Jenny

An enthusiastic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review!

I almost didn’t read Atmosphere. I have a complicated history with Taylor Jenkins Reid — when she hits, she hits (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo owns a permanent piece of my soul), but when she misses for me… she really misses (I’m looking at you, Daisy Jones). So I went into this one cautious. Guarded. Prepared to be whelmed at best.

A friend told me I would like this book. She was half right — I didn’t like it. I absolutely loved it. This is one of those rare reads that sneaks up on you, settles into your chest, and then refuses to leave. I do not hand out five stars easily. And yet this was an easy, immediate, no-notes five.

The characters (minus Barbara — respectfully, no thank you) were so richly developed that they felt tangible. Complicated. Human. I cared about deeply. Their relationships felt layered and earned, not manufactured for drama. I found myself lingering over scenes just to stay with them a little longer.

The mark of a true five-star read isn’t just how much you enjoy it in the moment — it’s whether it stays with you. This one will.

The Secret of Secrets felt familiar and uncomfortable at the same time—which is a tricky balance, and Dan Brown mostly nails it. It took me a little while to settle into the multiple storylines and shifting POVs, but once everything clicked, I literally couldn’t put it down. From that point on, the book is fast-paced, relentlessly tense, and driven by that classic “I need to know what happens next” momentum that Brown does so well.

What really sets this novel apart from his previous work, though, is the subject matter. Beyond the puzzles and high-stakes race to the finish, the exploration of human consciousness and the implications of advancing science in this space genuinely had my mind reeling. I found myself wanting to pause just to Google things and go down research rabbit holes—which, to me, is a sign the book is doing something interesting.

It’s still very much a Dan Brown thriller, but it asks bigger, more unsettling questions than usual. Not a perfect book, but a gripping and thought-provoking one. Definitely worth the read.

(Rounded down from 3.5 stars)

The First Time I Told Him launches with real confidence. As a sequel, it wastes no time pulling you back into the world and the characters, immediately ramping up the pace and tension. The opening stretch is genuinely gripping—I found myself reading furiously, fully locked in and eager to see how everything would unfold.

About midway through, though, the story hits an unexpected slowdown and it was a little harder to be excited about getting to the end of the book. That said, I’m glad I stuck with it. The ending is moderately satisfying and offers enough resolution to make the journey worthwhile, even if it doesn’t fully recapture the high-energy takeoff of the first half.

⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.75 stars)

The premise of this book is strong, centering on a fictional British royal family filled with family drama, secrets, and plenty of palace intrigue. Those elements kept me invested, especially as the story gained momentum over the course of the novel.

My main criticism is that while the characters are technically distinct from the current British royal family, they still felt very reminiscent of real-life figures — particularly echoes of Princess Diana and the familiar “heir and the spare” dynamic. I found myself wishing the story had pushed a bit further from reality to create something that felt more uniquely its own.

Overall, an entertaining royal drama that rewards patience, especially if you enjoy stories filled with family tension, relationship “will they or won’t they” and behind-the-scenes palace maneuvering.

⭐⭐ ⭐️ ⭐️ (rounded up from 3.75)

I was really excited to continue the Outlander series, but Dragonfly in Amber started off in a surprisingly jarring place. Even though I had just finished the first book, I ended up going back to reread the ending of Outlander because the shift in timeline and perspective left me feeling like I’d missed something.

Once I got past that initial bump, though, I really enjoyed the story. This installment leans more into political intrigue, which added some compelling twists, even if the pacing felt a bit more meandering at times.

That ending is a true humdinger of a cliffhanger and absolutely guarantees I’ll be picking up the next book in the series.