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Great Big Beautiful Life
by Emily Henry
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A good summer read about two writers competing to tell the story of an infamous woman.
After Happily Ever
by Jennifer Safrey
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"After Happily Ever" by Jennifer Safrey was a combination: "The Real Housewives of ______________" and "Fairy Tale Horror Stories"
Destroy Me
by Tahereh Mafi
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This novella is from Warner’s point of view after the events of the first book: Shatter Me. I gave this book three stars not because I don’t like it but because there wasn’t anything crazy out of the ordinary about it and I think that had to do with the fact that I read the first three books and then came back to read this novella. I feel like it also got repetitive at times. I really enjoyed it in the sense that we get to see Warner’s feelings after he portrays himself as a tough bad guy in the first book. I think if you really want an element of newness, you should read it directly after the first book when we don’t know so much about Warner from the next books already. However, even though I read it after the first three books, I still enjoyed back tracking and getting to experience the events from the end of Shatter Me and beginning of Unravel Me and everything in between from Warner’s perspective. We also get to see bits from Juliette’s journal that is spoken about in Shatter Me and of course Mafi’s writing and use of similes and metaphors are excellent. It makes you feel the character’s pain.
The Honeymoon Crashers
by Christina Lauren
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This book was just what I needed for a summer read, light and breezy. Twin Olive announces to her very close family that she and her fiancé are going to elope in Hawaii so not to remind her sister, Amelia, of her failed marriage. The family plans to surprise the couple in Hawaii with a full blown wedding. Ami and her cousin Diego set off early to start the preparations. Ami is forced to plan the wedding with charismatic best man Brody and eventually they like each other. Was this whole elopement a ruse to get Ami out of her rut. Read and find out. I also recommend the audiobook, it is read with multiple actors and sound effects.
The Sequel
by Jean Hanff Korelitz
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I wanted to like this book. But it (ironically?) shows that the sequels are not always necessary. In the first book the story was compelling but the ending felt muddy, and unfulfilling. Now we pick up with Anna, a character from the first book, who was kind of an anti-hero, but now she is more difficult to root for. She has gone from tragic victim to paranoid sociopath with a high kill count. Just not a compelling story.
Unravel Me
by Tahereh Mafi
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This is the second book in the Shatter Me series and oh my god, it was so good. The writing style carries over from the first book, showing Juliette’s inner conflicts. Most of the setting up is done in the first book, so this book is relatively fast paced. The romance gets more complicated as you get a different view of Aaron Warner’s life. There are some plot twists that I was not expecting at all. I had to sit there and really process one of them. I really love this book and totally recommend it!
Party Of Liars
by Kelsey Cox
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Sophie is celebrating her 16th birthday party at her father and step-mothers lavish but perhaps haunted home in the Texas Hill country. There is a large cast of characters that may initially seem unrelated, and many red herrings. I felt it was a bit slow in the beginning, but the stage had to be set. Slowly surprising secrets are revealed. Read for detail, but even so this one is so twisted I didn’t have a clue. Good guys and bad guys are not always obvious in this one. A good read.
Still Life
by Louise Penny
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Still Life by Louise Penny Really appreciated this sophisticated Mystery. Well written, well thought out, exciting, and engrossing. A different type of Mystery then many of the popular fiction I have read. Intricate plot planning, good character development, multi-dimensional characters, and a good mystery as well. I was very involved in trying to solve it. Also loved Armand Gamache, an introspective, honorable, diligent detective, interested in the people as well as the crime. I delighted in his manner of investigation, his desire to listen, to learn, to admit when he is stuck. Jane is dead, and many are suspected. As it is with small towns, everyone knows everyone and there are secretes, but there is also a marvelous feeling of community. The town itself becomes a character. A “Who done it”, of the highest caliber.
Be Ready When The Luck Happens
by Ina Garten
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The beginning of the book was warm and informative; Ina was totally relatable. The middle of the book was interesting-learning about her foray into the food business; the failures and successes and lessons learned. At the end, I didn't want to read about her apartment in France and the interior decoration. Advice would have been good; bragging/name -dropping was a turn off. Although overall, the book was engaging, an editor should have removed many of the exclamation points!
Original Sin
by Jake Tapper
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I don't like rating political books. Nothing in this novel was surprising to me, anyone could see the decline in the President and I think it was more about what people would justify of our leaders to prevent an outcome they didn't want. I read this book because I think it's important to hear from all sides about the truths hidden and manipulated to us from people in power. I also recognize the divisiveness of politics now and I don't want to contribute to that so if this review isn't posted, I completely understand.
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