More mini reviews from books I’ve enjoyed to varying degrees over the last few weeks.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Release Date: July 30, 2019
Enjoyable overall, but the ending let me down a bit. I really enjoyed to insular nature of the story – suburban secrets always work well in mystery stories for me and I love the concept in general – a breakdown of the idealized ‘American Dream’. But this story just didn’t really give me enough to wow me, or leave a lasting impression. Though I do think much of the misdirect in the middle of the novel was done well and provided a propulsive reading experience, I was disappointed with the ‘whodunit’ of it all, and especially some mind-numbingly idiotic actions at the end left me shaking my head. And not caring about the murder victim was not helpful to the story either. (I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the narrator, but she didn’t detract from the book at all, it was more her cadence that didn’t gel with me.) But the if you’re looking for a mystery with a large cast of characters and a small town setting, this is a great choice.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Release Date: October 26, 2021
This was a fun and cute story. I’m always a sucker for food/baking in my romances. Bakerys are just great settings – sweet and filled with possibilities. Ryan and Lindsay were a good couple, but I didn’t feel like they had the most explosive chemistry, but there was plenty of cute moments. And while I always love to have family elements included in honestly any story, I still feel like there wasn’t really enough there, apart of Ryan’s relationship with his dad, which I truly loved.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Release Date: August 12, 2021
This was a cute and totally unrealistic sports romance and I had a fun time reading it. I got the chemistry from the jump, even if the relationship is a bit rushed. This was a perfect read you can get lost in and just blow through. There’s a good mix of smalltown vibes and sports superstars that balances the story well and helps this read super quickly.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5 Stars)
Release Date: July 27, 2021
This was a surprise hit for me. I never really know what I’m in store for with a lot of my KU romance picks but I have to say this was a good one. I love brother’s best friend trope (and think it’s severely underrated) which is why I picked this up in the first place. And I loved the chemistry between Jace and Tori was there, and I really loved Colev(Tori’s brother and Jace’s best friend) too. They all had really great relationships and I always appreciate and then and now format – thoigh this one did lean a little heavier on the now.
There is a side plot about Tori dealing with a workplace trauma and a subsequent substance addiction issue. While I appreciate the author trying to add some depth to the character, it really felt unnecessary to me and lacked some of the development I would have preferred. Though I can’t speak to t accuracy of the plot.
Overall this was still a great read and I’ll keep an eye out for more from Cora Brent.
What books have you been reading lately? Share below.
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