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strawberrymivvy's reviews
636 reviews
Watch Out for Her by Samantha M. Bailey
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is fairly typical of the psychological thriller genre, with no real surprises, but for all that it kept the pages turning, and whilst I guessed the ultimate outcome, I wasn't sure for a long time how we were going to get there.
Sarah and Daniel have a great life in Vancouver, but she really wants to spend more time on her photography sideline. Daniel finds them a summer babysitter, Holly, through his country club, and Holly seems to fit in well with the family. Holly has a challenging relationship with her own family, and having lost her own mother during childbirth she latches onto Sarah. Alarm bells start ringing on both sides, so a job offer for Daniel in Toronto is fortuitous timing and they move away from Holly.
Then Sarah starts to feel uncomfortable in their new home, finding hidden cameras, receiving threatening texts, and with a few creepy neighbours...
This was a solid enough read, but nothing new
Sarah and Daniel have a great life in Vancouver, but she really wants to spend more time on her photography sideline. Daniel finds them a summer babysitter, Holly, through his country club, and Holly seems to fit in well with the family. Holly has a challenging relationship with her own family, and having lost her own mother during childbirth she latches onto Sarah. Alarm bells start ringing on both sides, so a job offer for Daniel in Toronto is fortuitous timing and they move away from Holly.
Then Sarah starts to feel uncomfortable in their new home, finding hidden cameras, receiving threatening texts, and with a few creepy neighbours...
This was a solid enough read, but nothing new
The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This was a fairly solid WWI read, but I didn't enjoy it as much as The Dictionary of Lost Words.
Peggy and Maude are twin sisters, with Maude having some kind of mental impairment which means that after their mother died Peggy was left feeling solely responsible for her. Despite having always dreamed of studying at Somerville College, Oxford, Peggy must work alongside her sister at the University Press as a bookbinder.
As war breaks out, and refugees from Belgium arrive in the city, both girls must make adjustments to their lives. Peggy volunteers in a military hospital and meets an injured young officer.
This is a tale of all kinds of love and friendship, once again an unusual perspective of a woman's experience of the war, but if felt overly long-winded at times .
A good author, and one I will continue to read I'm sure
Peggy and Maude are twin sisters, with Maude having some kind of mental impairment which means that after their mother died Peggy was left feeling solely responsible for her. Despite having always dreamed of studying at Somerville College, Oxford, Peggy must work alongside her sister at the University Press as a bookbinder.
As war breaks out, and refugees from Belgium arrive in the city, both girls must make adjustments to their lives. Peggy volunteers in a military hospital and meets an injured young officer.
This is a tale of all kinds of love and friendship, once again an unusual perspective of a woman's experience of the war, but if felt overly long-winded at times .
A good author, and one I will continue to read I'm sure
The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow this kept the pages turning and for a good chunk of the book I had no idea what direction it was going to take.
A well-liked, hard working Newsroom Director and a struggling victim of domestic abuse take the same plane out of Madison, Wisconsin to Denver. A few days later their friends and loved ones start to receive texts saying they've met a man and are heading to Atlanta. Something feels off, then a major news story blows up...
Don't want to give away too many spoilers, but ultimately none of the characters come across as particularly likeable and the main male character is frankly vile!
A great first novel
A well-liked, hard working Newsroom Director and a struggling victim of domestic abuse take the same plane out of Madison, Wisconsin to Denver. A few days later their friends and loved ones start to receive texts saying they've met a man and are heading to Atlanta. Something feels off, then a major news story blows up...
Don't want to give away too many spoilers, but ultimately none of the characters come across as particularly likeable and the main male character is frankly vile!
A great first novel
The Porcelain Moon by Janie Chang
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This presented a different take on WWI by telling the story of Chinese immigrants - both those living and working in Paris, and those working alongside the French and British armies behind the front lines.
Pauline is living a life she cherishes, working for her uncle in his Paris antique store, and managing to avoid an arranged marriage back home in China. When it seems her luck is about to change and she may have to marry after all, she tries to track down her cousin, who she is very close to, for him to advocate on her behalf.
Camille is living with a violent husband in a small town, making a few extra pennies by taking in sewing, so she can plan to get away and make a future with Theo, her Chinese lover.
I had no idea that China had sent people to support the troops, or that some had already immigrated to Europe for their own business purposes, so in that respect this was an interesting read, but the love stories felt rushed and almost superfluous to the story, I'd have been happier with just the exploration of their lives.
Not an author whose books I've read, other than one she co-wrote. I will likely try more from her but she's not an immediate favourite
Pauline is living a life she cherishes, working for her uncle in his Paris antique store, and managing to avoid an arranged marriage back home in China. When it seems her luck is about to change and she may have to marry after all, she tries to track down her cousin, who she is very close to, for him to advocate on her behalf.
Camille is living with a violent husband in a small town, making a few extra pennies by taking in sewing, so she can plan to get away and make a future with Theo, her Chinese lover.
I had no idea that China had sent people to support the troops, or that some had already immigrated to Europe for their own business purposes, so in that respect this was an interesting read, but the love stories felt rushed and almost superfluous to the story, I'd have been happier with just the exploration of their lives.
Not an author whose books I've read, other than one she co-wrote. I will likely try more from her but she's not an immediate favourite
Traitors Gate by Jeffrey Archer
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
For the most part this is an easy read, if a little long-winded at times. Jeffrey Archer's writing style is so "old school British" it's comical at times, I mean, this is set in 1996 - not 1956 - who talks like that??
An interesting premise, Chief Superintendent Warwick's nemesis plots to steal the Crown Jewels, purely to get revenge on Warwick.
If you don't take the book too seriously then it's enjoyable enough with a few twists and turns along the way, but nothing that any true mystery afficionadoes will get excited about.
Not an author I seek out, but one I've read several books by - not as enjoyable as his family saga style novels, but an way to spend an afternoon
An interesting premise, Chief Superintendent Warwick's nemesis plots to steal the Crown Jewels, purely to get revenge on Warwick.
If you don't take the book too seriously then it's enjoyable enough with a few twists and turns along the way, but nothing that any true mystery afficionadoes will get excited about.
Not an author I seek out, but one I've read several books by - not as enjoyable as his family saga style novels, but an way to spend an afternoon
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
emotional
medium-paced
3.5
Not something I'd normally pick up, but was recommended by a friend who said anyone who has lost their Mum should read it.
Whilst at times it really did hit home, and there was a lot of raw emotion in there, for me it glossed over the difficulties of the author's relationship too much - it was often described as challenging and contentious but there was little if any evidence of that, beyond regular teenager/Mum interactions.
I felt the descriptions of Korean food were overly long, but do appreciate that this is where the author and her mother connected
Whilst at times it really did hit home, and there was a lot of raw emotion in there, for me it glossed over the difficulties of the author's relationship too much - it was often described as challenging and contentious but there was little if any evidence of that, beyond regular teenager/Mum interactions.
I felt the descriptions of Korean food were overly long, but do appreciate that this is where the author and her mother connected
The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A new to me author, and one I'd happily read again. Erika is a flawed (ie real) character, with a painful back story and she makes flawed decisions at times, based on her experiences.
Two single men are found killed in very similar circumstances, but what is the connection between them? Who could be targeting them and how did they gain entry to their homes?
Erika is determined to catch whoever is responsible, and of course goes off on her own in order to do so...
Quite dark methods of killing, but not overly graphic per se
Two single men are found killed in very similar circumstances, but what is the connection between them? Who could be targeting them and how did they gain entry to their homes?
Erika is determined to catch whoever is responsible, and of course goes off on her own in order to do so...
Quite dark methods of killing, but not overly graphic per se
Healing Hearts at Bumblebee Barn by Jessica Redland
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This was an easy read, a sister novel to another series of books which I gather are very well-loved by readers, but certainly was fine as a standalone.
Barney is a lonely farmer looking for love with someone who shares his love for animals and the outdoors; his sister suggests he applies for a reality show aiming to match farmers with a new love - enter Amber, the show's producer.
This was gentle, zero spice, the characters felt like genuinely nice people you'd want to get to know and spend time with. Of course there was the obligatory (minor) misunderstanding but ultimately this book doesn't mess the reader around and we get our happy ever after
Not an author I'd seek out or want to read too often, but great on the beach or on a wet Sunday afternoon
Barney is a lonely farmer looking for love with someone who shares his love for animals and the outdoors; his sister suggests he applies for a reality show aiming to match farmers with a new love - enter Amber, the show's producer.
This was gentle, zero spice, the characters felt like genuinely nice people you'd want to get to know and spend time with. Of course there was the obligatory (minor) misunderstanding but ultimately this book doesn't mess the reader around and we get our happy ever after
Not an author I'd seek out or want to read too often, but great on the beach or on a wet Sunday afternoon
The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I found this book OK in the reading, but totally forgettable within a few hours - so much so that I can't actually remember how it ended!
Joy was a fairly likeable, well-rounded asexual woman who is (on the whole) confident in who she is. Malcolm, her supposed best friend, is the guy she's been in love with for ten years. Their friendship, to me, seemed really toxic and whilst she seemed able to read other peoples characters fairly well, for some reason she saw nothing wrong with his behaviour.
The usual fake romance trope, but likeable enough for a few hours on the beach
Joy was a fairly likeable, well-rounded asexual woman who is (on the whole) confident in who she is. Malcolm, her supposed best friend, is the guy she's been in love with for ten years. Their friendship, to me, seemed really toxic and whilst she seemed able to read other peoples characters fairly well, for some reason she saw nothing wrong with his behaviour.
The usual fake romance trope, but likeable enough for a few hours on the beach
The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This was similar to The Last Bookshop in London in that it was an OK read, with average characters and only as much detail as was really needed to move the plot along.
I had not heard of the Boots Lending Libraries so that interested me, but whilst they were a real thing, the information was pretty scant and under-developed.
Emma is a young widow who has to lie about her marital status and hide the existence of her daughter in order to be able to work to support them both. She faces the heartbreaking decision of whether to send her daughter away with the evacuation and keep her safe.
As always with these books the characters seems to fall deeply in love from nowhere, but if you can gloss over that this is an enjoyable enough read, and nice to read one about WWII that was not set in London. As always, I wish these books weren't "Americanised" and used actual British words (ie not sidewalk!) for when the characters are talking
I had not heard of the Boots Lending Libraries so that interested me, but whilst they were a real thing, the information was pretty scant and under-developed.
Emma is a young widow who has to lie about her marital status and hide the existence of her daughter in order to be able to work to support them both. She faces the heartbreaking decision of whether to send her daughter away with the evacuation and keep her safe.
As always with these books the characters seems to fall deeply in love from nowhere, but if you can gloss over that this is an enjoyable enough read, and nice to read one about WWII that was not set in London. As always, I wish these books weren't "Americanised" and used actual British words (ie not sidewalk!) for when the characters are talking