staceen's reviews
96 reviews

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

A fun enough read, but not one of Shari Lapena's best. The end left a little to be desired. I listened to the audio, which was a little tough because the characters' points of view changed frequently between chapters. I assume these are delineated by line breaks in the text, but it was a little tricky to follow in audio. 

The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

Meh? After coming right off The Appeal, which I loved, this felt a little half-baked. I get that it's a novella and it was intentionally short, I just wish we got a proper sequel with these characters instead. I still enjoyed it. 

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

funny mysterious fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was so fun I couldn't put it down. The style, using emails and texts, probably isn't for everyone, but I thought it was clever and well done. 

The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

It was really nice to see more of the lovable characters from The Guncle. I really liked it despite being a hair darker at times than the first.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A treat to reread. I liked it just as much the second time around. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction and Cancer

Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand

lighthearted medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I've never really understood the concept of hate-watching/reading until this book. It centers around the "troubles" of absolutely vapid rich people on Nantucket. 

Aww you did too much insider trading? Your boyfriend bought you $200 boots for Christmas? You need to sell your historic inn for $4 million? Wahh wah wah

Also "standing rib roast" was mentioned thirteen (13) times in this 256 page book. 

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

mysterious slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No

3.0

Struggling author Finlay Donovan is broke and in danger of losing her kids when a stranger in Panera Bread slips her a note asking her to kill her husband. Misunderstandings abound, and I kind of bought in to what I thought was the premise: the heroine stumbles into a clumsy career as a contract killer. 

Unfortunately, as other reviewers have mentioned, she doesn't actually *do* anything. Things just happen around her. I also found the writing to drag. It got repetitive as the author clearly wanted to make sure the reader didn't miss anything or fail to connect the dots. 

This had a lot of potential but it was just OK. I probably won't keep reading the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Murder

The Wake-Up Call by Beth O'Leary

hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

A darling story with minimal, but effective spice. Izzy and Lucas are colleagues at struggling rural inn who "hate each other" after a misunderstanding at a Christmas party. They begrudgingly work together to save the inn from bankruptcy. I'm thrilled we didn't spend too much time working out the misunderstanding and having it cause more confusion. 

Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I was/am a huge One Tree Hill fan but never knew much about Bethany Joy Lenz beyond that. Even though I didn't relate to the religious aspects, I was drawn to her vulnerability in this book. Her experience in the cult is wild, and the small details she shares allows the reader to really understand her mindset and rational. I loved the audiobook, her singing and accent work was actually so good, but I didn't need the audio cameos from her co-stars. 

How Does that Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? by Anna Montague
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.

I may go back to this but it wasn't what I expected. The comparison to Remarkably Bright Creatures made me think this would be more life affirming. I liked this, it was just a tad heavy for what I wanted. Not every book needs a cartoon cover.