leandrathetbrzero's Reviews (412)

7 Weddings to Attend with a Broken Heart 💔 

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When Freya’s fiancé calls off their wedding the day before they are meant to walk down the aisle, her entire life implodes before her eyes. After spending her entire 20s with one partner, she must sift through the memories of their relationship to find the cracks she missed previously. Meanwhile, she has seven other weddings to attend by the season’s end. Will she survive the wedding season in one piece with a broken heart?

I read this book as a buddy read with Carly over at @bookishpixiereads after we discovered that we each read The Secret Bridesmaid by the same author and loved it. And, boy, did we have SO much to discuss about Freya, her ex-fiancé Matthew, and Freya’s ever-changing relationship with Jamie. This romance combines the opposites-attract and friends-to-lovers tropes, and that is definitely one of the book’s strengths. It made the transition way more realistic moving from acquaintances who rub each other the wrong way to friends supporting each other to becoming something more romantically.

This is a slow burn that allows us to get to know Freya, watch her healing process, and root for her stability as a single woman before reentering a serious relationship once again. My only wish would be that Freya take even more time for her to be comfortable and happy being alone because that is what I would recommend to anyone experiencing this kind of breakup in real life, but as it’s a fictional romance and we need that HEA trope, I will accept Birchall’s ending! :)

Birchall is shaping up to be a safe auto-buy author for me!!

This is definitely an outlier in the series, and I am glad/I hope that certain elements in this book won't be repeated as the series moves forward for logistical plot reasons. 

I never got comfortable with Harlow and Rukh's coupling because Rukh's inexperience with language, societal norms, and physical intimacy made me always look at him as a child. Therefore, any explicit scenes between these two seemed super unbalanced and unhealthy as far as power dynamic and fully informed consent go. Least favorite in the series so far, and I have read through book 6 at the time of writing this review. 

I read this immediately after completing books 1 and 2, and this one might be my favorite because there is this pivotal scene in which two characters discuss consent. And the panels dedicated to this scene broke my heart and made me tear up. Looking forward to volume 4!!

His Girl Friday meets Mrs. Maisel 📚☕️🕵🏻‍♀️

↓ Similar Reads ↓
1. Viviana Valentine Goes Up River by Emily J Edwards (currently reading!)
2. Just Murdered by Katherine Kovacic (1960 Sydney)
3. Deadline at Dawn by Cornell Woolrich (1944 NYC)

🌆 New York City, 1950: Viviana Valentine is Girl Friday to the city’s top private investigator, Tommy Fortuna. When she finds a body in their office space and her boss missing, it’s up to Viviana to untangle the knot of clues, red herrings, and lies spread before her.

Receiving the 2nd book in this series–Viviana Valentine Goes Up River–on Netgalley, I decided to start my journey with Viviana from the beginning. I am so glad I did! Pictured is a recently purchased physical copy, but I listened to the mystery as an audiobook via @libby.app, and the voice narrator did a brilliant job bringing Viviana and the 1950 NYC setting to life. Edwards’s attention to setting details, language of the time, and her nods to hardboiled detective tropes were so satisfying. In fact, Viviana reminded me a lot of Bricky from Cornell Woolrich’s classic 1944 mystery, Deadline at Dawn.

The tangled up mysteries within this story take Viviana and her supportive team of sleuths, including the attractive Officer Leary, all across New York City. I had a ball running around with them, and I am so excited to discover that book 3, Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock, comes out this November!! 🤩

🙏 Thank you @crookedlanebooks for the gifted e-ARC of the second installment in A Girl Friday mystery series, leading me to read book 1 and subsequently falling in love with this historical mystery series! (review of book 2 to come!)

FOLIO SOCIETY EDITION

I was in the mood for whimsical nonsense and clever wordplay! A lovely edition with gorgeous illustrations of Pooh and friends, and the wholesome world of Hundred Acre Wood. EH Shepard was the perfect illustrator for painting the adventures created by AA Milne. My favorite part were the prints of Shepard's penciled sketches in the back of the book.

Took my time reading these stories over a few weeks, and it was worth savoring. For children, adult, and everything in between. 

 A Comedic Thriller set in Las Vegas 🤑

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the gifted e-ARC in exchange for this honest review! 
 

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Amber is absolutely livid, and more than a little embarrassed, when she realizes she has been abducted by a serial killer. One with a strange obsession with PokemonGO at that. Things only get weirder from there when she is saved by a masked woman who wields a cattle prod. Next thing Amber knows, she’s in Las Vegas reliving a past she swore she’d leave behind, willing her eyebrows to grow back ASAP, and running from yet another serial killer…
 
LOVE NOTES
I had no idea what I was in for with a book described as a “laugh-out-loud thriller,” but I have to admit that Amber as a main character was quite the dose of entertainment. Her inner thoughts and dialogue made me laugh aloud multiple times even as she found herself in deeper, dangerous waters. I loved seeing the lesbian representation, the unique lively setting of Las Vegas and the feminist commentary on the history of serial killings in the US. I can definitely recommend this book for the elements above, especially the humor.

LOW NOTES (vague as to avoid spoilers)
I would say that this reads more as a quasi-cozy mystery than a thriller. What would make it quasi is the fact that cozies don’t tend to go into serial-killer territory. We are told so many times that we need to fear the man hunting Amber, but we only see glimpses of him from afar by side characters, so I never felt that Amber was in real danger until the end. And, even then, their face-to-face encounter didn’t scream scary genius killer to me. Instead, I was more frustrated with Amber’s gullibility when, in reality, the evidence to make her question herself and those she was working with was very weak.
 
With that said, would I follow Amber on another insane adventure involving serial killers? 1000% yes.

SPOILER SECTION

I didn't mention this above but the timeline slowed significantly when Grace brought Amber to her home, and it seemed like a less than natural lull in the action even though we gained a significant amount of background information from that stint in LA. Grace keeps repeating how smart Gunner is, and how they would all be dead if he wanted it that way, and I just grew tired of it. I was also actually really annoyed when he attempted to trick Amber into thinking that Grace was the actual threat. There wasn't enough suspicion or evidence to really suggest that, so the fact that Amber truly waivered during this scene seemed hard to believe. I found Jessie's death to be pointless as well, especially since Marcella's recklessness was to blame. It felt like the author was forcing a reason for Amber and Marcella to end their romantic situation.

 
 

 The Psychologists are on the case!  🧐 

 

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A murderer strikes aboard the Meganaut, a luxury transatlantic liner making its way from New York City to London. The lights go out, a gunshot is heard, and two bodies are discovered when the lights come on again. The ship’s captain and his crew are baffled by what appears to be a rather strange sequence of events, so they elicit the help of four passengers. Four psychologists, each trained in a different expertise, take a shot at solving this impossible crime. Four solutions are offered. Only one can be correct…

I received this book in May as a part of my subscription with the Mysterious Bookshop. Even though I do own a beat-up copy of The Curious Mr. Tarrant, a collection of eight stories by C Daly King, Obelists at Sea was my first experience with the psychologist-cum-mystery writer. Trained as a psychologist himself, King clearly had a lot of fun while creating each of his four psychologist detectives. For instance, Dr. Frank B. Hayvier (“frank behavior”) is a behaviorist, and Dr. Malcolm Plechs (“male complex”) supports theories of the Freudian variety. Mystery readers who like this kind of word puzzling will certainly enjoy King’s playful writing style. 

There were many elements in this golden age American mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed: the double-meaning character names, the transatlantic liner setting, and the self-aware humor from an author who is clearly familiar with all of the detective fiction tropes that were popular during this era. However, you’ve been warned: this is a chunkier GADF title as far as narrative length goes, and the psychological monologues dragged more than once. With that said, it is worth the read for avid GADF fans. I’m glad to have read this novel and reached its conclusion (as to fully enjoy the “clue finder” King so kindly provides at the end of the book), and I will 100% be trying this author again in the future, even though the mystery plot itself was so-so for me. 

A gorgeous edition nonetheless that I am so happy to add to my growing American GADF collection! 

 A Kingdom Devoured, A Mermaid On The Run👑 

↓ Similar Reads ↓
1. A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson
2. A House With Good Bones by T Kingfisher (want to read!)
3. Any recommendations?

In this dark fairytale retelling, the prince takes a mermaid for his bride, and their monstrous daughters devour the kingdom. Only bones and ashes are left in their wake. The mermaid is now on the run, joined by a mysterious plague doctor, and the two must unleash the darkest parts of themselves in order to survive the nights ahead. Equal parts beautiful and cruel, Khaw's storytelling asks you to rethink what it means to be a monster.


As a horror newbie, I’m still figuring out which reads I am guaranteed to enjoy. However, when I saw this at the top of my library’s pile of newest additions, I actually couldn’t help but start reading it during my shift! I’ve always been a fan of fairytale retellings, especially those that bring back the stories’ original dark atmosphere. This is definitely an atmospheric read more than one belonging to the jump scare variety, which complements the hauntingly beautiful prose style. I was also heavily invested in the intimacy that grew between the two main characters as the narrative progressed. The plague doctor is depicted as a nonbinary character as well for those looking for inclusive horror recommendations!


Be sure to check out the content warnings on this title if you feel the need to do so! 

 Traveling Across Time and Cultures ⌛️🌏

Instagram Post!

Thank you #partner @bibliolifestyle @blackstonepublishing @pim.wangtechawat for this
#gifted copy of The Moon Represents My Heart by Pim Wangtechawat in exchange for an honest review.

✨PUB DATE: 6 June 2023

The Wang family shares a secret gift: the ability to time travel. Each seems to have their own specialty but, when traveling together, they can stretch their individual limits. One place they have yet to travel is any date earlier than the 20th century. That is, until Joshua and Lily attempt to go to December 31, 1899. They never return, leaving their twin children, Eva and Tommy, to sift through their grief in the present.

• LOVE NOTES •
I have a soft spot for multi-gen reads. When an author can unravel an entire family tree before my eyes, I am in awe. Wangtechawat carries us across a century, many cities, and various POVs. I enjoyed the overlapping timeline, contradicting the age-old belief that time is linear. At times, the story read more like poetry as well. A quick lyrical read!

Fav. character POVs: Eva and Peggy

• LOW NOTES •
I was quite frustrated with the men in this story, specifically Joshua and Tommy. At one point, the father-son duo are described as resembling each other because both are clueless. I would better describe them as selfish, too preoccupied with themselves and their desires to acknowledge that their choices impact those who love them. Meanwhile, some of the women characters were genuinely clueless. They tend to carry most of the emotional/physical burdens of their families, and I just felt badly for them. I would have been more accepting of these flaws if the characters in the narrative painted themselves and each other a bit more truthfully and critically. A few of the story’s “twists” were also quite predictable, making them less emotionally powerful.

✨ I feel confident recommending this to those who like light science fiction reads, time traveling plots, and family-focused multicultural narrative arcs! 

 Little Thieves and Low Gods

Thank you #partner @what_eats_owls @fiercereads and @coloredpagesblogtours for this #gifted copy of Little Thieves by Margaret Owen in exchange for an honest review!


↓ Similar Reading Experiences ↓
1. Leslie Vedder’s The Bone Spindle
2. Margaret Owen’s The Merciful Crow (on my TBR)
3. Reclaim the Stars, edited by Zoraida Córdova

Vanja Schmidt is a wicked maid, a little thief, and a habitual liar. In a world of curses, witch ash, and Low Gods, Vanja has fooled everyone into believing that she is the prinzessin, having stolen the real princess’s name and face. The maid is about to make her grand escape when she angers the Low God, Eiswald, who curses her to wear her greed until it kills her. What Vanja doesn’t know yet is that this curse will be just one of many deadly problems on her plate. Scheit, indeed.

This synopsis written by yours truly does not begin to cover how deliciously twisted and complicated the book’s plot is. We have numerous disguises, characters switching places, a sophisticated political system, and a shape-shifting half-god named Ragne that I would do anything for. I loved Vanja as a gray character whose moral code was very much molded by the world around her, and I appreciated the care with which Owen writes about Vanja’s trauma from her past.

The dialogue is sharp and filled with humor, there is a fun budding romance between Vanja and the *junior* prefect chasing her, and there is a talking cat. What more do you need to know??

5 stars, hands down. And on to book 2!