bre88's reviews
40 reviews

The Chef by James Patterson, Max DiLallo

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

The Maid by Nita Prose

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challenging emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 57%.
I had to finally throw in the towel because what a boring, slow schlep this has been. Nothing happens. You don’t like the characters. It’s like groundhog’s day. 
The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I can’t give more of my life to this book and write a thorough review. Please do not waste your time. 
One Two Three by Laurie Frankel

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emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

A truly enjoyable book told through the eyes of a set of triplets living in a forgotten small town that was decimated by a chemical plant. I would highly recommend. 
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

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challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Whew. How is a book overly ambitious and not ambitious enough at the same time? The author had a great concept and she could’ve gone the mile with this idea but overall this book is a failure. It was clunky - the transitions between different characters and times- and felt like so many great opportunities were left on the table. I wish the author would’ve edited out the subplots and focused on telling the main plot including developing the characters.  Also I started the question if the book was written by a Black woman because some of the dialogue was so cringe and awkward.

I kept pushing through because I knew it would be worthwhile in the end; I was wrong. I felt more troubled when I saw this book was optioned for a movie. I am hopeful a great screenwriter will flesh out these ideas and create a truly interesting work. Until that comes, you’re left with a boring book with some shadows and intrigue with nothing exciting behind the curtain. 
Find You In The Dark by Nathan Ripley

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

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dark mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It’s not for everyone and a book I would need to read a couple times to catch everything. You have to power through the first couple of chapters but the book does become immersive and I don’t regret reading it. There’s multiple layers of stories and you feel yourself chasing to keep up like the protagonist.  I can’t say it was the best thing I’ve ever read; however, I can’t stop thinking about the story and characters. It was interesting and challenging and the kind of book you need to discuss with a friend. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

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mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

It is slow and boring. The end doesn’t justify the painful push to get through the first three-fourths of the book.