Not wow-worthy, but an entertaining story. I loved the audiobook narrator and the 90s throwbacks. The characters got on my nerves and the ending felt incomplete, but I enjoyed it for the most part.

First book for my library's new book club! This was pretty cute and an easy read. I was invested in the story and characters, even if they did make me cringe sometimes with their actions. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

I‘ve been in such a terrible reading slump since mid-October and did enjoy most of Wild Roses. Probably my favorite out of the three Deb Caletti books I‘ve read so far, but I still get annoyed with the protagonists and their throwaway comments. I‘m still waiting for a Deb Caletti book that I love.

This was so entertaining and a breeze to read. I liked the main character and how she viewed the world. The mystery kept me guessing throughout and I‘m looking forward to picking up the sequel.

Sometimes I think series just aren‘t for me. They tend to drag on too long and I‘m always disappointed by the last book.

I think this series would have been better as a dulogy or a standalone. And it didn‘t need the love triangle, or the many times the main character thought of her love interests using their full names. But it did break me out of a slump and I finished a series.

I really enjoyed this! A solid debut and I liked how I was able to follow along and even guess whodunnit, without feeling over my head. The setting was so creepy and enchanting and I loved the small town atmosphere. Plus the main character is a librarian and there were a lot of moments that were realistic to my job. (Not so much the murder-solving, but the stacks of Publishers Weekly on our desks!)

Oh, I love this series. It was so refreshing to read about a character struggling with their mental health in a way that was both realistic and hopeful.

I love all the characters so much, but Nick‘s mother and Tori were the absolute best in this volume.

I wanted to love this book but there was never a point where I fell in love with it. A page turner for sure, but too much drama and the ending left me wondering what was the point.

Above is my mood board for this book. 😅

Another great volume. I adore all the characters and their relationships. There was some heavier topics in this one which were hard to read, but important to include.

Book two of my attempt to read Deb Calletti and I think I like the idea of her books more than I actually like them. This one was far better then The Queen of Everything, but I still have some problems with her protagonists and the throwaway comments they make about other people. There was some beautiful writing, but I think too much was going on in the storyline for me to be fully invested.

Just as cute and fluffy as the first volume. ❤

Deb Caletti has been on my TBR for quite some time.
I was easily pulled into the story and loved the writing style. I didn't like Jordan and how judgmental she was. Published in 2002, this book definitely shows its age- I got tired and angry with all the fatphobic comments, homophobic slurs, and indifference toward animal cruelty.
Hoping her next book is better.

This was a very strange little book. It pulled me in right away and there was more to the story than a typical dystopian tale. But the last half of the book was too metaphoric and ambiguous for me and I wanted more.

Sometimes you just need a cute and fluffy read. I adored this and cannot wait to read the next volume.

This book had such a cool concept-a senior female Korean assassin-but fell flat for me. It was interesting enough that I wanted to see it through the end, but I wasn‘t wowed by it. Some of the timeline was confusing and I wanted more from the ending.

This book broke my heart, but I loved every minute of it. It had pretty much everything I love-strong characters, a touch of fantasy and paranormal mixed with contemporary, found family, and an atmospheric setting.

This was a cute, entertaining read. The tropes were cute and Theo was all sorts of adorable. I wasn‘t a fan of the love triangle (I rarely am) but I loved the characters and look forward to reading more by the author.

This wasn‘t for me. It started off well, but not much happened plotwise. I would have preferred an adventure story instead of adding in a romance. Most of the side characters were forgettable and I didn‘t like the main character-she came across as too perfect in everything she did.

I won‘t be picking up the sequel, but at least this one is off my TBR shelf.

Still catching up on my #Owlcrate backlog…. This could have been really good, but I struggled to finish it. The pacing was off and as much as I love beautiful writing, it was too much.

I wish the focus would have been more on Scarlett and Tella, instead of the instalove. The fantasy and worldbuilding were lacking in any real consequence and the ending was too tidy. Not sure if I'll pick up the sequel.

A bit predictable and the teenage drama was too much at times. I think it could have been cut down a few hundred pages, but it was entertaining enough to hold my interest.

I flew through this book-the plot, mystery, and atmosphere kept me riveted to the end. My heart absolutely broke for the friend group. While the characters weren‘t perfect or likable by any means, their history and chemistry made them feel alive. A book that will stick with me and one to reread very soon.

I'm so glad this series got revived... But did Marvel really have to cancel it again? With all those cliffhangers??

I first read this book in 2012, which was a Year for me. Rereading this as we approach a third year of a pandemic was a gut-punch, but I‘m grateful for this lonely, lovely book.

A bit of a slow start but an action packed middle. I love the romance and that cliffhanger of an ending gutted me. Can‘t wait for the next book in the series.

The audiobook and the two narrators were fantastic and I loved the first half. But the tense atmosphere quickly gave way to catty characters and an underwhelming ending.

I try to give all my Owlcrate books a fair chance and completely read them, but I struggled with this one. The premise sounded promising, but the writing dragged, both in page count and in scenes.

I usually like supernatural elements in books, but this one was just all over the place and left me frustrated.

I flew through this in two days. The writing, pandemic backdrop, and the general unease of it all kept me riveted to the end. A fantastic, thrilling gothic.

Thank you to NetGalley.

A soft pick, didn‘t like this as much as the first one. Found the mystery to be both underwhelming and confusing. I am really hoping the love triangle has been put to rest, too. I‘m still invested in how it ends and the characters, so I‘ll read the final book.

I like Mary Downing Hahn‘s older books, (Wait Til Helen Comes is my favorite of hers) but this one was disappointing. It wasn‘t very scary and had a slow moving plot. Some of the writing and dialogue was juvenile and others didn‘t seem like it fit with a twelve-year-old. The ending was underwhelming and left me wanting more.

I‘m kinda torn on this one. I‘m not a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland and thought this origin story needed better pacing and action. The 180 turn of several characters and their decisions left me frustrated and I thought the romance was a little boring. The last fifty pages were gripping and dark and it was unputdownable in several spots. Wouldn‘t pick it up again, but an entertaining- if frustrating- read.

A quiet, heartwarming story of found family and new beginnings. I guessed one of the two major reveals and the pacing was a little slow. But the audiobook narrator was fantastic and I loved the ending.

A solid debut. I loved the setting and the present storyline and characters. I didn‘t enjoy the storyline set in the past as much and Churchill was the worse. An overall quick, fun read.

I‘m not a big slasher movie fan, but I devoured this book. It was the right mix of funny, gory, and emotional and I enjoyed it more than The Southern Book Club Guide. Can‘t wait to see how the adaptation turns out.

I‘m not sure how much of this memoir actually happened and there are some super triggering scenes involving abuse and gaslighting. But I couldn‘t take my mind off this book and it held my attention throughout.

I enjoyed this, but was a little disappointed as well. I was left wanting more at the end and thought the conclusion to the mystery was abrupt. The audiobook was wonderful and I loved the characters. I hope there is a third book with Radha‘s story.

Took me a few times to get into this one. A bit long and silly for me, but an enjoyable, distraction read.

This was such a cute summer romance. A bit repetitive and predictable at times, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment. I teared up a few times and loved the relationship between Emily and Blake.

Dark, gritty, and somehow unputdownable. Some of the writing style was weird and I almost felt like I was reading a play, with physical character descriptions and pages of dialogue. But a quick read and one I‘ll think about for a while.

This was riveting but very dark. I listened to the audiobook and liked the full cast. But I couldn‘t connect with any of the characters and was left feeling sad by the end.

#booked2021

#hearhere

Easy to get into, hopeful and inspiring. Some bits were predictable and I wish there was more showing instead of telling. Overall a quick read and a solid pick, especially those who like World War II fiction and clean reads.

What a delightful little read! You do have to suspend disbelief a little and I wish more clues would have been dropped throughout, instead of all of it being explained at the end. But I loved the writing and the characters and will read the next in the series.

Beautiful and heart-wrenching. I was completely engrossed in the story and the beautiful writing. I didn‘t expect to love this book as much as I did and I‘m so glad I took a chance with it. Can‘t wait to read more by the author.

This was a strange little book and I‘m still trying to decide if I liked it or not. I worked part time for most of my twenties and Shiraha reminded me a lot of an old coworker. A lot of it hit close to home for me. 😵

#booked2021

#translatedintoyourfirstlanguage

Took me a while to get through this one, but I really enjoyed it. I loved the worldbuilding, the action and darkness, and of course, the characters. I think part of it was a little dragged out, but I‘ll definitely pick up the sequel.

#booked2021

#musicalinstrumentoncover

⭐⭐⭐

A decent thriller and a page-turner. I guessed the culprit early on and got distracted by the American characters sometimes using British slang.

Enjoyed the first half more than the second half. I liked listening to the author read her essays and the 2000s nostalgia. Some parts were snort out loud funny, others were strange.

#booked2021

#mustacheoncover

Compulsively readable-I devoured this in four days. I related to Grace and her journey so much. I liked the love story and adored the cast of characters. I'll be thinking about this story for a long time.

A really sweet and spooky way to end the series. Sad to finish it, but a wonderful series that will stick with me for a while.

This was a recommendation from one of my coworkers. There wasn‘t much of a mystery and there was too much time going over the details of the characters lives. But it was under five hours for the audiobook and I did like the setting and characters-will probably try the next one in the series.

#bakedgoodsoncover

#booked2021

My #booked2021 spring prompts. All solid picks. Got my form submitted as well. 👍

@4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage @Cinfhen