celeste_velocci's reviews
475 reviews

The Whisper Man by Alex North

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

Well I just found a new favorite thriller to add to my thriller queen list! 

I LOVED this one! It was super creepy and great for spooky season. It had me guessing until the very end I honestly didn’t even really have any theories and I was caught off guard in the end. It was tied up perfectly and held many life lessons within the pages. 

I enjoy a thriller that is believable and not far fetched. This was exactly that even though it had paranormal vibes at times and you questioning everything it still was 100% believable. I’ll be yapping about this one for awhile! 
Rest Stop by Nat Cassidy

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

The perfect horror novella for spooky season. This one stressed me out. I will never be stopping at a rest stop while driving and I most definitely won’t be leaving my phone in the car if I do for some reason…I’ll be thinking about this one for awhile. It was super interesting to see the mind of the main character while he is fighting for his life and battling with his own mind all while being trapped in a gas station bathroom. I was a little confused at the ending but I think that’s what the author intended..to have you feel mindfu*ked by the end. I actually felt the anxiety of being trapped surrounding by one horror after another. 
When Never Comes by Barbara Davis

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

3.5

I listened to this on audio and I did enjoy it. The story especially towards the end made me emotional. I did feel connected to the main character but the only reason I’m not rating it higher is because it was extremely predicable. Going into it I thought it would be more of a mystery but it was a contemporary fiction with a dash of romantic suspense. There was a lot of growth in the main character and that’s always something I like to see while reading. This is on kindle unlimited with the audio as a bonus.
Dear MS, Why Me? by Tara Fetcko

Go to review page

hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

What a compelling and an informative read! I do not have MS and I only knew a few things about this health issue but after reading this it has shed so much light on this topic. The author Tara Fetcko is a strong warrior who may have MS but will not be a victim to this terrible disease. We need more people’s voices like Tara to shed light on health issues to show someone that they are not alone in their struggle. 

As a 27 year old who had an accident this past year and has a neck and back injury this read was incredibly relatable. One thing that resonated with me the most while reading this was Tara speaking about how when you are stunted with a disease or injury or any kind of health problem it’s difficult to be able to do things on a whim. I was a workaholic and social butterfly my whole life. This past year has been a struggle and adjustment for me getting used to a “new normal”. It’s important to have people around you who do understand you and can understand that life looks a bit different for you nowadays because of something completely out of your control. One thing this book shared as a hard lesson I learned this past year was that everything goes day by day and we must be kind to ourselves , bodies , and minds. Just because you were unable to do something yesterday doesn’t mean you won’t be able to do it today. 

Thank you so much to Tara for allowing me to read her story. You are a light in this world and I hope everyone can learn something from your story.
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

my girl Freida does it again! I usually can’t guess her twists but I did guess most of them in her last book The Teacher so I was hoping to be stumped this time around. I had two working theories throughout the entire book and in the end I was wrong! As much as I love being an amateur sleuth it’s always nice to not guess the plot twist in the end! 

In true Freida fashion this was another binge worthy popcorn thriller that had me glued to my kindle. From the moment I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. Definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a palette cleanser thriller with some slasher vibes for spooky season! 
Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

3.0

I really wanted to love this one but it did fall a bit short for me. I was looking forward to reading this one for some time now and thought it would be a good spooky season read. It was creepy and twisty but I think I expected something else out of it !? I thought it would be more action packed instead of being mainly told from a psychological viewpoint. Don’t get me wrong psychological thrillers are my jam but I went into it thinking it would be more crime based than psychological. This goes on my maybe list for recommendations. 
The Lies You Wrote by Brianna Labuskes

Go to review page

adventurous dark informative mysterious tense 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

3.5

This was my first book by this author and now I want to read her other work. I’ll also be continuing this series. I did enjoy it even though some things fell flat. I feel like it started out really strong in the beginning but towards the middle to end I lost interest. I feel like this is more of a me problem than a book problem. I think I was just distracted at the time of reading but if I wasn’t I would’ve enjoyed it much more. 

I enjoyed the Criminal Minds aspect and all of the information on FBI linguistics. I learned a lot and am definitely interested in learning more about FBI profiling and being out in the field. I liked the characters and want to see where else they’re headed. 
Zetas Till We Die by Amber Brown, Danielle Brown

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early release of Zetas Til We Die by Amber and Danielle Brown. All opinions are my own. This was a mediocre thriller that had me intrigued by the synopsis but fell short during the reading experience. I did not really connect with the characters which made it hard for me to connect with the book. This was not bad by any means it just was not very shocking to me. The twists and plots seemed pretty obvious to me. If you are newer to thrillers you will probably enjoy this one more than an avid thriller reader. 
When We Were Friends by Jane Green

Go to review page

emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Solid short story with a great lesson about life, self worth, and friendship. If you’re looking for a quick and easy palette cleanser that has some depth is the read for you! 
The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

4.5

 wow excellent debut. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. My only complaint is I wish I would’ve gotten more insight on what happened to cause all of these traumas and crimes. That is the only reason it isn’t a 5 star rating. But maybe we will get a prequel read about why Aidan Thomas is the way he is and why he’s done the things he’s done !? 

I actually felt the fear, anxiety , and claustrophobia this poor woman felt throughout the entire book. This book was definitely dark, twisted, and emotional. To actually feel scared and trapped while reading is not an easy thing for an author to portray but I felt all the anxiety like I was right there with the main character. 

I also enjoyed the bar/ restaurant industry aspect. As someone who’s been in the industry for many years it was incredibly relatable as a bartender and the reminder that we really do not know the people who accompany our bar stools. 

Great thriller to add to your fall TBR!!