barbarawilbur's reviews
32 reviews

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon

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challenging sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

While I loved the authors last book , The Frozen River ( one of my top reads of 2024) This book felt disjointed and had me shaking my head. The bouncing back and forth between timelines especially daily or weekly left me less interested in finishing the story …This could have been a great novel but ended up just being ok for me! 
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Blew through this book in a day and feel like I know way more about tennis than I need to! As I read I kept thinking what is it about this book that keeps me reading…It wasn’t a great love story, the main character wasn’t very likable, it had a lot of details about playing tennis but I didn’t want to put it down! As I turned the final pages of the book I realized it was actually a love story…It was a love story of a father and a daughter and how much it means to have someone truly in your court, even when you aren’t very lovable.  This is TJR doing what she does best, making characters that stay with you and make you think..It also made me miss my Dad…
Dark of Night by Colleen Coble

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3.0

Although this was a good follow up and wrapped up some loose ends from the first book, it was just meh for me
This round… there were many things that seemed unbelievable ( I won’t detail cause it can spoil the story) and I just couldn’t engage the secondary plot line about missing women since the focus was the relationship with Annie and Jon …It was fine for a snowy afternoon but I’m not sure I will invest the time for the third one. 
Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I was surprised how much I loved this author! I am typically not a fan of a cozy mystery ( what I thought it was) but was taken in by the story immediately.  A combination of mystery/thriller with a romance thrown in, this book kept me reading and anxious for the next one in the series.  For those that want a “clean” read this book had no smut or bad language and still felt realistic.  I was invested in each character, even the ones I didn’t like.
'Salem's Lot by Stephen King

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adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

In classic King fashion the first half of the book invests you in the lives of the characters.  You then think this is a niece read but where is this going? Well then everything starts happening and bam! One thing after another and it’s a thrill ride till the end.  There were a few questions left hanging but I understand those characters are picked up in later King books ….all in all a great vampire story where no character is safe!!
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Part Mystery, part Family Saga once again Liz Moore draws me in through exquisite storytelling.  So many of the characters were unlikable  but I found myself routing for them anyway.  One quote stayed with me after rhe book was finished : “ It was funny, she thought, how many relationships one could have with the same man over the course of a lifetime together.”  Alice p316

The dialogue was spot on and reflected the social standing of each character.  This was a dive into the differences of the wealthy and the poor in every aspect of life . I would have given this a 5 star rating but I felt some things were left hanging and I wanted to know what happened.  But overall a really good book! 
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

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fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

Weyward by Emilia Hart

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4.0

The Last One by Will Dean

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

The story of a woman on the cruise of a lifetime that wakes up and finds herself alone on the ship. No crew, no passengers , no boyfriend.  While I enjoyed this book it dragged a bit in the middle and became a bit far fetched …Dean’s writing was solid but the characters tended to repeat themselves about halfway through and spent a ton Of time thinking back on their life.
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This book was so different than the ones I usually pick up.  The story of an older woman that predicts death cause and time while traveling on a plane.  The character depth is strong in this story and I would say drives the book far more than the plot.  It was a good read and I enjoyed the various unrelated  characters and the way the author weaves them together.