Review: The Unwedding

Review: The UnweddingTitle: The Unwedding
Author: Ally Condie
Genre(s): Mystery
Pages: 352
Source: Own
For: Book Club
Rating:
Sexual Content: 0 Flames

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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.

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Review: The Widowmaker

Review: The WidowmakerTitle: The Widowmaker
Author: Hannah Morrissey
Series: Black Harbor #2
Genre(s): Thriller
Pages: 304
Source: Library
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content: 1.5 Flames

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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.

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Review: Where the Crawdads Sing

Review: Where the Crawdads SingTitle: Where the Crawdads Sing
Author: Delia Owens
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance
Pages: 379
Source: Library
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content: 2.5 Flames

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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.

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Review: Fourth Wing

Review: Fourth WingTitle: Fourth Wing
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Series: The Empyrean #1
Genre(s): Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 528
Source: Borrowed
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content: 3.5 Flames

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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

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders... Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general--also known as her tough-as-talons mother--has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

My Thoughts

I’ve been wanting to read FOURTH WING for a little over a year. I put it on hold at my library, sadly to be informed that my turn wouldn’t come for several months. I waited patiently and then when my turn was only two weeks away, my friend told me I could borrow her physical copies of both FOURTH WING and IRON FLAME. Needless to say, I jumped at the offer.

I’m so glad I finally read FOURTH WING. It was everything I wanted in a romantasy and more. There’s so much hype surrounding this and I get it. When I was reading it, I didn’t want to put it down and I couldn’t stop thinking about it in between reads. I stayed up until 2am on Wednesday night finishing it because I was that invested in the characters and the story.

I adored the characters, especially Violet and Xaden. I could feel the sexual tension between them from the very beginning and I loved it. FOURTH WING is a slow-burn romance that leaves you wanting for more. The secondary characters were amazing too. Rhiannon, Ridoc, and Liam were my favorite.

Hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. It steals your focus and aims it toward the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs–on the probabilities.

I loved the world in which FOURTH WING takes place. Rebecca Yarros built a beautiful world based on folktales, lore, war, power, and political drama, which is my recipe for a fantastic story. I loved the Gaelic feel to FOURTH WING thanks to the names of some of the characters, most of the dragons, and lot of the places. I also loved that riders are bonded to their dragon so we can hear their voices and get to know their personalities.

Finally, I adored the mythology of FOURTH WING. It was fascinating. The magical system with signets was fun to read about and experience.

Anyway, FOURTH WING has earned a spot as one of my favorite books. I’m glad my friend let me borrow IRON FLAME too because I need to read it now.

Have you read FOURTH WING? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for loss of a parent, loss of a child, loss of a sibling, bullying, and animal deaths.

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Review: Hello, Transcriber

Review: Hello, TranscriberTitle: Hello, Transcriber
Author: Hannah Morrissey
Series: Black Harbor #1
Genre(s): Romance, Thriller
Pages: 304
Source: Library
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content: 3 Flames

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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

Every night, while the street lamps shed the only light on Wisconsin's most crime-ridden city, police transcriber Hazel Greenlee listens as detectives divulge Black Harbor's gruesome secrets. As an aspiring writer, Hazel believes that writing a novel could be her only ticket out of this frozen hellscape. And then her neighbor confesses to hiding the body of an overdose victim in a dumpster.

My Thoughts

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.

I’m glad I decided to read HELLO, TRANSCRIBER. It was a captivating romantic thriller. Thanks to Morrissey’s beautifully descriptive prose, I zipped right through it by staying up all night listening to the audiobook. It hooked me right from the beginning and has left me thinking about the characters and their relationships.

HELLO, TRANSCRIBER is more than a thriller with romantic fluff. It’s also a thought-provoking story that deals with hard subjects like spousal abuse, depression and suicidal ideation, homo- and transphobia, and drug use in minors.

As I read HELLO, TRANSCRIBER, I could see the big twist at the end. Knowing about the twist didn’t ruin the suspense or story for me, though, because I still wanted to know how everything would play out. View Spoiler »

Before I started reading HELLO, TRANSCRIBER, I thought the series was a classic series with the same characters in each novel. However, I’ve since learned that the sequels are companion novels with different characters that take place in Black Harbor. Despite this, I look forward to reading both sequels and any others Morrissey writes.

Have you read HELLO, TRANSCRIBER? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for suicide, suicidal ideation, cheating on a spouse, spousal abuse, homo- and transphobia, and drug use.

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