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thebooksatchel's reviews
521 reviews
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
For the love of plays, dramatization, unreliable narrators, cozy crime, slow reveals. This is a story about murder or maybe love or maybe obsession. Seven people are trapped in an island and a murder happens. The murder or what led to it is slowly revealed by our narrator, a dramatist, in the same manner as a Greek play. But he himself says he is an unreliable one. I enjoyed the reveals. It was sad and satisfying at the same time. Maybe not the ‘fury’ I had in mind, this seemed more of a slow buildup of a storm. A good thriller nevertheless. The Silent Patient remains my favorite from Alex Michaelides. This one was very enjoyable too.
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
I enjoyed this breezy small-town romance but I also have mixed feelings about it.
🎄Set in a small town where our heroine runs a Christmas tree farm that’s not doing well
🎄 she will do anything to save her Christmas tree farm. And the way out is to win a big contest hosted by a well known influencer. But to win it she has to fake date her best friend !!!! What’s not to love?
🎄 The cutest couple!! Luka is the softest, green flag who is willing to do anything for his friend/love interest. Another amazing fictional man that we are gonna stan.
🎄I LOVED the epilogue where Luka recalls a message from his father. It’s something to incorporate in our own lives
🎄 One of my favourite scenes is when Stella asks shall we fake date and Luka says Sure. PERFECT!!!
🌲So by Chapter 6/7 I felt like I’ve got all that I wanted from a best friends to lovers romance. Like what more? (Family, town members, conflicts etc follow. Also love scenes which were nice )
🌲The steamy scenes were nice!! The chemistry is awesome and the buildup is great
🌲But I was reaaaally annoyed by the end scene where things are pretty obvious but the couple go on and on bickering. Oh my god stop!! Stop this forced fight for word count
🌲 Sometimes they didn’t seem like best friends. Like whatever happened to communication? It’s OBVIOUS you have feelings for one another. And the things that you are doing as lovers make it even more obvious.. and thinks this is just a fake relationship.. Girl!! What?
🌲 The pacing dragged towards the middle. I would’ve loved to have a more high stakes conflict or more between the couple. We already know they are best friends and we get that they have feelings for one another. But give us more!
🌲 The Christmas tree farm conflicts solved themselves too conveniently. I don’t find this a problem. I dont think romance books need to be very complicated. But some readers might feel this way. As for me, I didn’t mind. I didn’t care about the farm. I was all heart eyes for the best friends to FALL IN LOVE
Overall, I enjoyed it. Some parts were annoying (esp when behaves like she can’t understand what’s right in front of her eyes). It’s a very cute love story but it can also seem underwhelming if you are expecting a full fledged love story . And I AM 100% here for best friends to fall in love with one another. Cutest! So yes, this one could be a light read for a weekend.
🎄Set in a small town where our heroine runs a Christmas tree farm that’s not doing well
🎄 she will do anything to save her Christmas tree farm. And the way out is to win a big contest hosted by a well known influencer. But to win it she has to fake date her best friend !!!! What’s not to love?
🎄 The cutest couple!! Luka is the softest, green flag who is willing to do anything for his friend/love interest. Another amazing fictional man that we are gonna stan.
🎄I LOVED the epilogue where Luka recalls a message from his father. It’s something to incorporate in our own lives
🎄 One of my favourite scenes is when Stella asks shall we fake date and Luka says Sure. PERFECT!!!
🌲So by Chapter 6/7 I felt like I’ve got all that I wanted from a best friends to lovers romance. Like what more? (Family, town members, conflicts etc follow. Also love scenes which were nice )
🌲The steamy scenes were nice!! The chemistry is awesome and the buildup is great
🌲But I was reaaaally annoyed by the end scene where things are pretty obvious but the couple go on and on bickering. Oh my god stop!! Stop this forced fight for word count
🌲 Sometimes they didn’t seem like best friends. Like whatever happened to communication? It’s OBVIOUS you have feelings for one another. And the things that you are doing as lovers make it even more obvious.. and thinks this is just a fake relationship.. Girl!! What?
🌲 The pacing dragged towards the middle. I would’ve loved to have a more high stakes conflict or more between the couple. We already know they are best friends and we get that they have feelings for one another. But give us more!
🌲 The Christmas tree farm conflicts solved themselves too conveniently. I don’t find this a problem. I dont think romance books need to be very complicated. But some readers might feel this way. As for me, I didn’t mind. I didn’t care about the farm. I was all heart eyes for the best friends to FALL IN LOVE
Overall, I enjoyed it. Some parts were annoying (esp when behaves like she can’t understand what’s right in front of her eyes). It’s a very cute love story but it can also seem underwhelming if you are expecting a full fledged love story . And I AM 100% here for best friends to fall in love with one another. Cutest! So yes, this one could be a light read for a weekend.
Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Oooh this was a nice, escapist read. What to expect?
🍰 Two rival matchmakers, Liv who is going to take over her family business of traditional matchmaking using Chinese zodiac signs and Bennett who is LA’s most eligible bachelor and entrepreneur all set to is launch an app for digital dating, meet at a bakery and negotiate for a cocktail bun. Too cute!
🍰 How often do you get a meet-cute with buns, pork rolls, and Swiss rolls. Hungry already
🍰 Next they strike up a wager that they’ll matchmake for one another with a high stakes prize for the winner. How cute! But naturally they develop feelings for one another.
🍰 Rivals to lovers. I really would’ve liked more conflicts and a steeper fall-in-love.
🍰 Lots of food and baked goods. Oh dear! I loved this part
🍰 Family, grand-mom legacy, revival of broken friendships, grief, Bi-racial MCs
🍰 If you love You’ve got mail movie's business rivals to lovers, then this book’s for you.
Read with The Satchel Book Club on Instagram
🍰 Two rival matchmakers, Liv who is going to take over her family business of traditional matchmaking using Chinese zodiac signs and Bennett who is LA’s most eligible bachelor and entrepreneur all set to is launch an app for digital dating, meet at a bakery and negotiate for a cocktail bun. Too cute!
🍰 How often do you get a meet-cute with buns, pork rolls, and Swiss rolls. Hungry already
🍰 Next they strike up a wager that they’ll matchmake for one another with a high stakes prize for the winner. How cute! But naturally they develop feelings for one another.
🍰 Rivals to lovers. I really would’ve liked more conflicts and a steeper fall-in-love.
🍰 Lots of food and baked goods. Oh dear! I loved this part
🍰 Family, grand-mom legacy, revival of broken friendships, grief, Bi-racial MCs
🍰 If you love You’ve got mail movie's business rivals to lovers, then this book’s for you.
Read with The Satchel Book Club on Instagram
The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
cute, breezy read about bookish neighbors falling in love. Lily, a twenty something wannabe children's books editor and bookworm; and Nick, a fantasy author who values his privacy.
What to expect?
- <b>You've got mail vibes</b>. The beginning of the book reminded me so much about You've got mail. Lily emails her favorite fantasy indie book author through a contact form (we know nothing more about the author because he values privacy. and the fantasy series is incomplete) on his website and they exchange emails that slowly become flirty. Then after a year they accidentally become neighbors and feel a connection towards each other.
- <b>BOOKISH</b> all along! Email chats about books, bookstores, working in publishing, fantasy books, readings, book deals.
- <b> Best bookish boyfriend</b>. Think long discussions on books, bookstore dates
- The <b>conflicts felt too small</b>. How do I put this? I don't think the decisions Nick took to stay away from Lily were justified. Or the way he plays along because he just can't help it.
- Nick had things to hide and he lies. He lied too long for me to be okay with their relationship. How do you just move on from that? Then again, this is a book.
- Personally I love sisters in books. So I really wanted more chemistry or scenes b/w sisters.
- The chemistry between Nick and Lily was good. Also, this is a romance book. So it doesn't really make sense that they suddenly start kissing. But do we mind? Nah
- There's a cat! (PS: Loved learning that an Xray for a cat costs $500 out of the pocket in the US. I am forever shocked)
Overall, happy romance perfect for bookish hearts.
What to expect?
- <b>You've got mail vibes</b>. The beginning of the book reminded me so much about You've got mail. Lily emails her favorite fantasy indie book author through a contact form (we know nothing more about the author because he values privacy. and the fantasy series is incomplete) on his website and they exchange emails that slowly become flirty. Then after a year they accidentally become neighbors and feel a connection towards each other.
- <b>BOOKISH</b> all along! Email chats about books, bookstores, working in publishing, fantasy books, readings, book deals.
- <b> Best bookish boyfriend</b>. Think long discussions on books, bookstore dates
- The <b>conflicts felt too small</b>. How do I put this? I don't think the decisions Nick took to stay away from Lily were justified. Or the way he plays along because he just can't help it.
- Nick had things to hide and he lies. He lied too long for me to be okay with their relationship. How do you just move on from that? Then again, this is a book.
- Personally I love sisters in books. So I really wanted more chemistry or scenes b/w sisters.
- The chemistry between Nick and Lily was good. Also, this is a romance book. So it doesn't really make sense that they suddenly start kissing. But do we mind? Nah
- There's a cat! (PS: Loved learning that an Xray for a cat costs $500 out of the pocket in the US. I am forever shocked)
Overall, happy romance perfect for bookish hearts.
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
This one's for those who love emotional love stories.
- The women are strong and independent and know how to survive against odds. It was very inspiring to read. And the way they find success seemed plausible. The women are powerful in this story.
- Soledad's husband is arrested on embezzlement charges. Her bank accounts are frozen and she has to care for her three children. The man who found out about her husband's fraud and reported it, Judah Cross, is a handsome, divorced father. He seems to grow a soft corner for Soledad.
- There's healthy co-parenting between Judas Cross and his ex-wife. They newly formed family really know how to make things work. Their twin sons who are autistic on different levels of the spectrum—Rep done well. There are also some passages on why a relationship might not work and how to move away in a healthy manner.
- Soledad is Afro-Latina. Rep done well.
- Judah and Soledad have good chemistry between them.
- The book starts off very intense and then mellows down. It is quite emotional.
- Kennedy Ryan explores so many other HEAVY themes, which kind of takes away from the romance. at the centre of the story. I would've loved to see more of how the relationship between Judah and Soledad developed. And I would've loved to see more of their chemistry.
- The women are strong and independent and know how to survive against odds. It was very inspiring to read. And the way they find success seemed plausible. The women are powerful in this story.
- Soledad's husband is arrested on embezzlement charges. Her bank accounts are frozen and she has to care for her three children. The man who found out about her husband's fraud and reported it, Judah Cross, is a handsome, divorced father. He seems to grow a soft corner for Soledad.
- There's healthy co-parenting between Judas Cross and his ex-wife. They newly formed family really know how to make things work. Their twin sons who are autistic on different levels of the spectrum—Rep done well. There are also some passages on why a relationship might not work and how to move away in a healthy manner.
- Soledad is Afro-Latina. Rep done well.
- Judah and Soledad have good chemistry between them.
- The book starts off very intense and then mellows down. It is quite emotional.
- Kennedy Ryan explores so many other HEAVY themes, which kind of takes away from the romance. at the centre of the story. I would've loved to see more of how the relationship between Judah and Soledad developed. And I would've loved to see more of their chemistry.
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams
Breezy romance read. Read if you like
💐 Fake dating. Dating coach falls in love
💐 Friends to lovers
💐 Bodyguard to a celebrity, Will, is a casual dater and doesn’t want to be in a committed relationship. He agrees to coach the ball of sunshine and flower shop girl, Annie, to help her get a partner and settle down. And ends up falling in love
💐 siblings meddling and love
💐 Annie is a secret romance reader and loves pirate romances and will reads her fav books and also wants to reenact the scenes with her (cute!)
💐 Close door romance
💐 Small town romance set in sleepy Rome. Everybody knows everyone and everything.
I loved the premise and the beginning was very exciting. But after half the book, it felt dragging because of the formulaic tropes. I would’ve loved to see more of Annie and Will and how deep they are into each other than reading about everything around them. Some scenes were very funny. I loved that.
💐 Fake dating. Dating coach falls in love
💐 Friends to lovers
💐 Bodyguard to a celebrity, Will, is a casual dater and doesn’t want to be in a committed relationship. He agrees to coach the ball of sunshine and flower shop girl, Annie, to help her get a partner and settle down. And ends up falling in love
💐 siblings meddling and love
💐 Annie is a secret romance reader and loves pirate romances and will reads her fav books and also wants to reenact the scenes with her (cute!)
💐 Close door romance
💐 Small town romance set in sleepy Rome. Everybody knows everyone and everything.
I loved the premise and the beginning was very exciting. But after half the book, it felt dragging because of the formulaic tropes. I would’ve loved to see more of Annie and Will and how deep they are into each other than reading about everything around them. Some scenes were very funny. I loved that.
Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Oh my God! If you love Tangled, read this book IMMEDIATELY. I haven't read a Christina Lauren book that disappointed me. 100% rec their books if you are looking for a breezy, entertaining read.
I absolutely loved Ren and her super cute personality. She lived a sheltered life with her parents in a farmin Idaho and has no idea how the world functions (Google? College? Browsing internet? Swear words?) but she knows her way around (picking locks, knowledge from books and old movies, prepping to be self sufficient). Fitz is a darling. I laughed at their banter and Ren's confusion at the ways and slang words of the world. The ending/climax felt too easy, but hey, no complaints.
Read if you love
- a cross country trip
- closed door romance
- Disney-esque vibes
- sunshine girl and grumpy boy
- forced proximity, same hotel room, same bed
- great chemistry between leads
PS: I would give 5 stars for the Ren+Fitz chemistry and banter
<i>Thanks to the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own</i>
I absolutely loved Ren and her super cute personality. She lived a sheltered life with her parents in a farmin Idaho and has no idea how the world functions (Google? College? Browsing internet? Swear words?) but she knows her way around (picking locks, knowledge from books and old movies, prepping to be self sufficient). Fitz is a darling. I laughed at their banter and Ren's confusion at the ways and slang words of the world. The ending/climax felt too easy, but hey, no complaints.
Read if you love
- a cross country trip
- closed door romance
- Disney-esque vibes
- sunshine girl and grumpy boy
- forced proximity, same hotel room, same bed
- great chemistry between leads
PS: I would give 5 stars for the Ren+Fitz chemistry and banter
<i>Thanks to the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own</i>
Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz
4.0
I LOVED this read!! I picked this up because I am love [book:Magpie Murders|32075854] and [book:Moonflower Murders|57007380] (and secretly want Anthony Horowitz to write Book 3 in the series). Well, since there's no Book 3 yet, I thought I could make do with a Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery.
What to expect?
- small town (you could say closed town mystery) mystery where a disagreeable rich neighbour is found murdered. Another death follows.
- If you don't know already, Anthony Horowitz himself is a fictional character in this series. He writes about the crimes solves by Hawthorne. this is one of my favourite kinds of books where we don't know where reality ends and fiction begins.
- cozy crime. All the neighbours have a motive to dislike the murdered man but not big enough a motive to kill him. They also have solid alibis.
- There's the coziest crime book shop named The Tea cosy run by two nuns that doesn't sell anything too violent (no Jo Nesbo here, too violent)
- I loved how Horowitz tries to understand how the crime was solved. He wasn't convinced about what he wrote. He visits and interviews the townsfolk five years after the crime was solved. There's also the elusive assistant to Hawthorne that Hawthorne refuses to introduce him to.
Read it if you love cozy crime.
What to expect?
- small town (you could say closed town mystery) mystery where a disagreeable rich neighbour is found murdered. Another death follows.
- If you don't know already, Anthony Horowitz himself is a fictional character in this series. He writes about the crimes solves by Hawthorne. this is one of my favourite kinds of books where we don't know where reality ends and fiction begins.
- cozy crime. All the neighbours have a motive to dislike the murdered man but not big enough a motive to kill him. They also have solid alibis.
- There's the coziest crime book shop named The Tea cosy run by two nuns that doesn't sell anything too violent (no Jo Nesbo here, too violent)
- I loved how Horowitz tries to understand how the crime was solved. He wasn't convinced about what he wrote. He visits and interviews the townsfolk five years after the crime was solved. There's also the elusive assistant to Hawthorne that Hawthorne refuses to introduce him to.
Read it if you love cozy crime.
Ember Spark and the Thunder of Dragons by Abi Elphinstone
Fun magical story! This one was really fast paced and you will be surprised how quickly you will read this. It is about Ember Spark rescuing a hamster and then being sent to work as an apprentice for a vet for magical creatures. Ember Spark, just like the name, is full of spark! There are villains who are after the magical creatures and themes of friendship in this quick read. If you love middle grade fantasy and adventurous books, you'll enjoy this.