juanat77's reviews
145 reviews

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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

4.0

Molly the maid is back! I really enjoyed getting to read more of Molly’s and Juan’s relationship. It’s a cute Christmas romcom and not the usual Molly mystery. It’s predictable but also a quick and fun read!

4 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 
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All I Want is You by Falon Ballard

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense 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

3.75

This book reminds me of a Hallmark Christmas version of “Beach Read” with romance authors and some spice peppered throughout. Second chance romance. Close proximity. Enemies to lovers. Perfectly set during a snowstorm. Definitely cute. Emotional. Tense. A quick and sweet holiday read.

3.75 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP/Putnam books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

#NetGalley #penguingroupputnam #falonballard
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The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really liked this one! It was a total page turner. It usually takes me quite a few days to get through a Hildebrand novel. This was a quick read for me. It is now my 2nd favorite EH novel. 28 Summers being my #1 favorite. I can’t wait to dive into Swan Song which is a companion novel to The Perfect Couple AND really can’t wait to watch the Netflix adaptation!! 4 stars!!
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All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Songs for the Brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Songs for the brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari

PROs: Informative about history, politics, cultures and religions. Well written. Great job depicting what it was like living in Israel and Yemen. Character AND plot driven. 

CONs: it was a bit slow for me; second half of the book was a quicker pace. Longer than it should have been. 

The story is told in two timelines and multiple POVs. The main characters were unlikable at times but I find that it makes the story more relatable. 

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

#NetGalley #songsforthebrokenhearted  #ayelettsabari 
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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-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

4.0

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Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is book is big and messy. About 560 pages. There’s times it’s funny then tense then depressing. Kingsolver writes all those feelings exceptionally well. It reads like a classic. I thought about Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye) at times. I was rooting for the MC despite his poor decisions and at times selfishness—-however that is real life. This story touches on so many serious topics including the opioid crisis, domestic abuse, child labor, poverty and the foster care system. And while there are sad and serious issues; there are also many funny moments. Demon the MC starts as a young child and ends when he is an adult so we get to see how his character develops through the years. It’s said to be a retelling of David Copperfield—never read it but adding it to my TBR!

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.0

Happy Publishing Day! Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of the audio. 

Basic premise of the story is the FMC suffers a TBI and loses her memory. She doesn’t remember her boyfriend nor how she nice she was prior. It’s very Hallmark-ish. A good palate cleanser after reading a heavy novel. Easy to read. Charming and heartwarming. Definitely a sweet and relaxing book to read. 

3 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The cover and title kind of insinuate this is a romm -comm but it has more depth to it. This is a romance which makes you want to shake the characters at times especially the FMC and also a story about the deeper reflections on friendship. Laura Hankin seamlessly blends in romance, humor with life complexities. Great character development. Exceptional story telling. The author captured the characters’ growth exceptionally well.  Four stars! 
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The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand

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challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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