thesandyreader's Reviews (207)

I never knew this was a book before the movie, and given how much I enjoyed the movie I just had to listen to this. 

Honestly incredible. Had me giggling through work. Sounds just like you’re watching the movie, and the movie scenes kept popping into my head, but I’m okay with that. 

A joyful quick little read. 

Not a fan of the narrator. 

I really enjoyed this one. 

A silly, lighthearted read focusing around a bachelorette and bachelor party sharing a villa and holding a contest. 

It was cute, well written, and well narrated. A little predictable? Sure, but I find most romances are. I love a comfort happy ending and some solid mischief and teasing. 

A great summer read. 

I have mixed feelings on this book. In the end, I am unimpressed but hopeful. 

This book was a slow start. By 50% of the way through, I was still wondering when it would start. Nothing had happened, we had no additional information, still just sitting in a tree wondering what is going on. 

And by 50% of the way through a book… I should be feeling more than that. By halfway through, I want to be enthralled. I want to have info, background, and know what is pushing the plot. I want to be unraveling a mystery or exploring new lands or something! Unfortunately, this book did not deliver that. 

By the time I got to the 60% ish mark, things started to pick up. 

Around 75% we had a story. A plot. Some information. Some intrigue. Some controversy. 

And then there were some quick reveals, a big moment, and an open ended ending to lead to a sequel… damn. 😕 

I wish the editor and writer had taken a cleaver to this book. I feel like it could have been severely trimmed down and nothing would have been lost. I think it would have gained a lot by having more momentum, more information, and more interest sooner in the book. 

With that said, I enjoyed the writing style and loved the main character. Odessa felt more real than most fantasy FMCs I’ve read. She’s confused, lost, working hard to learn to defend herself, and didn’t magically gain skills just because she married someone and became queen.  I am curious where it’s going, and appreciate the complexity and mystery that was found in the end of the book. For that reason, I will try reading the next one. 

I just wish this first book was given the care it deserved as a book, rather than being used as setup and dragged out to make it long enough to have a sequel. 

I enjoyed this one, but found it to be a bit predictable. 

The concept of this novel is an interesting one, and I really enjoyed trying to thread the connections together and figure out what was going on. 

It is well written, and I found it easy to lose myself in and to buy into the story and the way it was written. 

What didn’t quite live up to expectations for me was the suspense. With only two people other than the party on the island and some context clues, it didn’t take much guessing to start figuring out where this was going. The why and how was still a mystery, and surprised me a bit, but the who just felt too predictable and easy. 

Overall, it’s a decent easy read read thriller. 

Another classic Alex Cross novel. 

It’s always fun to read these. Some mystery, some intrigue, political machinations, and a lot of hunting the bad guys. 

Well written and easy to sink into to, this book is everything I expect when I pick up a Patterson novel. 

Oooh this one was deep. 

When this book began, I was unsure of where it was going exactly… we see the world from her perspective as it is - with no memory, unable to answer any questions about herself, and I anticipated that it would be about her finding pieces of her life and threading it together. 

And it was, but not at all in the way I originally thought. The duel POV and duel timelines were spectacularly done. Hearing her perspective compared to Drew’s, and slowly putting together what I knew about the present and learned about the past, was a lot of fun to listen to. I didn’t want to turn it off. I was enthralled by the pieces, and the way the present day felt so detached and disharmonious from the history elements.  

I commented at one point on my % read update that I didn’t understand how she ended up this way - and by the end, I knew. I was sad and heartbroken for her, but also hopeful and happy. 

It ended up being a raw read. Brutal doses of reality and humanity and human nature all tied together into a well written story I just couldn’t turn off. 

I highly recommend this one, and as an audiobook it was enthralling and well spoken. 

Short and Spicy, the best kind of novella 🌶️

Novellas can be pretty hit or miss with me - I often wish there was more to the book, but this one was perfect. 

I enjoyed Sabine and her perspective on death, and found the death she brought to be an interesting contrast to why she was doing it (IYKYK). A unique twist on what we normally read for human and god relationships. 

This novella had it all. Some backstory, some modern day, some spicy scenes, some drama, some mürder, and a (dirty) happy ending.

Perfect 🤌🏻

This book has been on my tbr since I was younger and it originally came out - not sure why I never got around to it, but I’m glad I finally got the chance!

I enjoyed this book, though admittedly it was not what I expected. I was expecting adventure and daring and evasion and fighting monsters… and instead it was calmer. More about setting the scene, exploring the world, and while there was some danger and adventure, it wasn’t until later and felt more minor to the overarching piece of them needing to find a new home and adventure into the world to save their friends. 

I wish I had more of the story - I’ll have to look up and see if there is a sequel (I’m assuming there is) as I think that may have the adventure I was expecting, though I’m not sure I’m in a rush to read it. 

It was a decent read, but not one I would rave about. I prefer other YA series compared to this one. 

I love the Alex Cross series. I keep finding new ones pop up in thrift stores and they’re always an immediate buy from me because they’re the perfect comfort read. 

They’re fun, engaging, high stakes, and reliable. I enjoy reading each one, and I know there’s going to be an ending where the killer is caught. 

This one was unique with the serial killers perspective slid into there. As the story went on, I started to suspect something fishy was going on and was pleasantly surprised to find I was right about the killer, as that almost never happens. 

I really enjoyed the back and forth between all the POVs and the way they wove together. 

I’ll always recommend this series if you’re looking for a fun mystery/ thriller. I have another waiting to be read on my shelf!