so-soA short dark Christmas-themed read. There wasn't really room to develop the characters much as it was under 200 pages, & most of the narrative focused on the case - apart from the irritating tendency of the supposedly strong female character to keep going googly-eyed over her handsome boss 🙄 I also didn't get the mismatch of the date being 1899 yet Star Trek being mentioned in the text. 2.5⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2319868038
so-soBig old house full of secrets & hidden rooms (✔), a treasure hunt game to win the deeds to said house (✔), squabbling relatives all wanting to inherit (✔), snowstorm cuts them off from the outside world just as the murders begin (✔). Unfortunately it was only half as good as it promised, mainly down to the insipid MC & obvious plot. Still it was set at the perfect time of year to read now, & I did enjoy it enough to finish it. 3⭐
5,816 pts
pickI do so look forward to a new Riley Sager book & this one is a belter of a read. It starts off quite slowly, but as things pick up, the tension mounts, & I found myself flying through the final 40% of the book. It requires a hefty suspense of disbelief -but if you can do that, the twists keep on coming, & you won't be disappointed. 5🌟
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
pickNero starts off wanting to avoid becoming like his formidable mother who poisoned her way through husbands & to power with abandon, but he is gradually seduced (in more ways than one - eek!) to Agrippina's way of thinking. When he becomes Emperor he tries to throw off her influence & a battle of wills begins. It was a good read but there was just something missing for me so I rate it 3.5🌟
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2185384671
pickThis is a really intriguing set-up; I really enjoyed the 1920s flavour with the speakeasies, jazz, & flapper dresses, alongside the steampunk aspects of 'mechanika' (androids) & dirigibles. It's an ambitious cross between sci-fi & fantasy, & it works for the most part. 4🌟
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Head of Zeus / Ad Astra, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4379340679
1056 pts
panBasically what it says on the tin: 12 YA short stories of romance set around Christmas. It was a challenging read for me as I don't usually read straightforward romance books, as I'm pretty much romance-averse. It was OK - a mix of modern romance & one or two examples of older, darker mythology (Krampus). Not something I would have usually chosen to read but it made a change. 2⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4376138008
5236 pts
so-soI was looking forward to this one due to the synopsis, but it was a little disappointing. Neither Cara or Michael are particularly nice people, & the twist was pretty easy to work out too. Overall, it isn't a bad read but it could have been better. 3⭐
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Inkubator, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4335429113
so-soThis is an OK debut crime novel, the writing style is good & the plot is fairly pacey. Overall, it was an okay read but there are some aspects I wasn't sure of. 3⭐
TW: sexual assault, murder scenes, some characters display homophobic opinions & speech.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, BookGoSocial, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4365367123
#HolidayReads #WinterGames2021 #MistletoeManiacs
1.5 hours x 6 readathons - 90 pts
Post - 26 pts
Wordsearch - 1110 pts
Readathons:
#AVeryMerryBingo #BookishDecemberBookBingo #WrapItUpReadathon #WinterCosy #DecemberPathfinder #DecemberBookBingo (edited) 2y