thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

I always enjoy the magical realism in Serle’s stories, and Expiration Dates was no exception. In this novel, the protagonist, Daphne, receives a note revealing how much time she’ll have with each romantic partner who enters her life, a premise I found really intriguing. However, despite the compelling concept, the characters felt somewhat one-dimensional to me. For those new to Serle’s work, I’d recommend One Italian Summer as a better introduction to her writing.

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(I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

Women of Good Fortune fulfilled my recent desire for a novel featuring a great heist. It’s a trope I don’t often read, but when I do, I’m always reminded of how much I enjoy it. Wan’s characters are well-rounded, and each subplot feels important and substantial. This title highlights the resilience of women, and it’s one I’d love to see adapted into a film.

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(I received an audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

Thirsty was my second title from Hammonds, and I am just in awe of their writing. I appreciated the care Hammonds used when addressing the tough topic of alcoholism in young adults. They are now an auto-read author for me, and Thirsty is a standout book I read in 2024.  

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(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

This book bounces between two different points of view. The protagonists are so similar that with only one narrator on the audiobook, I found it hard to keep track of whose story I was listening to. I would give this book another chance in a different format.
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(I received an audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

I really wanted to like this one, but RW came across as disingenuous, and I realized that I did not really care about the stories she was writing about. I am usually a fan of celebrity memoirs, but I just didn't click with Rebel Rising.

The only thing I liked about this book was its cover. Fruit of the Dead was sold as a modern retelling of Hades and Persephone, and while I saw the similarities, I didn’t think that Lyon brought anything new to the myth. I should have DNFed this one, but I kept reading in hopes that action was just around the corner.

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(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

Rereading this title made me realize just how awesome a finale Mockingjay is to The Hunger Games trilogy. It's jam-packed with action and character development, and it wraps up one of the most notable love triangles ever. As an older reader, I found one of the love interests much better suited for Katniss and was satisfied with how Collins navigated that aspect of the plot. Overall, this series is a modern classic, and I hope readers of all ages continue to enjoy it for years to come.

Again, this was a reread for me. Catching Fire suffers from second-book syndrome, meaning it doesn’t have the same depth as the other two books in the trilogy. Still, it was an enjoyable read, and I was impressed with the dynamic characters Collins created, particularly the previous victors of the Hunger Games (Finnick forever!).