One-Star Romance

One-Star RomanceTitle: One-Star Romance
Author(s): Laura Hankin
Genre(s): Romance
Spice Level: 2.5 / 5
Pages: 383
Rating:

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed ONE-STAR ROMANCE. It was a fun, enemies-to-lovers romance. I loved the chemistry between Natalie and Rob from the very beginning. I normally like romances that don’t span years between when the protagonist and their love interest get together, but I did like how Hankin handled it in ONE-STAR ROMANCE. It felt like the romance was that much more sweet because of how long it took the characters to admit to and act on their feelings. I also loved that the author narrated the audiobook.

Here One Moment

Here One MomentTitle: Here One Moment
Author(s): Liane Moriarty
Genre(s): Contemporary
Pages: 501
Rating:

My Thoughts

I adored HERE ONE MOMENT. I loved the premise of the story and all the characters. I laughed, cried, and stayed up way past my bedtime finishing it. I loved the message of using our one life to love, learn, live, and overcome our fears and anxieties.

I loved the way Moriarty portrayed how personal, all-consuming, and physical grief can be. I loved the serious look at and discussion surrounding mental health. I loved the advocacy of therapy and not suffering alone, that reaching out for help doesn’t mean you’re weak. I also loved the use of math and statistics to show the probability of how life and death sometimes feels cold and calculating, and unfair, how it can be sudden or expected.

The Last Word

The Last WordTitle: The Last Word
Author(s): Taylor Adams
Genre(s): Thriller
Pages: 352
Rating:

My Thoughts

I read THE LAST WORD pretty quickly. The suspense kept me reading, but I figured a lot of it out by the end. The author going crazy because of a 1-star review on Amazon was a fun premise, but I didn’t like the “book within a book” idea. Every time the narrative switched over to horror novel Deek was writing, I just kept waiting for that part to end. I especially hated the ending of his novel and gritted my teeth during his acknowledgments. I wish he had gotten what he deserved. I also disliked the male narrator during those parts.

THE LAST WORD dealt with some pretty heavy topics–death of a child, death of a parent, grief, and suicidal ideation. I actually preferred the non-thriller part of the story more than the actual thriller. I liked Emma and Laika a lot. I liked her story with Shawn, and I would’ve much preferred reading a whole story about them.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe

Ink Blood Sister ScribeTitle: Ink Blood Sister Scribe
Author(s): Emma Törzs
Genre(s): Fantasy
Pages: 407
Rating:

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE. I thought the concept and magic system were very intriguing. I also thought the mystery aspect of the story was fun. I guessed a lot of what was going on but I still enjoyed reading the story as everything came to fruition.

I loved both Esther and Joanna. I felt for them as they learned the truth that had been hidden from them for most of their lives. Even though I liked Nicholas, I thought he was really naïve and needed to ask more questions. I also liked Collins, just not as a romantic interest for Joanna. I would’ve rather seen her with Nicholas.

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The Lost Apothecary

The Lost ApothecaryTitle: The Lost Apothecary
Author(s): Sarah Penner
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 310
Rating:

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed THE LOST APOTHECARY. I loved that the story was written in three POVs, two from the past and one from present day. I thought it was an interesting look at how we interpret past events vs what really happened.

I liked both the past story and the present day one, but I thought the past one was a bit more interesting. I thought the idea of an apothecary dispensing poisons to women that wanted to exact revenge on the men who betrayed them was a really fun concept. It made for an interesting mystery.