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Busha1984

Busha1984

Joined November 2017

review
Busha1984
Whiskey & Charlie | Annabel Smith
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Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed this book. Lots of emotions throughout the story. Love, loss, jealousy, forgiveness. This book makes you hold on tight to hope even when despair is staring you in the face.

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Busha1984
The Prayer Box | Lisa Wingate
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Amazing. This book just "spoke" to me. Beautifully written, I couldn't put this down. The message of hope and love truly touched me and brought me to tears many times.

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Busha1984
#MurderTrending | Gretchen McNeil
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
I actually really liked this one. It had a young adult, The Running Man feel. A quick read that kept my attention and had me turning pages quickly. It definitely had some gore and I appreciated how much the author pushed the limits. I'm looking forward to reading the second book.

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Busha1984
Kill Creek | Scott Thomas
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⭐⭐⭐✨
Not bad for a haunted house novel. The story started out gripping and then went through a lull phase that I struggled to get through. The ending was interesting and did have me turning pages quickly. I wish the epilogue had pushed the envelope even more, though. I was left hoping for a little "Moore".

28 likes1 stack add
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Busha1984
Judgment | Joseph Finder
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⭐⭐⭐✨
This book started out captivating but the ending wasn't really what I was expecting. Judgement had lots of action and kept me engaged untold the very end, when I felt it got to be a little "too much." The writing itself was good and was an easy read.

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Busha1984
The Outsider | Stephen King
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐✨
This book started out on a high note. It was fairly graphic and unsettling with a Law & Order: SVU vibe. As the book wore on, however, I began to lose some interest. I think it was a bit too long. The climax ending was extremely reminiscent of King's book, Finders Keepers, and a bit of a let down. On the whole, The Outsider started off strong and just sort of lost its steam.

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Busha1984
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐✨
Not quite what I was expecting. I enjoyed the actual storyline involving Charlie, Miranda, and Adam but there was a lot history, politics, and, what I found to be, "filler" that, in my opinion, took away from the story. I skimmed a lot of the "fluff" just to finish the book faster.

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Busha1984
Sisters Like Us | Susan Mallery
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⭐⭐⭐✨
I really enjoyed this easy, feel good story...until the ending. I'm torn on how to feel about the way Harper's storyline ends. As a strong, independent woman, it's a little off-putting to read what her relationship goes through and how it finishes. However, the writing was good and I enjoyed the multi-person perspectives.

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Busha1984
Fugitive Red | Jason Starr
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a quick, easy read that kept me engaged almost the entire time. I'm not sure I loved the way the book ended, but I did love the suspense and the twists and turns.

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Busha1984
The Ruins | Scott Smith
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed this one. I saw it years ago as a movie first and remember loving the movie. I'm not sure it I found it all that terrifying but I liked the suspense of not knowing what was going to happen next.

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Busha1984
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐
I feel like Prisoner was easy to read and an interesting overall story. This was going outside my comfort zone with books and, while I thought Jason's experiences were unimaginable and horrific, I lost interest in the story around page 180. I skimmed the rest of the book.

blurb
Busha1984
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May the 4th be with you!
Just some Star Wars nail art I did at work.
You can find me on FB: @AshleyBushNailArt or
Insta: @nail_art_by_ashley
#maythe4th #starwars #starwarsday

Chrissyreadit Wow! You are talented! 5y
Busha1984 @Chrissyreadit thank you so much! 5y
23 likes2 comments
review
Busha1984
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Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I couldn't put this down! I liked the parallel storylines. The first follows a young psychiatrist, Viktor Kosárek, taking a position at Hrad Orlú Asylum for the Criminally Insane. We learn about the six inmates housed there, known as the Devil's Six, and are given each of their backstory's. The second storyline follows a police officer, Lukás Smolák, and his investigation into "Leather Apron," a Jack the Ripper copycat.
So good!!!!

AmyG Ooooo good to know. I will have to bunp this book up on my ebook tbr. 5y
Busha1984 @AmyG yes! Definitely worth it. 5y
19 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Busha1984
Hell House | Richard Matheson
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⭐⭐⭐✨
Your classic haunted house novel. I liked the overall story but hated the women characters. They were basically liabilities. Hell House is fairly, sexually graphic so if you have problems with that, I probably wouldn't recommend it. Also, a little disappointed in the ending. It fell flat to me.

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Busha1984
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐✨
Hmm. I don't know about this one. Very strange and I'm not sure I mean that in a good way. I think I was expecting more of a horror-esque/slasher story and I was let down by where the story went and how it ended. It was an easy read, written well, but left me befuttled and disappointed.

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Busha1984
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed this book. It was a little different than what I had initially thought but it was a fascinating story about a woman, code named, "Alien." Breaking and Entering details her life starting in college at MIT and follows her growing and exciting life as a hacker over a number of years. While I didn't exactly understand everything the author was talking about, I did appreciate his succinct descriptions of computer words.

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Busha1984
Firestarter | Stephen King
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐✨
I love me some Steven King but, while I did enjoy the story, I found it to be quite long. There were moments when I found my attention wandering but there were other times where I was fully engrossed in the story. I did love Charlie.

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Busha1984
The Neighbors | Hannah Mary McKinnon
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐✨
I actually thought this was a bit long and drawn out. I also wasn't 100% convinced of the reason why Abby felt it necessary to leave Liam in the first place. The last few chapters were probably the best part of the book, where you do find out a few twists to the story. The writing was good but it was just ok for me.

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Busha1984
Night Film: A Novel | Marisha Pessl
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐
I didn't not like this book. I was slightly confused at first and found myself Googling Cordova. The biggest issue I had was this feeling that I had missed something vital and had to fight the urge to re-read the entire book. I did enjoy the writing itself. It wasn't a book I found boring but, because of my confusion and the length of the book (592 pages), I spent way too long trying to finish a book I wasn't 100% in love with.

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Busha1984
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
I liked this one. There were lots of twists throughout the story, which definitely kept me on my toes and caused me to suspect everyone. The final twist at the end gave me goosebumps but I was also slightly let down as it was cliffhanger-esque and I had unanswered questions.

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Busha1984
Behind Closed Doors | B. A. Paris
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a quick read and I couldn't put it down. B. A. Paris brings you on an emotional rollercoaster with this one. I enjoyed the past and present tense flashes; however, I felt that this also made it easier to figure out some of the twists. I do wish Paris had pushed the envelope just a bit more with Jack to truly set this book apart.

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Busha1984
The Suspect | Fiona Barton
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fiona Shaw is an author I have really enjoyed reading. I appreciate how she is able to continue using her two main characters, Kate Waters and DI Sparkes, through her books without repeating storylines.
I enjoyed the twists in The Suspect and bringing Kate's son, Jake, into the story gave this an extra level of suspense. However, I did feel that this book was a touch on the long side and that some of the "tracking" could have been edited out.

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Busha1984
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Success often lies not in what happens but in what you prevent from happening" -Ron Stallworth

While the writing is not stylized, I appreciated Ron's "face-to-face" storybook writing. Throughout the entire book, I felt as though he were in the room with me telling me his story. I found his experiences with infiltrating the KKK to be captivating and, truly, fascinating.

24 likes1 stack add
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Busha1984
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Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wow. I'm not even quite sure what I just finished reading. So the beginning starts out with Jake and his girlfriend and ends in a complete mindf**k. I'm sorry but there is literally no other word to describe this book. It's haunting, scary, intense; a serious page turner that leaves you in shock.

Cinfhen I MUST get to this one!!!! 5y
Busha1984 @Cinfhen yes!! I couldn't put it down! 5y
27 likes2 comments
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Busha1984
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐
The Perfect Nanny started out with a gripping prologue, of sorts. The first half of the book I flew through. Then I felt the story started to lose momentum and become long and drawn out. It was a relatively quick read but the end was a disappointment.

27 likes1 stack add
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Busha1984
The Mansion: A Novel | Ezekiel Boone
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Mansion is sort of a high-tech, Rose Madder meets The Shining. The first few chapters were long but extremely descriptive. I felt the story started to really take traction after Emily and Billy agree to move into Shawn's next-generation, childhood home. Nellie makes a decent protagonist, however, I was left wanting a bit more.

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Busha1984
The Child | Fiona Barton
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⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
My second Fiona Barton novel. I really enjoyed the returning character of Kate, the reporter. Some of the twists were fairly easy to figure out but, I really enjoyed the big twist at the end.

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Busha1984
The Widow | Fiona Barton
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
Really enjoyed this one. My first Fiona Barton book and I was pleasantly surprised. Lots of secrets and lies, time hopping, and a decent ending.

24 likes1 stack add
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Busha1984
A Man Called Ove: A Novel | Fredrik Backman
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Loved this. An easy, funny read that pulls at your heart strings. I laughed and cried.

MelissaSue81 All the heartstrings. 💗💗💗💗💗 5y
Busha1984 @MelissaSue81 I literally just finished it 2 minutes ago and am still crying. 5y
MelissaSue81 @Busha1984 - I actually don‘t cry from books that often but I remember reading this one at my desk at work and not being able to hold back the tears 5y
24 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Busha1984
The The Last of August | Brittany Cavallaro
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐
The saga continues with this one. It was a bit slow for me while also being too long but it was an interesting continuation of the Holmes/Watson/Moriarty families.

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Busha1984
A Study in Charlotte | Brittany Cavallaro
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⭐⭐⭐✨
A cute adaptation of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The storyline was good, although, parts of the ending were quite obvious and a bit of a let down. Not bad for a young adult mystery book.

28 likes1 stack add
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Busha1984
Guess Who | Chris McGeorge
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Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐✨
Not bad. I did have higher expectations for this book based on the summary so I was slightly disappointed. It was ok.

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Busha1984
Don't You Cry | Mary Kubica
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐
Meh. It was just ok. Predictable. Not sure I'd call it a "pick" but slightly more than a "so-so." Sort of a Single White Female meets Gone Girl story.

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Busha1984
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐✨
I'm torn. The story was a quick read and definitely intriguing. However, every time we reach a climax point between Samuel and Ruth, and even at the end, it never reaches that tipping point. Like a rollercoaster that never quite reaches the top but stops 3/4 of the way there and then lets you down. I was left hoping for more.

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Busha1984
Boy Erased: A Memoir | Garrard Conley
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐✨
I'm sad to say that this wasn't quite what I thought it was going to be. It was very long and a lot of what was written, to me, didn't seem very relevant to the story. I also did not enjoy how it jumped around in time because the transitions weren't very smooth. A bit of a let down.

Cinfhen I borrowed this from the library and returned it pretty much unread...the writing did not pull me in either 😔 6y
elisebarker Totally agree with this!! There was so much anger in the book too.. he said he was over all of it, but it didn‘t seem that way. 6y
Busha1984 @Cinfhen @elisebarker I was so disappointed especially since they're making it into a movie 6y
27 likes3 comments
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Busha1984
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Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tragic and heart-wrenching while also beautiful and heart-warming. Ruth Wariner leaves nothing out about her life growing up in a polygamist community. The Sound of Gravel is powerful and leads your emotions on a roller coaster.

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Busha1984
Slade House | David Mitchell
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Bailedbailed


Ugh. I tried so hard to get into this book. I absolutely HATE bailing on a book but I just couldn't do it. Slade House was like a mix of Alice in Wonderland (drugs) meets a haunted house meets the same story on repeat every chapter with some aliens thrown in for good measure. I felt like I would have enjoyed the book if I were high. Super disappointed as the book summary sounds so intriguing.

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Busha1984
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Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Shockingly, I loved this book just as much as the first! I like that Meg Gardiner brought in other antagonists in this book instead of just continuing on with the origional book's storyline. I feel like this lead to the success of this sequel. Excited to continue reading these UNSUB novels.

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Busha1984
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Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fantastic. A tragic tale based on one of America's real-life scandals.
"A woman's past need not predict her future. She can dance to new music if she chooses. Her own music. To hear the tune, she must only stop talking. To herself, I mean. We're always trying to persuade ourselves of things." -May Weathers

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Busha1984
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Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐✨
Not bad. I have only read two books by Ruth Ware and this one was the better of the two. Most of the twists were easy to guess but the storyline was interesting.

19 likes1 stack add
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Busha1984
The Almost Sisters: A Novel | Joshilyn Jackson
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⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Great book. The Almost Sisters is a mix of family, southern history, love, and racial injustice with some "nerd alert" humor thrown in. It didn't get a full five stars because I almost felt like it was too long but, at the same time, it was missing something. Definitely worth reading.

29 likes1 stack add
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Busha1984
The Great Alone | Kristin Hannah
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is not a book I would ever have chosen for myself. A friend loaned it to me and I, finally, opened it to read it. Wow. This book took my breath away. It was raw and real; the writing was beautiful. I laughed and cried...multiple times. HIGHLY recommend!

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Busha1984
Toxin | Robin Cook
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
A little too long and drawn out for me but I love Robin Cook. Toxin, in particular, makes you think about how our meat supply is handled in the U.S. and just how safe said meat supply is.

24 likes1 stack add
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Busha1984
Rust & Stardust | T Greenwood
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tragic and heart-wrenching. Based on the experiences of real-life kidnapping victim, Sally Horner, and her captor. While this book isn't a real true crime book, I appreciated the author's speculation and fictionalized story, flipping between viewpoints, to understand how Sally's kidnapping touched family, friends, and strangers.

31 likes1 stack add
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Busha1984
Sharp Objects: A Novel | Gillian Flynn
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⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
This is my second time reading Sharp Objects. In my opinion, this is Gillian Flynn's best book. I love that she is willing to dig underneath your skin and make you feel nauseous with her writing. One of the truly sick, twisted, and messed up books I've ever read.

MelissaSue81 Waaaay too sick and twisted for me!! (edited) 6y
32 likes1 comment
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Busha1984
The Other Widow: A Novel | Susan Crawford
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐
This book was a let down. The plot and storyline had potential but the twists fell flat and were too predictable. I also felt as the the writing itself was...off. Sort of...jumpy, I guess is the best word I can think of. It just didn't flow nicely.

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Busha1984
What She Knew: A Novel | Gilly Macmillan
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chilling. I can only imagine what it would feel like to have my child abducted in a matter of minutes. This book was a gripping, page turner.

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Busha1984
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Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐
I had a hard time putting this book down. I liked the back and forth in tense and view point. It kept things interesting. The storyline was intriguing and, while I did figure out the twist, I was glad that the author continued the story so I felt a true sense of closure, if you will, with the ending.

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Busha1984
Bring Me Back | B A Paris
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⭐⭐⭐✨
Very Gone Girl-esque. Lots of twists: some easy to figure out, some a bit more tricky. Easy-to-read and short chapters; I liked this one!

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Busha1984
Woman No. 17 | Edan Lepucki
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐
Different. I can't say that I liked this book but I also can't say I disliked it. It did take me way to long too finish reading but I did enjoy the differing view points of Lady and Esther.