thelibraryoft's reviews
292 reviews

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

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3.5

 
Once again I will say. . . eat the rich.
I am trying to become a thriller girlie and Riley Sager was recommendation I kept getting over & over again. Overall I really enjoyed this book. I listened to the audio and binged it in one sitting (that's pretty on brand for me)
I really enjoyed the writing style, & the pacing of this book. It didn't drag at all and I felt like we got hints pretty evenly throughout the story. I enjoyed the themes of classism, & financial inequality, but would have liked if it would have dug a bit deeper. 
I am a habitual guesser of twists, but there were a couple little things I guessed wrong, which was nice. This book did not quite push me across the line to being a thriller lover yet, but I am open to trying more Riley Sager books. 
Legend by Marie Lu

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4.5

4.5 stars

There is just something about reading dystopian that hits every time. . .  its the nostalgia. I never read this when I was younger, but I know i would have loved it. WHY was this never made into a movie?!

This was a short fast-paced read and kept me interested from start to finish. I literally listened to the audiobook start to finish in 1 sitting. Both main characters were interesting, strong, smart, great fighters which is a good thing but, it loses .5 stars for me just because both main characters were literally identically equal perfect little special snowflakes. I wish they had a few real flaws where they could complement each other.

I really liked that this was dual POV. I liked the action sequences. I liked the little found family moments. I liked June sticking to what she believes is right, but also being willing to keep her eyes open and change her mind when given new information.  I just liked it all. 

I am excited to read book 2 soon. I am hoping to get more questions answered, some deeper world building and to see more of Tess. She's my favorite and I want to see her to come into herself more. If something happens to her, I will be pissed.
These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan

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3.5

I put off reading this because I heard amazing things, but I also heard it was just like ACOTAR, so I will address that comparison first. Other than being a fae romance (including the basics of fae stories, court politics, faerie wine, bonding etc.) and a couple mentions of a "vulgar gesture" I didn't think they were that similar. If you loved ACOTAR, I think you'll like this a little less. If you didn't like it because of SJMs writing style, I think you'll like this better. 

On to the actual review. I liked this, but didn't LOVE it. I am a fan of love triangles because I enjoy getting pissed off when the FMC is with the character I don't prefer and there was lots of that. The author did a good job keeping me guessing on who Brie would choose, and what Sebastian & Finn's real motives are. 

I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. It moved quickly and I felt like important things were constantly happening and we were getting information organically. The plot was a bit predictable, but it was interesting enough that I didn't mind.

The side characters, Tynan, Pretha, Jasalyn, Lark, Kane and Jalek were the most interesting by far and I wish we would have gotten more of their stories. I also wish we got more insight on how the magic system worked. 

I'll probably read book 2 because I like where this story left off and and think their is room for the sequel to be more special.


Play for Me by Libby Hubscher

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3.75

3.75 Stars!

This was cute. I am a Redsox fan, & I bought this book as a signed edition at a bookstore in Boston while traveling to see a Sox game, so It felt like all the stars aligning. 

I loved the setting of a high school boarding school focused on music and the arts. The forced proximity/ roommates trope is always a favorite and lead to some silly & some awkward moments. Sophie was an interesting FMC, but I do wish we got Jonas's POV. Jonas was over the top grumpy & rude at the beginning of the story, and without being in his mind we never got a real reason for why.  I really enjoyed Sophie finding a new love for music, while finding a new way to continue her love for sports. Her relationship with her dad was also really well done. It felt meaningful and incorporated really well.

I also really loved the side characters, Astrid, Revi, Andy, and the students all helped create beautiful moments and laughs. This book mainly loses points for Jonas. I wish his motivations felt a little more complete and flushed out.