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booksbytheglass's reviews
851 reviews
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
this one was such a ride!! I binged it in the span of one night, and I still am confused about the wild ride I went on š§ it gave all of the luckiest girl alive vibes with an added twist at the end
charlie has all but forgotten about the worst night of her life, when she survived the āscarlet christmasā aka a massacre at her university in new york. but now, a classmate is drudging up the entire event all over again when she decides to make a movie about the event. and I ā¦ really didnāt care about any of it?
I just felt super disjointed from the story going back and forth between charlieās current life and her recalling her past with her therapist. it didnāt feel like a normal dual timeline and instead forced the reader into the memories versus allowing it to happen organically.
and charlie herself was a world class narcissist š¤Ŗ she truly pushed away everyone who truly loved and cared about her without a momentās thought, while simultaneously convincing herself that sheās the key to solving the mystery. if she just took five seconds and talked to others, she would have found out the truth instead of speculating events š
a big thank you to minotaur for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel
charlie has all but forgotten about the worst night of her life, when she survived the āscarlet christmasā aka a massacre at her university in new york. but now, a classmate is drudging up the entire event all over again when she decides to make a movie about the event. and I ā¦ really didnāt care about any of it?
I just felt super disjointed from the story going back and forth between charlieās current life and her recalling her past with her therapist. it didnāt feel like a normal dual timeline and instead forced the reader into the memories versus allowing it to happen organically.
and charlie herself was a world class narcissist š¤Ŗ she truly pushed away everyone who truly loved and cared about her without a momentās thought, while simultaneously convincing herself that sheās the key to solving the mystery. if she just took five seconds and talked to others, she would have found out the truth instead of speculating events š
a big thank you to minotaur for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel
The Women by Kristin Hannah
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I am speechless, unwell, and simultaneously in love with this book, which just might be kristin hannahās best yet š„¹š
following frankie, a nurse serving her country during the vietnam war, this book made me go through ALL of the emotions!!! my final cry count was 8 times (and that was both from sadness, anger, and pure happiness)!!!
I absolutely adored the women that this story was surrounded with - between the purist angel ethel and take-no-shit & would die for you barb, I was inspired by each and every powerful women in this story š„¹ I cried and mourned right along with them, and let me tell you, the pure rage that I felt in the entire second half of this story was UNREAL!!! especially as someone who has been discounted solely for being a women before
the turmoil of the country during this time period made the story itself that much more powerful. during a time when vietnam was a dirty word, it was so heart wrenching to see the struggle of veterans to adjust and find their new place in the world. and that full circle moment for frankie at the end made me completely burst in tears š„¹š„¹ she deserved the world okay
kristin hannahās writing is always beautiful, but this one takes the cake for me - it had all of the same rawness of THE NIGHTINGALE mixed with a more modern story that a ton of readers can relate to. I love that kristin hannah chose these women to spotlight in this book because they deserve it the most!!!!
thank you to st martins press and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! I can already tell this is going to be a favorite read this year š„¹
rating: 5 stars
wine pairing: vang da lat superior red (vietnam has a growing wine culture!! vang da lat uses 100% table grapes, which are usually only used for grape juice, to make it more affordable for everyone in the country!)
following frankie, a nurse serving her country during the vietnam war, this book made me go through ALL of the emotions!!! my final cry count was 8 times (and that was both from sadness, anger, and pure happiness)!!!
I absolutely adored the women that this story was surrounded with - between the purist angel ethel and take-no-shit & would die for you barb, I was inspired by each and every powerful women in this story š„¹ I cried and mourned right along with them, and let me tell you, the pure rage that I felt in the entire second half of this story was UNREAL!!! especially as someone who has been discounted solely for being a women before
the turmoil of the country during this time period made the story itself that much more powerful. during a time when vietnam was a dirty word, it was so heart wrenching to see the struggle of veterans to adjust and find their new place in the world. and that full circle moment for frankie at the end made me completely burst in tears š„¹š„¹ she deserved the world okay
kristin hannahās writing is always beautiful, but this one takes the cake for me - it had all of the same rawness of THE NIGHTINGALE mixed with a more modern story that a ton of readers can relate to. I love that kristin hannah chose these women to spotlight in this book because they deserve it the most!!!!
thank you to st martins press and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! I can already tell this is going to be a favorite read this year š„¹
rating: 5 stars
wine pairing: vang da lat superior red (vietnam has a growing wine culture!! vang da lat uses 100% table grapes, which are usually only used for grape juice, to make it more affordable for everyone in the country!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, and War
Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Reckless by Elsie Silver
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
okay I have thoughts (and not all of them are great so sorry theo lovers š« ) mostly I just am not a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope and that was this entire book
I was super excited for more in depth characterizations of both winter and theo since theyāre two characters that weāve only seen on the surface level and had skewed perceptions of. however, I wanted more! I wanted them to dig down to the root of their trauma and emotions, and while winter certainly did that, theo certainly did not. I mean, his tantrum at the end? that was not growth and not at all maturity
as Iām also not a fan of the insta love trope, this overall story just didnāt work for me. the steam and sexiness between theo and winter was š®āšØš„ but they didnāt seem to be a good long term match. theo needs to do more growing and healing on his own, and winter needs to be able to rely on others besides him. and while I love when a family comes together, a baby should never be the reason (I said what I said) š¤·š¼āāļø
I will say that I did live for the family interactions and winter joining willa, sloane and summer in their sisterhood groups š„¹ she deserves to be loved too!!
overall, not my favorite of this series but I absolutely adored books 1-3 and I know Iāll love book 5 with my main man beau so Iām chalking this one up to the insta family weird feeling
rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: niagara on the lake cabernet franc
I was super excited for more in depth characterizations of both winter and theo since theyāre two characters that weāve only seen on the surface level and had skewed perceptions of. however, I wanted more! I wanted them to dig down to the root of their trauma and emotions, and while winter certainly did that, theo certainly did not. I mean, his tantrum at the end? that was not growth and not at all maturity
as Iām also not a fan of the insta love trope, this overall story just didnāt work for me. the steam and sexiness between theo and winter was š®āšØš„ but they didnāt seem to be a good long term match. theo needs to do more growing and healing on his own, and winter needs to be able to rely on others besides him. and while I love when a family comes together, a baby should never be the reason (I said what I said) š¤·š¼āāļø
I will say that I did live for the family interactions and winter joining willa, sloane and summer in their sisterhood groups š„¹ she deserves to be loved too!!
overall, not my favorite of this series but I absolutely adored books 1-3 and I know Iāll love book 5 with my main man beau so Iām chalking this one up to the insta family weird feeling
rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: niagara on the lake cabernet franc
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage
Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
this is megan mirandaās best yet!!! it has the perfect amount of twists, spine-chilling mysteries, and spooky wtf moments š¤Æ I could not put this one down and ended up binging it in less than a day!
following hazel, a daughter returning to her hometown after her fatherās passing, and her brothers, the plot was definitely a slow burn thriller with a TON of family drama - but the payoff was so worth it! every time I thought I had the mystery figured out, megan miranda threw me another curveball!!
what I love most about small town thrillers is the fact that no one can keep a secret!! everyone knows everyoneās business, and itās only a matter of time before the reader is given enough clues to put it all together!!
hazelās effed up family was definitely the center of the attention in this story, but it was truly the town itself that felt like a main character to me. between the murky depths of the lakes to the cul-de-sac-like roads that bind everyone together, I really felt the claustrophobic elements here!
and of course, while I swore I figured out all of the plot twists, I was fooled yet again š¤” I loved every second of this one, even though most of the characters were assholes and idiots
this oneās out in april and you donāt want to miss it!
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: williamette valley pinot noir
following hazel, a daughter returning to her hometown after her fatherās passing, and her brothers, the plot was definitely a slow burn thriller with a TON of family drama - but the payoff was so worth it! every time I thought I had the mystery figured out, megan miranda threw me another curveball!!
what I love most about small town thrillers is the fact that no one can keep a secret!! everyone knows everyoneās business, and itās only a matter of time before the reader is given enough clues to put it all together!!
hazelās effed up family was definitely the center of the attention in this story, but it was truly the town itself that felt like a main character to me. between the murky depths of the lakes to the cul-de-sac-like roads that bind everyone together, I really felt the claustrophobic elements here!
and of course, while I swore I figured out all of the plot twists, I was fooled yet again š¤” I loved every second of this one, even though most of the characters were assholes and idiots
this oneās out in april and you donāt want to miss it!
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: williamette valley pinot noir
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism and Drug abuse
The Breakup Tour by Austin Siegemund-Broka, Emily Wibberley
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
as I typically do, I went into this one blind, not realizing that this was basically a taylor swift fanfic š¤” I am a clown once again ā¦ even though I am a huge swiftie, the country turned pop singer MC in this one gave the swiftie reputation and the songwriting gig a bad name
following riley, a pop star who hits it big overnight, and her college ex-boyfriend max, this story is centered around the second chance romance between the two when riley is forced to bring him on tour to prove that her songs are or are not written about him. and yes, to make this even more taylor swift coded, riley has twelve exes, and the public super sleuths to figure out which song is about whom š«
I think I would have appreciated this one more if it delved deeper into the concept of private life becoming public in the areas of celebrities and songwriting, similar to DAISY JONES AND THE SIX. instead, by putting all the focus on maintaining rileyās reputation (šš¤ for life) and the romance between her and max, it made the entire plot seem pretty juvenile
however, a younger audience would definitely eat this up! I could totally see myself in high school reading this!! the dialogue for me was just too cringey and insta-love for meā¦
a huge thank you to berkley and berkley romance for sending me this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! come snag this one this week!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: spanish cava sparkling wine
following riley, a pop star who hits it big overnight, and her college ex-boyfriend max, this story is centered around the second chance romance between the two when riley is forced to bring him on tour to prove that her songs are or are not written about him. and yes, to make this even more taylor swift coded, riley has twelve exes, and the public super sleuths to figure out which song is about whom š«
I think I would have appreciated this one more if it delved deeper into the concept of private life becoming public in the areas of celebrities and songwriting, similar to DAISY JONES AND THE SIX. instead, by putting all the focus on maintaining rileyās reputation (šš¤ for life) and the romance between her and max, it made the entire plot seem pretty juvenile
however, a younger audience would definitely eat this up! I could totally see myself in high school reading this!! the dialogue for me was just too cringey and insta-love for meā¦
a huge thank you to berkley and berkley romance for sending me this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! come snag this one this week!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: spanish cava sparkling wine
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
oh I loved this one!!! what started out as a predictable con-artist thriller morphed into a twisty mind-blowing psychological bender š¤Æš¤Æ everyone said how unique and fun this one is - and they were right!
evie was such a headstrong character! having her be the sole POV was great at fooling the reader and creating an unreliable narrator scenario by omitting certain scenes and dialogues. and the flipping back and forth between evieās past and present created a full well-rounded characterization!!
what I loved most of all, however, was the way evie grew and developed into her own person, rather than relying solely on her bossās information. the way she used her targets and made friends š®āšØ
my latest petition is to have a spin off book about devon - I wanted to know SO much more about him and his past too!!! he was truly the mastermind
this is a fabulous thriller to start off 2024, and Iām hoping for more of this caliber this year!! you know itās good when I audibly gasped multiple times š«Ø I was in for a ride yāall
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: chianti red blend
evie was such a headstrong character! having her be the sole POV was great at fooling the reader and creating an unreliable narrator scenario by omitting certain scenes and dialogues. and the flipping back and forth between evieās past and present created a full well-rounded characterization!!
what I loved most of all, however, was the way evie grew and developed into her own person, rather than relying solely on her bossās information. the way she used her targets and made friends š®āšØ
my latest petition is to have a spin off book about devon - I wanted to know SO much more about him and his past too!!! he was truly the mastermind
this is a fabulous thriller to start off 2024, and Iām hoping for more of this caliber this year!! you know itās good when I audibly gasped multiple times š«Ø I was in for a ride yāall
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: chianti red blend
Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
okay wow!! what a creative, fast-paced, and bingeable thriller!! I love unconventional writing in books like this one, using script form and texts to tell the story rather than traditional storytelling!
as a true crime documentary lover, I immediately was engrossed in this one, following a group of detectives solving a twenty-year cold case of a gruesome murder. the large cast of characters was confusing at first, but I appreciated the amount of information that was consistently given to remind the reader what was happening on all fronts.
and I loved the format of the āepisodesā so much that it really felt like I was binging the documentary right along with them!!! while my first theory of the whodunnit did turn out to be correct in the end, the entire story itself was SO mind-blowing!! just when I thought I had part of the story down, it completely shifted in a different direction!!!! š¤Æš¤Æš¤Æ
minor spoiler!! but when nick, the producer, was deliberately toying with the detectives and hiding things that could lead to the solving of the case quicker solely for the āratingsā and āviewsā - it gave me a real big ick š it just proves that heās really not in it for the victims at all and depreciated the value of the story imo
overall, a fast and easy read that kept me on the edge of my seat!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast pinot grigio
as a true crime documentary lover, I immediately was engrossed in this one, following a group of detectives solving a twenty-year cold case of a gruesome murder. the large cast of characters was confusing at first, but I appreciated the amount of information that was consistently given to remind the reader what was happening on all fronts.
and I loved the format of the āepisodesā so much that it really felt like I was binging the documentary right along with them!!! while my first theory of the whodunnit did turn out to be correct in the end, the entire story itself was SO mind-blowing!! just when I thought I had part of the story down, it completely shifted in a different direction!!!! š¤Æš¤Æš¤Æ
minor spoiler!! but when nick, the producer, was deliberately toying with the detectives and hiding things that could lead to the solving of the case quicker solely for the āratingsā and āviewsā - it gave me a real big ick š it just proves that heās really not in it for the victims at all and depreciated the value of the story imo
overall, a fast and easy read that kept me on the edge of my seat!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast pinot grigio
The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
my post christmas holiday reads continue with this thriller novella from the mystery king himself, peter swanson!! š«”
I will continue to read anything he writes ā¦ even though this was a casual pass for meā¦
the diary format of part one of this book really intrigued me and got me into the vacation gone wrong type of mystery - until part two came along and completely pulled me out of the vibe. I almost wished that the diary or a similar format continued, even with the plot twist, to keep the entire story more cohesive.
at the end of the day, the story was just barely fleshed out, and I could totally see myself LOVING a full length version of this. but there wasnāt enough behind this one to get fully invested in!! even though the plot twist totally threw me for a loopā¦
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: finger lakes cabernet franc
I will continue to read anything he writes ā¦ even though this was a casual pass for meā¦
the diary format of part one of this book really intrigued me and got me into the vacation gone wrong type of mystery - until part two came along and completely pulled me out of the vibe. I almost wished that the diary or a similar format continued, even with the plot twist, to keep the entire story more cohesive.
at the end of the day, the story was just barely fleshed out, and I could totally see myself LOVING a full length version of this. but there wasnāt enough behind this one to get fully invested in!! even though the plot twist totally threw me for a loopā¦
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: finger lakes cabernet franc
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a day later and Iām still very unwell thinking about this book š¤Æš
the characters grew and developed so much in this one - and I absolutely loved seeing POVs beyond bryce, ruhn and hunt (the chapters with ithan were among my favorite!!!)
and can we talk about how ruhn must have a broken back from carrying this entire book by HIMSELF? I swear, without his storyline with agent day and discovering who he really is at the core, this book would have gotten less than 3 starsā¦
I loved the character development from the first one, but I just feel like ā¦ nothing really happened ā¦ everything that was built up in the first 50% of this story turned out not to even matter in the end, and to find that out after investing time and emotions in those characters felt like a cheap shot
HOWEVER, the last 100 pages truly saved the book for me. finding out the asteriās big secret, and that cliffhanger, was HUGE and seriously blew my mind! while I did already know how this one was going to end, I still actively squealed at the last chapter š„°š„° I cannot wait for flame and shadow and I absolutely have no idea how everyone was able to wait two years for this
I definitely felt like this book could have been 200 pages shorter, but for a thicc book, it sure didnāt feel like it!! SJM does no wrong again š«”
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: rosa regale sparkling wine
and can we talk about how ruhn must have a broken back from carrying this entire book by HIMSELF? I swear, without his storyline with agent day and discovering who he really is at the core, this book would have gotten less than 3 starsā¦
I loved the character development from the first one, but I just feel like ā¦ nothing really happened ā¦ everything that was built up in the first 50% of this story turned out not to even matter in the end, and to find that out after investing time and emotions in those characters felt like a cheap shot
HOWEVER, the last 100 pages truly saved the book for me. finding out the asteriās big secret, and that cliffhanger, was HUGE and seriously blew my mind! while I did already know how this one was going to end, I still actively squealed at the last chapter š„°š„° I cannot wait for flame and shadow and I absolutely have no idea how everyone was able to wait two years for this
I definitely felt like this book could have been 200 pages shorter, but for a thicc book, it sure didnāt feel like it!! SJM does no wrong again š«”
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: rosa regale sparkling wine
Want to Know a Secret? by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I can always count on freida to give me a wild ride!!! while this one wasnāt as jaw dropping and unhinged as some of her others, I still found myself gasping with every new revelation š¤Æ
thereās something about an unreliable narrator that gets me going - and this one was no exception! told from the POV of april, the readers are blindly trusting her and her opinions of everyone, and I loved figuring out how each character shaped differently depending on how well april knew themā¦
while I did guess the main plot twist, I loved flipping through the pages and going for the ride! in freida we trust š«” especially when sheās the queen of heart-pounding binge-worthy thrillers
and that epilogue did feel like a cheap shot compared to the way everything else played out methodicallyā¦
this one is definitely less psychological than her others and more neighborhood thriller, but that didnāt matter in the overall value of twists and turns!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast zinfandel
thereās something about an unreliable narrator that gets me going - and this one was no exception! told from the POV of april, the readers are blindly trusting her and her opinions of everyone, and I loved figuring out how each character shaped differently depending on how well april knew themā¦
while I did guess the main plot twist, I loved flipping through the pages and going for the ride! in freida we trust š«” especially when sheās the queen of heart-pounding binge-worthy thrillers
and that epilogue did feel like a cheap shot compared to the way everything else played out methodicallyā¦
this one is definitely less psychological than her others and more neighborhood thriller, but that didnāt matter in the overall value of twists and turns!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast zinfandel