danadoesbooks's Reviews (954)

I can see why some people aren't fully taken with A Court of Silver Flames but I loved it!  It's by far my favorite book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Although she can be prickly at times, I have always liked Nesta.  As a main character, she is much more interesting than Feyre.  She is able to carry the story on her own without it always centered on who she is dating at the time.  I still can't forgive Rhysand for some of his actions under the mountain in A Court of Thorns and Roses.  Cassian seems like a far better mate, especially since he gives Nesta the space that she requires.

If you are planning to read A Court of Silver Flames, you should know that the first 300 pages or so are much more character-driven and the plot doesn't start until around page 500.  There is enough action to make up for it in the final 250 pages of the book, but a good portion in the beginning is spent getting to know Nesta and the new characters that come into her life.

Thank you to Redhook Books, the author, and NetGalley for the gifted copy of The Ladies of the Secret Circus.  All opinions in this review are my own.

The premise of this book immediately grabbed my attention.  A dual timeline book set in Jazz Age Paris and the present with a mysterious circus connecting the two stories sounded amazing!

Unfortunately, this book did not live up to its description for me.  I found the pacing to be extremely disjointed.  It took over half the book for the circus to really be in the story and then it was only for a small portion.  

I should have DNFed this book when I stopped caring about the characters early on and had to check to make sure I was reading the right book.  I still love the concept but the execution was not for me.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and the author for the gifted copy of Finlay Donovan is Killing It.  All opinions in this review are my own.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It...kind of.  Her husband left her for their real estate agent and Finlay is primarily responsible for her two children, both under 5.  As Finlay struggles to take care of her kids, she is also supposed to be writing a book that she is already past the deadline for.  When Finlay meets with her agent to beg for an extension, a woman overhears their conversation.  Because Finlay writes murder mysteries, the woman thinks that she is a killer for hire and hires Finlay to kill her husband.

I was laughing from the first chapter.  I don't know how Cosimano is able to make Finlay's life falling apart as funny as she does, but this was such an entertaining read!  I had seen a lot of really positive reviews about this book, but I am happy to say that it lived up to my expectations!

This is the first book in the series and I can't wait to see what else Finlay gets herself into.  Make sure you don't peek at the last page because it sets up for the second book!

Thank you to Bookouture, the author, and Netgalley for the gifted copy of A New York Secret.  All opinions in this review are my own.

While most novels set during World War II take the reader to the front lines, A New York Secret by Ella Carey tells the stories of the people left behind.

Lily is a society girl with dreams of becoming the head chef at Valentino's. Victoria, Lily's mother, wants her daughter to marry a man from a wealthy family. However, Lily has her own career aspirations. The war has the power to give Lily the opportunities she wants, but it also has the power to take them away.

The title, A New York Secret, is a little misleading. There are many secrets being kept in this novel! I like that it focuses on the people, mainly women, who stay behind in New York while the war rages on in Europe and across the Pacific. Although Lily is the main character, the novel also offers glimpses into her grandmother's and mother's stories. By having three characters to focus on, the author is able to reveal their secrets but hide them from the other characters.

A New York Secret is the first book in the Daughters of New York series. I can't wait to see what happens to Lily in the second novel!

A good book cover is not only based on the text inside. Other factors like the genre, the country the text is originally from, the country it is being sold in, and the current trends in book covers also go into a cover's design. It's not just the author who decides what will be the first impression of their book, but a whole team of editors, graphic designers, and marketing experts contribute to this decision.  In this digital age, a book cover must look as good as the tiny icon on a website as it does in print.

As someone who uses a visual platform to share the books I've read, The Look of the Book has made me appreciate book covers even more.  It has a good balance of text and photographs. It provides numerous examples of cover trends and dissects the parts of a cover.  The Look of the Book is able to weave art, literature, graphic design, and marketing in order to explain how a book cover is created.