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eyreibreathe's reviews
369 reviews
Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera
4.0
Call Your Daughter Home follows three strong women in pre-Depression South Carolina. Gertrude has suffered at the hands of her husband for the last time. When she and her daughters leave that life behind, they are shown kindness by Retta, a first-generation freed slave who has endured heartaches of her own. Then there is Annie, the matriarch of one of the most powerful families in the area, who is getting ready to unearth dark secrets that have long been buried. As the lives of these women are woven together, we witness the strength and courage of this unlikely alliance.
What I liked: I found these women to be so inspiring. The hardships each of them face is enough to bring the strongest of us to our knees, but they met these circumstances head on. I also found myself captured by the setting. I always crave books set in the South this time of year, and this book gave me my fix. I found myself attached to the characters and invested in how everything would play out.
What wasn't for me: Sometimes there was too much drama for me, and it started to feel a bit over-the-top. That did, however, propel me to keep reading since I had such an attachment to the characters.
All in all, I am so very happy I stumbled upon this book. It's gripping, emotional, inspiring, and one I know I'll find myself recommending.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
What I liked: I found these women to be so inspiring. The hardships each of them face is enough to bring the strongest of us to our knees, but they met these circumstances head on. I also found myself captured by the setting. I always crave books set in the South this time of year, and this book gave me my fix. I found myself attached to the characters and invested in how everything would play out.
What wasn't for me: Sometimes there was too much drama for me, and it started to feel a bit over-the-top. That did, however, propel me to keep reading since I had such an attachment to the characters.
All in all, I am so very happy I stumbled upon this book. It's gripping, emotional, inspiring, and one I know I'll find myself recommending.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
4.0
Lisa Jewell is back with Invisible Girl, another of her signature thrilling books, set to be released on October 13, 2020. You guys, I was so excited to receive this ARC! Lisa Jewell has long been one of my favorite suspense writers. Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley!
Owen Pick is a 33-year-old year old man who still lives with his aunt, and he's just lost his teaching job for sexually harassing two of his students - a charge he steadfastly denies. Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family - Cate, a physiotherapist; her husband Roan, a child psychologist; and their two teenage children. When one of Roan's former clients, 17-year-old Saffyre Maddox, goes missing in their neighborhood, all eyes are on creepy Owen Pick. He denies any involvement, but with all the accusations surrounding him, his credibility is sorely lacking. And to top it all off, he was the last one to see Saffyre Maddox alive...
Invisible Girl had more of a slow burn feel to me than Jewell's previous books. While I felt the story did take a little longer to gain momentum, the characters and the setting were so well developed that I was still easily immersed and connected to what was going on. As always, Lisa Jewell did such a fantastic job of creating creepy characters that made my skin crawl. Once I was fully into the book, probably around the 30-40% mark, I didn't want to stop reading until I figured out how it was all going to resolve. This was another solid read from a master suspense writer, one that will be a great addition to any mystery-lover's "thrills and chills" October TBR.
Owen Pick is a 33-year-old year old man who still lives with his aunt, and he's just lost his teaching job for sexually harassing two of his students - a charge he steadfastly denies. Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family - Cate, a physiotherapist; her husband Roan, a child psychologist; and their two teenage children. When one of Roan's former clients, 17-year-old Saffyre Maddox, goes missing in their neighborhood, all eyes are on creepy Owen Pick. He denies any involvement, but with all the accusations surrounding him, his credibility is sorely lacking. And to top it all off, he was the last one to see Saffyre Maddox alive...
Invisible Girl had more of a slow burn feel to me than Jewell's previous books. While I felt the story did take a little longer to gain momentum, the characters and the setting were so well developed that I was still easily immersed and connected to what was going on. As always, Lisa Jewell did such a fantastic job of creating creepy characters that made my skin crawl. Once I was fully into the book, probably around the 30-40% mark, I didn't want to stop reading until I figured out how it was all going to resolve. This was another solid read from a master suspense writer, one that will be a great addition to any mystery-lover's "thrills and chills" October TBR.
A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight
4.0
4.5 ⭐
Synopsis:
Lizzie Kitsakis is pulling a late nighter at the prestigious law firm she works at when her phone rings. She has enough on her plate working at this new firm and trying to sift through the wreckage of her marriage. She doesn't need any more drama in her life. When the call comes through from an inmate at Rikers, though, it's a plea for help from her old college friend Zach Grayson. He's in serious trouble. His wife Amanda has been found dead at the bottom of their staircase, and he's the main suspect. As Lizzie begins investigating the details surrounding the case, she learns Zach and Amanda were not what they appeared to be, and the close-knit community they live in is protecting its own dark secrets.
My thoughts:
I read a lot of hype before going into this book, and when I first started it, I wasn't sure it was going to live up to it. What I found, however, is that it's one of those books that gets better and more addictive the more you read. I went through this cycle where I'd be feeling pretty smug, thinking I had it all figured out, when a twist would hit me unexpectedly like a punch to the gut, and my guess would unravel around me. This made for SUCH a fun reading experience! I really loved the Big Little Lies vibe I got from this book, too - secrets and scandal within a close group of friends. Lastly, I have a weakness for thrillers with any kind of psychological aspect, and A Good Marriage delivered on that as well. I found this to be the perfect poolside suspense, one I struggled to put down.
Synopsis:
Lizzie Kitsakis is pulling a late nighter at the prestigious law firm she works at when her phone rings. She has enough on her plate working at this new firm and trying to sift through the wreckage of her marriage. She doesn't need any more drama in her life. When the call comes through from an inmate at Rikers, though, it's a plea for help from her old college friend Zach Grayson. He's in serious trouble. His wife Amanda has been found dead at the bottom of their staircase, and he's the main suspect. As Lizzie begins investigating the details surrounding the case, she learns Zach and Amanda were not what they appeared to be, and the close-knit community they live in is protecting its own dark secrets.
My thoughts:
I read a lot of hype before going into this book, and when I first started it, I wasn't sure it was going to live up to it. What I found, however, is that it's one of those books that gets better and more addictive the more you read. I went through this cycle where I'd be feeling pretty smug, thinking I had it all figured out, when a twist would hit me unexpectedly like a punch to the gut, and my guess would unravel around me. This made for SUCH a fun reading experience! I really loved the Big Little Lies vibe I got from this book, too - secrets and scandal within a close group of friends. Lastly, I have a weakness for thrillers with any kind of psychological aspect, and A Good Marriage delivered on that as well. I found this to be the perfect poolside suspense, one I struggled to put down.
Eventide by Kent Haruf
5.0
Eventide is book 2 in the Plainsong series. Reading it, I fell in love with these characters and the rural community of Holt, Colorado all over again. Kent Haruf is plainspoken in his narration, and the storyline is simple in the best of ways. As the old saying goes, "Still waters run deep," and so it is with Eventide. One of my favorite things about these books is the quiet depth of the characters. Ever so slowly, I found myself becoming attached to these wonderful people. They feel so real to me. When I pass a day with the McPheron brothers, I feel as if I've spent time with my uncles across the state line. Similarly, the quietness and simplicity of a normal day in Holt feels real and familiar to me, adding in an extra layer to fully immerse me in the story. When Haruf describes an ordinary day of working cattle, it's as if I'm riding the tractor alongside my grandfather. During this time of social distancing, I've been aching for my family and the farmlands I grew up on across the state line. Picking this book up was like coming home. It was a balm to my soul and the most meaningful reading experience I've had this year.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for Eventide!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for Eventide!