Tag Archive for: Stand-Alone

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Play Nice

Play NiceTitle: Play Nice
Author: Rachel Harrison
Genre: Horror
Format: Audio
Pages: 336
Length: 10h 18m
Narrator: Alex Finke, Natasha Soudek
Source: Owned
Reason: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I’m so glad I decided to read PLAY NICE during the “spookiest” month of the year. It was a such a fun take on the haunted house trope. I loved the depth to the story, facing and conquering metaphorical and real demons. Even though Clio seems really selfish and a little bit narcissistic at the beginning, I loved her character arc. I also loved her tenacity and drive to find the truth. I also loved the little bit of romance between her a certain handsome neighbor. I’d give this 5 stars but I wanted a less vague ending in regards to Clio and her relationships.

Tress of the Emerald Sea

Tress of the Emerald SeaTitle: Tress of the Emerald Sea
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audio
Pages: 369
Length: 12h 27m
Narrator: Michael Kramer
Source: Owned
Reason: Recommended
Rating:

My Thoughts

I’m glad I had a chance to read TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I enjoyed the book, but I didn’t love it. Part of the issue for me was Hoid, the narrator. I didn’t like his way of telling the story. I’m not a huge fan of 4th-wall-breaking, unless it’s in movies or TV shows, because it usually takes me out of the story and I want to be immersed.

I did like Tress and most of the other characters. I also liked the overall story of her defying the king’s order to not leave her little island to search for her lost love and travel through the dangerous spore oceans. I also liked the ending and the fact that Sanderson left it open so he can write more stories about Tress and her planet.

After doing some research, I’ve now realized that this book is part of Sanderson’s Cosmere universe. While TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA is a standalone novel, it has connections and some shared characters to his other series and books.

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Husbands & Lovers

Husbands & LoversTitle: Husbands & Lovers
Author: Beatriz Williams
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 384
Length: 12h 31m
Narrator: Helen Laser, Caroline Hewitt
Source: Owned
Reason: BotM Backlist
Rating:

My Thoughts

I absolutely adored HUSBANDS & LOVERS. I was hooked from the prologue. It was a beautiful story of love, loss, and betrayal. I equally loved reading both Hannah’s and Mallory’s stories and loved how they fit together.

I knew why Mallory left and didn’t talk to Monk about Sam way before the reveal. I’m sad I was right, but I’m glad the story happened the way it did. I also feel so much for Hannah and her life. She lost so much. I’m glad Mallory and Paige figured out what happened to her and got to meet Károly in the end.

Darling Girl

Darling GirlTitle: Darling Girl
Author: Liz Michalski
Genre: Retelling
Format: Audio
Pages: 341
Length: 11h 42m
Narrator: Elizabeth Knowelden
Source: Owned
Reason: BotM Backlist
Rating:

My Thoughts

DARLING GIRL was a very interesting, dark twist on Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. I really enjoyed the topsy turvy nature of this story and flipping everything on its head. I thought the idea of Holly Darling looking for her daughter while trying to keep her son safe from what lurks in the shadows, windows, and wind was a fun concept.

At first, I thought Holly was selfish but as I learned more and more about the truth and what happened to her and her family, I realized that even though many of her decisions and actions were questionable, she did what she thought was best for her family. I liked her arc of character growth. I wish, however, she had done more in the story instead of relying on other people. The ending was a bit anticlimactic because of it. I also didn’t think she spent enough time with Christopher Cooke to warrant him being the love interest. I loved that he was, but I thought he needed more time and pages in the story.

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The Slowest Burn

The Slowest BurnTitle: The Slowest Burn
Author: Sarah Chamberlain
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 336
Length: 11h 12m
Narrator: Hunter Johns, Kate Handford
Source: Library
Reason: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed THE SLOWEST BURN. I loved both Ellie and Kieran, their chemistry, and banter. I loved that the story switched between Ellie and Kieran’s POVs. I thought it was a fun, spicy, enemies-to-lovers romance that dealt with some hard topics.

I really appreciated the look at grief from different perspectives and how messy it can be. I also loved the look at what it feels like to be a square peg in a round-hole family and never measuring up for the people who are supposed to love you. I loved the sense of found family, the look at neurodivergence, and the lesson of learning to love yourself the way you are.