shelbyanoel's reviews
229 reviews

The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Lara Love Hardin

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

4.0

 I knew I wanted to give the Rom-Commers a try right after viewing an Instagram Reel of the premise of the book and reading the descriptor of the book itself. This is my first book by Katherine Center, and I laughed and loved it. I appreciated her "authors note" at the end and her thoughts about "love stories" and "literature".  It was a change of pace to my normal dark, tense, emotional rides of books that I read and I'm not sad about it. 

Emma and Charlie both have their own quirks and were relatable as adults and people. Trying to navigate adulthood, life in general, the events that unfold within our control and outside of our control. and the concept of what "love is" and "love isn't". I definitely related to Charlie because I have switched from the side of loving love and all things love to swinging the other way and thinking that love and fairytales are a sham... but questioning deeply if they really are?

 I valued the opposing viewpoints and the plot as it unfolded. It wasn't as predictable as one would think. The research going into screen writing and blending the balance of work and living was also well done. The Rom-Commers was definitely an "opposite attract" story that you have you laughing and understanding Charlie and his views, while still appreciating Emma and hers. I also valued how family intertwined throughout the book.

Touching, light-hearted, and a bit quirky, I definitely recommend The Rom-Commers and giving this a try for a change of pace, and laughs about swimming, diving boards, guinea pigs, closet moments, making donuts in the kitchen, and random hospital upgrades. 

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Katherine Center for this ARC. I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the narration of the audiobook and the opportunity to read The Rom-Commers.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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

3.5

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

3.5

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.0

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

3.5

Zero Days by Ruth Ware

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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 had the pleasure of reading "The Girls I've Been" for a book club last year. I flew through the book, so naturally I was excited to read "The Girl in Question" and see what had become of Nora, Iris, Lee, Will, and of course Raymond.

Tess Sharpe really did a great job of capturing Nora again and her identities. Unpacking Nora and her background even more, encountering some new characters and an unexpected twist, this was a page turner and once I started I couldn't wait to finish and see what would happen. Factor in Raymond being out of prison set the plot up nicely, and choosing to bring in wilderness, camping, and the outdoors was a good shift in setting for the plot line.

I also appreciated the alternating view points of characters and how it built depth for them. I would recommend readers start with "The Girls I've Been" before jumping into "The Girls in Question", which I think is a given this isn't a stand alone from the previous book. Readers won't be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Books for Young Readers and Tess Sharpe for the ARC. I really enjoyed the fast-paced, humor, and suspense in Nora's adventure.

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

dark emotional reflective sad 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

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

4.0