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    The Tower

    The Tower

    Simon Toyne

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    The much anticipated final instalment in the bestselling conspiracy thriller trilogy by Simon Toyne,...

My Lovely Wife
My Lovely Wife
Samantha Downing | 2019 | Thriller
6
8.2 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great premise (0 more)
Predictable (0 more)
I received this book as one of the Smashbomb giveaways, and was really excited to read it!

I enjoyed the book and it was an easy read.
Unfortunately, I don't know if I've read, and watched, too many thriller type things, as the book felt a little too predictable. What would usually be subtle hints that eventually unfold, giving you those 'oh yeah!' moments, were just a bit obviously placed, and I could see where they were leading.

Like I've said, please don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book but it was a bit flat for me, there never felt like there was any real urgency, or tension.
I really felt like there could have been a more cat and mouse dynamic between a few of the different characters, and the ending could have been given more time to build up.

I look forward to reading her next book, but hope she learns a few lessons; for one, fleshing the characters out, and giving them more depth.
However, it was a good first foray into the genre for the author, and I hope she can find her footings, as there were some really good ideas in this book.
  
Shattered Glass (Shattered Glass, #1)
Shattered Glass (Shattered Glass, #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This caught me early on, probably the first page actually when Austin met Peter and his bunny slippers at the diner. I was instantly intrigued at what was going to happen between these two. When Austin left and phoned his fiancé I was like, "WTF?". How could he react like that when he was engaged to a woman?!

Nevertheless, I loved Austin's obsession with Peter (and the bunny slippers!) and was jumping for joy when he came to his senses regarding his marriage and more or less stalked Peter at the diner resulting in some fun scenes between them and maybe a few upsetting ones too.

The story quickly evolved into something much more complicated with Peter's background coming to light and that of his "brother" Cai. So very complicated but intriguing.

One thing that got me a bit was Austin's stupid comments when he needed to be serious causing a lot of trouble between him and everyone. Ugh! I wanted to smack some sense into him a lot of the time. And as for Peter; all the lies!? Why?

It was a good story, if a little too complicated at times trial wise, and I really liked it. I look forward to reading more books by the author.
  
Love Letters to the Dead
Love Letters to the Dead
Ava Dellaira | 2014 | Young Adult (YA)
7
6.8 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great for fans of Perks of Being a Wallflower!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Trigger warning. This book deals with some deep stuff.

This was a super interesting idea. The story was deep, and it was the first book I've ever come across that told its story through letters to dead celebrities. So bonus points there for sure!
The overall story reminded me a lot of Perks of Being a Wallflower, which is one of my all time favorites.

I did not LOVE the POV/writing of the book but that wasn't because the author didn't do well. In fact I'd say that means she did amazing given the book is told from the POV of a teenage girl. She's young, and the writing reflects that. So while it wasn't my personal cup of tea, it made sense for the book. Bear that in mind when going into this one.

We follow Laurel venting to dead celebrities about her life and the loss of her sister. How did she die? Why does Laurel feel guilty? Why isn't her mom around anymore? Through letters to her idols she reminisces and vents, and we get to see her navigate life and relationships without her big sister.

*Potential trigger warnings for domestic abuse, rape, molestation, drug/alcohol use, and suicide.
  
Design for Murder
Design for Murder
Carolyn G. Hart | 1987 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Needed a Better Design
Bookstore owner Annie Lawrence is thrilled when she is asked to plan a murder mystery for a neighboring town’s event. However, Annie soon finds herself embroiled in a bunch of local politics, hurt, and anger. When that boils over into a real murder, Annie is once again cast as a suspect. With her fiancé, Max, along for the ride, she sets about clearing her name. Can she figure out what happened?

Unfortunately, this was a disappointment after the fun series debut. We spend too long with Annie planning the fictional mystery with multiple ideas discarded before she settles on one. The book and author name dropping is especially tedious here, too. We are meeting suspects and learning motives, so when the body does finally drop, the book picks up. It was still a bit of a struggle to keep the suspects and the parts they played in the fictional murder straight. Even so, the suspects are strong, and both mysteries are wrapped up well. Annie and Max are wonderful main characters, and I definitely enjoyed spending time with them. I’m looking forward to more of their adventures even if this wasn’t quite as good as the first one.