The Girls I’ve Been

The Girls I’ve BeenTitle: The Girls I've Been
Author: Tess Sharpe
Series: The Girls I've Been #1
Genre: Contemporary
Format: Audio
Pages: 356
Length: 9h 48m
Narrator: Tess Sharpe
Source: Library
Reason: Just Because
Rating:
Romance Rating: 1 Flames

My Thoughts

My book club read The Girls I’ve Been a few years ago and I wasn’t able to read it at the time. I’m really glad I decided to keep it on my TBR and read it. It was a very intriguing story. At times, it was very difficult to read. The ordeals Nora and her sister had to face because of their mother were horrific. It was interesting to see how Nora’s experiences shaped her into the person she is and how it helps her do what it takes to survive. The only thing that got on my nerves was the repetitive “here’s what I’m working with” at the beginning of most chapters.

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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRueTitle: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Author: V.E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audio
Pages: 444
Length: 17h 10m
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Source: Owned
Reason: Book of the Month, Recommended
Rating:
Romance Rating: 3 Flames

My Thoughts

I absolutely loved reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. It was such a fun, unique story. I adored the characters, setting, and history. I loved being a part of Addie’s story. I especially loved the cat-and-mouse game between her and Luc. I thought their relationship was intriguing and delicious. I also loved her relationship with Henry and wished they could’ve had more time together. I felt for and related to Henry the most. I understood why he felt the way he did and made the decisions he did. I’m glad he found Addie and that she could help him in the end. I also enjoyed the bittersweet ambiguous ending. It felt right for this type of story.

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The Guest List

The Guest ListTitle: The Guest List
Author: Lucy Foley
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 320
Length: 10h 22m
Narrator: Jot Davies, Sarah Ovens, Chloe Massey, and more
Source: Library
Reason: Recommended
Rating:
Romance Rating: 1.5 Flames

My Thoughts

The Guest List was a really fun, intriguing thriller. I loved the setting, the different POVs, and the different audio narrators. Even though this was published first, it reminded me of The Unwedding by Ally Condie. I loved that we don’t find out who died until almost the very end. I also liked seeing all the threads and different events come together. 

Additional Narrators: Olivia Dowd, Aoife McMahon, Rich Keeble

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The Last Mrs. Parrish

The Last Mrs. ParrishTitle: The Last Mrs. Parrish
Author: Liv Constantine
Series: Mrs. Parrish #1
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 550
Length: 12h
Narrator: Meghan Wolfe, Suzanne Elise Freeman
Source: Library
Reason: Just Because
Rating:
Romance Rating: 1.5 Flames

My Thoughts

I decided to read The Last Mrs. Parrish because my book club read The Housemaid and I saw the controversy surrounding McFadden’s novels. I wanted to see for myself what all the hubbub was about. I can definitely see similarities in the two stories, but I’m not convinced that McFadden did what readers are accusing her of. Most stories, music, and other art are heavily influenced by existing media. The words, characters, and even the plot are different enough that they’re not the same.

Anyway, I really enjoyed The Last Mrs. Parrish. I, of course, can’t help but compare it to The Housemaid. Both kept me on the edge of my seat. Both ended fairly satisfactorily, although I liked The Last Mrs. Parrish‘s story and ending better. While I liked both narrators in The Housemaid, I hated being in Amber’s selfish/narcissistic head. But, it made the ending that much more satisfying to see her get what was coming to her. I’m glad I read The Last Mrs. Parrish and I’ll definitely read more books written by the author duo Liv Constantine.

The Housemaid

The HousemaidTitle: The Housemaid
Author: Freida McFadden
Series: The Housemaid #1
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 338
Length: 9h 41m
Narrator: Lauryn Allman
Source: Library
Reason: Book Club
Rating:
Romance Rating: 1 Flames

My Thoughts

That was some next-level gaslighting. Holy crap! Great twist and well executed. I tore through this story. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I didn’t want to put it down. I’m really excited to watch the movie now. (I’m going to read The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine next to see what all the controversy is about surrounding Freida McFadden’s books.)