chaptersofchase's reviews
1036 reviews

It’s time to fly some place warmer! ☀️ 

Thank you, St Martin’s Press,  for the gifted copy of the Snowbirds {partner} 

 

 

 

I really wanted to love The Snowbirds, but something just felt off. I’m not sure if it was the characters, the storyline, or a combination of both, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. 

 

The story had a very slow build, and it never really picked up the pace. I did connect with the FMC, Kim—her fear of being abandoned by her husband resonated with me. I genuinely felt for her. While I didn’t want Grant to die, I also felt that Kim deserved so much more than what she ended up with. 

 

By the time the book concluded, I was left with a bit of a sour feeling. The ending just didn’t sit right with me. 

 

Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆☆ 

The Snowbirds is narrated by one of my absolute favorites, Karissa Vacker (seriously, she’s the best!), along with Graham Halstead, who’s also lent his voice to The Favorites, The Charm Offensive, and Eight Perfect Murders. I really enjoyed their narration, and I have to say, Graham’s portrayal of Grant was exactly how I imagined his voice to sound. 

 

Read if you enjoy: 

✌🏼 Dual timeline 

‼️ Marriage in crisis 

🫶🏼 Mature characters 

🐌 Slower pace 

 

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Guaranteed to pull at your heart strings 🤍⁣
Thank you @delacortepress & @prhaudio for the gifted copy of A Sea of Unspoken Things {partner}⁣
⁣
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲⁣
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: 🎧📖⁣
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞:  𝟏.𝟕.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓⁣
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 𝟐𝟖𝟖⁣
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ☆☆☆☆⁣
⁣
“𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.”⁣
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I always look forward to Adrienne Young’s books because they offer the perfect atmospheric escape. While her storytelling might feel slower for some, I genuinely enjoy how her plots unfold gradually and how she weaves together a rich tapestry of sights and sounds. A Sea of Unspoken Things was exactly that, and I admire how much Young managed to pack into just 288 pages.⁣
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The only thing I felt was missing from A Sea of Unspoken Things was the usual magical element I’ve come to expect in her books. Instead, she focused on the unique bond between twins. While some may interpret this as magic, I believe it’s a deeply real and powerful connection.⁣
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𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: ☆☆☆☆☆⁣
The audiobook is narrated by Christine Lakin - who has also narrated The Siren, The Heir Affair, and The Royal We. Lakin’s voice matched the mood of A Sea of Unspoken Things perfectly and added to the book’s overall atmosphere.⁣
⁣
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲:⁣
💛 Slow burn⁣
🌳 Atmospheric⁣
✨ Tiny bit of magic⁣
💞 Sibling connections⁣
⁣
I recommend reading A Sea of Unspoken Things if you enjoyed Spells for Forgetting.⁣

First up on my non-fiction reads of 2025 - The Secret History of the Rape Kit. 

Thank you,  PRH Audio,  for the free copy of this book {partner} 

 

 

 

Having worked with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault for six years, I found this book deeply compelling. I realized, with a sense of humility, that I had never really thought about the origins of the rape kit—who advocated for its development or where it came from. While I’ve reviewed evidence from these kits in the past, I never paused to consider the individuals who fought for its creation and use. 

 

What I found particularly difficult to come to terms with, while listening to The Secret History of the Rape Kit, was the realization that much of what is discussed occurred in the not-so-distant past. And, if we’re truly honest, many of these issues continue to persist in our society today, especially in the way survivors of sexual violence are treated. It’s heartbreaking that being treated with respect and dignity after such an unimaginable violation is still seen as a privilege, rather than a fundamental right. 

 

 

Claire Danes narrates The Secret History of the Rape Kit with a calm, measured tone that balanced the emotional intensity of the story. Her voice makes the often difficult subject matter more accessible, allowing listeners to engage with the content while still feeling the weight of the narrative. 

 

 

I recommend reading The Secret History of the Rape Kit if you’re looking to learn more about an overlooked moment in history. 

 

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F I V E   💎  S T A R S 

Thank you, Forever Books, for the gifted copy of Say You’ll Remember Me {partner} 

 

 

Wow, Abby, was it really necessary to make me cry that much? I swear, I was sobbing through the last 50 pages, but in the best way possible. This book was something truly special. 

 

The characters, their dynamics, and everything they went through to be together—there was just so much depth and heart. 

 

Xavier Rush might just be my new favorite book boyfriend. He’s the ultimate cinnamon roll MMC: a sweet, caring vet who fell first, and had so much respect and love for Samantha and her family. Samantha was just as incredible—strong-willed, intelligent, compassionate, and trying her best to balance being a good daughter while navigating her own emotions and challenges. 

 

I’ve read that this is Abby’s most emotional book to date, and I completely agree. There’s a lot of trauma woven throughout, but Abby handled it with such care and sensitivity. I do want to note a few triggers for anyone considering reading it: Alzheimer’s is a major theme in the story, and there are instances of parental neglect, child abuse, and animal abuse leading to death (which, though difficult, is a key part of the narrative). If anyone has concerns, I’m happy to point out where these moments occur. 

 

Read if you enjoy: 

❤️ Family dynamics 

👏🏼 No third act break-up 

🥰 Meet cute 

✈️ Long distance relationship 

🥹 All the emotions 

 

I genuinely can’t wait for all of you to read Say You’ll Remember Me - it will be a favorite of mine for 2025 and for a long time to come. 

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All the love for this one! 🩵 

Thank you, Tor Books, for the gifted copy of The Bones Beneath My Skin {partner} 

 

 

 

I have to admit, I’m a big fan of TJ Klune, but sometimes his books dive so deep into sci-fi that I end up feeling a bit lost in the plot. While I always connect with his characters, the storylines can sometimes leave me scrambling to keep up. 

 

That wasn’t the case with The Bones Beneath My Skin. This book was a completely different experience. I found myself fully invested in the characters, the plot, and even the sci-fi elements. The story did start off a little slow, but honestly, that gave me the time to really get to know the characters and dive into their world. It also allowed me to appreciate the incredible growth they went through over the course of the book. 

 

To put it simply: I loved it and didn’t want it to end. 

 

Read if you enjoy: 

🫶🏼 Found family 

🥹 Emotional 

📖 Slow pacing 

📈 Character growth 

🏕️ Adventure 

 

I recommend reading The Bones Beneath My Skin if you enjoyed watching K-Pax or Stranger Things. 

 

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Hello, Baltimore, you’re on the air… 

Thank you, PRH Audio, for the gifted copy of First Time Caller by B.K. Borison {partner} 

 

 

I’m a sucker for the grumpy x sunshine trope—it’s always so heartwarming to watch characters struggle to let themselves be loved, especially when they’re not used to it. 

 

First Time Caller started off a little slow for me. The characters were endearing and had me rooting for them, but something just didn’t click in the first half. But once I hit the halfway point, I was all in. Aiden and Lucie’s POVs became so much more engaging, and even though the plot was a little predictable, it felt comforting. Sometimes, a little predictability is just what you need in a world that’s anything but. 

 

What really stole the show for me, though, wasn’t even the leads—it was the supporting cast. Lucie’s ex, his husband, and their daughter, Maya, brought so much heart and humor to the story. They were the perfect comic relief and added so much to the overall vibe of the book. 

 

Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆ 

First Time Caller is narrater by E.J Bingham - who appears to be new to the voice acting community and Hathaway Lee - who has narrated The Full Book and Business or Pleasure. I really enjoyed the narration but had a hard time find the right speed for the narrators cadence. I either had to slow it way down or speed it up, so that made it hard to really get into the story, too. 

 

Read if you enjoy: 

🫶🏼 Grumpy Sunshine 

📖 Slow Burn Romance 

😆 Witty Banter 

✌🏼 Dual POV 

 

I recommend reading First Time Caller if you’re in the mood for a grumpy sunshine that provides provides all the feel good that you need right now! 

 

 

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Why has this book been sitting on my shelf for so long?? 

 

 

I’m going to keep this review short and sweet. I started Inheritance Games on a Sunday and finished it on Monday. It is absolutely one of those books that I am unable to put down because it was absolutely addicting - I loved the concept of solving the riddles, the mystery, the romance and just the characters in general. Yes, it is a Young Adult book but besides their lives in their private high school, I never really felt like it was a YA novel. 

 

As soon as I finished reading Inheritance Games, I immediately ordered books 2-3 and 4 will be ordered next. 

 

Thank you to all of the people who saw this as one of the books I wanted to read in 2025 and told me that I needed to read it right now. 

 

 

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Don’t Let Him In 🚪 

Thank you, Atria Books, for the gifted copy of Lisa Jewell’s newest novel {partner} 

 

 

Lisa Jewell is one of those authors I look forward to reading their new books each year - one of Jewell’s earlier books, Then She Was Gone, is still one of my all-time favorite novels. What I love about her books is how they always offer something new — a fresh layer to the complex, often hidden parts of our world. Whether it’s incels, stalkers, or cults, Jewell has a way of peeling back the layers on uncomfortable, sometimes downright disturbing aspects of human nature. And with Don’t Let Him In, she does it again, exploring yet another chilling type of behavior. 

 

I’ve seen some people mention that the mystery in this book felt slow, and I get it. But here’s the thing: this is Lisa Jewell’s pacing. She doesn’t do the breakneck thrillers or heart-pounding action sequences. What she does is build tension - a slow-burning suspense that grabs you. The unease is there from the start, and it lingers, keeping you hooked, wondering, “What’s going to happen next? Will he get away with it this time?” 

 

The story shows one man’s terrifying grip over three women’s lives, and the lengths he will go to maintain that control. It’s a fascinating, unsettling look at manipulation, obsession, and the darkness that can hide behind even the most handsome of faces. 

 

Read if you enjoy: 

😳 Slow Build 

🙅🏽‍♀️ Toxic Relationships 

😬 Domestic Suspense 

🗣️ Multiple POV 

 

I recommend reading Don’t Let Him In if you enjoyed reading Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell. 

 

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Oh, how I wanted to love this one! 

Thank you, William Morrow Books,  for the gifted copy of Kill Your Darlings {partner} 

 

 

Alright, so this review pains me to write because I typically do love Swanson’s books, but this one was just not for me. Maybe it was the formatting? Or perhaps it was just how unlikable the characters were, but once I hit the 30% mark, I could not wait for the book to end. 

 

I think it’s one thing to have morally grey characters. Still, Thom and Wendy Graves were so awful to one another and the people around them and just a general hindrance to the world that I could not fathom reading about their terrible qualities for another minute. 

 

I have read one book that is written from the current time moving backward, and it was a breakup romance - that concept worked, but for a mystery, it didn’t. It was confusing, hard to follow, and seemed to remove any amount of suspense from the storyline. 

 

Again, I would love to recommend this, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. If you’re looking to read something from Swanson, I recommend starting with Before She Knew Him! 

 

 

 

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