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sand_between_pages's Reviews (734)
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
"The people we love help teach us who we are. The best versions of who we are, if we're lucky,"
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Okay this was just plain cute. Cutesy cute cute with a lot of lol moments and swoony fun. This is my second Katherine Center book and I love how readable her stories have been. This was the kinda book that I could relax into after a long day at work, one I could kick up my feet and read for some light-hearted entertainment.
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The Bodyguard has a very fun protagonist in Hannah. This is a fast read, but I felt a connection with her from the very start and that always makes a book more enjoyable for me. I also enjoyed Jack and his story; the chemistry between Hannah and Jack was sweet and flew off the pages. Some of my favorite tropes are in The Bodyguard... forced proximity and fake dating :)!
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I rec for:
- Those looking for a light-hearted read
- Fans of Katherine Center
- Fans of fake dating and forced proximity
- Fans of quirky main characters
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Okay this was just plain cute. Cutesy cute cute with a lot of lol moments and swoony fun. This is my second Katherine Center book and I love how readable her stories have been. This was the kinda book that I could relax into after a long day at work, one I could kick up my feet and read for some light-hearted entertainment.
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The Bodyguard has a very fun protagonist in Hannah. This is a fast read, but I felt a connection with her from the very start and that always makes a book more enjoyable for me. I also enjoyed Jack and his story; the chemistry between Hannah and Jack was sweet and flew off the pages. Some of my favorite tropes are in The Bodyguard... forced proximity and fake dating :)!
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I rec for:
- Those looking for a light-hearted read
- Fans of Katherine Center
- Fans of fake dating and forced proximity
- Fans of quirky main characters
mysterious
medium-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
SAD FACE SIGH :(.
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I LOVED Oona Out of Order. Loved. It was one of my top books of 2020. So, seeing that Montimore was coming out with a new novel, I was absolutely PSYCHED. Plus, this premise is dynamite - cue increased heart rate and anticipation galore!
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However - I did not enjoy this book. I hate saying that because I feel like it had so much potential, but sadly, it just never went anywhere? And I am not sure I even understand what did happen. What I felt was mystery and intrigue was never solved, and never explained. Maybe that was the purpose? But I didnt dig it.
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What I did like was the audiobook! This is a full cast and the narrators are brilliant, so major props to that. I'm off to read other reviews and see if maybe there is a different perspective or I missed something. But for right now, I am just majorly bummed about it all.
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I LOVED Oona Out of Order. Loved. It was one of my top books of 2020. So, seeing that Montimore was coming out with a new novel, I was absolutely PSYCHED. Plus, this premise is dynamite - cue increased heart rate and anticipation galore!
.
However - I did not enjoy this book. I hate saying that because I feel like it had so much potential, but sadly, it just never went anywhere? And I am not sure I even understand what did happen. What I felt was mystery and intrigue was never solved, and never explained. Maybe that was the purpose? But I didnt dig it.
.
What I did like was the audiobook! This is a full cast and the narrators are brilliant, so major props to that. I'm off to read other reviews and see if maybe there is a different perspective or I missed something. But for right now, I am just majorly bummed about it all.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Berkley for a copy of My Summer Darlings - folks - this is a CRAZY read!
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After reading The Hunting Wives last summer, I know May Cobb promises a twisty, squeamish thriller. A lot of yuck factor occurs when I read her books, but I can't deny that she is super entertaining and I like her bingey reads! My Summer Darlings was no different. What I enjoyed most about this book was that I never knew where it was going. I did not predict the twists at all and really had zero clue what the author's intent was throughout. It came together in the end though, and I appreciated being thrown totally of course.
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The end didn't sit well with me. In an effort to avoid spoilers, I will just say that I found the very last chapter to be weak and unsupportive of the previous chapters.
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I rec this book if you want a juicy binge. This one is full of sex and scandal that veers off into a murder-y realm. Entertaining for sure!
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After reading The Hunting Wives last summer, I know May Cobb promises a twisty, squeamish thriller. A lot of yuck factor occurs when I read her books, but I can't deny that she is super entertaining and I like her bingey reads! My Summer Darlings was no different. What I enjoyed most about this book was that I never knew where it was going. I did not predict the twists at all and really had zero clue what the author's intent was throughout. It came together in the end though, and I appreciated being thrown totally of course.
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The end didn't sit well with me. In an effort to avoid spoilers, I will just say that I found the very last chapter to be weak and unsupportive of the previous chapters.
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I rec this book if you want a juicy binge. This one is full of sex and scandal that veers off into a murder-y realm. Entertaining for sure!
emotional
hopeful
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
I don't typically dole out 5 star ratings as quickly as I just did for Every Summer After, but this sweet read was exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up and I can't find a single complaint after binging this in just over 24 hours.
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As many before me have said, this premise is very similar to Christina Lauren's Love and Other Words (another 5 star romance for me), and that is exactly why I picked up Every Summer After. The coming-of-age, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance is one I find endearing, nostalgic, and sweet. Add in that this story has so many fun summer themes; nights at the lake, working at the small-town tavern, horror movies in the basement, soaking in the sun all day long - sigh! This made me actually want to go back to my teenage years and very few things evoke that sort of response ;)!
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This story is just pure feel-good. I read the last page with a smile on my face and an "awwww" in my mouth - it is definitely one I am going to revisit in the future! Highly rec for a nostalgic summer romance read!
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As many before me have said, this premise is very similar to Christina Lauren's Love and Other Words (another 5 star romance for me), and that is exactly why I picked up Every Summer After. The coming-of-age, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance is one I find endearing, nostalgic, and sweet. Add in that this story has so many fun summer themes; nights at the lake, working at the small-town tavern, horror movies in the basement, soaking in the sun all day long - sigh! This made me actually want to go back to my teenage years and very few things evoke that sort of response ;)!
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This story is just pure feel-good. I read the last page with a smile on my face and an "awwww" in my mouth - it is definitely one I am going to revisit in the future! Highly rec for a nostalgic summer romance read!
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for this ALC!
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I really, really loved Fowler's previous novel, A Good Neighborhood, so of course I wanted to read her new book, It All Comes Down to This. I must say, the two are drastically different. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in this case - it was for me. It All Comes Down to This just felt like a whole lotta nothing? This is a character-driven story which I really, really like - but I also like when at least something happens. And honestly I didn't feel like anything really happened. The character build-up leads the reader to thinking that something monumental is going to occur for these characters, but in my opinion, it did not feel like anything out of the ordinary. Reading about ordinary life is fine, the story was just very anticlimatic. I enjoyed the character development and found certain parts interesting, but not enough to truly hold my attention.
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I really, really loved Fowler's previous novel, A Good Neighborhood, so of course I wanted to read her new book, It All Comes Down to This. I must say, the two are drastically different. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in this case - it was for me. It All Comes Down to This just felt like a whole lotta nothing? This is a character-driven story which I really, really like - but I also like when at least something happens. And honestly I didn't feel like anything really happened. The character build-up leads the reader to thinking that something monumental is going to occur for these characters, but in my opinion, it did not feel like anything out of the ordinary. Reading about ordinary life is fine, the story was just very anticlimatic. I enjoyed the character development and found certain parts interesting, but not enough to truly hold my attention.
emotional
medium-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
"...tradition has sometimes told us that only certain kinds of people should study certain subjects, or engage in certain sports, or play in an orchestra, or what have you, but tradition is only about what people have or have not done; it's not about what they are capable of doing. And it's not about what they will be doing in the future."
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Wowza, what a story! It took me about a hundred pages to really get into Black Cake, but once I was in - I was fully invested and in! This is ultimately a story of family, perseverance, and tradition. There are a lot of sub themes like culture, conservation, race, and equality. I strongly feel this is an important read; the author covers so many big topics very eloquently.
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Wowza, what a story! It took me about a hundred pages to really get into Black Cake, but once I was in - I was fully invested and in! This is ultimately a story of family, perseverance, and tradition. There are a lot of sub themes like culture, conservation, race, and equality. I strongly feel this is an important read; the author covers so many big topics very eloquently.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Peter Pan is one of my most favorite stories. I love everything about it - the adventure, the flying, the Pixie Dust, the sweet romance between Wendy and Peter <3. I jumped at the chance to read Darling Girl, even knowing that this is a dark take on the beloved tail, one that makes Peter the villain (oh my!).
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I love the premise behind the story - a present day Peter Pan adventure with a menacing Pan and a family with many hidden secrets. However, I felt a bit let down by the story overall - I found the middle dragged and there was very little action. I appreciate the uniqueness of the story, but felt there could have been more excitement, if that makes sense. However, I did love the writing and I would definitely read more from Liz Michalski!
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I love the premise behind the story - a present day Peter Pan adventure with a menacing Pan and a family with many hidden secrets. However, I felt a bit let down by the story overall - I found the middle dragged and there was very little action. I appreciate the uniqueness of the story, but felt there could have been more excitement, if that makes sense. However, I did love the writing and I would definitely read more from Liz Michalski!
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"The truth is, the harder we are, the easier we shatter. It takes some softness to absorb life's blows."
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Thank you so much to Amy Harmon for a copy of her book, The Unknown Beloved. From the very start, I was gripped by the story and the characters, and that intrigue never let up through the read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book :).
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This is what I'd call a gender bender - The Unknown Beloved is a mix of historical fiction, romance, mystery, and magical realism. I was completely captivated by the romance between Dani and Michael, but I enjoyed that the romance wasn't the main thing happening - the mystery at the center of the story is what kept the pages turning. I also very much enjoyed the magical realism aspect - I won't elaborate too much as to avoid spoilers, but this made the read even more unique.
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The Unknown Beloved takes place in Cleveland during the Great Depression. This is a time period and setting I haven't read very much about, so I enjoyed the newness and the subject very much. This is my second Harmon book; I previously read Where the Lost Wander - and even though Wander is certainly a favorite amongst readers, I enjoyed The Unknown Beloved much more so - Harmon writes a compelling mystery!
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An easy 5 star read - I recommend to any and all!
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Thank you so much to Amy Harmon for a copy of her book, The Unknown Beloved. From the very start, I was gripped by the story and the characters, and that intrigue never let up through the read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book :).
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This is what I'd call a gender bender - The Unknown Beloved is a mix of historical fiction, romance, mystery, and magical realism. I was completely captivated by the romance between Dani and Michael, but I enjoyed that the romance wasn't the main thing happening - the mystery at the center of the story is what kept the pages turning. I also very much enjoyed the magical realism aspect - I won't elaborate too much as to avoid spoilers, but this made the read even more unique.
.
The Unknown Beloved takes place in Cleveland during the Great Depression. This is a time period and setting I haven't read very much about, so I enjoyed the newness and the subject very much. This is my second Harmon book; I previously read Where the Lost Wander - and even though Wander is certainly a favorite amongst readers, I enjoyed The Unknown Beloved much more so - Harmon writes a compelling mystery!
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An easy 5 star read - I recommend to any and all!
funny
inspiring
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
Thank you so much to Berkley for a copy of Hana Khan Carries On. This was such an amazing South Asian/Muslim rep and I really enjoyed reading it and learning more about the culture and the Islam religion. Additionally, I will now be seeking out Indian food because this story had my mouth watering :).
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If you like the movie You've Got Mail, this book may be right up your alley! There were a lot of things I enjoyed - as previously mentioned, the representation, the food descriptions, and the charming insights of our MC, Hana Khan. She has so many life discoveries within the story that I found intriguing and thought-provoking!
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I found the pacing of the story to be a little off - it was slow in parts and felt like it dragged in others. Ultimately, I enjoyed the read and would check out more from this author!
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If you like the movie You've Got Mail, this book may be right up your alley! There were a lot of things I enjoyed - as previously mentioned, the representation, the food descriptions, and the charming insights of our MC, Hana Khan. She has so many life discoveries within the story that I found intriguing and thought-provoking!
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I found the pacing of the story to be a little off - it was slow in parts and felt like it dragged in others. Ultimately, I enjoyed the read and would check out more from this author!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you so much to Dutton and Netgalley for the ARC! Folks, this is a capital C CRAZY ride!
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What started as a somewhat snoozy, predictable read with a stereotypical drunk, unreliable narrator that made me roll my eyes actually became a book I couldn't put down (once you reach the 70% mark). The House Across the Lake took SUCH an unexpected twist that I truly cannot write this book off as being another predictable thriller. And I applaud the twist - I think Sager will truly shock his readers. I thought I had guessed everything coming and never in a million years could I have predicted that ending. And ultimately, this is what I want in a thriller!
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I didn't find any of the characters particularly likable. I also think it's wise to suspend all belief of reality because this one really takes a twist. But is it worth the read? I mean, ya. I really am anxious to see how people react to Sager's new novel. As for how it ranks in my Sager author rankings - I don't even know - this one is SO different from his other books and my feelings were so split from the beginning of the book to the end, that I'm still reeling with all of my thoughts. One thing I will say that isn't a spoiler, I definitely want to keep the lights on while I go to bed tonight!
.
What started as a somewhat snoozy, predictable read with a stereotypical drunk, unreliable narrator that made me roll my eyes actually became a book I couldn't put down (once you reach the 70% mark). The House Across the Lake took SUCH an unexpected twist that I truly cannot write this book off as being another predictable thriller. And I applaud the twist - I think Sager will truly shock his readers. I thought I had guessed everything coming and never in a million years could I have predicted that ending. And ultimately, this is what I want in a thriller!
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I didn't find any of the characters particularly likable. I also think it's wise to suspend all belief of reality because this one really takes a twist. But is it worth the read? I mean, ya. I really am anxious to see how people react to Sager's new novel. As for how it ranks in my Sager author rankings - I don't even know - this one is SO different from his other books and my feelings were so split from the beginning of the book to the end, that I'm still reeling with all of my thoughts. One thing I will say that isn't a spoiler, I definitely want to keep the lights on while I go to bed tonight!