Recent Reads Mini Reviews

More mini reviews from books I’ve enjoyed to varying degrees over the last few weeks!

And some bonus, unrelated fun, this is my blogs 1,000th post! What a milestone.

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Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

Rating: ★★★★☆
Release Date: June 23, 2020

Super engaging and impossible to put down. I really loved how the story built on itself and reach reveal added new information and expanded upon what we knew – or thought we knew. And the homages to some classic mysteries were perfect and kept me on my toes!

 

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Now & When by Sara Bennett Wealer

Rating: ★★★☆☆
Release Date: July 7, 2020

This was different than I expected. I didn’t think the glimpses of the future would be from their 10 year high school reunion! It was kind of a shock the first time I saw that. I didn’t love that Skyler and Truman cheated on Skyler’s boyfriend Eli, but I wasn’t very invested in any relationship so it didn’t bother me as much as it could have. I liked that Skyler had an established friendgroup – I really liked Harper, but Jordan did annoy me. Overall, an enjoyable read but not quite what I thought it was going to be.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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The Friend Scheme by Cale Dietrich

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Release Date: July 28, 2020

This was a really fun book that I didn’t want to stop reading. It’s dramatic and over-the-top and sort of ridiculous, but that’s what makes it so much fun. Matt and Jason had such wonderful chemistry and banter – I loved them together and seeing them try to develop such a strong friendship first before romance, and how that foundation meant so much to the both of them was wonderful to see. I thought Matt was a great character – seeing his struggles of family vs duty were well thought out and we never looked down on him or lost sympathy for him which is important for someone in a bad situation. I do think the last third of the book felt quite rushed and easily resolved. I think there easily could have been another 100 pages to flesh out some of the resolutions and really build some tension, but it was still a fun story overall.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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The Roommate by Rosie Danan

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.5 Stars)
Release Date: September 15, 2020

This was a fun story and I really enjoyed the positive depiction of those who work in adult entertainment. And Clara and Josh have great chemistry. I was surprised at the strong family themes throughout the story, but I loved seeing the expectations and pressures family can bring being explored. My biggest gripe is that I finished this less than 24 hours ago and I already forgot the characters names and I had to look them up to write my review, so because this is something I’m already forgetting, I can’t say it was a standout – more solidly average, but it was fun.

 

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Faking It by Rebecca Smith

Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Release Date: August 7, 2020

Another instance where it wasn’t a bad book, it was honestly just kinda boring. Hannah writes erotica novels and is trying to draft her second book. I thought seeing her find a balance in her hectic life could have been something more – but it really was just a lot of stuff I’ve seen before. It wasn’t bad, but there honestly wasn’t much to keep me turning the pages besides the fact that this was very easy to read. Though her friendly gathering turned sex party was a highlight and I loved the honest discussions about sex and femininity, the book will unfortunately not be a standout for me.

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What are some of the book you’ve read recently?