srivalli's reviews
1557 reviews

 4 Stars

1806 

Astrid Poole, a happy bride in love with Collin Poole, was excited about her future. However, before her marriage was consummated, she was murdered and the ring torn from her finger. Astrid promised never to leave Collin and kept it for centuries. 

Sonya MacTavish is a graphic designer who ended up without a fiancé and her wedding in a few minutes. However, a bigger shock to her is finding out that her late father was adopted and had a twin brother. Sonya has inherited a Victorian mansion on the Maine Coast. 

Reaching the mansion, Sonya is excited and nervous. Despite her self-assurances, she has to soon admit that the mansion is indeed haunted by the Lost Brides. She needs to break the centuries-old curse to free the ghosts as well as herself and the future generations from brutal deaths. 

The story comes in Sonya’s third-person POV with snippets from others’ POVs. 

I’m always excited to read a book by Nora Roberts. It’s been a while since I enjoyed her works, so this seemed like a good opportunity (I’d have been happier if all three books of the trilogy were out but two are better than one). 

The book takes its time to get to the gothic mansion. The beginning establishes Sonya’s character and gives us an idea about her family, career, etc. Though we are made to wait, this initial setup makes it easy to understand how she settles in Poole Manor once she gets there. 

I absolutely love how the author writes friendships. I’ve seen this in most of her books and enjoy it every time. They could be cousins, best friends, childhood buddies, new friends, or anything basically, the interactions are usually positive, cheeky, and fun with many feel-good vibes. No gender bias either. 

Another aspect I noticed is how at least one main character is an artist (professionally). The characters are not only talented but love their craft and are passionate about it. I enjoy the scenes detailing their artwork. 

Naturally, I loved Cleo. She is not just a perfect balance to Sonya but also a very lovable character. The men (Trey and Owen) are just as good and complement the ladies well. 

Descriptions are another favorite. It was her books that made me fall in love with magical Ireland. While this one doesn’t reach that level of awesomeness, I could picturize the mansion and the surroundings. Who wouldn’t want to live there (never mind the haunted part)? 

One thing I didn’t expect was the slower pace throughout. I usually used to breeze through her books (to be fair, most of them were physical copies from the library) but this one took some time. I wasn’t bored but I wondered why the % moved so slowly. 

The romance between the lead couple could have been a little slower. While they don’t jump into the act right away, the slow burn is missing. I wouldn’t have minded a bit more teasing. 

Thank god I had the next book ready. That was one heck of a cliffhanger. Most of her trilogies tend to have moderate cliffhangers. Of course, this one deviated from the template of three couples (which got repetitive), so maybe that’s the reason. 

Oh, there are a lot of characters to remember. That’s bound to happen when you need to cover seven generations. A family tree would be a spoiler, so we can’t ask for it. Just go with the flow. You’ll figure them out soon. 

To summarize, Inheritance is a slow-paced yet entertaining contemporary gothic romance with enough lighthearted moments to make you smile. The dogs are adorable! 

Ishmael Dollah is a sixty-year-old retired CEO living in Singapore with his wife, Nysa. They have a son Shahed and daughter-in-law Marianna, who also enjoy busy lives with successful careers. 

Everything is good, or so Ishmael thinks until he finds out that his daughter-in-law is having an affair. Being the kind to get things done, he applies his years of experience to create a checklist to handle the matter. Soon, he realizes that his new life gives him much satisfaction and enjoyment! 

The story comes in the first-person POV of Ishmael Dollah with a few interludes (also in the first-person) from Nysa, Shahed, Marianna, and another character. 

Sixty-something sleuths and assassins are a thing right now. There are quite a few books in the subgenre though I read only two or three. The premise here felt fresh despite using the same old family drama trope. 

For a debut book, I’d say the writing style is pretty easy to read. It doesn’t try to pack a lot of themes, either— just the ones associated with the plotline. 

The first-person narrative allows readers to know the MC. Whether you like him or not depends on your taste but he sure manages to entertain the readers. I like how the snippets from his past are woven into the narrative. Aligning his current plan with management lessons works well for me. I’m a list girl myself, so anyone who is systematic, planned, and careful in their approach will get my approval. 

There’s some repetition throughout. Some of it cannot be avoided but others could have been replaced with new detail (this could also have added more depth to the characters). 

Nysa won me over as the story progressed. I began to enjoy her interludes the most. The others were there just to provide info (these could have been in limited third-person. We don’t need all POVs to be in the first person). 

The setting (Singapore) is well utilized and an integral part of the plot. There aren’t any excessive descriptions but just enough for us to get an idea of the place. I wouldn’t have minded a rough map, though. 

There are many mentions of food. Yummm! That’s a foodie family, and man, they made me hungry! That said, why is dosai spelled thosai? Is that how they pronounce it in Singapore? Sounds a bit weird but oh well! 

The mystery, as such, is easy to put together. There are enough twists but I guessed them all. It may not offer anything special to mystery lovers. However, the main character carries the plot well on his shoulders. 

There is some humor. Some cheeky stuff that might bring out a few half smiles. Despite the slow beginning, the narration picks up pace quickly. I finished 75% of the book in one sitting. 

To summarize, Sixty Is The New Assassin is a solid debut with a Singaporean 60-something lead character who has an affinity for lists and planning. This could very well become a series, though it works well as a standalone. If there’s a book two, I’ll be sure to read it. 

I received a complimentary copy of the book. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions. 

 4.5 Stars

Luca was happy because he was alone and knew exactly what he wanted. Everything was great until a frying pan ruined it. 

The story comes in the third-person POV. 

Don’t bother with the blurb. The teeny first chapter sets the stage. Go with the flow and see where it takes you. 

I wouldn’t call this laugh-out-loud funny, but it was more like a handful of chuckles and smirks along the way kind. Humor is subjective, so how well this story works depends on how much you enjoy this style of humor. It is satirical, dry, ironic, and teasing. Relatable but also exaggerated. 

While I do empathize with Lucas a lot, my favorite is Linda. I mean, how can I not like her? She is the only other character named. The rest of the cast goes by identifiers that suit them well. 

The pacing is a bit on the slower side, but the tempo doesn’t slack. The writing is intelligent and witty without being OTT. 

To summarize, The Answer Is No is something a good portion of readers will possibly relate to an extent. The other kind might be a wee bit annoyed, but… calm down, extroverts. Go find someone else to annoy! 

Thank you, NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley 

 4.5 Stars

Greece 

Irini, a musician, lives with her painter husband, Tasso, and their sweet ten-year-old daughter Chara. They live in a beautiful home deep in an ancient forest bordering a seaside village. One day, a raging forest fire devours the village and many of its people. Chara is injured. Tasso’s hands are burnt and he lost his sense of purpose. 

Irini does her best to survive the aftermath and return to a new routine with her family like everyone else in the region. However, one day she stumbles upon the man responsible for the fire; the man whose greed led to utter destruction. Irini makes a split-second decision that stays with her forever. 

The story comes in the first-person POV of Irini and snippets from The Book of Fire in the third-person. 

We need to be in a certain mood for some books. This is one such example. I pushed this down my 2024 list because I wasn’t in the right mindset for it back then. 

As someone who loves forests (shamelessly plugging my book Forests and Faeries), I 1000% enjoyed the descriptions of the region. So mesmerizing, vivid, and surreal! It felt as if I was in the forest, walking barefoot and breathing in the special scent. Bliss! (On that note, some readers may find this excessive) 

Irini’s narration takes some time to get used to. She likes to go around in circles. I’d call this borderline stream of consciousness. Once you get into the flow, it’ll become easier to follow where her thoughts take her. Also, she is not someone who likes to face disturbing things, so her avoidance makes the narration go around in circles. Interestingly, this shapes her daughter’s personality (and I did feel sad for the kid a few times). 

Half the details are provided through chapters titled The Book of Fire. These have a sort of distant tone, which makes sense and works well to balance Irini’s first-person POV in the other chapters. We also get some history lessons without a load of info dump. 

NGL, I expected the book to be slow. But it is not! Wouldn’t call it fast-paced but it is steady and has a good tempo. Or maybe it is because I like to lose myself in the forest. 

There’s a bit of repetition and some discrepancies in details. Also, the dialogues sound a bit off. However, these are minor complaints. 

The ending is hopeful, a necessity since the book has heavy melancholy, pain, and tragedy. While not everything is fixed, there is enough happiness to find peace and accept reality. 

The author’s note is informative and thought-provoking. It is also probably the only lyrical author’s note I read so far. This makes the note feel more like an extension of the book than a separate entity added at the end. 

To summarize, The Book of Fire is a heartbreakingly beautiful, lyrical, and poignant story of people, nature, family, and life. It is a heavy read so pick it up when you are in the mood for something like this. 

And oh, thank you for mentioning how to pronounce Chara (C is silent) right when the character was introduced. I wasn’t sure if it was ‘Ch’ara or ‘K’ara. Neither, apparently! 

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #TheBookOfFire 

 3.3 Stars

One Liner: Enjoyable but has some loose ends

 It has been five years since Eve broke up and walked away from Foster. While she does what she loves as a trauma nurse, her love life is standstill. Seeing Foster in the ER brings up the unresolved past and her emotions to the surface. 

Foster, too, has missed Eve though he kept his distance from her. When a bike stunt goes terribly wrong and lands him in her hospital, Foster hopes to tell Eve what he wanted to tell her for a long time. 

When the situation puts them together, can Eve and Foster resolve the past and find a way forward? 

The story comes in Eve and Foster’s first-person POVs. 

The premise is rather sweet, and I hoped for a heartwarming story. It is a nice book, no doubt there. However, it doesn’t reach its full potential. 

Eve and Foster are well-written. Since we get both POVs, we see their feelings for each other, their fears, their vulnerability, etc. I like that we never have to doubt Foster’s love for Eve. It is steady and unwavering from start to finish. Eve’s feelings are clear too though she is a bit more tentative and wary of commitment (the second time). 

The flashbacks of the past are short yet detailed. Those they are not linear, it is easy to put the pieces together. What started as an insta-love ends up convincing by the end. However, I wish we had more scenes (at least 2 more) from the past. 

Foster injuries make this a slow burn with no spice (not even in the past). I admit it’s a little disappointing but fine. The banter is childish and silly but fun too. I laughed and rolled my eyes at their flirting. It fits the character arcs. 

I also like the medical and nursing part of the plot. The author’s professional experience blends the details into the storyline seamlessly. (This isn’t my field, I don’t know if something is incorrect) 

The premise calls for extra depth to the narrative and some tears. However, the story doesn’t dig deep. Quite a few leads have been provided but have gone nowhere. Sustaining those would have made it better (the memory lapse part, the video, the annoying friend & sis, the lack of official documents which Eve didn’t seem to wonder about until the end, Eve’s other exes, etc.). 

That said, the MCs do have good conversations and don’t try to hide their feelings (or confusion). Even if they messed up in the past, they try to fix things by being open about their current situation. 

I tend to like the best friends more in this genre but I couldn’t really like Kait and Jess. Gen, Phil, and Matt are much better. I was glad when Eve stood her ground and set boundaries. 

Don’t go into the book for the tropes, though. The forced proximity part is okay but the one-bed thing is not even an issue in a way. Read it as a clean second-chance romance (not really smoldering in there). It’s got a steady pace, so you can finish it in a couple of hours. 

To summarize, Still The One is a good read about lovers finding their way back to each other after a painful separation. It could have been a lot better but should work if you want something light yet touching. 

The author’s note throws a light on some of the whys, but I wish the editors worked a little more on the inconsistencies to iron out the wrinkles. 

Thank you, Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley 

 1.5 Stars (outliner)

Cassie Edwards had enough. She’d given up on love. But then, Jamie walked into her life, and everything was roses and sunshine. Less than a month before her wedding, Cassie finds out Jamie is cheating on her with his colleague. She is devastated but needs to know more. As she digs deeper, Cassie finds out that Jamie spun a lot of lies. 

She wants to destroy him. But what if he destroys her before she gets her chance to escape? 

The story comes in Cassie’s first-person POV. 

The positive is that I could clear an ARC from my NetGalley backlog. The cover is pretty good even if the title doesn’t fit the story. 

The book starts with a snippet from the climax (The Ending) and takes us to the past to provide the whole story. There was quite a bit of feminist rage in the first chapter. I thought the emotion would rule the plot. Alas! 

I like revenge stories. I like revenge when it is cold, calculated, and planned to perfection. This requires a good head on the shoulders and a solid brain with functional grey cells. And most importantly, it requires a level of detachment and chilliness. 

What do we get in Cassie? A bumbling mess with no idea about anything, vomiting at the slightest hint of upsetting news, drinking bottles of alcohol, and with non-existent self-preservation. Is it any surprise that her barely baked plan ended up the way it did? I’m shocked she managed to be alive! 

Jamie’s character is a joke. No kidding. He is supposed to be one of those narcissistic incels but ends up as a cardboard copy of it. Even the posts sound so juvenile when they are supposed to make us angry. 

The narration is slower than the snail’s pace. I was bored of all that repetition by Cassie and started to speed-read. Somehow, that didn’t help much either. I am just as annoyed except that I saved a day or two. The book is way too long (~350 pages but reads much longer). It should have been wrapped up much earlier. 

I don’t even want to talk about the ending. Was it supposed to be ‘realistic’ or some sort of social commentary? I see it at neither. Just a badly executed twist I could see almost immediately. Still, I hoped things would get better because of the strong women tones but nope. They only got worse. I’m not even a feminist but the ending felt like a slap in the face of women. 

I’m sorry. I tried to find something good in the book. I don’t give one star often (very rare) but I can’t find anything much to make note of. 

To summarize, How to Destroy Your Husband is your book if you want to know what NOT to do to take revenge on your partner. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Kingsley Publishers, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley 

 2.5 Stars (outliner)

Life hasn’t been easy for Gail Baines. Losing her job, not being invited to participate in her daughter’s wedding activities, and the sudden arrival of her ex-husband (with a cat) cause more than enough stress. 

However, Debbie, her daughter, shares a secret with her parents, and it takes drama to the next level. How can Gail and her family navigate the situation? Will they address the past to find a way for the future? 

The story comes in Gail’s first-person POV. 

This novella is a family drama divided into three parts – day one, day two, and day three. 

Since we get the story from Gail’s POV, we only see what she presumes and assumes. This makes for an interesting choice since she is quite judgmental and quick to jump to conclusions. 

The pacing is steady even as the narration moves between the present, the MC’s thoughts, and tiny snippets of the past. I’m not a fan of long chapters but this format made it easy to separate the days and their events. 

Despite having a heavy vibe, there are little bits of unexpected (dry) humor that lighten the scene and provide a little insight into the character(s). 

Of course, it is easy enough to guess the reveal that comes midway through but this is not a mystery book, so no extra points for the reader. 

Max brings his share of charm and humor while getting on the MC’s nerves for no reason. I empathized more with him as the story progressed. Though he is not the kind of person I like (have some ambition!), Gail made me root for him instead of her. TBH, he deserved better. 

Gail, our narrator, and main lead. What do I say? I don’t mind unlikeable characters. I understand her lack of social skills or discomfort in interacting with others. I can even see why she holds herself aloof and distanced. But, she is so darn judgmental and selfish! Though I felt for her initially, by the end, I couldn’t support her. Despite that, I liked how the author created her and Max’s characters to contrast and complement each other. 

A few things have been felt open, which is fine since this is a slice-of-life kind of novella. However, the ending was disappointing. I did not want THAT to happen. There has to be an adult-to-adult conversation, acknowledgment, apology, and acceptance. Some things cannot be brushed under the carpet or ignored when they have such a lasting impact on their lives. Also, the message it sends is very unappealing. 

To summarize, Three Days in June is an interesting read as a study of characters but was a letdown in terms of plot development and conclusion. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #ThreeDaysInJune 

One Liner: Cute!

 Raffe Harrington is happy running his travel business and being single. However, his family wants nothing more than to pair him up. To avoid their matchmaking plans, Raffe lies to be dating a certain Tilly Thorpe from a rival company, confident that he could fake breakup with his non-existent girlfriend after Christmas. 

Tilly Thorpe has done her best to not rock the boat even if means agreeing to a job that’s not a part of her admin tasks. How can she spy on a rival company and gather information? This brings her to Raffe’s home where his family welcomes her with open arms. Tilly is confused and torn. Can she get a taste of being a part of a loving family even for a short while? But what about her job and how it would affect Raffe? 

This Christmas miracle might be exactly what Raffe and Tilly need! 

The story comes in Raffe and Tilly’s third-person POVs. 

My Thoughts:  

This is the standalone eleventh book in the series. It’s my first time reading the author, so I have no idea about the previous books. However, the common element seems to be Glenbriar (a cute place in Scotland), so I could enjoy this book for what it is. 

The dual POV of the main characters is helpful, especially since it is in the third person. There’s no confusion in the voice. 

Since the entire story takes place in December, it is insta-love. However, the family presence and the Christmas vibes make it easier to understand the development of romance. 

The main characters are well-etched, especially Tilly. Her backstory is heavier and might feel repetitive but it reinforces her thoughts, doubts, actions, and decisions. Her growth does feel organic in the given context and page count. 

The romance is pretty cute with a bit of spice. Since this is very much a Hallmark-y book, most characters are easy to like (except for a selected few whom we will anyway dislike). 

The book also deals with the theme of abandonment issues. I could empathize with the character and was glad when the right answers were provided. The role of a therapist is so difficult! Not being firm enough wouldn’t help the person but being too straightforward could lead to more issues. 

There’s a bit of faith and talk of Christmas miracle as well. I didn’t quite expect that but it shouldn’t be an issue. We could do with a miracle this Christmas (I’m asking for it in advance). 

To summarize, Mix-Up under the Mistletoe is a cute, cozy, and festive romance. It shows how a loving family and supportive people can bring out the best in us. And oh… I wouldn’t mind a huge slice of that cake! 

Thank you, Rachel’s Random Resources, Leannan Press, and the author, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

 3 Stars

Leonard Blaylock, an ex-crime reporter spends his days developing discarded rolls of film. He enjoys the little mysteries revealed by these pictures. However, one day, he develops a picture of a woman being murdered. Leonard is shocked. After all, he was a witness to her death years ago. How could she be killed again when her previous death was the reason for the mess in his life? 

What happened to her? Who was she? 

The story comes in the third-person POV of Leonard, Jim, Martha, Caroline, Red, Jackie, Bobby, etc. 

Not all books are read the same way. For some books, we linger on the words. For some, we read casually. For a few others, we increase the pace and read at a higher speed. This book belongs to the last category. 

After the first 10%, I realized I’d enjoy this more if I speed-read it. Once I upped the pace, the story flew by faster and became interesting. I didn’t miss anything either. 

This genre is famous for its unlikeable characters. The book certainly took this seriously. Leonard is a jerk. However, this made it easy to read without feeling any emotional connection with the characters. 

I’m not sure why the full names of the characters had to be used so many times. Even in a limited person, a character would hardly think of another by their first and last names. 

The questions are answered by the end and things are accounted for. There are twists, naturally. But I guessed those, so I wasn’t shocked. At least, the twists weren’t weird or OTT. 

To summarize, The Dark Room is a decent thriller but more enjoyable if you are good at speed reading. Otherwise, it’ll be too slow and uninteresting for the majority of the book. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #TheDarkRoom 

 3.7 Stars 

Sawyer Greene is a bestselling romance writer and knows the genre. If only she could get over the writer’s block to create another story for the fast-approaching deadline. She hadn’t been able to write after her girlfriend Sadie broke up with her. 

Mason West might be a great actor but he doesn’t seem to be lucky with relationships. After yet another breakup that sends the tabloids into a TRP tizzy, he needs to stop himself from falling in love. 

A not-meet-cute between Sawyer and Mason ends up in an unexpected second meeting elsewhere. Maybe they can help each other? Mason wants Sawyer to ruin romance for him while he inspires her to write the next bestseller. If only life was that easy! 

The story comes in Sawyer and Mason’s third-person POVs. 

Well, a book about romance tropes but to ruin them for one character. Who can resist the premise? 

The plotline is certainly cute and there’s a lot of humor in this rom-com. There is rom too and the spicy kind. Not all jokes appealed to me but taste is subjective, so you might them more (or less). 

Sawyer would be the grump with Mason being a cinnamon roll sweetheart. TBH, he was too good and too sweet. That meant I felt sad for him more than I felt for the FMC. 

Of course, as a fellow writer, I could connect with her stress about writer’s block, the frenzy of wanting to work on an idea before it vanishes, and the inherent talent of writing myself into a corner. The only difference is that I am not a bestseller (yet) or have an agent and editor rooting for me (got my darling friends, though). 

While the book deals with a few themes (lightly), the central plot is rather loose and thin. The characters also acknowledge this, so I can’t say much. It’s more like they feel attracted to each other and go with a crazy plan. 

The spice is close to 4. There’s a scene early in the book, which surprised me. The next one takes some time (small mercies). We get some sexy banter as well. 

The FMC is bi (with chaotic bi energy). I confess I’m familiar with that tag but she is a mess. Sometimes, it gets a bit annoying as well. Still, I feel the bi part was done well instead of being an item on the checklist. 

I had to wait a long time to read about the dress on the cover. At least, it is in there, though the MMC’s suit colors are not the same. 

I wish the themes like parental interference and lack of family support were explored a little more. These have an important role in developing the character arcs and need some extra time. 

The pacing is on the slower side, something I didn’t expect. A few scenes were extended for no reason. The third-act breakup was expected. Still, I wish it was better handled. Necessary, yes; but not that way. 

To summarize, Unromance is an entertaining debut with a bunch of romance tropes mashed into a series of dates. It is fun but a one-time read. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing (Forever), for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #Unromance