Scan barcode
deathbytbrpod's reviews
13 reviews
My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands by Chelsea Handler
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
I read this back when it came out. I was young and in my 20's and found it easy to read, fast, and very funny. Not sure if it aged well but I still gave it 4 stars for what my younger self thought about it at that time.
The Amendment by Kiersten Modglin
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Loved this one just as much as the first book. Fast-paced and fun to read. Not quite as twisty as the first book but overall another winner in this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Torture, Blood, and Kidnapping
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think these books test your limits on what your personal lines are that you would not cross in the real world and I love that they make you think deeply about that. The writing and storytelling flow well and is a medium/fast read.
Yes, I get it is dark and contains some CNC, BDSM, and erotic type scenes but there is a plot behind it that makes sense and I feel a lot of erotic books lack that meat of having an actual storyline where you care about the characters and the outcome.
This book is also a great conversation starter about CNC. My only hang-up about that topic is this story doesn't include the first (and most important) aspect, the first "C" in CNC: Consent. I wish the story would've ended that maybe the two characters previously agreed and gave consent for these non-consensual interactions because otherwise it's just plain r*pe....and that irks me. I'm all for a good Dom/ Sub interaction, but real-world BDSM, D/S, etc is all about rules.
Anyway, I loved this book and have Hunting Adeline here to start reading. This will not be a 5-star read for me, and I want to give it 3 stars but I don't think it's fair to take a star away simply because a situation isn't "for me." So 4 stars is where this lands on my reading shelf.
Yes, I get it is dark and contains some CNC, BDSM, and erotic type scenes but there is a plot behind it that makes sense and I feel a lot of erotic books lack that meat of having an actual storyline where you care about the characters and the outcome.
This book is also a great conversation starter about CNC. My only hang-up about that topic is this story doesn't include the first (and most important) aspect, the first "C" in CNC: Consent. I wish the story would've ended that maybe the two characters previously agreed and gave consent for these non-consensual interactions because otherwise it's just plain r*pe....and that irks me. I'm all for a good Dom/ Sub interaction, but real-world BDSM, D/S, etc is all about rules.
Anyway, I loved this book and have Hunting Adeline here to start reading. This will not be a 5-star read for me, and I want to give it 3 stars but I don't think it's fair to take a star away simply because a situation isn't "for me." So 4 stars is where this lands on my reading shelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
Ugh, I hate to say this but I cannot finish this book. I'm so bored. While the interview style of writing flows better than I thought it would, it is still disjointed and doesn't allow for additional world-building or the fleshing out of characters. This style also only gives nuggets of character-building or world-building so I can't get a good idea of who these people are, or immerse myself in this world.
Is the story just about the band? About Billy and Daisy? The music? I don't know and honestly, half way in I don't care.
Is the story just about the band? About Billy and Daisy? The music? I don't know and honestly, half way in I don't care.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I know I'm the exception to the rule but I despised this book. Incredibly slow to read and boring. Some characters are meaningless and could've been cut from the story without repercussions. Like The Guest List, no character is likable and therefore I don't care what happens in the story. You dredge along for hundreds of pages of fluff to get all the info at the very end. I only gave it 2 stars because I do love the way Lucy Foley writes descriptions, but I think she needs to find a new type of overall format for these books. These are two books I've read from her, each a carbon copy of the other, and I can't read another book of hers.
The Arrangement by Kiersten Modglin
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Ok this book is much better than what I thought I was going to read when I cracked the cover. I really thought this book was going to be campy and silly and maybe more about sex than an actual mystery or thriller, to solve.
I guess I have watched too much ID Channel, Dateline, and listened to True Crime podcasts because I can typically guess the twists early on, which spoil the book a little. This one had more than 3 reveals that I never guessed beforehand, leaving me shocked with my mouth open by the end.
I enjoyed the fast pacing, a thrilling event midway to keep the reader engaged, and of course the twist(s) at the end that previous character development hadn’t already spoiled.
I would’ve loved to have these main characters fleshed out a little more and a tad more steam wouldn’t have hurt, but again, this isn’t erotica and I’m fine with that. It’s a trilogy so maybe I’ll get to know more about these characters in the books to come.
I guess I have watched too much ID Channel, Dateline, and listened to True Crime podcasts because I can typically guess the twists early on, which spoil the book a little. This one had more than 3 reveals that I never guessed beforehand, leaving me shocked with my mouth open by the end.
I enjoyed the fast pacing, a thrilling event midway to keep the reader engaged, and of course the twist(s) at the end that previous character development hadn’t already spoiled.
I would’ve loved to have these main characters fleshed out a little more and a tad more steam wouldn’t have hurt, but again, this isn’t erotica and I’m fine with that. It’s a trilogy so maybe I’ll get to know more about these characters in the books to come.
Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Hmm what do I say first? This is a medium-paced read that does keep you engaged and wondering what in the world is going on….and then the ending comes along with a thud. The main character seems dim, at best, and the book feels like Sager was up against a deadline and didn’t have time to flesh out the plot points or give this book the ending it deserved.
I gave it a star for pacing, a star for the first half of the book’s engaging storyline, and a half star for the story setting and theming. This book was talked up as a “best of all time” type read but fell flat for me.
I gave it a star for pacing, a star for the first half of the book’s engaging storyline, and a half star for the story setting and theming. This book was talked up as a “best of all time” type read but fell flat for me.
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I loved this and couldn’t put it down! I thought I saw the twist coming but nope, it surprised me and that’s hard to do. Loved how all the characters were woven together neatly and how the story finally came together like puzzle pieces, in the end. A must-read.
Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier
dark
mysterious
fast-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
I read this right after Little Secrets and maybe that’s where I messed up. Little Secrets was so good at keeping you guessing, while TWDITD had the plot glaring at you like 50 pages in (maybe even less.) Also, I do wish the author would mix up her wording because I got so tired of seeing the same descriptions over and over in both these books, like “padded” instead of “walked” or some other synonym. Get a thesaurus and change it up so the sentences don’t all sound alike.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
mysterious
medium-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
2.0
Gosh I wanted to love this book. I kept waiting for something to happen…a murder…a mystery to be solved.
Halfway through…then 2/3 in the book and nothing. Whyyyyy are we still character building 2/3 through and still haven’t gotten to the point of the book? No big incident…Just yapping away with all these storylines that no doubt converged at the very last second in an anti-climactic fashion. Too many POVs and no chapter numbers to keep your place, only names that repeat to keep you thoroughly confused.
I did give 2 stars because the story is nice, albeit slightly confusing. Although I also have Lucy Foley’s The Paris Apartment and I’m dreading reading it.
Halfway through…then 2/3 in the book and nothing. Whyyyyy are we still character building 2/3 through and still haven’t gotten to the point of the book? No big incident…Just yapping away with all these storylines that no doubt converged at the very last second in an anti-climactic fashion. Too many POVs and no chapter numbers to keep your place, only names that repeat to keep you thoroughly confused.
I did give 2 stars because the story is nice, albeit slightly confusing. Although I also have Lucy Foley’s The Paris Apartment and I’m dreading reading it.