Mollie

There are elements of this story that I enjoyed- the way the scarf was used to tie the stories together, and the emotions the two main characters experienced made sense to me, as well as the decisions they grapple with and the historical parallels drawns. But I did not like the romance as I felt the doctor was a little pushy about her anxiety, and I also do not understand why the connection between the scarf past and present was so indirect that it lessened the impact a bit for me.

2.5. Held my attention and was entertaining, but just didn't quite all add up and is pretty surface level/trope-y. The writing style was fairly jarring at times- just lacked flow and had too much obvious reveal in the sentences.

1.5. The writing, the plot, the characters- none of it is good. Everything is incredibly shallow.

2.5- I really liked the way this book is focused around two historical events I was unfamilar with, but it was just so slow paced at first and unnessecarily long.

Really, really liked this book. It is so well written- specifically for the nuance that every single character in this book has. Every person is just fully realized and contains the complexities and contridictions that real humans have. I spent a significant amount of morning commute today contemplating this book- there's a lot to chew on here.

This book probably would be entertaining if you were of the time frame of much of the music and pop culture, I just struggled to relate/stay interested.

3.75. Essential reading if you consider the RH franchise a core personality trait like myself (for better or for worse.) I will take this moment to say I consider the Housewives to be the Shakespearean dramas of the current era.

If you find the random travel quotes (that have nothing to do with the plot) at the beginning of every chapter are cute and charming, you'll probably like this book. If you find them cliche and confusing- well, you'll probably feel about it like I did.

“hot looks” made me eyeroll every single time it was in the book. There's a female character (not the MC) who is treated so poorly by the author, dissolved to a very flimsy charicture rife with misogyny. There's parts where I feel consent isn't really given or discussed appropraitely. I think most of the female characters are not treated as the sole people in charge of their thoughts or destinies.

The book also doesn't capture what living a small rural, mountain-y/somewhat southern place is actually like. I can't speak for TN, but it felt unrealistic, and I was not shocked to hear the author say she was not from TN. I will say that the interview at the end of this book (audioversion) with the author made me like her more, and I would give one of her books another chance. She seemed smart. (But why did the female voice actor in the audiobook sound like a rejected cast member of designing women? She legit sounded middle aged, not a young 22 year old)

An average read

I eventually liked where this story went but found most of it's details in writing and description to be average.

3.75. A quirky, very unique quick read that is sometimes sad but ultimately a bit hopeful.

Buckle up, this is the most angry I've been about in a long time.

I'd give this book a zero, purely on an ethical standpoint, if I could.

The writing of the book is enthralling and beautiful- I can't deny that. The author is gifted at the changing POV structure, and each character has a distinct voice and viewpoint. The audiobook is incredibly well acted. However, no matter how interesting the prose is, it is mere cover for what this book is ultimately saying: that it is totally okay for a man to be sexual with a child, as long as it's “true” love. Disgusting, dangerous, and horrible.

If you visit the author's goodreads page- there are two huge red flags to me that really show that the author's point is to glorify a sexual relationship between a man and a LITERAL CHILD. I do not care how mature this child is, they are a child. It is NEVER acceptable, and always abuse. First off, the author says they were also in a self-described “loving” relationship as a young teen with a much older man and justifies it but saying it was consenual and that they “understood” each other. Secondly, they say that Kellen is not a pedophile but that he “simply fell for the right girl at the wrong time.” My jaw dropped when I read that. (Disclosure- I did not know what this book was about going into it, and when I started to figure it out while reading, I found myself reading these words on the author's goodreads page.) Guess what? He is. If you are sexually attracted to a child, you are a pedophile. How can anyone look past that? How can anyone be seduced by beautiful writing when the meaning behind the words are acutally so vile and horrific, and the author thinks they are some beautiful niche love story?

Imagine how dangerous this book could be if read by the wrong age at the wrong time. I usually try to be a person who can see the gray areas, but I draw the line at abuse of any type. Unacceptable that this book is so highly praised as a love story.

Truly concerning how many people defend these characters and call it romance. I hope you all seek to be more educated and learn more about consent, power balances, and abuse.

Very contrived, overly and unnecessarily dramatic, with dialogue that was beyond unrealistic- especially for the age of many of the characters.

I really enjoy this series. It's comforting and sweet and also spicy. They are just truly delightful. I love that the characters are intelligent, layered and dynamic.

The people in this book make chaotic choices that are less about being interesting and more about forcing a storyline to work combined with little nuance.

I did not love this as much as I truly loved Summers' newest novel, Sadie, but it is a good read. The author is just quite gifted at capturing the grittiness of the settings of their books.

Maybe closer to 2.5. My main issue with this book is that it, as a whole, is inconsistent. There were chapters, especially in the beginning that I really enjoyed and related to the way Hameister describes here anxiety. But then it just felt so flat at other times- just felt like a first draft instead of a final book, and editing could have really made it into something better.

This was just not good. The author tells the story in alternating narrators each chapter, yet both of these vastly different women sound exactly the same. I literally found myself going back pages to figure out who was even talking. As far as the story, it feels like it tried to go for some sort of twisty shock value but it's just hollow and not all that shocking, just unbelievable in a dumb way. For a book set in Tangier, I felt little connection to the setting or why the characters even were there in the first place.

Wow.
I'm not even sure how to review this book.
It is unsettling from the very first page. But the thing is, you can't quite figure out why. And that just makes the whole thing even more unsettling.

If you like horror, you'll likely find it to be a captivating read. It's not enjoyable. It's not fun. But I could not put it down. I'll contemplate it for awhile. Enjoying isn't the right word- but it's whatever that feeling you get from a good horror movie is.

From a writing standpoint, there's some really interesting conversations to be had about cultivating an exacting mood in a story from the very first page.

I disliked this book at first, and felt like I was slogging through it. But then, somewhere along the way, I found myself attached to the characters & their grief. The syntax and flow of the writing is a little stilted to me at first, but I eventually felt like it help really capture the narrator's essence.

I just thoroughly enjoyed this. Perfect balance of spicy yet sweet. I was rooting for the characters & wishing for the best for them.

Ginny, where are your parents???
I hated that the main character seem to have very few insightful or deep thoughts. It was like the world just happened to her, without any choices actively made by her own identity.

2.5. You can tell this is Taylor Jenkin Reid's first novel. I'm probably rating this so hard because I really, really enjoy her novels (especially Evelyn Hugo.) It's not a bad read. The conversations are just lack authenticity and I just felt like I wasn't fully connected to the characters, or their choices.

This book address important topics, but I couldn't get over the simple and often seemingly immature writing style and the sheer insanity of the character names.

Somewhere between 3.5 and 4, to be specific.

Definitely the most creative, original and intricate plot I've read in a long time. If you are a fan of some detective work and mind puzzles, you'll enjoy this. I definitely found myself mulling over what seems to be the main thesis of this book- I won't state it here since, spoilers, but it is interesting to ponder over- though ultimately I do not agree. The setting was definitely an interesting way to present the themes this book covers.

Firefly Lane but DARK.