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danadoesbooks's Reviews (954)
I think this book deserves a reread. Eleanor Oliphant takes a little getting used to as a character. I wasn't very invested in her story at first, but with the help of a few other characters, she has incredible breakthroughs. There are some really sweet moments in this book. Now that I am familiar with Eleanor, I think I would enjoy the book a lot more on a second read.
Thank you to Minotaur Books (@minotaur_books), the author (@anna_downes_writer), and Goodreads (@goodreads) for the ARC. All opinions in this review are my own.
When Emily loses her job, apartment, and agent on the same day, it seems like a miracle when Scott offers her an incredible job to care for his family at his remote French estate. The idyllic setting of The Safe Place makes you almost want Emily to ignore her feelings that something is amiss to stay in it a little longer. Needless to say, there is something wrong. Every time I thought I figured out what was going on, something unexpected would happen. I liked that the narrative is told from different perspectives because it heightens the suspense throughout the novel.
I don’t want to say too much more about this book because I don’t want to spoil anything. You are just going to have to read it for yourself!
When Emily loses her job, apartment, and agent on the same day, it seems like a miracle when Scott offers her an incredible job to care for his family at his remote French estate. The idyllic setting of The Safe Place makes you almost want Emily to ignore her feelings that something is amiss to stay in it a little longer. Needless to say, there is something wrong. Every time I thought I figured out what was going on, something unexpected would happen. I liked that the narrative is told from different perspectives because it heightens the suspense throughout the novel.
I don’t want to say too much more about this book because I don’t want to spoil anything. You are just going to have to read it for yourself!
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, the author, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions in this review are my own.
With a backdrop of WWII England, a woman washes up in Mermaid's Cove and is found by the man who owns the house. She must decide whether to return to her old life or start a new one.
I thought this book was going to be more predictable. When Alice is discovered on the beach, she has a shaved head and her clothing has a number stitched into it. My initial predictions were incorrect and I like the novel more because it wasn't what I was expecting.
However, the ending felt a little rushed. It seemed like time passed too quickly in the final chapters, which didn't fit with the slower pace of the beginning of the novel. Since I was enjoying this book, I would have been willing to read another 50 or so pages to slow down the action.
Overall, I really enjoyed The House at Mermaid’s Cove by Lindsay Jayne Ashford! I highly recommend it to readers who like historical fiction with mystery and suspense!
With a backdrop of WWII England, a woman washes up in Mermaid's Cove and is found by the man who owns the house. She must decide whether to return to her old life or start a new one.
I thought this book was going to be more predictable. When Alice is discovered on the beach, she has a shaved head and her clothing has a number stitched into it. My initial predictions were incorrect and I like the novel more because it wasn't what I was expecting.
However, the ending felt a little rushed. It seemed like time passed too quickly in the final chapters, which didn't fit with the slower pace of the beginning of the novel. Since I was enjoying this book, I would have been willing to read another 50 or so pages to slow down the action.
Overall, I really enjoyed The House at Mermaid’s Cove by Lindsay Jayne Ashford! I highly recommend it to readers who like historical fiction with mystery and suspense!
Thank you to the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
A serial killer is loose in the world of the Brothers Grimm and it is up to Snow White’s father to stop them.
I like reading retellings of classic stories and Pauper King had me hooked from the very beginning. Although not necessary to read the Brothers Grimm fairy tales before Pauper King, you will gain a better appreciation for the elements that Marlowe weaves into his own tale.
There are a few scenes in the book that are too graphic for me, but overall, I like the blend of fairy tale, fantasy, and crime novel that Pauper King has to offer!
A serial killer is loose in the world of the Brothers Grimm and it is up to Snow White’s father to stop them.
I like reading retellings of classic stories and Pauper King had me hooked from the very beginning. Although not necessary to read the Brothers Grimm fairy tales before Pauper King, you will gain a better appreciation for the elements that Marlowe weaves into his own tale.
There are a few scenes in the book that are too graphic for me, but overall, I like the blend of fairy tale, fantasy, and crime novel that Pauper King has to offer!
Thank you to Minotaur Books and the author for the ARC. All opinions in this review are my own.
Under Pressure is not a book I would have picked out for myself, but it was an entertaining thriller. Because of the short chapters and the suspense, I flew through the book. I haven’t read the first book in the Lucas Page series, but I don’t think it was necessary to read the second book. There is enough of an introduction to Lucas and the important events in his past that I didn’t feel like I missed something. I like that the intensity of the book slowly built until the end. I devoured the last fifty pages.
I recommend this book if you like high-stakes thrillers with a brilliant main character who would do things their own way rather than following FBI protocols.
Under Pressure is not a book I would have picked out for myself, but it was an entertaining thriller. Because of the short chapters and the suspense, I flew through the book. I haven’t read the first book in the Lucas Page series, but I don’t think it was necessary to read the second book. There is enough of an introduction to Lucas and the important events in his past that I didn’t feel like I missed something. I like that the intensity of the book slowly built until the end. I devoured the last fifty pages.
I recommend this book if you like high-stakes thrillers with a brilliant main character who would do things their own way rather than following FBI protocols.
Thank you to the author for the electronic review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I liked Kingdom of Embers because although Alena is half-witch and half-vampire, she still has to deal with common high school problems. Although Alena being supernatural drives the plot of the novel, she doesn’t belittle the human experiences that she is also going through. I love how the novel ends because it makes you want to read the next one. I will definitely be buying the next book in the series!
I liked Kingdom of Embers because although Alena is half-witch and half-vampire, she still has to deal with common high school problems. Although Alena being supernatural drives the plot of the novel, she doesn’t belittle the human experiences that she is also going through. I love how the novel ends because it makes you want to read the next one. I will definitely be buying the next book in the series!
Thank you to Penguin Random House, NetGalley, and the author for the review copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
I expected Educated to be a memoir about how Tara used education to break away from her father’s beliefs. While education is the opportunity for Tara to escape, this is more of a memoir about abuse. This book was eye-opening. I am amazed by what Tara was able to accomplish, but there were times I had to put it down and come back to it later because of the content. I think Educated is worth reading, but a reader should be prepared for the content within this book.
I expected Educated to be a memoir about how Tara used education to break away from her father’s beliefs. While education is the opportunity for Tara to escape, this is more of a memoir about abuse. This book was eye-opening. I am amazed by what Tara was able to accomplish, but there were times I had to put it down and come back to it later because of the content. I think Educated is worth reading, but a reader should be prepared for the content within this book.
Dear Edward was incredible! I love how the narrative unfolds simultaneously between the people in the plane and Edward after the crash. Using the mundane moments of being on a flight to pause Edward's recovery story, allowed the reader to connect more with Edward's experience. Because you know that the plane crashes, those chapters are not a relief from Edward's pain and they are hard to read. As you learn more about these characters, you already know their fate. I highly recommend this one!
The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets is a brief overview of the riots and their aftermath. Using artifacts, the sections are divided into what led up to the riots, the riots themselves, and the aftermath. This book acts as a good introduction because it is so short, but more reading would need to be done to truly understand this event and the lasting impact of it.
Thank you to Morgan at Grand Central Publishing and the author for the review copy. All opinions in this review are my own.
Before I write about anything else, I want to take a second to appreciate how awesome this cover is! The good news is Mad & Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency is just as amazing as its cover!
Each chapter of Mad & Bad focuses on a group of women from the Regency, which history has either ignored or turned into footnotes in the stories of men. Koch also discusses how the group is represented in Regency romance novels. I love that each chapter has resources at the end for further reading. These lists offer both history books as well as romance novels.
Also, Koch owns her own bookstore devoted entirely to romance novels called The Ripped Bodice. I will definitely be adding it to my bookstores to visit list!
Before I write about anything else, I want to take a second to appreciate how awesome this cover is! The good news is Mad & Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency is just as amazing as its cover!
Each chapter of Mad & Bad focuses on a group of women from the Regency, which history has either ignored or turned into footnotes in the stories of men. Koch also discusses how the group is represented in Regency romance novels. I love that each chapter has resources at the end for further reading. These lists offer both history books as well as romance novels.
Also, Koch owns her own bookstore devoted entirely to romance novels called The Ripped Bodice. I will definitely be adding it to my bookstores to visit list!