bit of a reading dud. This was pick number 2 from the TBR Jar and again it was just okay. I read Icebreaker years ago and wondered if I had overhyped it in my head, and honestly Wildfire kind of confirmed that. I liked the summer camp setting  and that it showed two different ways confronting your family issues can go. But I kept waiting for something more to happen plot wise and it never did. It felt like there were plot threads that the author just let dangle. Overall fine and enjoyable but nothing to write home about. 

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

I so wanted to love this book! I thought the premise (Delphie dies, meets her maybe soulmate in the afterlife, gets a second chance and ten additional days on earth to get her possible soulmate to kiss her so she can stay alive) was so creative and sounded like an old school rom com. But I spent most of this book cringing. Delphie gave me SO much second hand embarrassment to the point it was almost impossible to get through. The animosity between her and Cooper (MMC) felt stupid and unnecessary. While I I liked the last maybe 1/4 of the book it was still not what I was expecting. 

Island Time by Georgia Clark

adventurous 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

I finished my first book of 2025 and it was a pull from my TBR Jar! It takes place in a tropical island which is funny considering the current winter weather here. I wish I liked this book more than I did. Maybe it's because I ended 2024 with a similar book that I also didn't love (family trapped together drama ensues), but I didn't vibe with this one. I was mostly ambivalent to disliked the characters. Almost every character gets a POV except the two I ended up liking the most. Overall it was fine, but not the best way to start the year. 

Trick Shot by Kayla Grosse

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

Did I read this very spicy Christmas novella on Christmas Eve? Yes its called ✨self care ✨ while the spice was 🥵 I could never get over the fact that one of the male main characters literally lied about who he was for 90% of the book and the other MMC just agreed to lie to this woman they wanted to bang. Soured the whole book. 

The Gift Rarely Given by Ambar Cordova

lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.25

 Ambar Cordova is another author I got to meet at Romance Con.  This was a cute novella. I liked that there was a built in little symbol so you could skip spicy scenes and keep it closed door if you'd like. This is a fake dating/ we'll both benefit from pretending to date. Which I usually like but the time frame of two weeks felt a little too short to really develop those feelings. Overall a cute easy read 

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

adventurous funny medium-paced

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

4.5

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

2.0