nataliealane's reviews
510 reviews

Beneath the Poet's House by Christa Carmen

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

Content Warnings

The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Fairly gripping, but I wanted more of the present timeline, especially as the FMC’s change of heart towards her father seems sudden, and her affection for her husband and children (which is supposedly her driving motivation/she wants ti protect them) isn’t well developed and believable.

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Cute, cozy, a delight to read. The author masterfully describes cat behavior and the experience of owning a cat. Would reread, but only from the library/wouldn’t purchase

Jesus and Women: In the First Century and Now - Bible Study Book with Video Access by Kristi McLelland, Kristi McLelland

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challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

An Unexpected Path by Megan McSpadden

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emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Becoming Mrs Lewis is a vivid portrait of the woman who inspired, and loved, the famed author and theologian CS Lewis. As Callahan points out in her Author’s Note, the women involved with famous male artists, authors, creatives, and other historical figures are too often ___ to the footnotes of the story. Here, Callahan allows Joy Davidman, also a writer, to step into the light.

I do think having background information in her relationship to CS Lewis is importing before reading the book. A lot of my fellow book club members expressed frustration over how slowly the romance developed (they don’t kiss until nearly the end of the book) and how the book focuses so much on Joy’s life and relationship before she and Lewis married. However, I knew from my time studying the Inklings in college how the story would end, and went into the book expecting just that.

If you like yearning, unrequited love, or slow burn type romances, Becoming Mrs Lewis may be for you! However, don’t expect a simple historical romance; there is also tons of character development! Joy is messy, imperfect, impatient, jealous….. as another club member pointed out, the title is BECOMING Mrs. Lewis, capturing Joy’s transformation over the years of knowing CS Lewis.

Major content warning for domestic violence, alcoholism, cancer

Content Warnings