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The Wedding Guest (Alex Delaware #34)
The Wedding Guest (Alex Delaware #34)
Jonathan Kellerman | 2019 | Mystery, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jonathan Kellerman's 34th Alex Delaware novel
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

If you have never read any of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series you need to do so immediately. The Wedding Guest is Kellerman's 34th Alex Delaware novel. It would definitely help with the backstory but you do not need to start at book 1, "When the Bough Breaks", to appreciate the story. Each novel is part of the series but can stand alone.

Kellerman's Alex Delaware is a psychologist who helps Detective Milo Sturgis with difficult cases. As you can guess, having a psychologist as the main character gives the reader a hint that Kellerman's book are more than the ordinary cop vs bad guy type of book. You are almost guaranteed the story will be a psychological thriller.

The Wedding Guest is no exception. Someone is murdered at a wedding reception. Were they invited? Did they crash? Do the bride and groom know them? Do any of the family members or guests know them? Why kill someone during the reception?

The characters surrounding Alex and MIlo help round out the story and make them seem more human and approachable. They are not perfect. They make mistakes. They are a perfect team for working together to catch the bad guys.
  
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ArecRain (8 KP) rated The Frenzy in Books

Jan 18, 2018  
TF
The Frenzy
2
2.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the worst book I have read since Douglas's Wolf Tales. This book is just so terrible in so many ways that I can't even think of and good way to go about stating how much I didn't enjoy this novel.

I guess I should start with the writing style. Was there was nothing grammatically wrong with Block's style, it was about as interesting as watching mud dry. The novel is in first person narrative, which can always go downhill fast. I should have known from the first page that I wouldn't enjoy it. I think it would have been a lot better had it not been so choppy. However, it felt like half the novel was written as an aside to the real story.

The second would be the story line. It was annoying, uncreative, and so ridiculously obvious that I had the whole novel figured out only a few chapters in. I had mixed feelings about a lot of the topics going on like Pace committing suicide in concerns with Michael, Liv's relationship with her parents, and Victor wanting Liv as his bride. The entire novel felt shallow and superficial.

In all honesty, I felt terrible after reading this book. It put me in a dark mood for some many reasons, I feel that I can't even justify my emotions with words.
  
The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride
William Goldman | 1973 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.6 (52 Ratings)
Book Rating
I had never read the Princess Bride before, but I was quite familiar with the movie. The director did such a wonderful job translating this book into a movie, that every scene was familiar. I listened to it via audiobook and it was the version narrated by the director himself. It was interesting because he inserted a number of asides during his narration that illustrated the effect the story had on him as a young boy and the changes that his father made in the retelling.

This could be considered a spoiler, so ignore the next paragraph if you want to avoid any possible spoilers.

My biggest qualm about the story is that it does not have an ending. As interesting as it is to decide for yourself what happens, it's never quite as satisfying as reading the entire story from start to finish and knowing what the conclusion is. It feels abrupt and that is the only thing that isn't perfect about it.

The characters, action and adventure, and story hit all of the right notes. It has become a classic for a reason and I'm so glad that I finally got a chance to read it. I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook, as it was an enjoyable way to experience the book.
  
Practically Married
Practically Married
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I thought that the premise of this book was great! A modern day marriage of convenience/ almost Mail order bride type of story. I dont believe I have ever read a modern marriage of convenience story. It created for me lots of what ifs in my mind, which I like as the story tends to stick with me even after its done.

The characters were believable. I liked how they played off each other, and built off of each interaction. Personally I have no idea what I would do if I showed up somewhere and was told that my fiancee had died. Ashley handled it very well though, and Russ is my kinda guy. A planner who likes everything to fit in a box. So like I said at the beginning I like how the characters play together and I think Karin Beery did a great job developing them through out the story. Her book reminds me of Linda Fords books in that they have such interesting story lines and great characters with HEA’s in each story.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the very interesting story premise, the likeable characters, and for making it stick in my mind even after I am done with the book. I look forward to reading more from Karin Beery in the future.
  
Wedding Bear Blues
Wedding Bear Blues
Meg Macy | 2020 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Killer Walk Down the Aisle
Sasha Silverman and her sister Maddie are involved in the Valentine’s weekend wedding of a local friend. However, between the demands the bride is making and the fact the wedding party doesn’t get along, it is turning out to be anything but fun. Still, Sasha wasn’t expecting one of the members of the wedding party to turn up dead at the rehearsal dinner. When her bridesmaid duties suddenly include finding the real killer, can she figure out what happened?

Because we meet the members of the bridal party in a couple of group scenes, I had trouble keeping them all straight early on, but as the book progressed, I found it easier to remember their relationships. The plot is strong, with some nice red herrings that kept me confused until we reached the climax. Helping things out are some fun sub-plots, although one of them stretched credibility a bit too far for me. I’ll believe that Sasha can solve the murder but not how this sub-plot played out. I think that may be on me. We do get updates on Sasha’s larger group of family and friends, but they mostly stay in the background, which helps us get to know the suspects better. This is a wonderful winter time cozy, so snuggle in with a blanket and your favorite hot beverage and enjoy.