srbookish's reviews
144 reviews

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Frieda McFadden will never cease to hit you with the plot twist and character switch up! Just when I thought I had it figured out, I was so wrong about who was the serial killer. And even more shocking, I didn’t see that ending coming at all! 

While I did enjoy the book, I did feel like it was lacking a little more darkness and depth. It’s a solid 3.5 rating for me as I do believe it could’ve been a little better. 

Booked for Christmas by Melissa F. Miller

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

such a good holiday romcom mystery that focuses on secrets, celebration, brokenness, and repair. the biggest theme was focusing on finding the beauty in the impermanent, the imperfect and the incomplete things. 

after reading Home for Christmas in July, it was so warming to meet the characters again in the Mistletoe Mountain series. even though it is part of a series, you can def read it as a standalone book!

Holly has not been feeling the holiday spirit, especially after finding her ex fiancé hooking up in the closet with her boss! But when she meets Jack, she’s able to not only build a connection with him, but also find that joy that was missing during this season! As she finds herself playing the role of his lawyer, she uncovered so much more about him, and the feelings are mutual. battling the book banners and supporting a greater cause breaks or even closer to Jack and allows her to feel all the feels again!

while I did enjoy the book, I did feel like there was something missing from it. The ending did leave off on a slight cliffhanger where I really wish it was a little bit more to it.

A Very Merry Mistake by Lyra Parish, Lyra Parish

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

just the tropes alone had me sold! and they surely didn’t disappoint.

OHH! did I mention there’s also a cinnamon roll lumberjack?! yup everything about this holiday romance was perfectly cute. JJ and CeeCee are the cutest couple and I’m so glad they made it past that obstacle, because literally match made in heaven. when he’s able to bring out that soft girl side of you, he’s a keeper!

The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore

lighthearted medium-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

4.0

totally got the hype! this was such a cute Fall read🍂and especially if you’re looking for a palate cleanser. highly recommend!!

the book follows two main characters, dual pov, of Jeanie and Logan. Jeanie, brought back to Dream Harbor after taking over her aunt’s coffee shop, is on a mission of reinventing herself while potentially setting roots down in this cozy small town. Logan, the steamy loner farmer, recently broken up from his ex after a traumatic proposal gone wrong, is steering clear of love and relationships. but as the stars aline, they fall quickly for each other amidst solving some coffee shop problems and figuring out their own personal struggles. 

I absolutely loved this book! it’s so comparable to Gilmore Girls, with the main characters relating to Lorelai and Luke, the small town reminiscent of Stars Hollow, and the silly funny group of townspeople that surround them, including town meetings and all! it was such a sweet romance and super quick read, short chapters and being only 355 pages. 

Meet Me at Midnight by Max Monroe

emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

max monroe has done it again! absolutely ate this book up! there’s just something about an emotional romance that gets me🥹

right off the bat, you can’t help but fall in love with juniper’s character. she’s just the sweetest friend, hardworking employee, and red-headed beauty. and the fact that she shamelessly tries her hardest to protect and keep the peace with her bestie, avery, makes her truly the best!

and beau, well let’s just say he’s sooo dreamy💭not to mention her best friend’s older brother who she’s been crushing on since she was a teenager. 

following their spicy connection brewing via social media was so dang steamy! I was sooo here for it! but I wasn’t prepared for everyone’s reaction once the news got out!

Ward D by Freida McFadden

4.0

My first impressions - it started off pretty quick. Even though the entirety of the story took place overnight, there was a lot of details incorporated into a couple of hours. The POV’s of Amy was interesting because you learn more of a back story and get to know the characters more. The plot twist wasn’t as twisty as I was expecting. While the book did have its high moments of thrill, there were slower moments too. Overall a quick read, attention grabbing, but not as thrilling as expected.

Layla by Colleen Hoover

3.0

My first impressions of Layla: intrigued. The beginning of the story was captivating and you instantly fall in love with Leeds and Layla’s characters and their relationship. But as you get more into the storyline, the plot changes to incorporate a more supernatural feel and genre, which I’m not a huge fan of. The lost souls and ghost really turned my interest off. And I found myself losing interest in the book as it carried on. I also fell out of love with Leeds character.

The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden

4.0

Never want to compare too much, but The Wife Upstairs was reminiscent of the famous Verity by Colleen Hoover. The characters relationships were similar, the plot was also similar. But this book wasn’t as thrilling as expected. The story line does move at a decent pace, but the plot twist doesn’t come until the ending of the book. There is a little bit of mystery at the ending - who really did it and who was the bad guy? But overall a good read and attention grabbing.

Never Lie by Freida McFadden

5.0

As the book unfolds, the author appears to drop hints at Ethan potentially having something to do with the disappearance. But that was all part of the plan! As things in the home become even more of, items moving, loud noises, a clean sleeping bag, I really started to question what happened to the doctor. Listening to the cassette tapes also provided an insight into what may have happened. And the suspect list began to grow. The character roles were really thought out, and the plot twist of the characters Ethan and Tricia really caught me by surprise. Tricia’s character and the back story of who she really is was so unexpected, but it all made sense after. Tricia, really Patricia, may not be as crazy as she is. Her character mindset made perfect sense. But her planning to end up with Ethan was something that threw me off. I didn’t expect her to have planned her relationship with Ethan. And the ending of them working together to solidify the murders in the home was a shocker. Ethan didn’t come across as a follower or even interested in killing someone. But his past makes sense when you look at the present character he plays.

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

4.0

I will admit the first half of the book seemed slow, but it quickly picks up the pace. The story starts to unfold, and we learn that Nina actually killed three people, her son was given away to loving family for protection, and Nina really is suffering from some type of diagnosis that cause what looks like multiple personality or black outs. And the story ends with the police taking Nina into custody. I truly hope there is a sequel on this book about what happens Nina afterwards. The ending seemed somewhat abrupt. there were also many times felt Maggie she could have escaped. But her toxic relationship with her daughter kept her back. Truly enjoyed this book once it picked up.