thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

funny lighthearted fast-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 can always count on Painter to write romances that are both outrageously funny and heartwarming. Happily Never After focuses on a professional wedding objector and a woman who utilizes his services to get out of marrying her horrible fiancé. The two love interests strike up a friendship and decide to work together on saving others from marriages they do not want to enter. Featuring the fake dating and friends-to-lovers tropes, I can see Happily Never After being a hit once it is published!
(PUB DATE: 03/12/2024)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)
emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

As with all short story collections, there were some titles that I liked more than others. The Merrow, a story written jointly by the editors of this anthology, was the clear standout. However, I loved how different each mermaid story was and think this title would be a great addition to any YA collection. 
(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)
funny lighthearted mysterious medium-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

I am happy to say that the fourth book from Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery lived up to the magic of the series debut. If you are looking for a cozy mystery featuring Filipino culture and a strong family system, this series is one you should add to your list. Murder and Mamon gave the readers a deeper look into the “Calender Crew” and how their antics can rub their neighbors the wrong way. Manansala continues to impress with both her character-building and storytelling talents. 
(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)
funny 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: No

I am a sucker for friends-to-lovers romances and See You Next Fall swept me off my feet. It was a fun seasonal read that I would recommend to readers looking for a little escapism. If friends-to-lovers or slow-burn romances are your preferences, this is a title that you should add to your shelf. 
(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)
informative slow-paced

Fans of true crime will find this book interesting. Lay Them To Rest primarily focuses on forensic science and how it is being used to help identify John & Jane Does. While I learned a lot about the identification methods being used to solve cold cases, I found some of the chapters to be extremely difficult to get through. Norton uses very technical language while trying to explain  complex forensic processes. There were certain chapters that I wish were “dumbed down” a little more as I had a difficult time getting through them. 
(PUB DATE: 10/16/2023)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)
informative lighthearted medium-paced

Smash The Patriarchy is a short graphic novel that focuses on feminism and influential female figures in history. The illustrations were beautiful and the content was interesting. However, I did not find the book to be representative of feminism as a whole. I want to see diverse populations represented in the media I interact with and Smash The Patriarchy did not deliver on that end. Also, I was not impressed with the J.K. Rowling shout-out… very tone-deaf. 
(PUB DATE: 10/24/2023)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)
dark mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This is a classic example of a novel that is perfect… until it isn’t. I truly thought I was going to give The Lost Village a five-star rating until I got to the very last chapters. The characters were well-developed, the eerie setting was expertly described, but the ending was just atrocious. It actually makes me irrationally angry now that I am reflecting on the story as a whole. I do not know why the author decided to end the novel in the way she did, but it completely ruined my reading experience.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous mysterious 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

After rereading The Great Gatsby this year, I couldn’t help but pick up this novel. Beautiful Little Fools focuses on the women from the literary classic and gives them voices of their own. I enjoyed “remeeting” these women and following their stories which run parallel to the story we already know. I highly recommend this title and look forward to reading more from Cantor in the future!
lighthearted mysterious 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: No

2023 continues to be the year of the cozy mystery and this one was just fantastic. While reading this title, I found myself completely invested in both solving the mystery and the life of Miriam, our badass Cuban-American sleuth. I loved this modern cozy mystery and recommend it to other cozy lovers!
emotional reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I am glad that this book exists. Mahalia, the main character is a Black, queer teenager who is trying to celebrate her identity. Friday I’m In Love is a novel that should be in every school library because teen readers with similar identities to Mahalia will see themselves in this book. My three-star rating is a reflection of my personal enjoyment while reading this title. Even though it is YA, I thought Friday I’m In Love read very young. I found Mahalia’s behavior throughout the story to be annoying and the romance storyline to be over-the-top cheesy. However, I do believe that the targeted audience for this book will love Mahalia and her story.  
(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)