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danadoesbooks's Reviews (954)
mysterious
fast-paced
Thank you to Kensington Books for the gifted copy of SOMETHING FISHY THIS WAY COMES! All opinions in this review are my own.
I will be honest, the first thing that drew me to the Whit and Whiskeres series was the puns in the titles! Since then, I have loved reading these summery cozy mysteries!
In SOMETHING FISHY THIS WAY COMES, the sequel to Much Ado About Nauticaling, Whitney Dagner is pulled into yet another murder mystery on Catalina Island. In a Romeo-and-Juliet-like family feud, the body of a local man, who was engaged to a woman from the opposing family, is discovered on the golf course. Whit and her friends must uncover who is behind this terrible crime before the old feud completely consumes both families.
While the first book in the series definitely had more shock value in the discovery of the body, I like the old family feud drama that is at the center of this one. I like that Catalina Island is so small because it means all of the suspects are actual characters in the book. Whit's cast of family and friends is entertaining so that even though they are trying to solve a murder, there are many humorous moments as well. Also, naturally, Whiskers is a large reason for why I enjoy this series so much! Any time the orange cat shows up, I know it's going to be a great scene!
SOMETHING FISHY THIS WAY COMES is available now!
I will be honest, the first thing that drew me to the Whit and Whiskeres series was the puns in the titles! Since then, I have loved reading these summery cozy mysteries!
In SOMETHING FISHY THIS WAY COMES, the sequel to Much Ado About Nauticaling, Whitney Dagner is pulled into yet another murder mystery on Catalina Island. In a Romeo-and-Juliet-like family feud, the body of a local man, who was engaged to a woman from the opposing family, is discovered on the golf course. Whit and her friends must uncover who is behind this terrible crime before the old feud completely consumes both families.
While the first book in the series definitely had more shock value in the discovery of the body, I like the old family feud drama that is at the center of this one. I like that Catalina Island is so small because it means all of the suspects are actual characters in the book. Whit's cast of family and friends is entertaining so that even though they are trying to solve a murder, there are many humorous moments as well. Also, naturally, Whiskers is a large reason for why I enjoy this series so much! Any time the orange cat shows up, I know it's going to be a great scene!
SOMETHING FISHY THIS WAY COMES is available now!
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the gifted ebook of The Paris Connection! All opinions in this review are my own.
After a few days in Venice, Hannah and Simon are racing to make their train for Amsterdam to attend Simon's sister's wedding. While they just barely make it, there is something wrong with their ticket and instead of their romantic couchette, Hannah and Simon must sit in coach for the long journey. Desperate for more room, Hannah leaves Simon sleeping and finds open seats in another part of the train. Unbeknownst to her, the train separates in the night and Hannah is now Paris-bound. Hannah must now spend the day in Paris as she waits for the next train to Amsterdam.
I was immediately drawn into this novel from the first chapter. I loved the hilarious (funny when it's not happening to you) opening chapter as Hannah and Simon are trying to make their train. Hannah's predicament continued to amuse me as the novel went on.
I wasn't a fan of how dismissively Hannah talks to herself, but I am glad she gains more confidence in herself as the book goes on.
For only taking place over one day, the adventure of the novel never dragged. I loved reading about these snippets of Paris!
I recommend if you are needing a vacation full of adventure!
After a few days in Venice, Hannah and Simon are racing to make their train for Amsterdam to attend Simon's sister's wedding. While they just barely make it, there is something wrong with their ticket and instead of their romantic couchette, Hannah and Simon must sit in coach for the long journey. Desperate for more room, Hannah leaves Simon sleeping and finds open seats in another part of the train. Unbeknownst to her, the train separates in the night and Hannah is now Paris-bound. Hannah must now spend the day in Paris as she waits for the next train to Amsterdam.
I was immediately drawn into this novel from the first chapter. I loved the hilarious (funny when it's not happening to you) opening chapter as Hannah and Simon are trying to make their train. Hannah's predicament continued to amuse me as the novel went on.
I wasn't a fan of how dismissively Hannah talks to herself, but I am glad she gains more confidence in herself as the book goes on.
For only taking place over one day, the adventure of the novel never dragged. I loved reading about these snippets of Paris!
I recommend if you are needing a vacation full of adventure!
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for the gifted ebook of The Blame Game! All opinions in this review are my own.
I was thoroughly creeped out by this book. This was not the book to read before going to sleep! There is so much going on that it's hard to write a succinct summary without giving away parts of the book. While almost everything does connect at the end, there are a lot of story lines to keep track of while reading.
The Blame Game was a bit of a miss for me, but I loved The Guilt Trip by the same author when I read it last year. I'm still excited to explore her backlist titles!
I was thoroughly creeped out by this book. This was not the book to read before going to sleep! There is so much going on that it's hard to write a succinct summary without giving away parts of the book. While almost everything does connect at the end, there are a lot of story lines to keep track of while reading.
The Blame Game was a bit of a miss for me, but I loved The Guilt Trip by the same author when I read it last year. I'm still excited to explore her backlist titles!
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to Forever for the gifted copy of A Lady For A Duke! All opinions in this review are my own.
When Viola Carroll is assumed dead at Waterloo, she takes the opportunity to finally live as her true self. In an effort to protect herself, Viola has hidden from many people in her former life, including Justin, the Duke of Gracewood. When her sister-in-law receives a letter asking for help from Justin's sister, Viola is pulled along to help. She cannot believe how broken Justin is without her and how her loss affected him. As she tries to help him back to his former self, she cannot help the feelings she begins to have for him.
At this point I will read anything Alexis Hall writes and A Lady For a Duke is no different. I haven't read a ton of historical romance before but I think I found a new sub-genre I love! Filled with Hall's typical wit and humor, A Lady For A Duke is an enchanting love story between a woman falling for her best friend and a grumpy duke. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!
When Viola Carroll is assumed dead at Waterloo, she takes the opportunity to finally live as her true self. In an effort to protect herself, Viola has hidden from many people in her former life, including Justin, the Duke of Gracewood. When her sister-in-law receives a letter asking for help from Justin's sister, Viola is pulled along to help. She cannot believe how broken Justin is without her and how her loss affected him. As she tries to help him back to his former self, she cannot help the feelings she begins to have for him.
At this point I will read anything Alexis Hall writes and A Lady For a Duke is no different. I haven't read a ton of historical romance before but I think I found a new sub-genre I love! Filled with Hall's typical wit and humor, A Lady For A Duke is an enchanting love story between a woman falling for her best friend and a grumpy duke. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!
lighthearted
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
When I heard that The Charm Offensive is structured around a Bachelor-like show, I knew I had to read it! I read great reviews for it and I'm happy to say it lived up to the hype! Dev and Charlie are so sweet as they start to fall for each other. I love the dual point of views within each moment so we always knew what each of them was thinking.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted ebook of Stay Awake! All opinions in this review are my own.
Stay Awake started off really strong. I devoured the first 25% of this novel in one sitting. I liked the structure of the novel with multiple points of view and flashbacks, which help reveal new information without making one of the characters recite it.
I try not to judge thrillers based on the ending because it's difficult to write a satisfying end to all the tension that's been built up. While the big reveal was a little lackluster, I felt like there were still some loose ends that never got tied up. The biggest one was that motive was never explained for the original crime that started everything. You can deduce why they did it, but it still seems weird that was never addressed at the end.
Overall, the reading experience of Stay Awake is very chilling. I am excited to read more of the author's works.
Stay Awake started off really strong. I devoured the first 25% of this novel in one sitting. I liked the structure of the novel with multiple points of view and flashbacks, which help reveal new information without making one of the characters recite it.
I try not to judge thrillers based on the ending because it's difficult to write a satisfying end to all the tension that's been built up. While the big reveal was a little lackluster, I felt like there were still some loose ends that never got tied up. The biggest one was that motive was never explained for the original crime that started everything. You can deduce why they did it, but it still seems weird that was never addressed at the end.
Overall, the reading experience of Stay Awake is very chilling. I am excited to read more of the author's works.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to Forever and the author for the gifted copy of Sea Glass Summer! All opinions in this review are my own.
Sea Glass Summer is the second book in the Seashell Harbor series and has a little something for every romance reader - single mom, guy falls first, dislike to love for her, and it's all set in an idyllic beach town.
Kit is struggling to move on after her husband dies. While combating her grief, she needs to focus on taking care of her son, Oliver. When her husband's best friend, Alex, offers to help her renovate the crumbling beach-side house she owns, Kit doesn't know what to do. Alex has always been so cold to Kit, but maybe things are starting to change.
THINGS I LOVED:
π the setting - I want to live in Sea Shell Harbor, specifically the house that Alex and Kit renovate.
π Oliver - Normally, I am not a huge fan of kids in romance novels but I love how Alex bonded with Ollie.
π the range of emotions - It's difficult to read about Kit's grief but seeing her grow throughout the novel was really moving.
π Alex - I love when the guy falls first and Alex is a swoon-worthy love interest, especially when you learn his secret!
If you are looking for a summer romance set in beach town, read this book!
Sea Glass Summer is the second book in the Seashell Harbor series and has a little something for every romance reader - single mom, guy falls first, dislike to love for her, and it's all set in an idyllic beach town.
Kit is struggling to move on after her husband dies. While combating her grief, she needs to focus on taking care of her son, Oliver. When her husband's best friend, Alex, offers to help her renovate the crumbling beach-side house she owns, Kit doesn't know what to do. Alex has always been so cold to Kit, but maybe things are starting to change.
THINGS I LOVED:
π the setting - I want to live in Sea Shell Harbor, specifically the house that Alex and Kit renovate.
π Oliver - Normally, I am not a huge fan of kids in romance novels but I love how Alex bonded with Ollie.
π the range of emotions - It's difficult to read about Kit's grief but seeing her grow throughout the novel was really moving.
π Alex - I love when the guy falls first and Alex is a swoon-worthy love interest, especially when you learn his secret!
If you are looking for a summer romance set in beach town, read this book!
lighthearted
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to BiblioLifestyle and William Morrow for the gifted copy of An Island Wedding! All opinions in this review are my own.
On the small island of Mure, located between Scotland and Norway, Flora is planning a small wedding to her fiancΓ© Joel. When Olivia returns after leaving the island ten years ago with tons of money to spend on her own very public wedding, Flora begins to worry how this will effect her own plans.
At this point I will read anything Jenny Colgan writes so I jumped at the chance to read An Island Wedding. Little did I know that this was the fifth book in a series, but it ended up working out fine! I definitely recommend reading the other Mure books first, however, you can read An Island Wedding on its own as long as you pay attention to the characters and how they are connected.
An Island Wedding is set around the time of the summer solstice so it is the perfect summer read! The island of Mure is such an enchanting setting and with multiple storylines, there is always something happening on the small island!
On the small island of Mure, located between Scotland and Norway, Flora is planning a small wedding to her fiancΓ© Joel. When Olivia returns after leaving the island ten years ago with tons of money to spend on her own very public wedding, Flora begins to worry how this will effect her own plans.
At this point I will read anything Jenny Colgan writes so I jumped at the chance to read An Island Wedding. Little did I know that this was the fifth book in a series, but it ended up working out fine! I definitely recommend reading the other Mure books first, however, you can read An Island Wedding on its own as long as you pay attention to the characters and how they are connected.
An Island Wedding is set around the time of the summer solstice so it is the perfect summer read! The island of Mure is such an enchanting setting and with multiple storylines, there is always something happening on the small island!
In Shakespeare's Shadow: A Rogue Scholar's Quest to Reveal the True Source Behind the World's Greatest Plays
DID NOT FINISH: 35%
Thank you to Hachette for the gifted copy of In Shakespeare's Shadow! All opinions in this review are my own.
I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but overall, the execution fell short. I read 175 pages before DNFing. I realized I was skimming more than reading and to be honest, I didn't care about the outcome. Some of the tangents were fascinating, but I often found I had to remind myself the point the author was trying to make. I'm just happy we have the plays that survived.
I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but overall, the execution fell short. I read 175 pages before DNFing. I realized I was skimming more than reading and to be honest, I didn't care about the outcome. Some of the tangents were fascinating, but I often found I had to remind myself the point the author was trying to make. I'm just happy we have the plays that survived.