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sarahsbookstack's Reviews (2.59k)
dark
tense
medium-paced
Do you like when someone is vindictive and it's a wreck that you can't look away from? Do you crave tension and drama? Then this book might be for you!
Every mother wants what is best for their daughter but what if that "best" gets pushed into unsettling territory?
Colette and Kate have been friends and dancers for a long while. They both get an amazing opportunity but it might come at the cost of friendship that turns into competition. Valerie is Kate's mom and I felt like she was put into unfair positions by Colette's mom Elise. I can't say much to give away this but....I could NOT STOP TURNING PAGES! I felt my eyes probably just grew so big throughout. The ending..... that was shocking! I had no idea where it was heading and OMG.... so good!!
Every mother wants what is best for their daughter but what if that "best" gets pushed into unsettling territory?
Colette and Kate have been friends and dancers for a long while. They both get an amazing opportunity but it might come at the cost of friendship that turns into competition. Valerie is Kate's mom and I felt like she was put into unfair positions by Colette's mom Elise. I can't say much to give away this but....I could NOT STOP TURNING PAGES! I felt my eyes probably just grew so big throughout. The ending..... that was shocking! I had no idea where it was heading and OMG.... so good!!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
This was good but didn't blow me away even with its creepiness.
Verity (17) and her sister Lilah are sent to an orphanage after their dad is declared insane and then onto a train in the hope of being adopted. In a small sleepy town in Alabama, they are separated to different homes. The woods surrounding both their new homes have long held ghostly stories and they are warned to never enter. Of course, Verity is very much a non-conformist so she does exactly that.
What follows is Verity discovering that all is not right with Miss Maeve who adopted her sister and the ties this woman has to their family. You have to suspend belief for all the magic/ghostly things that occur but I feel this would make an excellent Halloween type read.
Verity (17) and her sister Lilah are sent to an orphanage after their dad is declared insane and then onto a train in the hope of being adopted. In a small sleepy town in Alabama, they are separated to different homes. The woods surrounding both their new homes have long held ghostly stories and they are warned to never enter. Of course, Verity is very much a non-conformist so she does exactly that.
What follows is Verity discovering that all is not right with Miss Maeve who adopted her sister and the ties this woman has to their family. You have to suspend belief for all the magic/ghostly things that occur but I feel this would make an excellent Halloween type read.
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
When May receives a letter from her sister June to come and join her in The Colony, May immediately leaves her husband to run to her sister who left years ago. There she finds Rex and his believers. She soon is ensnared in their cult where they believe Rex can bring back loved ones souls into new vessels.
I admired May. She got ensnared, yes, but she also was very level headed and kept her wits about her. The people she confides her doubts to, don't always use her trust and instead abuse her with it. She also finds an outsider who is willing to do what it takes to save June.
The book was tense and atmospheric. I really love to just dig into cults in books to see what makes their leaders so what they do and why they get so many people to follow. The ending had a surprise "helper" that I never would have seen coming but it was a perfect end.
I admired May. She got ensnared, yes, but she also was very level headed and kept her wits about her. The people she confides her doubts to, don't always use her trust and instead abuse her with it. She also finds an outsider who is willing to do what it takes to save June.
The book was tense and atmospheric. I really love to just dig into cults in books to see what makes their leaders so what they do and why they get so many people to follow. The ending had a surprise "helper" that I never would have seen coming but it was a perfect end.
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
I am so glad I decided to buckle down and get back to this book after reading 4 chapters and not really feeling up to picking it up again....I had a lot of fun once I really got going with it!
Edie and her neighbor "Chad" aka Gaston Maxwell aka a who knows how many years old vampire, have a run in with a couple of zombies that have breached their containment. Now it's a run for their lives as they try to find out why the zombies were able to breach while dealing with more and more zoms as they go along. These aren't your slow moving zombies either! I love the little band they get together with some witches, an Oracle, and some trolls.
I love the growing relationship with Edie and Max. I love her breaking into songs of many renditions of Gaston from BATB that get more and more ridiculous each time. The spice was just perfect too
Edie and her neighbor "Chad" aka Gaston Maxwell aka a who knows how many years old vampire, have a run in with a couple of zombies that have breached their containment. Now it's a run for their lives as they try to find out why the zombies were able to breach while dealing with more and more zoms as they go along. These aren't your slow moving zombies either! I love the little band they get together with some witches, an Oracle, and some trolls.
I love the growing relationship with Edie and Max. I love her breaking into songs of many renditions of Gaston from BATB that get more and more ridiculous each time. The spice was just perfect too
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
This is a very Gothic and atmospheric story in this crumbling mansion where whispers are heard.
Oliver has come back to the place where he lived with his Uncle, but never saw his uncle, in this massive, intense house.
He becomes enamored with the governess Pearl and Maxwell, the young boy relation so like Oliver but who suffers from an affliction of the lungs. But the plans he has to sell to a clothing company (of his intended inherited house) might just be changed by these two... if only his Uncle wasn't so stubborn.
Once the secrets are peeled back and the mystery of Maxwell's woes is discovered, there is a great and beautiful change for the inhabitants. I loved how the story ended.
Oliver has come back to the place where he lived with his Uncle, but never saw his uncle, in this massive, intense house.
He becomes enamored with the governess Pearl and Maxwell, the young boy relation so like Oliver but who suffers from an affliction of the lungs. But the plans he has to sell to a clothing company (of his intended inherited house) might just be changed by these two... if only his Uncle wasn't so stubborn.
Once the secrets are peeled back and the mystery of Maxwell's woes is discovered, there is a great and beautiful change for the inhabitants. I loved how the story ended.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
From the very beginning chapter, I know I was in for a real treat! The way Wyatt and Josie meet (well again) was just so funny.
So many fun things in this book. Her playing nursemaid while Wyatt recovers from an injury, the way she gets to take care of him is sweet (even when it's with animosity at first). The neighbors pigs 🤣.The found dog, Jib and her outfits that Josie puts her in. The way that Josie is going to help Wyatt on his sailing trip and learns so much she freaks herself out. Jacob, Josie's brother, bringing some special friends to visit! The first kiss which was perfection and well worth the wait. The way Wyatt says "he's really good at waiting" and all that implies.
So happy to see a story for Wyatt away from the hockey career and how well his story stands on its own.
So many fun things in this book. Her playing nursemaid while Wyatt recovers from an injury, the way she gets to take care of him is sweet (even when it's with animosity at first). The neighbors pigs 🤣.The found dog, Jib and her outfits that Josie puts her in. The way that Josie is going to help Wyatt on his sailing trip and learns so much she freaks herself out. Jacob, Josie's brother, bringing some special friends to visit! The first kiss which was perfection and well worth the wait. The way Wyatt says "he's really good at waiting" and all that implies.
So happy to see a story for Wyatt away from the hockey career and how well his story stands on its own.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
I love when a book gets me all up in the feels- happy, angry, horrified, sad, etc.... so many emotions felt in this book.
Yes, it will remind you of Taylor and Travis but honestly, it wasn't on my mind for the whole book.
Sloane, a famous singer, has the most unfair reputation in the media (well that she DOES lean into) as a Black Widow. She leans into it, rightly so, to protect her heart.
Marcos "Sly" is a quarterback at the top of his game. He finds Sloane when he takes his abuela to get damn and gets to meet her backstage. Then because of a friend, Sloane and Sly start hanging out more.
Sloane isn't the type to give her trust easily after all the pain she went through with previous relationships. I love the moment she starts to feel safe with Sly. He protects her, he's there for her so much... especially when a very scary situation arises and how it is dealt with. There are scenes near the end where I was feeling so tense! My favorites are when Sly and Sloane are just so open with each other.
If you are a fan of music star romances or football romances, this is for you!
Yes, it will remind you of Taylor and Travis but honestly, it wasn't on my mind for the whole book.
Sloane, a famous singer, has the most unfair reputation in the media (well that she DOES lean into) as a Black Widow. She leans into it, rightly so, to protect her heart.
Marcos "Sly" is a quarterback at the top of his game. He finds Sloane when he takes his abuela to get damn and gets to meet her backstage. Then because of a friend, Sloane and Sly start hanging out more.
Sloane isn't the type to give her trust easily after all the pain she went through with previous relationships. I love the moment she starts to feel safe with Sly. He protects her, he's there for her so much... especially when a very scary situation arises and how it is dealt with. There are scenes near the end where I was feeling so tense! My favorites are when Sly and Sloane are just so open with each other.
If you are a fan of music star romances or football romances, this is for you!
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This book was unhinged in the best way! My initial thought of Julia- woman, you are 35.. act like it. Stop throwing tantrums and stop being so incredibly rude! My initial thought of Caroline- poor woman! Her stepdaughter is acting really ugly and how could Julia act this way towards her stepmother as they both lost someone they love.
I was so engrossed in this book that I didn't want to put it down and read it in a night. I couldn't believe the way she acted with Giorgio, a veritable stranger- she gave him the benefit of the doubt (more than she trusted her stepdaughter) even when people told her otherwise. Caroline was a contradiction to me. I loved a lot of Caroline's family in Italy though, they were good people.
Oh the ending was super, super satisfactory! I really liked how the last, maybe 10%, went down!
I was so engrossed in this book that I didn't want to put it down and read it in a night. I couldn't believe the way she acted with Giorgio, a veritable stranger- she gave him the benefit of the doubt (more than she trusted her stepdaughter) even when people told her otherwise. Caroline was a contradiction to me. I loved a lot of Caroline's family in Italy though, they were good people.
Oh the ending was super, super satisfactory! I really liked how the last, maybe 10%, went down!
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
This was a beautiful fantasy being based on the author's Grandparent's love story through an awful time of Japanese rule over Korea. It's portrayed as a Dragon ruled land and suppressing the Tiger people.
This is also a rich girl (Eunji), poor boy (Seung) story. Seung is a servant in the household of Eunji. In exchange for her helping him study for a test to get ki (powers) that he couldn't otherwise afford, Seung promises to help show her a life outside her current existence.
These two battle for finding the Last Tiger. Seung wants to save his family from ruin and Eunji pretty much for the same reason. Their journeys are separate until it forces them to work together. Seung holds a secret though and he's more powerful than he realizes.
This was an adventure to bring back a world without divide. It was an easy read but beautiful in the telling.
This is also a rich girl (Eunji), poor boy (Seung) story. Seung is a servant in the household of Eunji. In exchange for her helping him study for a test to get ki (powers) that he couldn't otherwise afford, Seung promises to help show her a life outside her current existence.
These two battle for finding the Last Tiger. Seung wants to save his family from ruin and Eunji pretty much for the same reason. Their journeys are separate until it forces them to work together. Seung holds a secret though and he's more powerful than he realizes.
This was an adventure to bring back a world without divide. It was an easy read but beautiful in the telling.