staceen's reviews
104 reviews

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

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funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was so fun I couldn't put it down. The style, using emails and texts, probably isn't for everyone, but I thought it was clever and well done. 
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

It was really nice to see more of the lovable characters from The Guncle. I really liked it despite being a hair darker at times than the first.
The Guncle by Steven Rowley

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A treat to reread. I liked it just as much the second time around. 
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Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I've never really understood the concept of hate-watching/reading until this book. It centers around the "troubles" of absolutely vapid rich people on Nantucket. 

Aww you did too much insider trading? Your boyfriend bought you $200 boots for Christmas? You need to sell your historic inn for $4 million? Wahh wah wah

Also "standing rib roast" was mentioned thirteen (13) times in this 256 page book. 
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

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mysterious slow-paced
  • Loveable characters? No

3.0

Struggling author Finlay Donovan is broke and in danger of losing her kids when a stranger in Panera Bread slips her a note asking her to kill her husband. Misunderstandings abound, and I kind of bought in to what I thought was the premise: the heroine stumbles into a clumsy career as a contract killer. 

Unfortunately, as other reviewers have mentioned, she doesn't actually *do* anything. Things just happen around her. I also found the writing to drag. It got repetitive as the author clearly wanted to make sure the reader didn't miss anything or fail to connect the dots. 

This had a lot of potential but it was just OK. I probably won't keep reading the series. 
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The Wake-Up Call by Beth O'Leary

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

A darling story with minimal, but effective spice. Izzy and Lucas are colleagues at struggling rural inn who "hate each other" after a misunderstanding at a Christmas party. They begrudgingly work together to save the inn from bankruptcy. I'm thrilled we didn't spend too much time working out the misunderstanding and having it cause more confusion. 
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I was/am a huge One Tree Hill fan but never knew much about Bethany Joy Lenz beyond that. Even though I didn't relate to the religious aspects, I was drawn to her vulnerability in this book. Her experience in the cult is wild, and the small details she shares allows the reader to really understand her mindset and rational. I loved the audiobook, her singing and accent work was actually so good, but I didn't need the audio cameos from her co-stars. 
How Does that Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? by Anna Montague

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
I may go back to this but it wasn't what I expected. The comparison to Remarkably Bright Creatures made me think this would be more life affirming. I liked this, it was just a tad heavy for what I wanted. Not every book needs a cartoon cover. 
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous challenging dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

I DNF at 75% but it felt like reading 100 books so I'm giving myself credit. I'm not a fantasy reader so I didn't think this was going to be for me but people rave about it so hard I had to check it out. 

A 500-page first person novel about risking it all for a man (fae) who did nothing but lie to you and sent all his boys to get murdered to save himself? You can keep it.
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A plane full of passengers unwillingly get their causes and ages of death predicted by an old lady. These are their stories. 

This was darling, a feel-good, mildly cheesy (in the best way) book with a touch of suspense.