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booksbytheglass's reviews
841 reviews
Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson
dark
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
3.0
this cast of characters is so fun & I immediately get sucked back into stevie’s world of solving mysteries and crimes every time 😮💨 but sadly, this one didn’t live up to the hype for me!
this time, stevie and her friends are studying abroad in london (for only a week though? hmm okay), juggling spending time with her long-distance boyfriend david (who is literally the worst) and seeing the “culture” of london - but in pure stevie fashion, she gets roped in to solve a cold case… yes, again…
from the beginning, the mystery gave AND THEN THERE WERE NONE vibes, but it was written as though only the reader and stevie could see that 🤔 and while I love how maureen writes the slow burn realization in true sherlock holmes x nancy drew form, it was a little far-fetched for me. the reasoning behind the crime needed a bit more substance in order to feel justified!
and the personal drama? no thanks!! david and stevie couldn’t be more different from each other, and they both annoyed me to no end in this one! stevie actively lies to her friends and puts them in harms’ way because her sole focus in life is to solve mysteries without thinking of how that might affect her friendships, while david spends most of the book not spending time with stevie? and that ending? ugh hard pass 🙄
I do really enjoy the old school YA detective style vibes of this series, and I need the next book immediately!!!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: mosel riesling
this time, stevie and her friends are studying abroad in london (for only a week though? hmm okay), juggling spending time with her long-distance boyfriend david (who is literally the worst) and seeing the “culture” of london - but in pure stevie fashion, she gets roped in to solve a cold case… yes, again…
from the beginning, the mystery gave AND THEN THERE WERE NONE vibes, but it was written as though only the reader and stevie could see that 🤔 and while I love how maureen writes the slow burn realization in true sherlock holmes x nancy drew form, it was a little far-fetched for me. the reasoning behind the crime needed a bit more substance in order to feel justified!
and the personal drama? no thanks!! david and stevie couldn’t be more different from each other, and they both annoyed me to no end in this one! stevie actively lies to her friends and puts them in harms’ way because her sole focus in life is to solve mysteries without thinking of how that might affect her friendships, while david spends most of the book not spending time with stevie? and that ending? ugh hard pass 🙄
I do really enjoy the old school YA detective style vibes of this series, and I need the next book immediately!!!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: mosel riesling
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
challenging
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
there were so many things that I loved about this book!!! it gave THE MEASURE x MANIFEST vibes & I was invested in the character heavy story from start to finish! 🫨
for a 500+ page literary fiction novel, it sure didn’t read like one! the short chapters & constant POV changes made the story seem so much shorter! and I loved meeting cherry, our “psychic” telling everyone how they’re going to die, and the passengers on the plane
stories focusing on choosing how to live & choosing how to accept fate always get me in a crossroads… it reminds me to live my life to the fullest and be grateful for the time on this planet that I have, but also gets me a little down when I think about losing everyone eventually in life 🙃 but also that’s a ✨ trauma ✨ trigger for me so…
while cherry’s backstory felt a little mundane and odd at times, it all paid off in the end. I love the concept of picking up on little details in stories and in real life, and liane moriarty did an excellent job tying everything together!
definitely my favorite by this author so far!! thank you netgalley and crown / random house for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: tasmania sauvignon blanc
for a 500+ page literary fiction novel, it sure didn’t read like one! the short chapters & constant POV changes made the story seem so much shorter! and I loved meeting cherry, our “psychic” telling everyone how they’re going to die, and the passengers on the plane
stories focusing on choosing how to live & choosing how to accept fate always get me in a crossroads… it reminds me to live my life to the fullest and be grateful for the time on this planet that I have, but also gets me a little down when I think about losing everyone eventually in life 🙃 but also that’s a ✨ trauma ✨ trigger for me so…
while cherry’s backstory felt a little mundane and odd at times, it all paid off in the end. I love the concept of picking up on little details in stories and in real life, and liane moriarty did an excellent job tying everything together!
definitely my favorite by this author so far!! thank you netgalley and crown / random house for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: tasmania sauvignon blanc
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Terminal illness
Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, and Infertility
Minor: Alcoholism
We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft
dark
mysterious
medium-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
3.0
wow!! I love going into books blind!! 😨 thanks to a few reviews, I knew it was an unconventional thriller about vampires out for each other’s blood (literally and figuratively), however it was nothing like anything I’ve read before!!
following nicola and amber, two girlfriends turned vampires, it’s a total cat and mouse game! amber wants out from under nicola’s thumb after she discovers that nicola is a bit more vicious and controlling than she signed up for, and nicola would rather unalive her than let her go 👀
while the story itself surrounds two vampires, it felt more like a thriller than a fantasy story, which let me down a bit. I wanted to learn more about the origins of vampires & how nicola went from a rich heiress in the 1800s to a bloodthirsty vampire in the night! and I definitely wanted more of the vampire culture in london!
however, my heart was pounding from start to finish to discover how amber was (or wasn’t) going to finally make her escape! there wasn’t much of mystery surrounding the story, which also disappointed me, but I still enjoyed binging this one!
that one plot twist towards the end had me gasping, but other than that, it felt like there was something missing to make this story really great…
thank you to berkley for the gifted advanced and finished copies in exchange for an honest review! this one’s out now!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: LOL you already know what I’m going to say 🩸
following nicola and amber, two girlfriends turned vampires, it’s a total cat and mouse game! amber wants out from under nicola’s thumb after she discovers that nicola is a bit more vicious and controlling than she signed up for, and nicola would rather unalive her than let her go 👀
while the story itself surrounds two vampires, it felt more like a thriller than a fantasy story, which let me down a bit. I wanted to learn more about the origins of vampires & how nicola went from a rich heiress in the 1800s to a bloodthirsty vampire in the night! and I definitely wanted more of the vampire culture in london!
however, my heart was pounding from start to finish to discover how amber was (or wasn’t) going to finally make her escape! there wasn’t much of mystery surrounding the story, which also disappointed me, but I still enjoyed binging this one!
that one plot twist towards the end had me gasping, but other than that, it felt like there was something missing to make this story really great…
thank you to berkley for the gifted advanced and finished copies in exchange for an honest review! this one’s out now!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: LOL you already know what I’m going to say 🩸
The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
3.5
I feel like I can’t avoid my honest opinion about this one without a few minor spoilers so watch out ahead y’all 🛑✋🏼
after being the only person in the world who enjoyed THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, I was super invested in this story from the first chapter. it started out more of the same concept, marketed as a mystery but involved more family drama and lit fic elements more than anything.
after the death of their father (#1 trigger for us in the dead dad club heyyy), liam’s children are out to discover the truth behind who their dad was and what happened to him the night of his death. and while I loved the mystery air surrounding it, it was truly the bonding moments between nora and sam that made the story as raw and real as it was!!
what didn’t work for me were the flashbacks of liam growing up and his unique friendship with cory. it gave all of the emotional cheating vibes, and even a little bit of unrequited love, and that’s not the move for me 😅 I just didn’t understand the reasoning why these two, if they were so truly in love with one another, couldn’t be together? like genuinely besties I have no clue
and I’m also a firm believer that choosing to replace someone or something in your heart when you’re not ready to move on is never the solution and only hurts everyone in the process (and that’s the tea 🍵)
I really do love laura dave’s writing style, and I flew through this one in a day to find out how the conflict resolved! thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: napa valley cabernet sauvignon
after being the only person in the world who enjoyed THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, I was super invested in this story from the first chapter. it started out more of the same concept, marketed as a mystery but involved more family drama and lit fic elements more than anything.
after the death of their father (#1 trigger for us in the dead dad club heyyy), liam’s children are out to discover the truth behind who their dad was and what happened to him the night of his death. and while I loved the mystery air surrounding it, it was truly the bonding moments between nora and sam that made the story as raw and real as it was!!
what didn’t work for me were the flashbacks of liam growing up and his unique friendship with cory. it gave all of the emotional cheating vibes, and even a little bit of unrequited love, and that’s not the move for me 😅 I just didn’t understand the reasoning why these two, if they were so truly in love with one another, couldn’t be together? like genuinely besties I have no clue
and I’m also a firm believer that choosing to replace someone or something in your heart when you’re not ready to move on is never the solution and only hurts everyone in the process (and that’s the tea 🍵)
I really do love laura dave’s writing style, and I flew through this one in a day to find out how the conflict resolved! thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: napa valley cabernet sauvignon
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Death of parent
The Last Party by A.R. Torre
dark
sad
tense
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
3.5
wow! a.r. torre always knows how to write a fast-paced bingeable thriller & this one was no exception!! 😨
this was the perfect creepy thriller to start off spooky season for me, surrounding a woman obsessed with a decades-old murder & her desire to free the man who was “wrongfully” convicted 👀 and the multi-POV setting was the perfect way to do this!!
I was on the edge of my seat, watching the train wreck slowly unfold but simultaneously not looking away and cringing!! while I did guess the main plot twists as the story progressed, it was more of a satisfaction “I knew it” sense than the obvious… even though the plot holes were definitely there too…
and having the reveals come slowly throughout the plot and not dumped all at once was the perfect choice for this horror-esque novel! definitely a good one to binge around halloween!!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel
this was the perfect creepy thriller to start off spooky season for me, surrounding a woman obsessed with a decades-old murder & her desire to free the man who was “wrongfully” convicted 👀 and the multi-POV setting was the perfect way to do this!!
I was on the edge of my seat, watching the train wreck slowly unfold but simultaneously not looking away and cringing!! while I did guess the main plot twists as the story progressed, it was more of a satisfaction “I knew it” sense than the obvious… even though the plot holes were definitely there too…
and having the reveals come slowly throughout the plot and not dumped all at once was the perfect choice for this horror-esque novel! definitely a good one to binge around halloween!!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel
Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
karen mcmanus’s books are always so wild and off the rails bingeable - and I’m so happy to report this one felt the same way!!! she is the IT GIRL YA author for days!!!
I absolutely love a good heist story, and this one was no exception!! I was a little wary going into it focusing on high schoolers (because let’s be real, you need to be ocean’s eleven level skilled to pull off a jewelry heist), but kat and liam, our favorite step-siblings, were the perfect amounts of unhinged and lovable to tell this story!
as most con artist stories are, there were a few confusing plot holes & unbelievable moments, but I didn’t find them annoying enough to take away from the story itself. I just couldn’t wait to find out all of the plot twists karen is so well known for!! 😌😌
and the way it all fit together at the end was wildly satisfying, even if it seemed a bit rushed!
this wasn’t my ultimate favorite by this author, but I highly recommend every single one of her books! nothing has been below 4 stars for me!!!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: rioja tempranillo
I absolutely love a good heist story, and this one was no exception!! I was a little wary going into it focusing on high schoolers (because let’s be real, you need to be ocean’s eleven level skilled to pull off a jewelry heist), but kat and liam, our favorite step-siblings, were the perfect amounts of unhinged and lovable to tell this story!
as most con artist stories are, there were a few confusing plot holes & unbelievable moments, but I didn’t find them annoying enough to take away from the story itself. I just couldn’t wait to find out all of the plot twists karen is so well known for!! 😌😌
and the way it all fit together at the end was wildly satisfying, even if it seemed a bit rushed!
this wasn’t my ultimate favorite by this author, but I highly recommend every single one of her books! nothing has been below 4 stars for me!!!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: rioja tempranillo
This Spells Love by Kate Robb
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.5
I’m in love with this book!!!! everything about magical realism in romance works for me, and this one was no exception!! 😍
entirely unsure why this has so many low ratings on goodreads because everything about this story was perfect! I mean, don’t we all want to cast a spell sometimes to forget that we ever met a person? or an event? and when the spells goes exactly as planned … gemma finds out that more than just one thing has changed in her alternate universe 😇
for me, the highlight was choosing to focus on the concept that the grass may be greener on the other side, but taking stock and notice of what you do have in the moment is more important 🩵 I was getting a little worried that gemma would get too comfortable in her new reality & not focus on changing herself, but the ending more than made up for it!
and dax, our lovely pining best friend turned lover… I was worried since friends to lovers usually isn’t my jam, but this went so much deeper than that 🥹 I loved watching them in alternate timelines and finding that common ground and overlap!!
I loved chatting about this one with ashley because for once, we actually both had similar thoughts on a romance!!!! what a concept!!! this one is perfect for witchy and magic season 🔮✨
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: chinon red blend
entirely unsure why this has so many low ratings on goodreads because everything about this story was perfect! I mean, don’t we all want to cast a spell sometimes to forget that we ever met a person? or an event? and when the spells goes exactly as planned … gemma finds out that more than just one thing has changed in her alternate universe 😇
for me, the highlight was choosing to focus on the concept that the grass may be greener on the other side, but taking stock and notice of what you do have in the moment is more important 🩵 I was getting a little worried that gemma would get too comfortable in her new reality & not focus on changing herself, but the ending more than made up for it!
and dax, our lovely pining best friend turned lover… I was worried since friends to lovers usually isn’t my jam, but this went so much deeper than that 🥹 I loved watching them in alternate timelines and finding that common ground and overlap!!
I loved chatting about this one with ashley because for once, we actually both had similar thoughts on a romance!!!! what a concept!!! this one is perfect for witchy and magic season 🔮✨
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: chinon red blend
What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena
dark
mysterious
sad
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
3.5
another goodie by shari! she always knows exactly what I need from a thriller: fast paced, bingeable, multiple red herrings, a cast of characters with a ton of secrets, and an ending that has me screaming I KNEW IT 💅🏼
normally, missing children stories make me sad and depressed as thrillers go, but I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery surrounding the disappearance of diana, a high schooler who seemed perfect on the outside. and boy what a ride it was!
the multi POVs worked extremely well for this story, as it kept the reader bouncing back and forth between each of the characters and their thoughts surrounding the mystery. the only one that didn’t really work for me was ghost diana’s POV, especially since she didn’t even remember what happened to her 🙃
while I did guess the whodunnit, it was a moment of victorious glee that I guessed correctly rather than the feeling that it was obvious all along…
it felt very similar to a bunch of other neighborhood domestic thrillers, but for a popcorn thriller, it was just what I needed!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay
normally, missing children stories make me sad and depressed as thrillers go, but I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery surrounding the disappearance of diana, a high schooler who seemed perfect on the outside. and boy what a ride it was!
the multi POVs worked extremely well for this story, as it kept the reader bouncing back and forth between each of the characters and their thoughts surrounding the mystery. the only one that didn’t really work for me was ghost diana’s POV, especially since she didn’t even remember what happened to her 🙃
while I did guess the whodunnit, it was a moment of victorious glee that I guessed correctly rather than the feeling that it was obvious all along…
it felt very similar to a bunch of other neighborhood domestic thrillers, but for a popcorn thriller, it was just what I needed!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay
Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this series is so fun and full of quirky characters that, at first glance, it seems like a series that would drive me up the wall … but I’m so happy that I’m as invested as ever in the villain and his troop of companions!!
after that super rude cliffhanger in book one, the beginning started off with a bang with evie and her friends rescuing trystan from the king - in all pirates of the caribbean heist vibes fashion 🙂↕️ getting back into the world of the villain was so refreshing, it felt like coming home to a family reunion!
I was completely obsessed with evie and trystan’s will-they-won’t-they relationship, and I’m happy to report that the slow burn pining continues in full force 🥳 while I did get slightly irritated at the “I WILL CORRUPT YOU I’M BAD” attitude from trystan when clearly it’s what evie wants, I’m chalking it up to tension in my mind okay
the storyline itself was chaotic per usual, and I did get fairly lost on their adventures (like what was it all for? I’m still confused) 🧐 but the ending and the addition of new and old faces was the perfect wrap up to this installment! I already can’t wait to see where book three will take our band of villains next!!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: right bank bordeaux blend
after that super rude cliffhanger in book one, the beginning started off with a bang with evie and her friends rescuing trystan from the king - in all pirates of the caribbean heist vibes fashion 🙂↕️ getting back into the world of the villain was so refreshing, it felt like coming home to a family reunion!
I was completely obsessed with evie and trystan’s will-they-won’t-they relationship, and I’m happy to report that the slow burn pining continues in full force 🥳 while I did get slightly irritated at the “I WILL CORRUPT YOU I’M BAD” attitude from trystan when clearly it’s what evie wants, I’m chalking it up to tension in my mind okay
the storyline itself was chaotic per usual, and I did get fairly lost on their adventures (like what was it all for? I’m still confused) 🧐 but the ending and the addition of new and old faces was the perfect wrap up to this installment! I already can’t wait to see where book three will take our band of villains next!!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: right bank bordeaux blend
By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
okay I wanted to love this wayyyyy more than I actually did 🙃 jodi picoult always writes the most intriguing and heart-wrenching stories!
this story was split into two timelines: one in present day about an aspiring screenwriter struggling with the daily pressures and sexism of the business, and her ancestor in the 1600s following the same path in poetry. and as much as I appreciated the research that jodi put into this story, I definitely think most of the story should have been set in present day, when it was actually the opposite…
the present day text was stronger for me because it fleshed out more of the side characters and back stories, while the past timeline threw more details in the reader’s face and relied more on telling rather than showing
the part that I loved and appreciated most was the concept of feminism presenting in different ways, and how truly sexism hasn’t changed that much over 400 years as much as everyone claims! and jodi was the perfect author to tackle that discussion!
thank you to netgalley and penguin random house for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: left bank bordeaux
this story was split into two timelines: one in present day about an aspiring screenwriter struggling with the daily pressures and sexism of the business, and her ancestor in the 1600s following the same path in poetry. and as much as I appreciated the research that jodi put into this story, I definitely think most of the story should have been set in present day, when it was actually the opposite…
the present day text was stronger for me because it fleshed out more of the side characters and back stories, while the past timeline threw more details in the reader’s face and relied more on telling rather than showing
the part that I loved and appreciated most was the concept of feminism presenting in different ways, and how truly sexism hasn’t changed that much over 400 years as much as everyone claims! and jodi was the perfect author to tackle that discussion!
thank you to netgalley and penguin random house for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: left bank bordeaux