Oliver, a professor at a college, develops an obsession with his colleague Rhuhaba, a Pakistani Muslim professor. In hopes of wooing her, he offers to mentor her teenage nephew, who has come to live with her from France. I constantly thought I was being misled by the weird creepy narrator. But as the story picks up pace, you realise there's more to both of them. You'll be amazed and grossed out but still continue to read! Great ending too.
4/5🌟

I was hoping for so much more and all I got was a slow dragging plot. The ratings on the internet make me question if I read a different book altogether. 60% in and nothing really happened and I almost DNF'd it. Too high expectations or probably just good instincts.
#fanthepan
2/5🌟

I started reading this with so much expectations considering the high ratings everywhere. But, it turned out to be such a dull. Two men, one architect and one serial killer, the only common factor was they were both in Chicago.

It should have been 2 separate books for completely separate audiences. “Depraved“ was such a great book on H H Holmes and completely satisfies the true crime, serial killer bug in you.
#betterbooksahead

The story is about three women of the same bloodline and different generations who face struggles of their own.

Unpopular opinion: I so wanted to love the book, but it was too difficult to even finish it. Took multiple tries at it but there wasn't much happening.

Been on the "reading" pile for a while now and suddenly I'm just pacing through it. Like they say, sometimes it's about the "right timing" with a book.

Daphne and Miles meet in a weird way when they both are dumped by their exes who happen to be best friends and have decided to marry each other.
I loved the writing, setting, and the characters, the most. It is such a sweet love story but still has so many small elements and topics going on beyond the main love story. A generic storyline but the writer has still made that so interesting (and heartwarming).
4.5/5🌟

I just picked it up for the title of course. Caroline writes this horrifying memoir about the decade long torture of her mother by her father. The information that is revealed is so shocking and gut-wrenching. To have trust issues after this would be an understatement and no person, let alone no woman should ever face this.
4/5🌟

Megan, a nurse becomes too involved in a patient's life. She's also a single mom to a teenage girl, Sienna. All this while there's a serial killer at loose who targets women.
There were a few storylines going on at the same time. Some twists were good and some predictable. I think the author really tried to keep it interesting and twisty enough.
3/5🌟

Vanessa is fostering her baby niece and has a constant fear of dying early when she meets Adrian, her hot lawyer neighbor. They plan to not fall in love, but can these things be actually controlled?
I am so glad I completed the series, and this one is def my fav of the 3. Such a basic story but it had all the right elements, hits the right spots, touches the difficult stuff but nicely, and still makes you feel so good.
5/5🌟

2 years have passed since Sloan's fiance's death, and she is still heartbroken. Things change when a dog finds her and leads her to his owner, Jason. It all seems so random, but is it?
I love Abby's writing style, liked the depth and character Sloan has when she could have been easily overshadowed. The story takes a few turns and keeps you hooked. Kristen and Josh are always fun. Loved the ending too. Just a sweet feel-good romance book.
4/5🌟

Too many characters and too many timelines to keep a track of. Also, the story kinda lacks lustre a thriller would have. Now that I see a lot of people feel the same, it definitely lowers my guilt of DNFing it. #hailthebail

Kristen is very particular about the guy and the life she wants, but when she meets Josh, her version of life doesn't seem that perfect now.
I picked this book up with zero expectations and just couldn't put it down. Really fun characters and a decent story going on. Not a fan of the absolute lack of communication between the characters. A decent read and just because I cannot get enough of them, onto the next one.
3.5/5🌟

Evie in the best relationship of her life with Ryan, except none of them are 100% truthful with each other.
A fast-paced thriller which keeps you at the edge, good twists and turns, decent and relatable characters, and a satisfying ending. A few things felt a little far too fetched, but the writer did a great job overall. Mr Smith thing was kinda mid TBH. It is just very satisfying to see when the title actually makes sense in the book.
4/5🌟

A sweet simple memoir, it read like a friend sharing their story. I really liked the casualness and honesty of the book, Nothing that I'm gonna remember for years to come, just a simple quick read.
3.5/5🌟

After getting fired Jasmine has one year of gardening leave to figure out her life among other things. Matt, her neighbour is in kind of a similar situation and decides to come home drunk every night. They strike a unique friendship all this while which helps them move ahead in their lives.
Feel-good, quick paced, simple characters, and a sweet story overall. The cover is just really cute and was the reason I picked the book
4/5🌟

A woman who wants to kill herself gets stuck at the most perfectionist bride's wedding. Great setting but it just became toooo preachy at some points. Great characters though, them being the reason I kept on reading. I for sure know this is gonna be a great movie and I'd love it more than the book!
3.5/5🌟

Two best friends Winona and Lucille from toxic households go on a road trip of their life after leaving everything behind. All this while facing another set of hardships and troubles on the road.
Great premise, good characters, good pace but just didn't wow me.
3.5/5🌟

Loved how the first one ended, loved how this one started and ended. Love that the series has just 2 books and not more. Of course, I loved the first one more and this felt a little slow paced but still good. DID NOT LIKE how Irsa's story panned out. Loved the characters and the twists and basically a full jam-packed book and a must-read series.
4.5/5🌟

Retelling of the world's longest epic poem known to mankind, Mahabharata, from Draupadi's POV, the wife of 5 Pandavas. I have always loved Mahabharata and so just expected a LOT from this book. And just breaks my heart to say that I was quite disappointed. I do not get the hype for it. A strong no for someone getting to know the Indian culture or the epic. Please go for the English translation of the original epic.
1/5🌟

We forgive murderers, not pedophiles.
A mother's journey from denial to acceptance (probable) with her son being a pedophile. Characters were not really likeable, but they made sense at most times. I almost DNF'd it but it all ended satisfactorily.
Lots of trigger warnings.
3.5/5🌟

It began as lust, that much I will admit.
#FirstLineFridays

Three sisters get together in the memory of their fourth sister when their childhood home is up for sale. Bailing after finishing almost 2/3rd of the book and all this while I was thinking, when does it get interesting? Hard to bail after seeing all the love this one gets on the internet.
#hailthebail

Sydney is looking for THE GUY. And a serial killer on the loose is looking for a perfect victim. Then she meets Tom, who isn't as perfect as he seems and is a lot different in his flashbacks.
Fast paced thriller and the ending actually made everything better. Sydney seemed a little too dumb for not getting everything together sooner.
3.5/5🌟

Of course! the title made me read it. But, if the narrator decides to break the fourth wall, they GOTTA be interesting enough to get me through 300+ pages. Still kept reading till 50% hoping it might get better, and I might get the hype.
#hailthebail

Shahrzad decides to avenge her best friend by marrying Khalid the murderous king who takes a new bride everyday only to kill her the next morning.
I love the details and research done by the authors, it gets translated into the food, culture, clothing, architecture, etc. The writing is good too, a definite page turner. Just the sheer speed I read this with. Love the characters and cannot wait to devour the second one too.
5/5🌟

“7 days to fall in love, 15 years to forget, and 7 days to get it all back again.“ Eva, a single mom and bestselling erotica writer is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane, a reclusive, enigmatic, award-winning novelist is a loner. They meet unexpectedly at a literary event.
It is so much more than a romance novel and still a romance novel. Great characters, lot of themes, great relationships, bookish setting, good pace, good ending.
4/5🌟

Ernaux writes about something so simple yet so passionate just what the title suggests. A love that consumes you. A relationship with a married man which becomes your entire being. Time was measured in two ways: being with him and not being with him. Raw emotions.
3.5/5🌟

"They were not gentle. And why should they be?
@ShyBookOwl
#FirstLineFridays

After Kalyani's mother dies, she sets out for a Himalayan village in Kashmir. Certain that her mother's death is connected to the decade-old disappearance of Bashir Ahmed, a charming Kashmiri salesman, Kalyani decides to confront him.
The characters didn't stay with me, but there were some moments, some scenes that did. The writing was good. I also loved the character development and how plot unfolded. Was a little underwhelming though.
3.5/5🌟

Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams which turns out to be Dr Hale's, a psychiatrist who vanished 4 years earlier. Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed.
An interesting book about not so reliable people. The book says “never lie“ but you don't know who is actually speaking the truth. Definite page-turner. Great satisfying ending.
4/5🌟

Sophie always wondered if Thomas was the one. A year later he married, while Sophie has been single ever since. Now Thomas is back in her life because his aunt has given her house to Sophie, the house which has its own murder mystery going on.
Having read other titles by Liane, this one is definitely not my favorite. I have always liked the writing, but this one didn't hit the spot. The “big reveal“ was quite underwhelming. Easily skippable.
3/5🌟

I have been meaning to read this since years and it totally lived up the hype. Although I did not like both the characters, but I really liked the fact it was outrighted so twisted. Considering the length, I finished it really quickly. I was holding onto the movie and now I can watch it super soon. Really liked Flynn's writing and the detailed characters. Especially Amy.
4.5/5🌟

It is about the last queen of Lahore, Jindan Kaur. The last queen of the ruler of India's Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The book is great with the facts and the story it gives as a whole but it lacks the writing style/lustre a story like this deserves. It is still a good book with decent story telling and a fast pace. However, I feel it would have been an amazing book, had it been written better.
Definitely a must read though!
4/5🌟

As amazing as the show (Killing Eve) based on this book is, the book is quite dull in comparison. It's really great to see how the makers of the show turned a not-so-great book into a totally binge-worthy show.
I am definitely gonna continue watching the show, but not the books.
Show - 5/5🌟
Book - 3/5🌟

Three foster sisters, Jessica, Norah and Alicia get together to solve the mystery behind a body, which is discovered at their childhood foster home.

A decent plot and well written. The before-after timeline worked really well for the plot. The characters were well written too and were quite relatable. The ending was also interesting and did not disappoint.
4/5🌟

Succession, but where a murder happens and the murderer has to guess who killed them.
I liked the premise and even the initial 30% of the book but it just kind of passed. It kept me guessing the entire time as to who the culprit was. However, the ending was so disappointing. A simple light read.
3.5/5🌟

Follows the lives of three sisters, Priya, Deepa, and Jamini. Entirely different personalities and dreams. It's interesting to read how their lives take a 360° turn with the events of a single night. It's also interesting to see how independence and the political unrest were characters in themselves. It has all the elements to become a great Bollywood movie but not that great of a book actually. I don't really like ending. Just unfair.
4/5🌟

This book centers around Natsu, her elder sister Makiko and Makiko's daughter Midoriko. The book is about the female body as much as it's about the female mind.
I really liked the characters and how the story was written. The pace was nice too. But, somewhere in between I felt a bit disconnected from the story. A great book but I think it could have been written better. Or the essence was kinda lost during translation.
4/5🌟

The ending made me go "WTF" and it wasn't a good WTF. The plot was great, the characters were super engaging and the buildup throughout the book was very exciting. But, why Stephen, why would you do that!?
2/5?
#fanofthepan

"I don‘t like to start with an apology—there‘s probably even a rule against it, like never ending a sentence with a preposition —but after reading over the thirty pages I‘ve written so far, I feel like I have to."

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

I'm generally not a biography/autobiography person but having consumed so much of Trevor Noah's content, I knew I had to give this one a try.

It's just such a beautiful book. A great experience. It had me feeling so many emotions over a span of just few hundred pages. Would highly recommend.
4.5/5🌟

The story is about two best friends, Rachel and James and the time when Rachel falls in love with her English professor Dr Fred Byrne.

It's a coming of age story, about the reality of your life in twenties and a whole bunch of complications every day. I loved the book. It's wholesome, funny, relatable, and still thoughtful. A must read. I think I'll definitely be coming back to it after some years.
5/5🌟

The book revolves around Naina and Haree. Two young girls who have constantly faced challenges and are now facing challenges as big as child marriage, rape, and domestic violence. The story is about hope and sometimes the lack of it. It's about the power of the human spirit and the absence of love. The characters are well written. I was disappointed when Naina and Haree's stories connected and it just could have been so much better.
4/5🌟

The title is absolutely misleading and the author could have done so much better. However, the book is a fun read. The story revolves around immigrant punjabi widows in London who wanted to learn and write English from Nikki but somehow ended up writing erotic stories.
You would not believe the twists and turns such a simple plot could have. A definite page turner (especially when you skim through the stories) and a wholesome fun read.
4.5/5🌟

Remy left for the US long back. Years later, he decides to come back to India to adopt a baby and to see his mother before it gets too late. Slowly, as family secrets surface, relationships change like never before.
The book takes time to pick up the pace. I loved the author's writing style and how she just keeps you engaged throughout. I didn't like the characters that much but the story is worth reading. The ending also makes it worth it.
4/5🌟

I have read so many better written stories/books by him. This collection just didn't cut it. Not at all a 'must' read.

3/5🌟

I liked the premise and how the book started. Even the characters seemed interesting. But, the writing style was not for me. I thought I'd get used to it and that made me read like 40% of the book but it was simply annoying after that.
#hailthebail

Regan and Aldo meet in an art gallery and decide to have six conversations with each other. This is not a love story. This is not a story about happy endings.

There are parts I really liked and there are parts I didn't. I really liked how the bees and art and maths and love are intertwined together by the author and somehow it all makes sense. Not my most favorite romance book out there but easily a pick if looking for something different.
4/5🌟

I read 'The Push' by the author long back and I loved it! I have been excited for this one. It's a shame that this was not up to my expectations.
The story revolves around 4 women and something tragic that happened in their neighborhood. I can't believe the book was this bland. On to a better one!
#hailthebail

Told between two POVs: a teenager and an adult description of an affair between 15-year old Vanessa and her 42-year old English teacher.

The book is often said to be a modern retelling of Lolita. I found myself scoffing at the book a lot of times but I guess that's what the author intended. TWs should be read before starting. The book is quite disturbing and difficult to read and even more difficult to form an opinion about. Still a pick.
4/5🌟