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sand_between_pages's Reviews (734)
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of Finlay Donovan is Killing It! Coincidentally, this audiobook killed it!
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Having a bad day? Sick of adulting? Have stresses and worries? Folks, you don't even know stress and worry and adulting and a bad day until you know the hot mess that is Finlay Donovan! OH BOY. The mess she got herself into had me SQUIRMING!
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Finlay is an addicting read that is full of LOL humor, swoony relationships, a fun whodunnit, and the start of a beautiful friendship (I'm looking at Finlay and Vero!). This book is very much in the same vein of the movie Game Night. Serious things are happening, but nothing ever feels that serious because of how funny the characters are and how they handle the situations.
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If you want a fun, light read that is guaranteed to make you laugh, I vote for Finlay!
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Having a bad day? Sick of adulting? Have stresses and worries? Folks, you don't even know stress and worry and adulting and a bad day until you know the hot mess that is Finlay Donovan! OH BOY. The mess she got herself into had me SQUIRMING!
.
Finlay is an addicting read that is full of LOL humor, swoony relationships, a fun whodunnit, and the start of a beautiful friendship (I'm looking at Finlay and Vero!). This book is very much in the same vein of the movie Game Night. Serious things are happening, but nothing ever feels that serious because of how funny the characters are and how they handle the situations.
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If you want a fun, light read that is guaranteed to make you laugh, I vote for Finlay!
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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
Thank you so much to Forever Pub for the ARC of Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez.
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Last year, I read The Friend Zone and it VERY quickly became my most favorite rom-com. I love the humor, the wit, the love story, the steam - you name it, I love it! Life's Too Short is VERY SIMILAR to The Friend Zone and almost seems to follow the same formula. And you know what? I am SO TOTALLY OKAY WITH THAT because it's one of my favorites and I'll take as much TFZ as I can get.
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Where TFZ kept me captivated the entire read, LTS definitely dragged at points. That being said, this is a really decent that book that overall, I enjoyed. It evoked emotion, make me laugh, made me swoon, and had another cute dog with a cute doggo name.
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If you love Abby J., you can't skip this book! After all, life is too short ;)!
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Last year, I read The Friend Zone and it VERY quickly became my most favorite rom-com. I love the humor, the wit, the love story, the steam - you name it, I love it! Life's Too Short is VERY SIMILAR to The Friend Zone and almost seems to follow the same formula. And you know what? I am SO TOTALLY OKAY WITH THAT because it's one of my favorites and I'll take as much TFZ as I can get.
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Where TFZ kept me captivated the entire read, LTS definitely dragged at points. That being said, this is a really decent that book that overall, I enjoyed. It evoked emotion, make me laugh, made me swoon, and had another cute dog with a cute doggo name.
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If you love Abby J., you can't skip this book! After all, life is too short ;)!
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley for the arc of Are We There Yet?
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Are We There Yet? started out a bit slow, for me, but I ended up really enjoying the novel toward the middle, and then racing to the end. This book is contemporary fiction, and I got major Big Little Lies vibes.
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As a parent, this book really spoke to me. Life is hard trying to juggle: kids, a household, a career, etc - so when Alice hears that her 2nd grader is struggling in reading, her middle-school son is succumbing to all the middle school drama, and her boss is leaving her our of important decisions at work, all while her husband is traveling, I immediately sympathized and obviously related to her character.
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This novel is told from multiple POVs. I enjoyed the story told from the mother's perspective, but I ended up mostly looking forward to the chapters told from the kids' perspectives.
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This is an easy read and I was thoroughly entertained. I absolutely recommend the story if you enjoy Moriarty novels, contemporary fiction, and a bit of family drama.
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Are We There Yet? started out a bit slow, for me, but I ended up really enjoying the novel toward the middle, and then racing to the end. This book is contemporary fiction, and I got major Big Little Lies vibes.
.
As a parent, this book really spoke to me. Life is hard trying to juggle: kids, a household, a career, etc - so when Alice hears that her 2nd grader is struggling in reading, her middle-school son is succumbing to all the middle school drama, and her boss is leaving her our of important decisions at work, all while her husband is traveling, I immediately sympathized and obviously related to her character.
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This novel is told from multiple POVs. I enjoyed the story told from the mother's perspective, but I ended up mostly looking forward to the chapters told from the kids' perspectives.
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This is an easy read and I was thoroughly entertained. I absolutely recommend the story if you enjoy Moriarty novels, contemporary fiction, and a bit of family drama.
emotional
fast-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
"All I will say is that you show up for your friends on their hardest days. And you hold their hand through the roughest parts. Life is about who is holding your and, I think, whose hand you commit to holding."
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OH MY GAWD. This book absolutely tore me in half. It is so devastating and so beautifully written and I was SO invested in the characters that I truly felt their pains. I felt their struggles, their joy, their celebrations, their convictions - all of it. Taylor Jenkins Reid YOU ARE A MASTERFUL STORYTELLER!
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I have avoided Daisy Jones for years because the synopsis never felt compelling. I love music, but the 70's music scene has never really been my thing. A buddy read commitment and a love for all of TJR's other books finally propelled me to pick this up and I am just reeling over not having read this beautiful book sooner. Daisy Jones hit me so hard in the feels and I truly couldn't put the book down. I JUST HAD to know what was going to happen at every turn. Reid just expertly told this story and I admire that the entire book is written in dialogue, allowing me to connect with the characters even more. THANK HEAVENS for Warren and his comic relief because I was in tears the entire last half of the book. I almost feel like Daisy Jones & The Six must be a real bad!
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ALL THE STARS! READ THIS!
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OH MY GAWD. This book absolutely tore me in half. It is so devastating and so beautifully written and I was SO invested in the characters that I truly felt their pains. I felt their struggles, their joy, their celebrations, their convictions - all of it. Taylor Jenkins Reid YOU ARE A MASTERFUL STORYTELLER!
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I have avoided Daisy Jones for years because the synopsis never felt compelling. I love music, but the 70's music scene has never really been my thing. A buddy read commitment and a love for all of TJR's other books finally propelled me to pick this up and I am just reeling over not having read this beautiful book sooner. Daisy Jones hit me so hard in the feels and I truly couldn't put the book down. I JUST HAD to know what was going to happen at every turn. Reid just expertly told this story and I admire that the entire book is written in dialogue, allowing me to connect with the characters even more. THANK HEAVENS for Warren and his comic relief because I was in tears the entire last half of the book. I almost feel like Daisy Jones & The Six must be a real bad!
.
ALL THE STARS! READ THIS!
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-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
<i> "Maybe we did grow heart bones. But what if the only way of knowing you grew a heart bone is by feeling the agony caused by the break? " </i>
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Oh gosh, this little book stirred up quite a lot of emotion in me and I truly enjoyed every minute of Heart Bones!
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In true CoHo form, the love story and the romance and the steam is on point. But what I loved even more is Beyah's story, her perseverance through what life has handed her and her commitment to her heart. I also just FREAKING LOVED all the females in this book. Beyah, Sara, Alana - they were all just terrific and that endeared me to this story even moreso. It was really refreshing to read about a younger female without all the typical, catty female drama that can arise in stories like this. I loved seeing all the women just support each other.
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Heart Bones is SUPER quick and packs an emotional punch. I definitely recommend this treat of a book!
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Oh gosh, this little book stirred up quite a lot of emotion in me and I truly enjoyed every minute of Heart Bones!
.
In true CoHo form, the love story and the romance and the steam is on point. But what I loved even more is Beyah's story, her perseverance through what life has handed her and her commitment to her heart. I also just FREAKING LOVED all the females in this book. Beyah, Sara, Alana - they were all just terrific and that endeared me to this story even moreso. It was really refreshing to read about a younger female without all the typical, catty female drama that can arise in stories like this. I loved seeing all the women just support each other.
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Heart Bones is SUPER quick and packs an emotional punch. I definitely recommend this treat of a book!
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
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I am a huge fan of Clayborn's previous novel, Love Lettering, so I jumped at the opportunity to read Love at First!
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Unfortunately, Love at First did not charm me in the same manner as Love Lettering. Mostly, I did not connect with the characters the same was as before, and that character connection is what so endeared me to Love Lettering. I know it's not always fair to compare novels, but Clayborn won me over with the lol-humor of the former MC.
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Love at First is cute, but I never truly felt compelled to keep reading. The story is fine and there are some sweet moments, but ultimately, I found myself a bit bored :(. Clayborn can definitely write and I appreciate the way she strings words together, but this one just feel flat for me.
.
I am a huge fan of Clayborn's previous novel, Love Lettering, so I jumped at the opportunity to read Love at First!
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Unfortunately, Love at First did not charm me in the same manner as Love Lettering. Mostly, I did not connect with the characters the same was as before, and that character connection is what so endeared me to Love Lettering. I know it's not always fair to compare novels, but Clayborn won me over with the lol-humor of the former MC.
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Love at First is cute, but I never truly felt compelled to keep reading. The story is fine and there are some sweet moments, but ultimately, I found myself a bit bored :(. Clayborn can definitely write and I appreciate the way she strings words together, but this one just feel flat for me.
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
Wow! What a gem of a book! Thank you so much to St. Martin's Publishing Group and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC of this sweet novel!
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I cried during this read. And I cried a lot. Amelia Unabridged is a beautiful, engrossing story of tragedy, creativity, and first love. This book was recommended to me by two friends and I was told I'd love it because it has the same vibe as Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley, and that was entirely accurate! While there are a lot of places to shed tears, there are also several moments to smile, laugh, and simply appreciate the beauty of living and learning. I like books that provoke thought and stay with me and Amelia's story definitely stayed with me beyond the pages. I wish, post-read, that someone would provide me updates on her life and how it's going so I could keep my eye on her :) <3!
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This is a YA novel, but it reads very maturely. I would recommend to:
- Any and all that appreciate the art of story-telling
- Fans of Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley or Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
- Those that enjoy emotionally charged, fast-paced stories
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I cried during this read. And I cried a lot. Amelia Unabridged is a beautiful, engrossing story of tragedy, creativity, and first love. This book was recommended to me by two friends and I was told I'd love it because it has the same vibe as Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley, and that was entirely accurate! While there are a lot of places to shed tears, there are also several moments to smile, laugh, and simply appreciate the beauty of living and learning. I like books that provoke thought and stay with me and Amelia's story definitely stayed with me beyond the pages. I wish, post-read, that someone would provide me updates on her life and how it's going so I could keep my eye on her :) <3!
.
This is a YA novel, but it reads very maturely. I would recommend to:
- Any and all that appreciate the art of story-telling
- Fans of Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley or Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
- Those that enjoy emotionally charged, fast-paced stories
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-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
Thank you so much to Berkley for the free copy of The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner!
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“It is the nature of the earth to shift. It is the nature of fragile things to break. It is the nature of fire to burn.”
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This is one freaking awesome story! WOW! How would I describe this book? Probably a historical thriller; I haven't read anything quite like this. While I love historical fiction, I do not often find that it keeps me "on the edge of my seat". However, I felt I was alongside our main characters, Sophie and Kat, throughout their tale, gripping the book with anticipation of what was to come!
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Most of the historical fiction that I read is war-centered. It was somewhat refreshing to read a book that had nothing to do with war. I enjoyed reading about early 20th century descriptions of San Francisco, the devastating earthquake and fires during San Francisco at this time, and basically what America was life during the turn of a century.
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I also enjoyed the strong female characters in this story and found myself passionately rooting for them. Meissner had me guessing until the very end and I was deeply invested in what happened to everyone I had come to know over the last three hundred pages. This is my first Meissner novel, but it absolutely will not be my last. I one hundred percent recommend picking up this fantastic story!
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“It is the nature of the earth to shift. It is the nature of fragile things to break. It is the nature of fire to burn.”
.
This is one freaking awesome story! WOW! How would I describe this book? Probably a historical thriller; I haven't read anything quite like this. While I love historical fiction, I do not often find that it keeps me "on the edge of my seat". However, I felt I was alongside our main characters, Sophie and Kat, throughout their tale, gripping the book with anticipation of what was to come!
.
Most of the historical fiction that I read is war-centered. It was somewhat refreshing to read a book that had nothing to do with war. I enjoyed reading about early 20th century descriptions of San Francisco, the devastating earthquake and fires during San Francisco at this time, and basically what America was life during the turn of a century.
.
I also enjoyed the strong female characters in this story and found myself passionately rooting for them. Meissner had me guessing until the very end and I was deeply invested in what happened to everyone I had come to know over the last three hundred pages. This is my first Meissner novel, but it absolutely will not be my last. I one hundred percent recommend picking up this fantastic story!
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
TRIGGERS
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I am seldom triggered by anything I read in a book. While I often am emotional while reading because of my connections to the characters and their stories, the happenings in books are never so much that I feel like I can't read any further. I also do not shy away from anything described as dark, etc. That being said, The Push is very, very triggering and I am happy to have a private conversation with anyone who feels they need the warning prior to picking this one up.
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The Push is a beautifully written novel with extremely dark themes. I found myself captivated by the language, engrossed in Blythe's (our main character) story, and honestly, unable to put the book down.
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I do not want to say too much in this review - but I was dissatisfied with the end. This isn't the type of book that will have a sequel, I don't think, and I disliked the open-ended ending. I understand that Audrain is leaving this up to the reader to delve through, but I want a more concrete and closed ending.
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This book examines motherhood and spans over generations. Aside from the ending, I enjoyed the read as it made me think, it gave me chills, and ultimately it made me appreciate the life that I have!
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I am seldom triggered by anything I read in a book. While I often am emotional while reading because of my connections to the characters and their stories, the happenings in books are never so much that I feel like I can't read any further. I also do not shy away from anything described as dark, etc. That being said, The Push is very, very triggering and I am happy to have a private conversation with anyone who feels they need the warning prior to picking this one up.
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The Push is a beautifully written novel with extremely dark themes. I found myself captivated by the language, engrossed in Blythe's (our main character) story, and honestly, unable to put the book down.
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I do not want to say too much in this review - but I was dissatisfied with the end. This isn't the type of book that will have a sequel, I don't think, and I disliked the open-ended ending. I understand that Audrain is leaving this up to the reader to delve through, but I want a more concrete and closed ending.
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This book examines motherhood and spans over generations. Aside from the ending, I enjoyed the read as it made me think, it gave me chills, and ultimately it made me appreciate the life that I have!
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
LET ME TRY TO WRITE THIS REVIEW WITHOUT SPOILERS!
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K but that's hard.
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Well. This was... different. Good different? Sure. I mean, I finished it in just over 24 hours so there is no denying that I was ENTERTAINED AF. But also like... what? What did I actually just read?
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Layla is described as a 'paranormal romance' which is the entire reason I picked up this book - I just had to know what that could even be. What does paranormal romance look like? Ghost love?? If you pick up Layla, you need to suspend any and all belief of reality and just go with it. Trying to explain the story is a mistake and takes away from the fun journey CoHo brings us on!
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This is the second CoHo book I have read (first is Verity) and I have to say, I'm a CoHo fan!
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Please always feel free to message me for triggers.
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K but that's hard.
.
Well. This was... different. Good different? Sure. I mean, I finished it in just over 24 hours so there is no denying that I was ENTERTAINED AF. But also like... what? What did I actually just read?
.
Layla is described as a 'paranormal romance' which is the entire reason I picked up this book - I just had to know what that could even be. What does paranormal romance look like? Ghost love?? If you pick up Layla, you need to suspend any and all belief of reality and just go with it. Trying to explain the story is a mistake and takes away from the fun journey CoHo brings us on!
.
This is the second CoHo book I have read (first is Verity) and I have to say, I'm a CoHo fan!
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Please always feel free to message me for triggers.