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anabel_unker's Reviews (1.16k)
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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:
Yes
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
Nora Breen has spent thirty years as Sister Agnes of Christ, cloistered away from the pleasures and vices of the world; her role as a nun and nurse filling her days with a pleasant, if not monotonous, sense of duty and pride. So when her pen pal (a dear friend and former postulant, sent away from the order to seek medical treatment and experience life outside the embrace of the church) suddenly stops responding, Sister Agnes makes the decision to become Nora Breen once more.
Shed from her vows and thrust into the post-war world, Nora makes a new vow: to discover what happened to the lovely and vibrant Frieda. Her investigation leads her to the small coastal town of Gore-on-Sea in Kent, and, more specifically, to the apartments at Gull's Nest. However, as her investigation progresses, more mysteries (and murders) begin to unfold until Nora herself may be in danger...
A mix between a cozy mystery and a more traditional murder mystery, MURDER AND GULL'S NEST was a wonderful start to Kidd's newest series. It took me a while to warm up to Kidd's style of writing and the story itself, but once I fully invested and gave it a real chance, I was surprised by how much I thoroughly enjoyed GULL'S NEST and its quirky cast of characters. Nora was particularly endearing, she was a perfect mix of mischievous and pious (well, as pious as a former nun questioning the existence of God can be), and was a very compelling main character. I look forward to reading about what she gets up to next!
Nora Breen has spent thirty years as Sister Agnes of Christ, cloistered away from the pleasures and vices of the world; her role as a nun and nurse filling her days with a pleasant, if not monotonous, sense of duty and pride. So when her pen pal (a dear friend and former postulant, sent away from the order to seek medical treatment and experience life outside the embrace of the church) suddenly stops responding, Sister Agnes makes the decision to become Nora Breen once more.
Shed from her vows and thrust into the post-war world, Nora makes a new vow: to discover what happened to the lovely and vibrant Frieda. Her investigation leads her to the small coastal town of Gore-on-Sea in Kent, and, more specifically, to the apartments at Gull's Nest. However, as her investigation progresses, more mysteries (and murders) begin to unfold until Nora herself may be in danger...
A mix between a cozy mystery and a more traditional murder mystery, MURDER AND GULL'S NEST was a wonderful start to Kidd's newest series. It took me a while to warm up to Kidd's style of writing and the story itself, but once I fully invested and gave it a real chance, I was surprised by how much I thoroughly enjoyed GULL'S NEST and its quirky cast of characters. Nora was particularly endearing, she was a perfect mix of mischievous and pious (well, as pious as a former nun questioning the existence of God can be), and was a very compelling main character. I look forward to reading about what she gets up to next!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Yes
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
The Extraordinary Endicotts have all achieved greatness in their own right:
Gemma... the oldest sibling, she provided stability and love for her younger siblings while their parents struggled in their own ways. However, she and her husband have officially taken the leap into parenthood and Gemma isn't sure she's ready to be a mother again.
Connor... still chasing the high of his latest novel's success, he's starting to face the mess his success has left his life. Divorced, alone in a new city, and no new story to tell; he's still not quite ready to admit his actions may be what finally tore the family apart.
Roddy... a retired professional soccer player, he's given the chance to play again. However, the chance to extend his dream for one more season may mean the end of his relationship with his beloved fiancé.
Jude... in the height of the Oscar season, and as an Oscar nominee, she has (for some unknown reason) called the estranged siblings together in the backwoods of North Dakota. And while she keeps insisting she doesn't have ulterior motives, Jude does have a few secrets she's decided she's done keeping from the family.
Messy and emotional, FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY is an examination of the fractured family and what it means to decide to heal together. While predictable (and perhaps even anticlimactic) at times, this story was still beautifully written and executed. I loved each of these siblings (and each of the people in all their lives), and how messy they all were.
The Extraordinary Endicotts have all achieved greatness in their own right:
Gemma... the oldest sibling, she provided stability and love for her younger siblings while their parents struggled in their own ways. However, she and her husband have officially taken the leap into parenthood and Gemma isn't sure she's ready to be a mother again.
Connor... still chasing the high of his latest novel's success, he's starting to face the mess his success has left his life. Divorced, alone in a new city, and no new story to tell; he's still not quite ready to admit his actions may be what finally tore the family apart.
Roddy... a retired professional soccer player, he's given the chance to play again. However, the chance to extend his dream for one more season may mean the end of his relationship with his beloved fiancé.
Jude... in the height of the Oscar season, and as an Oscar nominee, she has (for some unknown reason) called the estranged siblings together in the backwoods of North Dakota. And while she keeps insisting she doesn't have ulterior motives, Jude does have a few secrets she's decided she's done keeping from the family.
Messy and emotional, FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY is an examination of the fractured family and what it means to decide to heal together. While predictable (and perhaps even anticlimactic) at times, this story was still beautifully written and executed. I loved each of these siblings (and each of the people in all their lives), and how messy they all were.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
An emotional love story set in the isolation of the Australian outback and the bustling sitting of Adelaide; THE ORPHANS is the love story of two people alone in the world for very different reasons. Tom Catchlove has never forgotten the girl who brightened the darkest day of his life; now, as an adult, he travels to the city to escape the tragedy that seems to follow him in the outback. Fleur Appleby, adopted into a loving family as a child now struggles to reconcile the unhappiness of her home with the deep love of her father. Reunited as adults, what unfurls is a tender love story with a heartbreaking tale of human greed.
THE ORPHANS had several interesting and unique aspects that helps it stand out in the historical romance genre; I loved Fleur's passion for her profession as a mortician, the drama of the murder investigation, and the setting of post-war Australia. However, while enjoyable, it wasn't groundbreaking for me.
An emotional love story set in the isolation of the Australian outback and the bustling sitting of Adelaide; THE ORPHANS is the love story of two people alone in the world for very different reasons. Tom Catchlove has never forgotten the girl who brightened the darkest day of his life; now, as an adult, he travels to the city to escape the tragedy that seems to follow him in the outback. Fleur Appleby, adopted into a loving family as a child now struggles to reconcile the unhappiness of her home with the deep love of her father. Reunited as adults, what unfurls is a tender love story with a heartbreaking tale of human greed.
THE ORPHANS had several interesting and unique aspects that helps it stand out in the historical romance genre; I loved Fleur's passion for her profession as a mortician, the drama of the murder investigation, and the setting of post-war Australia. However, while enjoyable, it wasn't groundbreaking for me.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
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:
No
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
With dawn of a new nation just on the horizon, Elsbeth Culpepper has more things to worry about than the signing of papers in her old hometown. Now a maid in the city of Boston at just thirteen years old (although she does look much older), Elsbeth has to fret about her father who lived in a boarding house near the docks and has suddenly disappeared after an argument, her best friend who keeps promising to sign up for Washington's army (if only he was old enough), the stability of her job now that her loyalist employer has been forced to flee the city, and how, oh how, she'll ever fulfill her dream of becoming a seamstress' apprentice.
And, of course, there's the smallpox epidemic that's threatening to lay siege upon the city; and while Elsbeth is now immune to the ravages of the disease that killed most of her family, that doesn't mean she can escape its ramifications.
Halse Anderson has once again delivered a middle-grade masterpiece. REBELLION 1776 was emotional, informative, action packed, and obviously thoughtfully researched; from the daily chores Elsbeth tackles under the scrutiny of Widow Nash, to the real-life war-time events unfolding around our heroine. This book will have a little bit of everything for everyone: war, (age appropriate) romance, mystery, and science... REBELLION 1776 is the perfect choice for the history loving advanced middle-grade reader in your life (or, you know, people who grew up with Halse Anderson's books and crave a simpler time).
With dawn of a new nation just on the horizon, Elsbeth Culpepper has more things to worry about than the signing of papers in her old hometown. Now a maid in the city of Boston at just thirteen years old (although she does look much older), Elsbeth has to fret about her father who lived in a boarding house near the docks and has suddenly disappeared after an argument, her best friend who keeps promising to sign up for Washington's army (if only he was old enough), the stability of her job now that her loyalist employer has been forced to flee the city, and how, oh how, she'll ever fulfill her dream of becoming a seamstress' apprentice.
And, of course, there's the smallpox epidemic that's threatening to lay siege upon the city; and while Elsbeth is now immune to the ravages of the disease that killed most of her family, that doesn't mean she can escape its ramifications.
Halse Anderson has once again delivered a middle-grade masterpiece. REBELLION 1776 was emotional, informative, action packed, and obviously thoughtfully researched; from the daily chores Elsbeth tackles under the scrutiny of Widow Nash, to the real-life war-time events unfolding around our heroine. This book will have a little bit of everything for everyone: war, (age appropriate) romance, mystery, and science... REBELLION 1776 is the perfect choice for the history loving advanced middle-grade reader in your life (or, you know, people who grew up with Halse Anderson's books and crave a simpler time).
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
Be still my heart.
This was the exact book I needed right now-- heartwarming, charming, and so wholesome I think I gained back two years of my life. CAT'S PEOPLE was a really lovely intertwining story, written from six different perspectives but all centering around Cat. An eleven-year old stray, Cat knows his way around the block, and he also know's who he can and can't trust. Becoming a part of his inner circle is difficult, but the five people who have are all important in their own special way; just as they are all important to each other in special ways.
I'm not sure what I was expecting with this story, but all I know is CAT'S PEOPLE exceeded everything I thought it was going to be. It was tender, and loving, and very sweet-- and it was a beautiful reminder (especially in today's times) that each of us has a layered and complex story, and we all deserve love and acceptance (even if it enters our lives in unusual ways).
Be still my heart.
This was the exact book I needed right now-- heartwarming, charming, and so wholesome I think I gained back two years of my life. CAT'S PEOPLE was a really lovely intertwining story, written from six different perspectives but all centering around Cat. An eleven-year old stray, Cat knows his way around the block, and he also know's who he can and can't trust. Becoming a part of his inner circle is difficult, but the five people who have are all important in their own special way; just as they are all important to each other in special ways.
I'm not sure what I was expecting with this story, but all I know is CAT'S PEOPLE exceeded everything I thought it was going to be. It was tender, and loving, and very sweet-- and it was a beautiful reminder (especially in today's times) that each of us has a layered and complex story, and we all deserve love and acceptance (even if it enters our lives in unusual ways).