July 2024 – JenniElyse

Review: The Unwedding

Title: The Unwedding
Author: Ally Condie
Genre(s): Mystery
Pages: 352
Source: Own
For: Book Club
Rating:
Sexual Content:

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There's content in this book that may be triggering to some readers. I've tried to include the possible triggers in this book at end of my review.

Goodreads Synopsis

Ellery Wainwright is alone at the edge of the world. She and her husband, Luke, were supposed to spend their twentieth wedding anniversary together at the luxurious Resort at Broken Point in Big Sur, California. But now, she’s traveling solo. To add insult to injury, there’s a wedding at Broken Point scheduled during her stay. When Ellery discovers the body of the groom floating in the pool, she realizes that she is not the only one whose future is no longer guaranteed.

My Thoughts

I was really excited to read THE UNWEDDING not only because I know Ally Condie personally, but also because it was chosen as the June book for Reese’s Book Club. Thankfully, my IRL book club decided to read it as our August book.

When I found out that THE UNWEDDING was a murder mystery, I was hoping the story would be more of a thriller. To my disappointment, it wasn’t. While the story’s suspenseful at times, I never had that edge-of-my-seat feeling I crave when reading ~~thrillers~~ mysteries.

Despite my disappointment with the mystery in THE UNWEDDING, I still found Ally’s writing a joy to read. As always, her writing has a poetic and lyrical feel and paints a clear picture of love, loss, and healing. The emotionality was my favorite part. I especially loved reading the aspects of the story that came from her life.

I really liked the characters. I loved watching Ellery become stronger despite her grief. I loved Ravi and Nina, Grace and Gary, Morgan and Maddox, and Andy, Rachel, and Olivia. Each personality and backstory added to the emotionality of the overarching story.

I’ve been trying to decide how to rate THE UNWEDDING. Even though I thought the mystery fell flat, I still loved the characters and emotions throughout the story. Because of this, I’ve settled on 3.5 stars.

Have you read THE UNWEDDING? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for loss of a spouse and loss of a child.

July 31, 2024/6 Comments/by Jenni Elyse

Book Reviews Hannah Morrissey Black Harbor Thriller Library Personal Interest

Review: The Widowmaker

Title: The Widowmaker
Author: Hannah Morrissey
Series: Black Harbor #2
Genre(s): Thriller
Pages: 304
Source: Library
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content:

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There's content in this book that may be triggering to some readers. I've tried to include the possible triggers in this book at end of my review.

Goodreads Synopsis

A wealthy family shrouded in scandal; a detective tasked with solving an impossible cold case; and a woman with a dark past collide in Hannah Morrissey's stunning new Black Harbor mystery, THE WIDOWMAKER.

My Thoughts

As I said in my HELLO, TRANSCRIBER review, I found out WHEN I’M DEAD, one of my Book of the Month (BOTM) books, is the third book in the Black Harbor series. I wanted to read it this month so I decided to check out the first (HELLO, TRANSCRIBER) and second (THE WIDOWMAKER) books from my library.

Even though THE WIDOWMAKER is the second book in the Black Harbor series, it’s not really sequel to HELLO, TRANSCRIBER. Investigator Kole, now Sgt. Kole, does return as a secondary character, but the commonality between the two stories is the setting–Black Harbor, Wisconsin–the most crime-ridden city in the state. And, THE WIDOWMAKER’s told in a dual POV.

I thought the story was captivating and suspenseful. I love Morrissey’s beautifully descriptive prose. Because of the dual POV, it took me a few chapters to understand what was happening. At that point, I zipped right through the story. When I wasn’t listening to the audiobook, I was thinking about the characters and their lives.

THE WIDOWMAKER is a very dark thriller that kept me guessing until the end. It’s very thought-provoking and deals with hard subjects like child abandonment, abuse, and sexual assault.

I liked both of the main characters. I also liked the narrators for the audiobook. They both did a great job bringing Morgan and Investigator Hudson to life. I thought some of the secondary characters were a bit flat and could’ve been fleshed out more. I liked the little Easter eggs pointing to HELLO, TRANSCRIBER when Hudson was interacting with and talking about Sgt. Kole.

Even though I wouldn’t have missed anything by skipping HELLO, TRANSCRIBER and THE WIDOWMAKER, I’m glad I decided to read both of them. I liked getting to know Black Harbor and its people and I’m even more excited to finally read WHEN I’M DEAD.

Have you read THE WIDOWMAKER? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for suicide, suicidal ideation, death of a parent, child abandonment, child abuse, spousal abuse, and sexual assault.

July 29, 2024/2 Comments/by Jenni Elyse

Sunday News

Sunday News #62

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon are blog news memes hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer and Reader Buzz, respectively. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, and showcase books and other things.

What Happened this Week

I went out to lunch with my BFF on Wednesday. Afterward, we crafted while watching a movie. We’re trying to get together and do this at least once a week.

On Thursday, Corey and I saw the new DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE movie. It was amazing! I especially loved all the cameos. I can’t wait to see it again.

Corey and I also went over to my BFF’s on Friday for dinner and a movie. We had homemade French dip sandwiches and au jus. We watched THE FALL GUY because my BFF and her oldest daughter hadn’t seen it yet.

What I Blogged

Here’s what I posted on the blog this week:

What I Read and I’m Reading

I finished listening to the audiobook for THE WIDOWMAKER by Hannah Morrissey on Friday and reading THE UNWEDDING by Ally Condie last night. I’ll be posting my reviews tomorrow and Wednesday, respectively.

I started listening to the audiobook for THE NO-SHOW by Beth O’Leary on Friday night and I’m going to start reading WHEN I’M DEAD by Hannah Morrissey this week.

How was your week? Anything exciting happen?

July 28, 2024/36 Comments/by Jenni Elyse

Book Reviews Delia Owens Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance Library Personal Interest

Review: Where the Crawdads Sing

Title: Where the Crawdads Sing
Author: Delia Owens
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance
Pages: 379
Source: Library
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content:

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There's content in this book that may be triggering to some readers. I've tried to include the possible triggers in this book at end of my review.

Goodreads Synopsis

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village. Kya Clark is barefoot and wild, unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when the popular Chase Andrews is found dead, locals immediately suspect her. But Kya is not what they say. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life's lessons from the land.

My Thoughts

I’ve been wanting to read read WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING ever since I saw the trailer for the movie release in 2022. I started reading it back then, but I got sidetracked by some health issues and stopped reading altogether for a little bit. About a week ago, I checked for available audiobooks I could listen to while I was waiting for a hold from my library and started reading it once more.

While I’m a little miffed at the ending, I’m still glad I read WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. I really loved Kya and I was fully invested in her life. I loved that she not only survived, but thrived despite the hardships she faced. I thought her story was beautifully told and very emotional.

I loved the dual timeline in WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING and thought it was the perfect vehicle for the story, especially the mystery aspect of it. I liked getting snippets of Kya’s life in the past while I watched the events unfold in the present. It actually reminded me a bit of Christopher Nolan’s MEMENTO.

His dad told him many times that the definition of a real man is one who cries without shame, reads poetry in his heart, feels opera in his soul, and does what’s necessary to defend a woman.

I really loved the characters in WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, especially those that showed kindness to Kya instead of shying away from her because they thought she was trash. I adored Jumpin’ and Mabel. They did all that was within their power to help Kya survive, feel loved, and succeed despite facing the racism of the south during the 40s, 50s, and 60s. I also loved Tate. I love that he saw Kya as more than just the “Marsh Girl.” He wasn’t perfect, but he took responsibility for his faults and did what he could to help her.

I truly loved WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING until the last few pages. I feel like the last few pages undid what the author was trying to say and/or show about who Kya grew to be after the trial. View Spoiler »

Have you read WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for racial slurs, sexual assault, bullying, child abandonment, spousal abuse, and child abuse.

July 24, 2024/10 Comments/by Jenni Elyse

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday #46

Debuts I’ve Loved

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is “Debut Novels I Enjoyed.” I’ve read quite a few debuts and thought it would be fun to see which books I’d choose. I’ve decided to focus on new adult or adult novels I’ve read. Here are my top ten choices: