bookishmoment's reviews
707 reviews

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Cara Bastone has just become an auto buy author for me. I read Ready or Not last year and loved its mix of heart, humor, romance, and heavy real life issues. Promise Me Sunshine was even better. The subject matter is heavy, but is handled with the perfect balance of quirky characters and more lighthearted scenes. The writing is insightful and the characters are strong and complex.  The depiction of Lenny's grief was heart-wrenchingly phenomenal and her journey towards healing was portrayed realistically. I've lost a dear friend to cancer, so I was a blubbery mess during some parts, but Bastone didn't let that linger unnecessarily long. The romance was extremely slow burn, but on the way there we get to witness the evolution of Lenny and Miles's transition from disdain to friendship, which was tremendously enjoyable. 

Perfect for fans of Abbi Waxman's The Garden of Small Beginnings, anything by Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, or Katherine Center, and a well done slow burn romance. Thank you to both NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this book prior to its publication in exchange for my honest review. 
Leave No Trace by A.J. Landau

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

4.0

The Story She Left Behind: A Novel by Patti Callahan Henry

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

4.5

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

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

2.5

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow

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dark mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

What an incredible short story! Only Alix Harrow could create a whole post-apocalyptic world as rich as this one in a mere 30-some pages. This is a dark tale that's somehow also full of love, loyalty, and devotion. Harrow has never let me down and remains an an auto-buy author for me. Looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

Thanks, NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories, for the chance to read this story prior to its publication in exchange for this brief review. 
Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben

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adventurous dark funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Secret Book of Flora Lea: A Novel by Patti Callahan Henry

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

4.5