Audrey

This was such a cute Valentine's Day buddy read! It wasn't on my radar and it's always fun to find something new.

Matchmaker Cassandra Reynolds finds herself in need of a match of her own so she has a plus one to her estranged father's wedding. Enter Luke Dawson, who takes it upon himself to do the matchmaking. With a great mix of romance and family drama, there's never a dull moment.

I'm picky with romance. It's definitely a mood thing for me. I'm glad I gave this one a try because I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected not being in the zone for this genre at the moment. I'm glad that this is a series for when I am looking for a romance read sometime in the future. The writing style, especially with an overuse of euphemisms and cliches, wasn't my favorite, but the plot made up for a lot of it.

3.75 (rounded up to 4) - This was such a cute Valentine's Day buddy read! It wasn't on my radar and it's always fun to find something new.

Matchmaker Cassandra Reynolds finds herself in need of a match of her own so she has a plus one to her estranged father's wedding. Enter Luke Dawson, who takes it upon himself to do the matchmaking. With a great mix of romance and family drama, there's never a dull moment.

I'm picky with romance. It's definitely a mood thing for me. I'm glad I gave this one a try because I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected not being in the zone for this genre at the moment. I'm glad that this is a series for when I am looking for a romance read sometime in the future. The writing style, especially with an overuse of euphemisms and cliches, wasn't my favorite, but the plot made up for a lot of it.

This was a reread for me. I guess I never wrote a review the first time around.

My Cousin Rachel is one of my all-time favorite books. It has the same eeriness as Rebecca while being a completely different plot.

Ambrose and Philip are confirmed bachelors to the point where they don't even keep women on staff. This changes when Ambrose goes to Italy for the winter due to complications with his rheumatism. There, he meets cousin Rachel. In a matter of weeks they are married, turning Philip's world upside down in particular. He never sees his beloved cousin Ambrose again and he is sure Rachel is the one to blame. When word comes that Rachel is coming to England, Philip resents all thoughts of her, hanging onto a bitter image made by Ambrose's last letters to him, but the woman who shows up at his door is the complete opposite. Soon enough, he finds himself as infatuated with her as Ambrose had once been.

I could honestly carry on for paragraphs and recite every step of the plot. This is a book I completely lost myself in several years ago and took months to finish never wanting it to end. I still took my time with this reread (which I chose to listen to on audio, brilliantly narrated by actor Jonathan Pryce) and I love it as much as it did the first time. My mind reels trying to figure out the mystery surrounding Rachel. One of Daphne Du Maurier's finest works without a doubt.

The Circo del Herrero series continues in this sequel to The Automation. Longer and more in-depth than the prior book, The Pre-programming really goes for it in this one. Of course, we have some return characters as well.

As I mentioned in my review of the first book, I find the style of writing and the pace quite confusing so I'm having trouble formulating the plot into a tidy description. With footnotes and complex topics, I can't see myself being able to put it all into a tidy blurb. What I can say is that the initial intrigue I had in the first book waned with this one. It ended up becoming something more out of my comfort zone than I could enjoy.

The pace felt faster in this one which was overwhelming with the amount of information required to understand the setting. Like the first book, there are no clearly marked chapters. I'm not sure if the ebook is any different in this regard. There were also parts that I found offensive, ultimately leaving me unsettled by the end.

This series is very unique. Even though it's not a genre I see myself latching onto, I'm glad I gave it a go.

A huge thanks to the publisher for sending me a free copy of the book to read and review!

My heart is in pieces, but I adored River Sing Me Home so much. It's a story of survival, family, discerning the meaning of freedom, and most of all, a mother's love and hope for her children.

When the so-called end of slavery comes, Rachel is quick to learn that the word has only changed to ‘apprentice'. Seeing that nothing will change for her and unable to stomach the thought of another six years of confinement and brutal labor, she takes off in search of the children that were taken away from her and sold. This is no easy feat, not even sure if any of the five have survived. She doesn't let her think about this possibility too much. She is determined to reunite with them at any cost.

I loved the writing, the characters, the descriptions, and the history that went into this book. I learned a lot not having studied much about the Caribbean islands at all. It was quite slow at several moments, however, it worked well for me in this context. We get to know Rachel intimately as well as the memories of her children. I particularly loved Mary Grace and her story. While the heart of this book is about Rachel's natural-born children, this is also a story about found family. This is definitely one to take your time with and let it all sink in.

This was an experimental read for me if there ever was one. Absolutely intriguing and wild, but also confusing. However, I believe that's the point.

Given how chaotic I found both the plot and the narration (told by the narrator with comments from the editor in the footnotes (both fictional, by the way)) insanely hard to follow, I'll leave descriptions up to the Goodreads summary. Perhaps this is something I would absorb more audibly rather than reading with my eyes. I would have trouble putting it all into words given I'm not quite sure what to mark as spoilers. It's quite intricate. There is also a website with a detailed FAQ on the book and characters which I think is a nice touch.

Ultimately, I'm not sure how I feel about all of this. It was interesting, that I can say with confidence. Whether or not I enjoyed it is still up for debate. It's stuck with me though, so I suppose that's what counts. My biggest issue was how unclear the chapters were marked. I'm somebody who has trouble stopping mid-chapter, so I read this faster than I might have not knowing where to put it down. That can be a good or bad thing depending on who's reading. For me, I think I would have taken in more with clear pauses so I could digest each section.

Readers super into mythology and detailed presentations will eat this up. I'm mostly left baffled, but I do like branching out of my comfort zone.

A huge thanks to the publisher for sending me a free copy of the book to read and review!

This was an experimental read for me if there ever was one. Absolutely intriguing and wild, but also confusing. However, I believe that's the point.

Given how chaotic I found both the plot and the narration (told by the narrator with comments from the editor in the footnotes (both fictional, by the way)) insanely hard to follow, I'll leave descriptions up to the Goodreads summary. Perhaps this is something I would absorb more audibly rather than reading with my eyes. I would have trouble putting it all into words given I'm not quite sure what to mark as spoilers. It's quite intricate. There is also a website with a detailed FAQ on the book and characters which I think is a nice touch.

Ultimately, I'm not sure how I feel about all of this. It was interesting, that I can say with confidence. Whether or not I enjoyed it is still up for debate. It's stuck with me though, so I suppose that's what counts. My biggest issue was how unclear the chapters were marked. I'm somebody who has trouble stopping mid-chapter, so I read this faster than I might have not knowing where to put it down. That can be a good or bad thing depending on who's reading. For me, I think I would have taken in more with clear pauses so I could digest each section.

Readers super into mythology and detailed presentations will eat this up. I'm mostly left baffled, but I do like branching out of my comfort zone.

A huge thanks to the publisher for sending me a free copy of the book to read and review!

It's always super fun reading books set locally to me (yes, even thrillers). Unfortunately, the setting wound up being the most enjoyable part for me. 

The morning after Jay's birthday celebration, his wife Molly finds him murdered in his office. Enter Rita, a longtime detective with honed skills that leads her to believe the killer is someone close to the couple. As if losing her husband this way wasn't enough, Molly must confront her traumatic past without the comfort of her beloved husband. In doing so, she begins to question her life with him.

I enjoyed the plot of this though it felt as though it could be smoothed out a little bit. There was a lot of potential with the characters but the way it was written left a lot on the surface despite how much their pasts were intertwined. I felt like I was muddling through it rather than feeling any suspense. It picked up at the end, but by then I was ready to move on.

Rating this one in the middle as I'm having trouble putting my thoughts together. I really enjoyed the setting and the topic of languages, however, my brain is quite tired these days and I just couldn't get into the story as much as I wanted to.

Robin Swift is brought to London by Professor Lovell to study various languages. His linguistics skills will eventually bring him into the ‘Babel' program. While Oxford begins as a dream, Robin soon begins to realize's he's being split between Babel and his ancestry.

I think I would have enjoyed this more as an audiobook. There was a lot of information and intricacies that I would enjoy in a clearer mindset. I also struggled to connect to any of the characters. This was definitely a case where I enjoyed the setting and the idea behind it the most. I might revisit the audiobook some other time when I have more time to take it in slowly. 

Touching from start to finish, Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is the epitome of found family.

After a carjacking, Brooke is desperate to find her little daughter that was asleep in the backseat. Twenty-four anxious hours pass without a word. Meanwhile, young Molly stumbles across a toddler abandoned in her car seat on the side of the road. Without a phone and having to protect the child from local gang members, contacting the authorities is no easy feat. 

My favorite stories are those that bring unlikely people together. Both Brooke and Molly are wonderful characters made better by the presence of little Etta. I loved watching their acquaintance grow and get to know one another. There was some repetition in the story, but it was overall endearing.

I tried letting this one sit for a while to see if I was simply in a cynical mood when I read it. Time didn't end up making my memory fonder. Quite the opposite. 

I've had this book on my TBR for several years because I like a number of Gene Wilder's movies. I put it off because of the title, assuming it wasn't going to be my cup of tea. I do like the time it's set and the idea behind the war portion of the story is intriguing. Had this been wholly about a man who assumed the identity of a spy I think I would have enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it was more about Paul and Annie.

There's no doubt that Gene Wilder created the character of Paul. If this had been a screenplay from the 1970s it's easy to envision Wilder portraying him in a historical comedy film. That being said, this character was not one I enjoyed reading in a novel. Annie was slightly more tolerable, though showed little personality on the pages. There's also major plot holes as well as completely dropping certain storylines, such as the one regarding Paul's wife. Had the book been longer it might have been redeemable. 

Certainly a disappointing read because there have been screenplays by Gene Wilder that I've enjoyed even with the zaniness. I guess that style just didn't translate well to a book for me. 

Having carried surnames such as Kennedy and Onassis, very often Jaqueline Bouvier gets overlooked. In Camera Girl, we get a close look at the life of Jaqueline as a young woman. 

Well-researched and well-written, this book delivers an intimate account of Jaqueline's college years (including her year abroad in Paris) through her wedding to John F. Kennedy. I haven't read too much on her but I've been an admirer of hers from what little I did know, but this book has made me admire her even more. 

The writing was engaging and personal without treading into scandalous topics like so many biographies like to do. It was personable and informative. An all around lovely read complete with notes and sources. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with a free digital ARC to read and review! 

I'm fascinated with Roswell theories. Though the one I've latched onto the most doesn't involve aliens, I still like hearing the extraterrestrial takes. 

This book is a detailed account of Philip Corso's alleged encounter with the aftermath of the Roswell incident including documents and alien bodies. The story spans a surprising length of time and also discusses other UFO related situations around that time.

Do I believe the information presented? Parts of it. I like to keep my opinions objective. Some of what was said seems a little out there for me. However, what I struggled with was how many different subjects the book trialed off to. It was more about UFOs in general.

I'm fascinated with Roswell theories. Though the one I've latched onto the most doesn't involve aliens, I still like hearing the extraterrestrial takes.

This book is a detailed account of Philip Corso's alleged encounter with the aftermath of the Roswell incident including documents and alien bodies. The story spans a surprising length of time and also discusses other UFO related situations around that time.

Do I believe the information presented? Parts of it. I like to keep my opinions objective. Some of what was said seems a little out there for me. However, what I struggled with was how many different subjects the book trialed off to. It was more about UFOs in general.

I had high hopes for this one given the setting. Any sort of mountain climbing expedition promises all sorts of disasters. Adding in the elements of a thriller should only add to the intrigue. Unfortunately, I didn't find this to be the case with this book.

Cecily is a journalist who has been training for months to make a climb to interview Charles McVeigh. On top of already brutal conditions, a series of unsettling events occur throughout the trek. Death isn't necessarily unusual during climbs... but they start getting suspicious. 

Despite such an exciting setup with so much potential, I felt that the story dragged on with very little happening. There were too many characters, most of whom didn't have enough importance to the story to spend as much time on them as they got. It's obvious a lot of heart and research went into this, so I feel bad that I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I was going to while reading the first few chapters. 

Emily Henry still takes the prize for being my favorite romance writer even though I wasn't vibing with this one as much as People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read.

Book enthusiasts Nora and Charlie cross paths (repeatedly) while Nora is on a vacation with her sister in North Carolina. He is hardly part of her small-town bucket list. Nevertheless, a lot of her trip is spent with him as they edit a manuscript together as well as keeping Charlie's parents' bookstore afloat.

There are a lot of fun literary references in this old and new. I also enjoyed Libby and Nora's relationship and was my favorite part of the book. As for Charlie and Nora, I liked them together, but I really struggled to get super into the story. The writing felt a bit sappier this time around and it's just not my thing. It's something I would have enjoyed more in the summertime when I'm typically in the mood for a lighthearted read. I may try it again in a few months.

Farrah Glickman hasn't had an easy life. After being released from a mental health facility (guarded by toxic parents), she is appointed a therapist who instructs her to keep a diary. Going back through traumatic events in her life, she tells her story and finally begins to open up.Narrated by Farrah, the writing is raw and cuts no corners. It's a grisly look at what was a grim life to start. As well as being character-driven, there's also quite a bit of intrigue which I hadn't expected going in. Always a treat. There's a lot to unpack in under 250 pages. Farrah is an interesting character study, especially in interactions/relationships with other people. I liked the contrast between her overall narration and her journal entries. Her reaction to this exercise also packed a wallop. [b:Now That You Have Seen Me 56786456 Now That You Have Seen Me C.L. Roberts https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611354120l/56786456.SX50.jpg 88762998] is the epitome of dark humor. What a ride this was!A huge thanks to the author for reaching out to me and offering to send a free copy to read and review! The book can also be found on Kindle Unlimited which is where I opted to read it.

Farrah Glickman hasn't had an easy life. After being released from a mental health facility (guarded by toxic parents), she is appointed a therapist who instructs her to keep a diary. Going back through traumatic events in her life, she tells her story and finally begins to open up.

Narrated by Farrah, the writing is raw and cuts no corners. It's a grisly look at what was a grim life to start. As well as being character-driven, there's also quite a bit of intrigue which I hadn't expected going in. Always a treat. There's a lot to unpack in under 250 pages.

Farrah is an interesting character study, especially in interactions/relationships with other people. I liked the contrast between her overall narration and her journal entries. Her reaction to this exercise also packed a wallop.

Now That You Have Seen Me is the epitome of dark humor. What a ride this was!

A huge thanks to the author for reaching out to me and offering to send a free copy to read and review! The book can also be found on Kindle Unlimited which is where I opted to read it.

I saw the author of this book featured on an episode of Ancient Aliens and bought this book immediately. Of all areas of ufology, government involvement fascinates me the most.

The book focuses mainly on 20th-century UFO sightings and the presidents' responses to the UFO situation in general. There was a lot of emphasis on Nixon's and Reagan's terms as well as Project Blue Book. It appears to be very well-researched overall and is an interesting topic.

A side note: I was impressed to see that this book mentions Dorothy Kilgallen as well as the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death/connection to the JFK assassination case. I'd never heard anything about her thoughts on UFOs and the like, so it was interesting to make that connection as well. Not many people seem to remember her despite being one of the top journalists in America for decades.

Wonderfully atmospheric and written with both strong and delicate writing, Out of Human Sight is a dark and terrific historical read.

The story centers on Mille Bradbury who begins the book with the shock of her life — the discovery of two dead bodies. News travels fast in a small town and soon enough, travels across the country making Millie and her family accidental celebrities. Here to take Millie away from this unwanted fame is Johnny Barkwell. What she didn't anticipate was being taken across the ocean to a new country.

The historical voice of the narration feels authentic to the 1800s give or take a bit of the content. The characters also felt true to the time, especially once Millie enters marriage. And while the plot has a strong and mysterious start, I'd say this quickly becomes a character-driven book (which I always love). It's both charming and full of grit. And though I didn't get as much into the mystery as I anticipated, it's always nice to find a strong protagonist.

A huge thanks to the publisher, Northodox Press, for sending me a free digital ARC to read and review!

I don't think I've ever read any of the Winnie the Pooh books from start to finish despite how big a part of my childhood the movies and TV shows were. Even though I've only read bits and pieces up to now, this book was so nostalgic. The stories are so cozy and innocent. It's no wonder that ‘silly old bear' is still popular today.

I don't think I've ever read any of the Winnie the Pooh books from start to finish despite how big a part of my childhood the movies and TV shows were. Even though I've only read bits and pieces up to now, this book was so nostalgic. The stories are so cozy and innocent. It's no wonder that ‘silly old bear' is still popular today.

Like many others reading this book, iCarly was a big part of my childhood. Sam was my favorite character from the start and I was super excited to hear that Jennette McCurdy had written a memoir. 

Both engaging and heartbreaking, Jennette takes us through her childhood focusing largely on her career as a child actor and the complicated relationship with her mother. After her mother's death, the realization of the extent of the abuse she suffered starts to come to light. The last part of the book discusses her battle with anxiety, eating disorders, and addiction.

Despite the heavy topics, most of the book is written with whit. Everything is presented matter-of-factly yet doesn't go into super graphic details. The audiobook felt especially personal. I'm glad this was the way I chose to read it. 

I've always been fascinated by the early days of early aviation, but I didn't know much about dirigibles aside from the Hindenburg disaster. Typically I read more about rockets, so this was an interesting change of pace.

Empires of the Sky is an in-depth look at the creation of the Zeppelin airships as well as the impact they had on the world. We get to learn about the inventors as well as some notable benefactors and everything in between. Perhaps most fascinating part to me was the political weight they carried, especially nearing the World War eras.

From the ups and downs to celebrations and tragedies, this is a super interesting read. It did run a bit long for me, though. Maybe it's just a matter of not being overly interested in the topic (I'll say my interest runs just above casual) but I felt like some sections really dragged. Despite this, this was an extremely interesting read. It seems like this section of history isn't as prevalent nowadays with all of the high-tech advances in aviation. This book is a good reminder of the roots of air travel.

A wonderful collection of short stories from a great range of authors. A few that particularly stood out to me were ‘A Novel Thief' by Jessica Baker, ‘A Mystery for the Books' by Angela K. Ryan, ‘Catheter Cliffs' by Mary Lucal, and ‘A Cat Catalog Catastrophe' by Krista Lockheart. Each one has its own flair and there is a good mix of sub-genres keeping every story fresh. A must-read for cozy mystery fans looking to find new authors!

A huge thanks to the publisher for sending me a free digital ARC to read and review!