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mppilk's reviews
357 reviews
The Blood Spilt by Åsa Larsson
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Much ado about nothing. Author couldn’t even find a way to allow police solve the murders, they just explained it and what the role of the main character was is a mystery. Indeed at least half the characters were superfluous.
The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Christy Lefteri proves herself to be, yet again, a wonderful storyteller able to bring the reader into the heart and soul of the story. This story centres around Irini, her husband and daughter as they survive the wildfires that destroy their home, their forest and their lives as they’ve lived them to date. Irini is also dealing with the guilt she feels at leaving the man who started the fire to die…….by his own hand or the hand of others.
Sit down and read this book and perhaps get an insight into what’s left behind when the news reels stop reporting on these wildfires and people are left to pick up the pieces. A timely publication after a summer of high temperatures and increasing incidences of these fires.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.
Sit down and read this book and perhaps get an insight into what’s left behind when the news reels stop reporting on these wildfires and people are left to pick up the pieces. A timely publication after a summer of high temperatures and increasing incidences of these fires.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.
C'mon, Get Happy .\xa0.\xa0.: Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus by Chip Deffaa, David Cassidy
sad
slow-paced
1.5
Find it hard to know how something as poor as this made it to print.
Weirdo by Sara Pascoe
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Sophie is working in a bar trying to pay off large debts mainly accumulated chasing a man to Australia and trying to decide if she is still in love with her boyfriend Ian.
She thinks she’s a bit weird but really she is just a self obsessed, neurotic individual living off the men in her life. At one point I thought this was trying to be a Bridget Jones but if fails fantastically on that front least of all because it’s 2023, society has moved on and the humour just isn’t there.
This really wasn’t for me but thanks to NetGalley.Co.uk and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for this honest review.
She thinks she’s a bit weird but really she is just a self obsessed, neurotic individual living off the men in her life. At one point I thought this was trying to be a Bridget Jones but if fails fantastically on that front least of all because it’s 2023, society has moved on and the humour just isn’t there.
This really wasn’t for me but thanks to NetGalley.Co.uk and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for this honest review.
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Day One by Abigail Dean
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Fans of Abigail Dean’s Girl A will undoubtedly enjoy this book too, although enjoy is probably not the right word in the circumstances. The story centres around Marty who loses her mother in a school shooting that, needless to say, rocks the entire town. However, for some totally unexplained reason, conspiracy theorists decide this never happened and it was actors involved.
Trent decides to find out the truth and what follows is a back and forth timeline, over an 8 year period, primarily between Marty and Trent but also several other characters as well. That aspect at least holds your attention but the basic premise of the story simply had too many holes in it for me and I found the ending fell flat almost as if the author didn’t quite know how to finish it all.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Trent decides to find out the truth and what follows is a back and forth timeline, over an 8 year period, primarily between Marty and Trent but also several other characters as well. That aspect at least holds your attention but the basic premise of the story simply had too many holes in it for me and I found the ending fell flat almost as if the author didn’t quite know how to finish it all.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Another wonderful tale from Ann Patchett. If you haven’t already come across this author this is certainly a good place to start.
Lara is recounting a story about the time she dated a famous movie star to her three daughters as they are harvesting the family’s cherry crop with her husband Joe. Lara and Duke were actors in a production of Our Town during a summer festival in Tom Lake. This is a story of hopes and dreams and the resilience needed when things don’t work out quite as planned.
Read this book and enjoy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for this honest review.
Lara is recounting a story about the time she dated a famous movie star to her three daughters as they are harvesting the family’s cherry crop with her husband Joe. Lara and Duke were actors in a production of Our Town during a summer festival in Tom Lake. This is a story of hopes and dreams and the resilience needed when things don’t work out quite as planned.
Read this book and enjoy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for this honest review.
The Lie Maker by Linwood Barclay
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Another page turner from Linwood Barclay. Fans of this author will be happy and I’m sure new readers will search out his other books.
Jack Givens has had 2 books published but not his third. Then gets an offer to write back stories for people in witness protection. So he and his reported girlfriend, Lana, set out to find his father who had been placed in the witness protection programme when Jack was very young.
This is a fast paced thriller with the usual twists and turns and provided you can overlook the naivety of the main character, it is an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and the publishers for this ARC.
Jack Givens has had 2 books published but not his third. Then gets an offer to write back stories for people in witness protection. So he and his reported girlfriend, Lana, set out to find his father who had been placed in the witness protection programme when Jack was very young.
This is a fast paced thriller with the usual twists and turns and provided you can overlook the naivety of the main character, it is an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and the publishers for this ARC.