Tag Archive for: 4 Stars

Imperfect Women

Imperfect WomenTitle: Imperfect Women
Author: Araminta Hall
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 294
Length: 11h 2m
Narrator: Helen Keeley
Source: Owned
Reason: Just Because
Rating:
Romance Rating: 1.5 Flames

My Thoughts

Imperfect Women was a very intriguing story about the ups and downs of life, love, and friendship. It’s not quite a thriller. Instead it’s more of a commentary on what it’s like to be a woman, the good and the bad. It reminded me of the monologue America Ferrera gives at the end of Barbie. Even though I didn’t necessarily like any of the characters, I stayed for the compelling look at the human condition.

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We Who Will Die

We Who Will DieTitle: We Who Will Die
Author: Stacia Stark
Series: Empire of Blood #1
Genre: Romantasy
Format: Audio
Pages: 432
Length: 17h 12m
Narrator: Meg Sylvan, Troy Duran
Source: Owned
Reason: BotM Backlist
Rating:
Romance Rating: 3.5 Flames

My Thoughts

We Who Will Die was such a fun intense story. I loved the world-building and magic system. I thought the “Gladiator” feel of the story was a fun idea. I really liked Arvelle, her brothers, Tiernon, Rorrik, Leon, and Maeva. I’m curious to see if this will turn into a Vampire Diaries situation. Right now, I’m very happy with Arvelle and Tiernon together, but I think I could be happy if she were with Rorrik instead.

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: BC Backlist
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 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, 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: Chloe Massey, 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.