Welcome to Freida’s scaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaary overnighter at the local psych ward where everyone is a schizophrenic, the “plot” is oh-so-
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Welcome to Freida’s scaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaary overnighter at the local psych ward where everyone is a schizophrenic, the “plot” is oh-so-predictable and the writing is Wattpad. Am I completely mindblown by the cult-like following Freida has on the bookish social medias? Yep. Is this a prime example of why I will never partake in "BookTok". You betcha! But will I keep listening to her stuff? Abso-root-toot-tutely because they are easy as hell to follow along with while trudging up endless hills in 100 degrees with 100% humidity....more
I dared to Google “Why is Freida McFadden so popular” because truly, my mind? She be blown. The first response (from Reddit – oh how I love the subReddits) states “I get why it's popular because it's fast paced and a very easy read but the plot is so derivative and the writing style is so annoying.” To that I say – PREACH.
Talk about an easy reader. The plot (LOL plot!) here starts with a body being buried in the woods. You then meet the “teacher” (teacherS in this case since Eve is married to a fellow educator named Nate) and their student Addie. It doesn’t take much of an I.Q. to figure out EVERYTHING that is going to happen so I have no idea what “twists” people cream their jeans over. Maybe they are contained in her other books???? (Sidenote to anyone thinking of making a drinking game every time “shoes” are mentioned. Don't do it. You will die from alcohol poisoning.)
Apparently she has a real rabid fanbase so I guess I can look forward to potentially getting trolled for eternity like I have for nearly a decade by the Cohorts (note to trolls - I delete and block you rather than engage so have a blessed day and maybe go outside and touch some grass). It also appears from my quick one minute search of the interwebs that she apparently is a copycat so the half that don’t love her want her cancelled. Bottom line? No matter what we readers/reviewers can’t win. But before any of you go all keyboard commando please note that popcorn thrillers like these are a dime a dozen and trying to claim Freida steals from Riley Sager, an author who admittedly makes his millions reimagining others’ tales, isn’t gonna hold up in court. I was looking to venture out of my comfort zone of listening to memoirs during my “Walk ‘n Talk” and this was so easy to follow while I attempted to kiss every dog that crossed my path on the trail at the park that I will most likely end up picking her stuff up over and over again. And most likely also give them 2 Stars max.
My reactions to Emily Henry’s books have gone down star by star each new release – to the point where I have so far managed to avoid Happy Place placeMy reactions to Emily Henry’s books have gone down star by star each new release – to the point where I have so far managed to avoid Happy Place place completely. But then I got an email offering me this one and . . . .
Not to mention I am well aware of how lucky I am to be someone who receives Berkley widgets so I’m not about to look that gift horse in the mouth.
The “funny story” (or meet/cute, if you will) here was a cute one. Daphne’s fiancé calls it off after realizing at his bachelor party that his lifelong BFF is really the girl for him, leaving Daphne scrambling for a place to stay in said fiancé’s home town after relocating herself halfway across the country for him. Miles has a place to stay (including an extra bedroom) and is the other dumpee – this time of the aforementioned BFF. Thus begins a co-habitation period and Daphne’s countdown clock to the big all-night Readathon for kids at the library where she works. After that event is over, Daphne can move away from Michigan with a clear conscience. But when an invitation to the wedding of Peter and Petra (barf, right?) arrives, Daphne makes a bit of a boo-boo and openly defines the relationship with Miles . . . into a romantic one.
Cute, right? You’re right. It is cute. This one will most likely make Henry fans swoon because all of the rom com feels will be felt. But I didn’t much like either of the main characters so it didn’t quite work for me. Note to Miles: It doesn’t matter how many people say you’re a “great guy.” If you are so easily distracted and get caught up in random conversations that make you late for scheduled dates/your job/whatever – you’re kind of NOT so great. Punctuality is a real thing for me – especially if you plan on some before dawn sort of excursion. Don’t come to me with coffee and an excuse, just GTFOOH. And note to Daphne: You are not a good friend. If you never let anyone in, they certainly aren’t the jerks for choosing to hang out with other people. And again, if you make plans with someone like me and then stand me up? You can GTFOOH too and don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya on your way out.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Book #2 in my annual quest for a new coffee mug . . . .
I love the idea of maybe a little whodunit wrapped up in a neighborhood drama since I’m always on the quest for the next Big Little Lies. I love skeletons falling out of closets and secrets lives and lying liars. And I love the idea of a grief-stricken mother spending her free time peeping on the potential local neighborhood manwhore. That being said, I was sooooo disappointed so early into this book when it came to Paige. Talk about shark jumpingly unbelievable/zero to sixty on the train to WTF is this bitch doing? Then Cora ends up being some dumb hoe too? Ick. Georgia’s story was the one which took me by surprise and I became fully invested. But I’m telling you if I were someone who DNFs – this would have been a strong candidate. I am happy to report explanations for certain things were given at about the halfway point, but it still didn’t make Paige’s actions make any sense and it just came off as some super telenova-type of storytelling.
Not to mention some of this was just lazy (or maybe a case of short-term memory loss while the author was writing) –some inconsistencies are so glaring that it’s impossible not to notice. A few examples:
1. Please don’t talk to me about a 6 month old baby and then tell me how she eats pancakes for breakfast and handfuls of Cheerios and goldfish crackers.
2. You get drunk at the neighbor feller’s restaurant and find the two of you singing with to the muzak playing on the speaker system, so why are you so terribly shocked when he takes the microphone on piano sing-along night? (Also, tipsy he sang terribly but sober he was wonderful????)
3. Magically the “we’d have to keep you until your arraignment, which will probably be Monday since it’s after noon on a Friday” somehow turns into only a 30 minute wait to be processed and let go on bond.
Are editors members of the writers’ strike? WTF has been going on the last year or so??????...more
I was all prepared to say I have such a better result with the Read With Jenna selections than I do with America’s Darling, Reese . . . and
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I was all prepared to say I have such a better result with the Read With Jenna selections than I do with America’s Darling, Reese . . . and then this one came along.
Chain Gang All-Stars tackles the penal system the same way S.A. Cosby tackled homophobia in Razorblade Tears . . . with a lot of gore and a heavy-handed Ted Talk sort of delivery. Per usual, the people who need a lesson on how unjust the American justice system can be will 100% be the people who would never even consider reading this. For me dystopia stories just aren’t really my jam to begin with and since I’m an old lady this had a been there/done that vibe a la the afore-giffed Mad Max, Gladiator, The Running Man, The Hunger Games, etc., etc., etc. but this one was somehow extremely boring.
Oh, and I HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE bajillions of footnotes. (Because I am stupid and a wrongreader. There, save your breath folks. I trolled myself so you don’t have to.) ...more
I just took a second to look at the overall Goodreads’ rating along with my friends’ individual Star reactions to this one and it turns out I’m the naI just took a second to look at the overall Goodreads’ rating along with my friends’ individual Star reactions to this one and it turns out I’m the naysayer of the bunch. You know what that means, right????
Ha! Just kidding. Everyone is aware that I’m usually the wrongreader. The main reason I didn’t vibe with this one was not because it was farfetched – I’m down for some fun with my thrillers – it was a combination of this supposed grifter type of conwoman being so easy to fool and a supposed “zany” thriller that really did not tickle my funny bone after the first couple of chapters.
I’m over 100 reviews behind for the year, so that’s all I have to say. Everyone else really liked it, so it was probably just wrong place/wrong time for me. ...more
I knew the first big reveal at only the 4% mark, but had to wait until 31% for confirmation. The journal entries regarding the past were quite deliciously horrible, but I found the present to be so lackluster until nearly the halfway mark that I was really just slogging through. And the last 25% could have been condensed to a few chapters and wrapped things up perfectly fine. So there you have it. Every reader has a different experience with each book they pick up. I wish I would have enjoyed this one as much as all of my friends did.
2.5 Stars
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley! ...more
Let me unload one piece of baggage before I even begin here. My copy of You Shouldn’t Have Come Here DID NOT include the Colleen Hoover cover blurb. ILet me unload one piece of baggage before I even begin here. My copy of You Shouldn’t Have Come Here DID NOT include the Colleen Hoover cover blurb. If it had, I would hope that I would have been smart enough to avoid this like the plague due the incessant seven year trolling I’ve receive from CoHo’s rabid fanbase. Buuuuuut, since The Perfect Marriage remains on my TBR, there’s a decent chance I still would have read it. Although I didn’t know about the new and improved cover at all, I was immediately confronted with a paragraph on the very first page. And then one by Jennifer Hillier, and Kaira Rouda, and John Marrs and Alex Finlay????? Now that I’m finished I have one question to ask . . . .
For real, though. I mean was this a dare to see how quickly this thing could go viral on TikTok? Are these authors a caliber of likeswappers Goodreads and The ‘Gram have never before seen? Did they all sell their souls????
I picked this up to give Jeneva Rose a second chance after reading One of Us Is Dead - a book that wasn’t terrible for me, just not as over-the-top as it could/should have been when it came to the delivery. I had not known Airbnb “Rooms” was now a thing since I refuse to watch television with commercials, but lemme just say if you’re thinking about staying with a random stranger maybe read this book because obviously this would be a killer’s wet dream. I was hoping for a popcorn thriller and suspension of disbelief was not going to be a problem for me when it came to the story of Grace who rents a room on a ranch in Wyoming from Calvin for ten days. I figured at least one person would wind up dead and I was down for the stabbies. But this was so booooooooooooring. Good lord amighty what a snoozefest.
The stuff that did finally happen was what most people would think was going to happen all along . . . other than the “twist” at the end which was one of those last-pagers that’s just stupid and thrown in as an attempt to shock the reader, but it was all too little too late.
Oh, and to authors who do things like this???
“Finally, a thriller. This one promised a twisty ending I wouldn’t see coming. It seemed every thriller promised that these days, but few actually delivered.”
“When she appeared in the kitchen, I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding in. Cliché, I know. But it’s true.”
It doesn’t make you seem clever to be “in on the joke” – it’s simply a confirmation that you don’t write well enough to come up with something other than the worn out lines every other pisspoor Wattpader comes up with.
Unfortunately for Jeannette Walls (at least when it comes to this review) is that nothing fictional that she writes could ever come close to the nonfiUnfortunately for Jeannette Walls (at least when it comes to this review) is that nothing fictional that she writes could ever come close to the nonfictional accounts of her own family history. I’m currently 80+ reviews behind, so I’m going to keep this real short. Basically, I expected a real humdinger of a time when picking up a story about a female rumrunner in Prohibition Era America. Sadly, I never felt much of any connection with the story or its characters and the writing seemed very . . . . sterile? I’m not sure that makes sense, but to me it was very devoid of much emotion and I basically just continued reading simply to be done with it. It wasn’t baaaaaaad – it just wasn’t great.
Here’s the thing. Jojo Moyes needs zero of my help selling her books and since I loved Me Before You, Still Me and One Plus One I am not su
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Here’s the thing. Jojo Moyes needs zero of my help selling her books and since I loved Me Before You, Still Me and One Plus One I am not super interested in dissecting all the reasons this one didn’t work for me. Some books just aren’t for some people and for me that has a lot to do with the characters. I didn’t much care for doormat Sam at all and thought Nisha was a real See You Next Tuesday throughout the entire story (even though an attempt was given at providing her a redemption arc). The plot didn’t really tickle my fancy either and it was waaaaaaay too long (especially when things went all “Three’s Company” while attempting to steal back the shoes in the hotel). So that’s that and on to the next.
I liked this one better when it was called The House in the Cerulean Sea. I mean really that’s all to be said here. I picked this up for the title andI liked this one better when it was called The House in the Cerulean Sea. I mean really that’s all to be said here. I picked this up for the title and cover alone when it was offered to me and I was planning October-y reads. Sadly, this was a pretty sad copycat of T.J. Klune’s magical releases of late.
The story here involves, you guessed it, a witch who gets recruited to come tutor a trio of children witches in an attempt to teach them how to harness their power. There’s a houseful of other characters – including a handsome sourpuss, natch, but none of which were very developed. I don’t love kids generally (in fiction or in real life) so it really takes some doing to get me to love stories about them (see the aforementioned Klune or The Guncle as recent exceptions to the rule). There was also quite a bit of “potion” talk that basically involved making tea infused with essential oils such as lavender or peppermint rather than any eye of newt or tongue of frog. But the main problem was in the form of . . .
Who said anything about transforming the world? What about just making it a little better? And then a little better? And then a little more, until, one day, maybe long after we’re gone, it has transformed?”
But there isn’t much making of things ANY better as this one wraps up and, despite not being a fan, my dead heart still felt a little bummed out these kids didn’t end up with more than they did in the end. I thought the entire point of this was going to be along the lines of “be the change you wish to see in the world” – but I guess getting laid was really the M.O. *wink*
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
As much as it physically pains me to do so, I’m going to have to agree with my pal Dan 2.0 when it comes to Tiffany McDaniel’s style . . . it’s probabAs much as it physically pains me to do so, I’m going to have to agree with my pal Dan 2.0 when it comes to Tiffany McDaniel’s style . . . it’s probably not for me. I looooooooooved Betty and agree that there is an excellent story within the pages of this latest release regarding a series of prostitutes who are found in Chillicothe, Ohio (inspired by the true tale of the “Chillichothe Six”). Unfortunately, it was so mired in the purple prose that I could not feel all of the feels that I was supposed to be feeling. I have actively avoided The Summer that Melted Everything for fear of being a wrongreader and I will probably continue to do so for the foreseeable future since the main complaint was regarding how it too was overwritten.
Also, I already dislike a face cover, but if you're going to commit to one at least get it right. One sister lipsticked her TOP lip, the other the BOTTOM. Stuff like that drives me batshit.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I wrongread the crap out of this one. I totally get why this has been such a hit for others. I mean, the world is shit and fiction is a gre
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I wrongread the crap out of this one. I totally get why this has been such a hit for others. I mean, the world is shit and fiction is a great place to turn when you need something hopeful. I’ve fallen victim to the right time/right place heartstring-tugger a time or twelve myself. (See A Man Called Ove, The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Guncle, etc.) And like everyone else, I loved Marcellus and heard the “Sad Cat Diary” narrator each time he voiced a chapter that really brought a smile to my face . . . .
But oh my god how did y’all tolerate Cameron? Freaking spoiled manbaby! So sorry your momma was a deadbeat and ditched you as a kid, but it’s not like you got dumped into the foster care system to rot. No, you were left with an aunt who not only loved you but coddled your ass into your dang 30s. Grow up, butthole! I broke my normal routine and poked around a few reviews since everyone but me loved this and I’ve noticed most don’t even mention him at all – despite him being a main character in the story. Maybe you all were simply able to ignore him???? I love a loveable loser, but this dude was a user and no redemption arc could make me like him.
I felt really bad last year when Julie Murphy’s If the Shoe Fits didn’t end up being a fave of mine. I chalked it up to a swing and a miss
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I felt really bad last year when Julie Murphy’s If the Shoe Fits didn’t end up being a fave of mine. I chalked it up to a swing and a miss due to me not being a fan of the Bachelor franchise and added my name to the library list for this second installment of the “Meant to Be” stories. Now that I’ve finished I think I can blame this one on the fact that I’m pretty sure there are only two types of people in this world. This kind . . . .
And me. I’m just not a Disney princess gal. At this point I’m pretty sure I’m not a Jasmine Guillory fan either. The writing/storyline/characters all here were so blah – and when you already have a popular tale that you’re basing your work off of that’s not a great thing. ...more
As I said below in a comment to my pal debra I’m going to go ahead and blame my wrongreading on the fact that I am addicted to Every Single Housewives of Every City Ever. (And do you know Dubai is next???? Motherfucking DUBAI!!!!!!! The opulence better be dripping off of those bitches.)
If you aren’t addicted to all of the Househoes, maybe this will work better for you. For me? The “drama” was severely lacking (I mean not one table was to be flipped!) with an overdone trope of someone is dead, but you don’t know who that dragged on and on as a nonstop trip through Dullsville until the final 20 or so pages. I kept thinking the entire time I was reading that I would definitely be recommending Big Little Lies and telling my pals to take a pass here if they had not yet read that one.
But rather than bashing a book that didn’t work for me, let me give you a little refresher course on the type of asshole I am and why I found this one lacking. The other night the Hoebags of Beverly Hills premiered and I. WAS. THERE. FOR. IT. Since I only watch the show and don’t follow any of the ladies in the off season I was completely blindsided that the main topic was going to be Dorit Kemsley’s house getting burglarized. I then went to Reddit to find my tribe and discuss the fact that the entire set up was stinkier than rotten fish. I mean:
1. Kyle already cornered the market on all of her Birkins and mother’s jewelry being stolen a couple of years ago.
2. Who the fuck has an alarm system for a multimillion house that doesn’t have some sort of “rest” feature that allows the people who actually live there to walk around inside without tripping the system at night????
3. It was common knowledge Dorit was on the chopping block and was most likely not going to be invited back to “hold a diamond” and neeeeeeded some sort of storyline to keep her relevant.
4. These crooks show up with nary a dufflebag to carry their wares and have to take a comforter to lug it all down the street.
5. Who then leave her phone at the exit gate (with a flashing light serving as a beacon) so she can call 911?????
6. And finally, the Kemsleys are effing grifters. Dorit's entire tenure has been muddied with lawsuits, bankruptcies and an unfathomable amount of debt to a poor like me (seriously $2MM to the Bellagio???? not to mention the million plus to the IRS). What a lucky break to be able to claim all of these missing valuables with the insurance back at the end of October and pay off some of that money!
Save your “you’re disgusting” or “OMG way to blame a victim!” comments. I know I’m a piece of shit, but I still have a whiff of residual stank in my nostrils from this start to the new season so this book simply paled in comparison to what I’m used to watching on a weekly basis. And I haven’t even watched Atlanta’s debut yet!
Yep, I really sucked a turtle on this cult classic. Trainspotting popped up because the film was showing on one of the twelve billion channels we overpay for and rarely watch which led me to do what I do best – not watch the movie and instead check out the book.
Be forewarned before beginning that this undertaking is not for the faint of heart. And I’m not talking about the content. I’m not a reader who complains about stories written using accents, but boy oh boy does this one require your undivided attention for a bit before you settle in to the flow. As far as the subject matter goes? I seriously channeled my inner Captain Murtaugh here. The only thing I recall from the movie 100 years ago was the dead baby scene, but even that didn’t have the emotional impact on paper for me. I’m all about uncomfortable subject matter and unlikeable characters, but this one just left me feeling “meh.” Nearly 30 years ago I’m sure this was as fresh and innovative as declared on the bookjacket. Reading it today where opioid addiction has touched nearly everyone in some way, shape or form - these very unconnected vignettes embracing the addict/criminal/rapey/uggo lifestyle was more like reading some sort of shockporn . . . .
I mean to each his own, but I don’t get it. I was all about picking up a story about a serial killer’s daughter, but could she maybe not be some pill popping alky cliché in this supposedly “fresh” debut????
Not to mention the suspension of disbelief that has to occur in order for (i) this chick who is clearly not right in the head to be able to not only hide the above, but somehow become a highly successful psychologist, who (ii) apparently has not ever Googled anyone ever and (iii) remained completely oblivious of the whodunit despite the fact that it was . . . .
If you are new to mysteries or are a person who can simply enjoy super farfetched storylines and/or have no interest in playing couch detective and spoiling things for your own dang self immediately only to be annoyed you wasted two days to discover your first thought was 100% spot on then maybe this will be a winner for you??????
But seriously though, people really and truly didn’t know who the bad guy was right away????
“There’s a monster inside each of us,” he says. “If you let yours out, Ted, it might not eat you.”
Shelby and I were talking earlier this week abou“There’s a monster inside each of us,” he says. “If you let yours out, Ted, it might not eat you.”
Shelby and I were talking earlier this week about when people say things like “after 150 pages it REALLY picks up” or “once you get to book four in the series it hits its stride.” My response to that is . . . .
I am a spoiled entitled first world type of big fat baby. I want instant gratification. I don’t want to haaaaaaaaaave to go in blind (even though I rarely read blurbs or reviews so I tend to go into nearly everything blind). I don’t want shock and awe to be the driving force behind the masses offering up all of their Stars to a book. I don’t want to muddle through nearly half of a story before it picks up steam (actually I made note that it was the 71% marker where things were finally getting interesting) – only to feel like it’s dragging on for eternity by the time I’ve consumed the next fifty pages. I don’t personally want trigger warnings, but I feel sorry for those who do that end up stumbling upon this story because everyone and their cat (hyuck hyuck see what I did there?) is saying it’s a must read and, as aforementioned, to go in with no prior knowledge of what you’re about to experience.
I’m going to go ahead and simply plagiarize my pal debra’s review . . . .
Original story, well written, but unlike the rest of the whole, complete, absolute entire, far reaching, and wide ranging world I didn't enjoy it.
2.5 Stars for presenting a pretty quality red herring that had me only partially correct in my guess of what was going on, but rounded down because it was such a slog for me. I’m filing this in the same cabinet as Razorblade Tears. I think a lot of readers will surprise themselves of what types of subject matter they are able to stomach when it comes to this selection, but I have to channel my inner Lydia Deetz and simply state . . . .
Dark plotlines are my wheelhouse and, as I said above, shock and awe just doesn’t cut the mustard for me. Nearly all of my friends gave it 5 Stars, though, so obviously I read it wrong.
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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