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verumsolum's reviews
2704 reviews
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
4.75
My best advice for those of you picking up this book for the first time is: stick with it. This book just drops you in, before you’ve found the things you’ll want to come back for, and the author doesn’t spoon feed those to us, but lets them reveal themselves over the course of the book.
This book’s strength is its characters, combined with the author’s ability to pull them through situations and places that, especially at first, we might not suspect. I went from mildly interested to, when I finished the book, lamenting that it will take longer than I prefer for the author to return to these characters (fortunately, I love the series the author will return to next, so I can’t begrudge him the time — even if I wish there were two of him!)
This book’s strength is its characters, combined with the author’s ability to pull them through situations and places that, especially at first, we might not suspect. I went from mildly interested to, when I finished the book, lamenting that it will take longer than I prefer for the author to return to these characters (fortunately, I love the series the author will return to next, so I can’t begrudge him the time — even if I wish there were two of him!)
A Break in Communication by Lily Seabrooke
4.75
What at ride! I found this one a bit bumpy at the beginning … I think it was a personal preference thing: the enemy part of enemies-to-lovers got a bit more emphasis than I prefer and I had a difficult time seeing that love as genuine at first. But as time moved along, it did come together for me, as the depth of their love (unexpected to both them and me) shone through their actions
A Flicker of Embers by Cara Malone
4.5
A really strong book, as the four begin their second year together and confront some of the ways their institutions don’t appear to act in their best interest. Slightly uncomfortable to read, at times, as a trans woman in the US in the weeks after the 2024 election, seeing parallels of their world in mine (But only briefly and the story is good enough that I’m still glad to have read it)
The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
4.0
A somewhat pleasant journey, but … I still feel lost in this world. Maybe more books will help redeem this series, but I do enjoy it enough to give it another book or two, at least …
Magic in Ashes by Sam Crook
4.25
I enjoyed this book, though it was a little out of my comfort zone. And… I also dislike feeling like the final chapter sets up a cliffhanger
Pucks and Books by Toni Aleo
5.0
Wow! I’m not usually a big fan of heterosexual romance (since that’s not what I would want in a partner), but I took a chance, given the hockey angle and I’m glad I did…
The best parts of this book go far beyond hockey: the love that quickly grows between our couple seems so real and deep: a love I hope I can live up to with my wife.
I could have done without some of her history, but it shed light on her character and explained how she became the woman we meet in this book, so that’s mostly a “books with X aren’t something I usually enjoy,” but I did enjoy this one (and I know others really love X, even if I don’t).
My only fear is that this book may set the bar too high for subsequent books, because I can’t imagine how the author will live up to this book again!
The best parts of this book go far beyond hockey: the love that quickly grows between our couple seems so real and deep: a love I hope I can live up to with my wife.
I could have done without some of her history, but it shed light on her character and explained how she became the woman we meet in this book, so that’s mostly a “books with X aren’t something I usually enjoy,” but I did enjoy this one (and I know others really love X, even if I don’t).
My only fear is that this book may set the bar too high for subsequent books, because I can’t imagine how the author will live up to this book again!