Scan barcode
celeste_velocci's reviews
474 reviews
Multiple Sclerosis, You Picked the Wrong Warrior by Tara Fetcko
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
It is no secret that I enjoy a memoir and comeback story. One about resilience and inner strength and overcoming any kind of struggle is always my go to. I enjoy listening to someone’s experiences and figuring out what I can learn from them to educate myself about topics I didn’t have a lot of knowledge on and to help me apply what I’ve learned in my everyday life.
Tara Fetcko writes another incredible story about her diagnosis and life with Multiple Sclerosis. This book focuses a lot on Tara’s mindset and she reveals how she really feels about being diagnosed with MS.
I am not someone who has an autoimmune disease but I have experienced an injury that has been life changing for me. Though I do not struggle daily to the degree that someone with MS does I can empathize and sympathize with the feeling of your life going one way and then quickly changing. Everyday Tara learns something new about her strength and perseverance to combat her disease. I can only hope to apply the same kind of strength , knowledge, and fierceness in my own personal life.
I appreciate the braveness Tara shows in sharing her story with the world and I look forward to learning more about her as she navigates her warrior story.
Tara Fetcko writes another incredible story about her diagnosis and life with Multiple Sclerosis. This book focuses a lot on Tara’s mindset and she reveals how she really feels about being diagnosed with MS.
I am not someone who has an autoimmune disease but I have experienced an injury that has been life changing for me. Though I do not struggle daily to the degree that someone with MS does I can empathize and sympathize with the feeling of your life going one way and then quickly changing. Everyday Tara learns something new about her strength and perseverance to combat her disease. I can only hope to apply the same kind of strength , knowledge, and fierceness in my own personal life.
I appreciate the braveness Tara shows in sharing her story with the world and I look forward to learning more about her as she navigates her warrior story.
Swear On This Life by Renée Carlino
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
This ended up being a heavier read than I had anticipated going in. I enjoyed it! Please make sure you check your trigger warnings.
This story follows two teenagers young and in love who found peace and a home within one another. Due to their traumatic lives and upbringing they’re ripped away from one another. Fast forward over a decade later and they have the chance to reconnect after one of them decides to write a novel about their love and life experience with one another when they were kids. The story has alternating timelines between when they were fifteen and in love to adults who are virtually strangers in present day.
I’m a sucker for a second chance romance and I’m always rooting for the underdog. This book is heartbreaking and healing all at once and reminds us to take chances , live with no regret , and to never give up especially on ourselves.
This story follows two teenagers young and in love who found peace and a home within one another. Due to their traumatic lives and upbringing they’re ripped away from one another. Fast forward over a decade later and they have the chance to reconnect after one of them decides to write a novel about their love and life experience with one another when they were kids. The story has alternating timelines between when they were fifteen and in love to adults who are virtually strangers in present day.
I’m a sucker for a second chance romance and I’m always rooting for the underdog. This book is heartbreaking and healing all at once and reminds us to take chances , live with no regret , and to never give up especially on ourselves.
The Outlier by Elisabeth Eaves
challenging
mysterious
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
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy of The Outlier by Elisabeth Eaves. All opinions are my own. Unfortunately this one did not hit for me in the way I thought it would. I really enjoyed the first 25% of the book but then it kind of lost me moving forward from there. The characters were not very likeable and I found myself being very confused by the plot line and where the story is going. Just because this was not for me doesn't mean it won't be for you.
Not Our Daughter by Chad Zunker
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a very fast paced thriller that I listened to in less than a day. It was fine! I feel like the entire time i was reading I just kept telling myself “this whole thing could’ve been avoided if you just called the police from the start” that being said…I don’t want to say that it was far fetched because I understand why the characters did what they did but it just seemed kind of meh to me with how believable the plot was and how the case was solved in the book.
Thirteen years ago a couple was in the middle of adopting a daughter. They had had the daughter with them as a foster child and felt as if she was already theirs. The daughter’s birth mother decides she wants to keep the baby. Being obviously devastated the couple is tries to deal with the loss of what they thought was to be the beginning of parenthood. A sudden knock on the door one evening starts a domino effect of diabolical chaos. The birth mother appears on the couple’s doorstep recently attacked and dying. She tells the couple that they need to protect her daughter at all costs and that she’s in danger. They tried to save the mother but her attack was too far gone. Fleeing from their home the couple takes their daughter on the run and quickly puts themselves in a new life. Because of the devastation of the adoption falling through the FBI and all others believe this couple is responsible for the birth mother’s murder and for the fact that she is now dead on their property.
You can only run so far before you get caught up to. Now present day the past is quickly sneaking up on them and the law will stop at nothing to bring justice to the mother who was killed and her daughter who was taken all those years ago.
Thirteen years ago a couple was in the middle of adopting a daughter. They had had the daughter with them as a foster child and felt as if she was already theirs. The daughter’s birth mother decides she wants to keep the baby. Being obviously devastated the couple is tries to deal with the loss of what they thought was to be the beginning of parenthood. A sudden knock on the door one evening starts a domino effect of diabolical chaos. The birth mother appears on the couple’s doorstep recently attacked and dying. She tells the couple that they need to protect her daughter at all costs and that she’s in danger. They tried to save the mother but her attack was too far gone. Fleeing from their home the couple takes their daughter on the run and quickly puts themselves in a new life. Because of the devastation of the adoption falling through the FBI and all others believe this couple is responsible for the birth mother’s murder and for the fact that she is now dead on their property.
You can only run so far before you get caught up to. Now present day the past is quickly sneaking up on them and the law will stop at nothing to bring justice to the mother who was killed and her daughter who was taken all those years ago.
The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
First of all I can’t believe this was a debut!!! I totally loved it right from the start. It was incredibly fast paced and gave me complete and utter whiplash. Any thriller that throws me for a loop and has me questioning not only the characters but myself and suspicions of the story is the best kind of book in my opinion.
Told from multiple points of view dive into a world of deception , lies, and murder. Two women on the same flight one fleeing from an abusive boyfriend and the other on a business trip are about to be thrown into a world full of chaos and crime. After landing both women are reported missing and both have shared with their loved ones via text that they met the same man and told them they believed they were in danger. Who is this man? What is the connection to the women?
I usually can spot a plot twist a mile away but this one honestly kept me on my toes and guessing until the final page. Most of my theories were not correct and I didn’t even have any working theories until about halfway. This threw me for a loop in the best way!
Told from multiple points of view dive into a world of deception , lies, and murder. Two women on the same flight one fleeing from an abusive boyfriend and the other on a business trip are about to be thrown into a world full of chaos and crime. After landing both women are reported missing and both have shared with their loved ones via text that they met the same man and told them they believed they were in danger. Who is this man? What is the connection to the women?
I usually can spot a plot twist a mile away but this one honestly kept me on my toes and guessing until the final page. Most of my theories were not correct and I didn’t even have any working theories until about halfway. This threw me for a loop in the best way!
Your Secret Admirer: A Valentines Day Short Story by AJ Carter
mysterious
fast-paced
This was a fun quick read for the season! Pretty obvious early on where it was going and I saw the twist coming a mile away but still entertaining.
The Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I literally read this all day today and couldn’t put it down! It is the first book in Lisa Gardner’s FBI profiler series and I can’t wait to read the rest of her books. It was very fast paced and me hooked from the jump.
An abused wife and mother will stop at nothing to protect her child. After sending her abusive husband to jail for being a diabolical serial killer Theresa is trying to rebuild her life for her and her daughter Samantha. When her ex escapes from jail he has one thing on his mind and it’s to take out his ex wife and take his daughter. Running scared Theresa decides she needs to fight for her life and will stop at nothing.
If you enjoy cat and mouse type thrillers then I definitely recommend this one!
An abused wife and mother will stop at nothing to protect her child. After sending her abusive husband to jail for being a diabolical serial killer Theresa is trying to rebuild her life for her and her daughter Samantha. When her ex escapes from jail he has one thing on his mind and it’s to take out his ex wife and take his daughter. Running scared Theresa decides she needs to fight for her life and will stop at nothing.
If you enjoy cat and mouse type thrillers then I definitely recommend this one!
Down the Drain by Julia Fox
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
WOW! What an incredible memoir. This has made it's to my top memoirs of all time. I went in pretty blind not knowing much about Julia Fox other than she was in Uncut Gems and enjoys watching Bravo shows. (she was just on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen). After seeing her on WWHL I knew I wanted to learn more about her - the best way to describe her is that she is COOL. I saw a lot of readers raving about this one and was lucky enough to receive a gifted copy from Simon & Schuster.
To say Julia Fox had a chaotic life from birth to adulthood would be an understatement. This girl has been through it all and then some. Told straight from Julia Fox herself find out what in her life had her feeling like she was going down the drain and learn the strength and poise she found in herself to pull her out.
The hype around this one is real I highly encourage you to pick this book up!
To say Julia Fox had a chaotic life from birth to adulthood would be an understatement. This girl has been through it all and then some. Told straight from Julia Fox herself find out what in her life had her feeling like she was going down the drain and learn the strength and poise she found in herself to pull her out.
The hype around this one is real I highly encourage you to pick this book up!
Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? No
3.0
Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson publishing for the gifted copy of Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter. All opinions are my own. This story had a lot of heart and I found myself relating to the characters. It was a beautiful story about second chances and the ability to overcome struggles through love.
The book was fast paced and kept my attention. My only complaint is that it seemed to go too fast - I wanted more of a slow burn for the characters to learn their lessons along the way instead of it feeling rushed the last 20% of the book.
Overall I enjoyed this romance read and would recommend it.
The book was fast paced and kept my attention. My only complaint is that it seemed to go too fast - I wanted more of a slow burn for the characters to learn their lessons along the way instead of it feeling rushed the last 20% of the book.
Overall I enjoyed this romance read and would recommend it.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I liked this one! It was a very intricate plot and was pretty unique. The twists were twisty and the characters questionable.
At times it seemed a bit drawn out but it all came together nicely in the end. It was a solid thriller.
At times it seemed a bit drawn out but it all came together nicely in the end. It was a solid thriller.