Ok we are starting with the 2024 book reviews, and as requested in Instagram, I’m adding some new descriptor categories and info
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Goodreads blurb: This is a tale of murder. Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it? Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island. I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder. We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered. But who am I? My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher.
My Take: 4.5 out of 5. I devoured this earie read whilst on a plane. It is more than twists, you don’t really know what you are reading. From who did it, to who dies it’s all up in the air and I was all here for it. There are some wonderful character explorations, some lovely turns and and the writing is divine. I Loved the cameos from his previous books, it took me a while to remember some of them but its great that there are links between the books. Its an easy read that i got done in less than my 3 and a half hour flight.
Why did I choose it: The Silent Patient by the same author is one of my favorite books, so this was an easy automatic read
Read this if you like(d): Obviously if you like the Silent Patient, but also if you like good thrillers and who dunnits and lovely locales
Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer
Goodreads blurb: A tender, laugh-out-loud debut romance about a woman who ends up in over her head after a little white lie . . .When thirty-year-old post-double-mastectomy BRCA 1 carrier and reluctant thrill-seeker Alison Mullally arrives at her ex-boyfriend Sam’s funeral to find that no one knows he dumped her, she agrees to play the grieving girlfriend for the sake of the family and pack up Sam’s apartment with his prickly best friend, Adam Berg. After all, it’ll only take four weekends . . .But Adam doesn’t want Alison anywhere near him. Forced to spend long hours with the grump, and his monosyllabic demeanor, Alison decides she must put her people-pleasing abilities to the test. She will make him like her. And after awkward family affairs and packing up dilemmas, the two form a tenuous friendship . . . if “friendship” means incredible chemistry and tension between them. Can Alison come clean and finally embrace the life and love she’s always wanted? Or will her little white lie get in the way of her new, unexpected romance?
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher. it comes out August 6, 2024
My Take: 3.75 out of 5. I loved the Christmas obsession and all the hallmark Christmas references, it felt meant for me. A big part of the book was the BRCA that Alison had to deal with and the effects, but at points it felt a bit much. IT would definetly be very triggering for someone going through that process. The indecisiveness of both characters was driving me up the wall. If you are going to summarize this, this is a romance book on why we all need therapy, especially in relationships. In general its a Cute sweet idea and ending.
Why did I choose it: I got an ARC from Net galley, but I requested the ARC purely based on the title – Four Weddings and a Funeral is one of my favorite movies and I love a good rom com so this felt meant to be.
Read this if you liked: If you like Fallon Ballard or Lindsey Kelk books. In general if you like rom coms with quirky meet cutes.
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
Goodreads blurb: The epic conclusion to the intensely romantic and beautifully written story that started in Divine Rivals. Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.
My Take: 4 out of 5. I absolutely loved continuing the story between Iris and Roman. (if you have not read Divine Rivals stop right now read that one and then come to this because there will be DR spoilers here). The way they reencounter is lovely and beautifully written. I still find the concept of the magic typewriters fabulous. The side story for Attie is great and how all things tie together is really well crafted. This was however not as highly ranked as I thought it was going to be for a couple of reasons. Frist, sequels are hard and they keep the magic going but rarely they have the same originality spark as the first. The second thing i didn’t love is that the ending kind of fades with a thud. its is at 100% all the book at the last minutes of the books was a bit of a let down. I Wanted more for Iris, more recognition for all she did. On the plus side I cant complain for a HEA so there is that.
Why did I choose it: Divine Rivals was one of my top 10 books of 2023 so reading the continuation was one of my most anticipated reads of this year
Read this if you like(d): Definitely Divine Rivals or Fable, but if you like your romance with a hint of supernatural.
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
Goodreads blurb: he Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope. In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history. Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.
My Take: 3.75 out of 5. This is such a sad read. Basically being a woman in the world is hard, and being famous is definitely not all that its cracked up to be sometimes. It was great to get her side of the story, and your only conclusion is that her family is really not ok! (once you read that she was having cocktails with her mom at 13 you start seeing how its all just going to come crashing down) What makes it even sadder is that the book ends up in a such a high with her so happy in her new relationship, and now, knowing that relationship didn’t work out either makes you feel even worse for her. Also apart from her family, JT is probably the one that comes out the worse out of this, and one more story on how women are judged so much harshly than men in media always. This is a super fast read, a great option if you want something quick and fulfilling, I heard the audiobook in 3 hours.
Why did I choose it: I like a good memoir and I had heard fabulous things about Michelle Williams narration.
Read this if you liked: Mariah Careys autobiography or were a fan of Britney music growing up
We must not think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein
Goodreads blurb: A heart-wrenching story of love and defiance set in the Warsaw Ghetto, based on the actual archives kept by those determined to have their stories survive World War II. On a November day in 1940, Adam Paskow becomes a prisoner in the Warsaw Ghetto, where the Jews of the city are cut off from their former lives and held captive by Nazi guards, and await an uncertain fate. Weeks later, he is approached by a mysterious figure with a surprising request: Will he join a secret group of archivists working to preserve the truth of what is happening inside these walls? Adam agrees and begins taking testimonies from his students, friends, and neighbors. He learns about their childhoods and their daydreams, their passions and their fears, their desperate strategies for safety and survival. The stories form a portrait of endurance in a world where no choices are good ones. One of the people Adam interviews is his flatmate Sala Wiskoff, who is stoic, determined, and funny—and married with two children. Over the months of their confinement, in the presence of her family, Adam and Sala fall in love. As they desperately carve out intimacy, their relationship feels both impossible and vital, their connection keeping them alive. But when Adam discovers a possible escape from the Ghetto, he is faced with an unbearable choice: Whom can he save, and at what cost? Inspired by the testimony-gathering project with the code name Oneg Shabbat, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Grodstein draws readers into the lives of people living on the edge. Told with immediacy and heart, We Must Not Think of Ourselves is a piercing story of love, determination, and sacrifice for the many fans of literary World War II fiction such as Kristin Harmel’s The Book of Lost Names and Lauren Fox’s Send for Me.
My Take: 3.25 out of 5. I wanted to like this book more than I did. Its ok, but it def falls in the middle of the wagon. I actually love a good WWII historical fiction but i just wanted to get more invested in this. In the end it kind of boils down to the fact that i didn’t fully engage with any of the characters. The relationship between Adam and Sala was a lot, and its conclusion is quite lovely but it was a lot. I do love the concept of keeping the stories for posterity, but in the same vein, I wanted more at the ending. It ends abruptly and for once I really wanted an epilogue.
Why did I choose it: A big fan of Historical Fiction especially WWII. Also it was a Read with Jenna pick and her selections are usually pretty solid so I tend to check them out.
Read this if you like(d): For wwII historical fiction lovers. Read it if you liked Women in the Castle or Tattooist of Auschwitz
Tati's Tidbits 