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melanietalksbooks's reviews
1862 reviews
Fur Love or Money by Sofie Ryan
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
In this installment of second chance cat mystery Sarah, the owner of a second hand store and assistant to an group of elderly PIs finds a body in a storm cellar. The man had a million enemies but everyone suspects one of Sarah’s family friends of the murder. Naturally, Sarah and the group of elderly PIs called Charlotte’s Angels must find out who did it to keep their friend from getting railroaded.
I think of these books as delightful little palate cleansers between other books because they are just so fun and relaxing. I have a good time and it all works out in the end which is absolutely delightful during these insane times. I did think that the killer was a little bit predictable so I’m not giving it a higher rating but I think it accomplished what the author intended. I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy a relaxing mystery and do not like any spice.
I think of these books as delightful little palate cleansers between other books because they are just so fun and relaxing. I have a good time and it all works out in the end which is absolutely delightful during these insane times. I did think that the killer was a little bit predictable so I’m not giving it a higher rating but I think it accomplished what the author intended. I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy a relaxing mystery and do not like any spice.
Scaredy Cat by Sofie Ryan
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This was overall a very relaxing read. Sarah owns a second hand store and helps with her grandmother’s friends’ detective agency. Sarah finds a body with one of her friends while doing a house tour and the detective agency is tasked to find out who killed the man.
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. It had exactly what I wanted it to have with the exception that I sort of forgot what happened at the start bc I was so relaxed. I thought the characters were charming. I thought the plot was just intricate enough to make my brain work a little. I honestly had such a pleasant time that it helped get me out of this weird reading slump where I only wanted to read Harry Potter because it’s relaxing for my brain.
Overall I highly recommend this book to people who want to relax. However, I would definitely start with the first in the series because there is very little recap in this book. The books all accomplish what the author intended that’s why I rated it so high.
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. It had exactly what I wanted it to have with the exception that I sort of forgot what happened at the start bc I was so relaxed. I thought the characters were charming. I thought the plot was just intricate enough to make my brain work a little. I honestly had such a pleasant time that it helped get me out of this weird reading slump where I only wanted to read Harry Potter because it’s relaxing for my brain.
Overall I highly recommend this book to people who want to relax. However, I would definitely start with the first in the series because there is very little recap in this book. The books all accomplish what the author intended that’s why I rated it so high.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-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
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
As if you don't already know but Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros follows Violet Sorrengail in her first year as she is forced by her mother to enlist as a dragon rider. Without revealing too much there are a lot of people who want to kill Violet before she becomes a trained rider from those who want to do it because of her family to those who think her disability makes her a weaker rider. Violet must avoid getting killed, pass all her classes, and bond with a dragon who might be the death of her all while putting up with my one true enemy, and her best friend Dain.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was quick and to the point. I enjoyed both parts of the romantasy a lot. The fight scenes were really fun. I even started crying at one point towards the end and sent a message to my friend requesting to be sedated lol, so... I was emotionally invested. While this book is so good, it did take me a month to complete which is quite a long time for me, but it was all because of the insufferable Dain. I hate Dain and if you hate him too and are struggling to read this book then I have a spoiler that might help: Dain is not her love interest. It took me a minute to get past the first few chapters because of how much I hate Dain. Once I learned that spoiler it was all good and I finished quite quick after that. I really ate this book up, it was so good and I highly recommend it!
Tropes: enemies to lovers, love triangle
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was quick and to the point. I enjoyed both parts of the romantasy a lot. The fight scenes were really fun. I even started crying at one point towards the end and sent a message to my friend requesting to be sedated lol, so... I was emotionally invested. While this book is so good, it did take me a month to complete which is quite a long time for me, but it was all because of the insufferable Dain. I hate Dain and if you hate him too and are struggling to read this book then I have a spoiler that might help:
Tropes: enemies to lovers, love triangle
The Official Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Book by Taylor Swift
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
Shot Through the Book by Eva Gates
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
Shot Through the Book by Eva Gates follows librarian extraordinaire Lucy as she gets embroiled in another murder investigation after a famous local author is killed on her deck. This time Lucy also has to deal with a widow who has made it her mission to call out Lucy in her pursuit of high office. The case gets more complicated as a group of grieving fans have made Lucy's backyard their grieving grounds. And on top of that, Lucy needs to find a replacement author for her upcoming book festival.
I feel a sense of nostalgia when it comes to this book, I mean we are 12 books in after all. I did like this one a lot though. My favorite part was the resolution of the case, I thought it was so funny how they apprehended the killer. My least favorite part was that Lucy acted like a doormat when the widow came calling to her house and then at the library. In both occasions Lucy did not act like the take charge librarian we know she can be. I had to deduct a star for that. I'm also glad to see Connor's relationship with Lucy growing, I thought that was sweet. I'm also looking forward to seeing this new detective need help in upcoming books.
Overall I recommend this book but I think it would be even sweeter if you read the whole series before you got to this book, however it is not necessary to read this one in my opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Eva Gates for giving me the opportunity of reviewing this ARC. All opinions are my own.
I feel a sense of nostalgia when it comes to this book, I mean we are 12 books in after all. I did like this one a lot though. My favorite part was the resolution of the case, I thought it was so funny how they apprehended the killer. My least favorite part was that Lucy acted like a doormat when the widow came calling to her house and then at the library. In both occasions Lucy did not act like the take charge librarian we know she can be. I had to deduct a star for that. I'm also glad to see Connor's relationship with Lucy growing, I thought that was sweet. I'm also looking forward to seeing this new detective need help in upcoming books.
Overall I recommend this book but I think it would be even sweeter if you read the whole series before you got to this book, however it is not necessary to read this one in my opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Eva Gates for giving me the opportunity of reviewing this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura follows Dr. Corrie Mejia as she is offered a job in a mysterious archeological dig. When she arrives it is to find that the dig is being led by her nemesis Dr. Ford Matthews and it is on the topic she is the foremost expert on. To be able to make the discovery of a lifetime she has to get along with Ford, which becomes easier the longer they spend together. However, Ford is keeping many secrets, including that the dig was originally supposed to be led by Corrie.
This book was so much fun! I would highly recommend it because it was fast paced and I thought Corrie was such a badass. I really liked all her adventures, there should be a novella of short stories of all the adventures they tell us about in the book because I would definitely read that. I would have rated it higher if Ford had been a little bit more redeemable. I think he had too many points in the negative column that it was a hard sell to make him "book boyfriend" material. However, Corrie was amazing and I highly recommend reading this for Corrie. And the spice was fun too!
Tropes: rivals to lovers, archeology romance, blonde MMC, badass FMC
This book was so much fun! I would highly recommend it because it was fast paced and I thought Corrie was such a badass. I really liked all her adventures, there should be a novella of short stories of all the adventures they tell us about in the book because I would definitely read that. I would have rated it higher if Ford had been a little bit more redeemable. I think he had too many points in the negative column that it was a hard sell to make him "book boyfriend" material. However, Corrie was amazing and I highly recommend reading this for Corrie. And the spice was fun too!
Tropes: rivals to lovers, archeology romance, blonde MMC, badass FMC
Once Upon a Christmas Tree by Lulu Moore
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Once Upon a Christmas Tree by Lulu Moore follows Lord Alexander as he saves his brother from marrying his cheating fiancée by taking him to Aspen, CO where he meets Haven, who is paying all the bills left by her parents' medical expenses. This is an instalove sort of book so they look at each other and are immediately attracted to one another. They just have to figure how to get together as Haven is still working a million jobs knowing that they will only see each other for the holiday season.
I got to listen to it and I thought this novella was so good!! I found it super entertaining, I couldn't put it down. My favorite part was the relationship with all the brothers which I hope we see more of in the future. My least favorite part was that there is no happily ever after, just a "let's meet in a year" sort of arrangement. I did think that the main characters had a lot of chemistry so I enjoyed that a lot. This is my first Lulu Moore book but it will definitely not be my last as I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook. I highly recommend it to all the romance girlies as it is so much fun.
Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select, and Lulu Moore for giving me the opportunity to listen to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I got to listen to it and I thought this novella was so good!! I found it super entertaining, I couldn't put it down. My favorite part was the relationship with all the brothers which I hope we see more of in the future. My least favorite part was that there is no happily ever after, just a "let's meet in a year" sort of arrangement. I did think that the main characters had a lot of chemistry so I enjoyed that a lot. This is my first Lulu Moore book but it will definitely not be my last as I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook. I highly recommend it to all the romance girlies as it is so much fun.
Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select, and Lulu Moore for giving me the opportunity to listen to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Lodge by Kayla Olson
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Lodge by Kayla Olson follows Alix Morgan as she is trying to ghostwrite the famous Sebastian Green's memoir with almost no help from Sebastian aside from his voice notes about how much he hates his former boy band team member, Jett who disappeared. To help her focus, Sebastian sends her to a beautiful penthouse in picturesque Vermont where she meets Tyler. Tyler is her dreamy neighbor and a ski instructor who she starts developing a relationship with while trying to write the novel. And that's all I'll tell you about the book.
Okay, this book was so good but I guessed the twist almost immediately which was a big bummer. If you don't guess the twist immediately it would be sooo good though! My favorite part was that Tyler and Alix had great chemistry and their story was so sweet. However, I did not like the entire subplot with Alix's sister Lauren. Overall this closed door romance was charming and a nice cozy read. I would recommend it but don't try to be too clever and solve it because I was bummed out when I had.
Tropes: closed door romance, small town romance, cozy romance
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Kayla Olson for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Okay, this book was so good but I guessed the twist almost immediately which was a big bummer. If you don't guess the twist immediately it would be sooo good though! My favorite part was that Tyler and Alix had great chemistry and their story was so sweet. However, I did not like the entire subplot with Alix's sister Lauren. Overall this closed door romance was charming and a nice cozy read. I would recommend it but don't try to be too clever and solve it because I was bummed out when I had.
Tropes: closed door romance, small town romance, cozy romance
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Kayla Olson for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Santa Overboard by Carolyn McBride
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
3.25 stars rounded down
Santa Overboard by Carolyn McBride follows Katie as she gears up for a boat parade before the holidays and navigates her new relationship with Deke. Everything stars to unravel when her boat is no longer going to make it to the parade and Deke has decided to spend the holidays in the Galapagos Island. She must figure out what to do about the boat and her relationship before the holidays.
I thought this audiobook was cute. It did exactly what I wanted it to, distract me for a little bit and cheer me up. I thought the narrator was absolutely phenomenal! I think Maria Marquis does a great job at all the voices and really making you feel immersed in the story. Now talking about the contents of the book: my favorite part was the Beach Bonfire Babes, Katie's group of friends. I thought they were so fun! Unfortunately, I didn't really think Deke and Katie had a lot of chemistry. Maybe it was because I didn't read the first book, maybe their introduction is there but in this book it very much felt like I was placed mid story. I will check out the other books because I liked it enough for that but maybe I would recommend to read the first book before reading the second.
This book is available in KU.
Thank you to NetGalley, Make Waves Press | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks, and Carolyn McBride for letting me listen to this ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Santa Overboard by Carolyn McBride follows Katie as she gears up for a boat parade before the holidays and navigates her new relationship with Deke. Everything stars to unravel when her boat is no longer going to make it to the parade and Deke has decided to spend the holidays in the Galapagos Island. She must figure out what to do about the boat and her relationship before the holidays.
I thought this audiobook was cute. It did exactly what I wanted it to, distract me for a little bit and cheer me up. I thought the narrator was absolutely phenomenal! I think Maria Marquis does a great job at all the voices and really making you feel immersed in the story. Now talking about the contents of the book: my favorite part was the Beach Bonfire Babes, Katie's group of friends. I thought they were so fun! Unfortunately, I didn't really think Deke and Katie had a lot of chemistry. Maybe it was because I didn't read the first book, maybe their introduction is there but in this book it very much felt like I was placed mid story. I will check out the other books because I liked it enough for that but maybe I would recommend to read the first book before reading the second.
This book is available in KU.
Thank you to NetGalley, Make Waves Press | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks, and Carolyn McBride for letting me listen to this ALC in exchange for an honest review.