thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

I continue to be enamored with Jackson's writing. Her creativity and storytelling are unmatched. The Weight of Blood, a modern-day retelling of Carrie, was just fantastic. Fans of her previous novels will love this title and if you haven't had the honor to read anything by Jackson yet, this novel is a great place to begin. While it is still early, I could definitely see this book making my "Favorite Reads of 2023" list.

I am a fan of Rachel Lynn Solomon's writing, especially the way she writes her characters. They always feel like real people and it is impossible not to fall in love with them. Chandler and Finn, the protagonists in this book, were no exception. However, this book was just not for me. The plot did not hold my interest and I found myself counting the pages until the chapter was over so I could put it down. If you are looking to read something from Solomon, I would recommend Weather Girl over this one. 
(PUB DATE: 06/20/2023)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

As a listener of Ashley Flowers' podcast, Crime Junkie, I was absolutely honored to receive an early copy of All Good People Here. I know Ashley is a good true crime storyteller and it definitely translated to fiction. This crime thriller was fun to read and kept me on my toes! Some readers may be deterred from this story as it has some similar aspects to the notorious JonBenét Ramsey case. Make sure to look up content warnings before reading this title. 
(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

I was excited to pick up Off The Map because I really enjoyed the first two books in the Beck Sisters series. Unfortunately, this one lacked the exciting plot of book #1 and the magical romance of book #2. I did not connect with either of the love interests, Carla or Eamon, as much as I would have liked to and I thought the plot was really choppy. I think Doller fans will be disappointed with this title when it is released in the spring. 
(PUB DATE: 03/07/2023)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

The Address, a title with dual narratives set a century apart, focuses on the history of The Dakota. As always, the plot had me hooked from the very beginning. Sara and Bailey might be my favorite pair of protagonists from any of Davis' books. Both of their stories kept my attention and I was on the edge of my seat while reading this one. I don't think Davis could write a bad book if she tried.

Really Good, Actually was a book that I was meant to read. I am positive that the majority of readers will find Maggie to be insufferable and whiny, but I didn't. In fact, Maggie might be the fictional character that I have related to the most in any book I ever read. Her downward spiral to rock bottom was so relatable that I sometimes had to pause the recording because it freaked me out. Heisey did a fantastic job crafting a protagonist of so much depth and dark humor. I look forward to seeing what she will write next. 
(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received an audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

I didn't realize that this was the fourth book of a series until after I was already a few chapters in. Because of that, I am happy to report that A Good Killing can be read as a standalone without any confusion as that was what I ended up doing! I really enjoyed this crime thriller and look forward to reading more from Leotta in the future (maybe even reading the other books in this series?). It was obvious to me that the author had a background in law as the police activity and legal proceedings in the book were very detailed and accurate. I highly recommend this backlist title to any fellow crime thriller lovers.

I was disappointed in this collection of poetry. The poems themselves were pretty short and lacked depth. However, the paintings that accompanied the poems were absolutely gorgeous. I think this book would have been more successful if Vittoria had written about her physical art and the process behind the different pieces. While the artwork was beautiful, I do not think that makes this book "worth it" to read or purchase for a 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.)

Booked is a collection of three different rom-com novellas. The novellas all take place in the same world and have overlapping characters which I liked, but I really only enjoyed one of the three stories. While I did not love all of the stories individually, I did like McKinlay's writing style and would read more from her in the future. For these reasons, I decided to go with a middle-of-the-road three-star rating. 

Fake It TIll You Bake It is a fantastic romance book. I absolutely adored both Jada and Donovan and their relationship throughout the story. Compared to other romances I have read recently, I found both of the protagonists' actions to be mature and realistic. This would be the perfect book to bring on vacation and just lose yourself in as it is both fun and flirty!
(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.)