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acozyreaderlife's Reviews (408)
Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Ruth Heald is a talented writer, there was tension throughout the whole book. As more of the information was revealed about the characters, it felt very suspenseful in the beginning, but slowly grew less so throughout the book. The character development was interesting, and I liked the deep dive into who they were as characters. I thought the book had a great set up.
Unfortunately, I guessed the twist at the beginning of the book, so watching everything unfold made it less enjoyable to read. The dynamic between the characters was interesting to see unfold, especially between Beth and Danielle. The ending of the story was really well done and had such high stakes. It was very suspenseful. If I hadn’t guessed the twist so early this probably would have been rated higher. I would recommend this to readers who want a quick read.
Ruth Heald is a talented writer, there was tension throughout the whole book. As more of the information was revealed about the characters, it felt very suspenseful in the beginning, but slowly grew less so throughout the book. The character development was interesting, and I liked the deep dive into who they were as characters. I thought the book had a great set up.
Unfortunately, I guessed the twist at the beginning of the book, so watching everything unfold made it less enjoyable to read. The dynamic between the characters was interesting to see unfold, especially between Beth and Danielle. The ending of the story was really well done and had such high stakes. It was very suspenseful. If I hadn’t guessed the twist so early this probably would have been rated higher. I would recommend this to readers who want a quick read.
Thank you Netgalley and Tor for this ARC! Review to come!
Morrow has weaved a tale that questions racism in society and the fear and injustice that people experience. This book reads like hard-hitting contemporary with a magical realism twist and comments on racism and how society other people who are not white. Although the novel itself discusses humans and sirens, humans fear sirens and their voices, because their voices are powerful. They fear the power and change that sirens have with their voice. The humans don’t want change and are hanging onto their way of life. The novel begins when a siren is murdered, and protesters want justice for her. Sirens are unknown to society, and they can’t understand them and don’t make an effort to. Since sirens are different, they don’t relate to them and see them as less than.
This novel focuses on racial tensions and the racial profiling that Black people and other minorities face daily. There was a particular scene where an officer pulls one of the characters over, and the tension permeated the page. The officer pulls her over for no reason, and she has to sit there, hoping that nothing terrible happens to her. This book was fast-paced and a very enjoyable read. As to the writing itself, the author relied a lot on telling rather than showing how characters feel or showing what is happening in the scenes. But the plot was strong and kept me reading until the very last page.
Morrow has weaved a tale that questions racism in society and the fear and injustice that people experience. This book reads like hard-hitting contemporary with a magical realism twist and comments on racism and how society other people who are not white. Although the novel itself discusses humans and sirens, humans fear sirens and their voices, because their voices are powerful. They fear the power and change that sirens have with their voice. The humans don’t want change and are hanging onto their way of life. The novel begins when a siren is murdered, and protesters want justice for her. Sirens are unknown to society, and they can’t understand them and don’t make an effort to. Since sirens are different, they don’t relate to them and see them as less than.
This novel focuses on racial tensions and the racial profiling that Black people and other minorities face daily. There was a particular scene where an officer pulls one of the characters over, and the tension permeated the page. The officer pulls her over for no reason, and she has to sit there, hoping that nothing terrible happens to her. This book was fast-paced and a very enjoyable read. As to the writing itself, the author relied a lot on telling rather than showing how characters feel or showing what is happening in the scenes. But the plot was strong and kept me reading until the very last page.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
When a woman is found murdered in the Village hall, the murder weapon being her own cake knife, Nurse Kate Palmer puts herself on the case. Having recently moved to this cozy village for a quiet life, the last thing Kate thought she would do was end up caught in a murder investigation.
I love mysteries Agatha Christie is the Queen of mystery. Although this was Agatha Christieesque, this book fell flat for me. For a book claiming to be ‘An utterly gripping cozy murder mystery,’ the only part that was ‘gripping’ happened at the end of the book and was only a scene. While reading this book, I could see it as a show; however, as the book progressed, it drifted farther away from these thoughts.
It didn’t make sense to me that the police officer would be encouraging Kate to be apart of this investigation actively. Even in a cozy sleepy town, I highly doubt a police officer would be okay with a civilian getting in the way of a murder investigation. That doesn’t add up. Kate justified her qualifications to be a part of the investigation because she watched a lot of murder mysteries on tv. Which in no way gives her the skills to do so in the book. There was an odd part when she is going to go out to dinner, and she decides to starve herself all day so she can enjoy her dinner. I’m sorry, but that is not okay and not healthy.
From a craft standpoint, the books had a lot of cliches, and she tried to convey everything through eye descriptions. For a book that claims to be ‘An utterly gripping cozy mystery,’ it wasn’t.
When a woman is found murdered in the Village hall, the murder weapon being her own cake knife, Nurse Kate Palmer puts herself on the case. Having recently moved to this cozy village for a quiet life, the last thing Kate thought she would do was end up caught in a murder investigation.
I love mysteries Agatha Christie is the Queen of mystery. Although this was Agatha Christieesque, this book fell flat for me. For a book claiming to be ‘An utterly gripping cozy murder mystery,’ the only part that was ‘gripping’ happened at the end of the book and was only a scene. While reading this book, I could see it as a show; however, as the book progressed, it drifted farther away from these thoughts.
It didn’t make sense to me that the police officer would be encouraging Kate to be apart of this investigation actively. Even in a cozy sleepy town, I highly doubt a police officer would be okay with a civilian getting in the way of a murder investigation. That doesn’t add up. Kate justified her qualifications to be a part of the investigation because she watched a lot of murder mysteries on tv. Which in no way gives her the skills to do so in the book. There was an odd part when she is going to go out to dinner, and she decides to starve herself all day so she can enjoy her dinner. I’m sorry, but that is not okay and not healthy.
From a craft standpoint, the books had a lot of cliches, and she tried to convey everything through eye descriptions. For a book that claims to be ‘An utterly gripping cozy mystery,’ it wasn’t.
Thank you, Net Galley and Kensington Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
In this book, we follow recently engaged Viscount Lyndhurst “Lyndy” and his fiance Stella who must follow social protocols. When Lord Fairbrother’s horse wins best in breed again, the town is outraged. While out for a morning fishing trip, Stella and Lyndy discover his body floating in the river. And they decide to try and solve what happened.
This is a fast-paced read that immerses you in the 1900s, it was very reminiscent of Downtown Abbey. At times the author relied heavily on the phrase ‘Stella’s eyes popped open.’ It was repeated many times throughout the text. What would have made this book have a higher rating would be if Stella had more agency. She lacked depth and came across as superficial. It would have been interesting to see more of how Stella felt about the murder and having to balance her life with pleasing Lyndy’s mother and aunt. I think this is a good set up for the series, and I haven’t read the first book, and I wasn’t lost at all. I think if there was more character development, it would have elevated this book more.
In this book, we follow recently engaged Viscount Lyndhurst “Lyndy” and his fiance Stella who must follow social protocols. When Lord Fairbrother’s horse wins best in breed again, the town is outraged. While out for a morning fishing trip, Stella and Lyndy discover his body floating in the river. And they decide to try and solve what happened.
This is a fast-paced read that immerses you in the 1900s, it was very reminiscent of Downtown Abbey. At times the author relied heavily on the phrase ‘Stella’s eyes popped open.’ It was repeated many times throughout the text. What would have made this book have a higher rating would be if Stella had more agency. She lacked depth and came across as superficial. It would have been interesting to see more of how Stella felt about the murder and having to balance her life with pleasing Lyndy’s mother and aunt. I think this is a good set up for the series, and I haven’t read the first book, and I wasn’t lost at all. I think if there was more character development, it would have elevated this book more.
Flyaway is a beautifully written, creepy, and atmospheric story. Gorgeous imagery is the backdrop is this creepy tale. The story is rooted in the mystery of Bettina’s yearning to find her father. And when she receives a mysterious letter, she must figure out the truth of her story.
The story was very reminiscent of Neil Gaiman with elements of magical realism, where monsters and magic appeared on the page. Where the reader unearths family secrets that have long since been buried and encounter with creepy creatures that one wouldn’t want to meet in the dark, it is an immersive read that pulls you into the world, and like the characters, you have to claw your way out.
The story was very reminiscent of Neil Gaiman with elements of magical realism, where monsters and magic appeared on the page. Where the reader unearths family secrets that have long since been buried and encounter with creepy creatures that one wouldn’t want to meet in the dark, it is an immersive read that pulls you into the world, and like the characters, you have to claw your way out.
