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midnightbookmusings's reviews
496 reviews
Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
Horrible world building
Most insufferable protagonist ever
Most insufferable protagonist ever
Snow White by Matt Phelan
dark
fast-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
2.75
A somewhat lazy retelling of the Disney movie. The arts are beautiful but the story itself is quite forgettable.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
White Tears / Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
4.75
Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A Terribly Nasty Business by Julia Seales
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
Julia Seales did it again!
A Terribly Nasty Business, despite its name, is such a delightful read. Every line and chapter fills me with such joy. I kid you not I could not stop smiling as I read this book. Even though mystery is not my preferred genre, A Terribly Nasty Business is without a doubt among my favorite of 2025!
In this exciting sequel to A Most Agreeable Murder, we join Beatrice in London as she split her time between securing a wealthy husband in the London season and her detective work as one half of DS Investigation. If you love the courting and the season of Regency era story, this book is for you! And if you are like me and feel sad about saying goodbye to Swampshire and its many eccentric quirks, fear not, Sweetbriar London is just as delightfully funny a setting as Swampshire.
The plot is engaging and it was very satisfying to see all the clues throughout come together in the end. It did feel a bit more gruesome than book 1 but still not squeamishly so. I also love the main conflict surrounding the art as presented in the novel. In this age of increasing censorship, though presented in a satirical way, it speaks to the importance of artists and arts in our society.
But the strength of this book is in its characters! I swear, I love them all so much, especially my girl Beatrice. Her resilience and wits once again capture my heart (and the hearts of a few others 👀) and it is so satisfying seeing her asserting herself and her investigative skills throughout the novel. I really appreciate Julia Seales not making Beatrice a perfect heroine. Our protagonist is flawed but that makes her growth through A Terribly Nasty Business so much more rewarding.
We also get to see other sides to Inspector Drake (some, admittedly more frustrating than others) and his developing relationship with our heroine is a highlight for me and my romantic heart. (I swoon so many times throughout the book. This is romance!!!!!!!!!) I also adore the new characters in London, especially Beatrice's new friends and cannot wait to see more of them in the sequel (please tell me there is a sequel!!!!)
I cannot recommend this book enough. Read this if you're a fan of cozy mystery, if you love a slowburn romance, if you love humorous and witty characters, if you like fun. A Terribly Nasty Business has solidified Miss Julia Seales to be one of my favorite and auto buy author. I cannot wait to purchase and hold in my hand a physical copy of A Terribly Nasty Business and all of its future sequels. Please read it, it will bring you so much joy, I promise!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
A Terribly Nasty Business, despite its name, is such a delightful read. Every line and chapter fills me with such joy. I kid you not I could not stop smiling as I read this book. Even though mystery is not my preferred genre, A Terribly Nasty Business is without a doubt among my favorite of 2025!
In this exciting sequel to A Most Agreeable Murder, we join Beatrice in London as she split her time between securing a wealthy husband in the London season and her detective work as one half of DS Investigation. If you love the courting and the season of Regency era story, this book is for you! And if you are like me and feel sad about saying goodbye to Swampshire and its many eccentric quirks, fear not, Sweetbriar London is just as delightfully funny a setting as Swampshire.
The plot is engaging and it was very satisfying to see all the clues throughout come together in the end. It did feel a bit more gruesome than book 1 but still not squeamishly so. I also love the main conflict surrounding the art as presented in the novel. In this age of increasing censorship, though presented in a satirical way, it speaks to the importance of artists and arts in our society.
But the strength of this book is in its characters! I swear, I love them all so much, especially my girl Beatrice. Her resilience and wits once again capture my heart (and the hearts of a few others 👀) and it is so satisfying seeing her asserting herself and her investigative skills throughout the novel. I really appreciate Julia Seales not making Beatrice a perfect heroine. Our protagonist is flawed but that makes her growth through A Terribly Nasty Business so much more rewarding.
We also get to see other sides to Inspector Drake (some, admittedly more frustrating than others) and his developing relationship with our heroine is a highlight for me and my romantic heart. (I swoon so many times throughout the book. This is romance!!!!!!!!!) I also adore the new characters in London, especially Beatrice's new friends and cannot wait to see more of them in the sequel (please tell me there is a sequel!!!!)
I cannot recommend this book enough. Read this if you're a fan of cozy mystery, if you love a slowburn romance, if you love humorous and witty characters, if you like fun. A Terribly Nasty Business has solidified Miss Julia Seales to be one of my favorite and auto buy author. I cannot wait to purchase and hold in my hand a physical copy of A Terribly Nasty Business and all of its future sequels. Please read it, it will bring you so much joy, I promise!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics by Marc Lamont Hill, Mitchell Plitnick
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
Ironically, even though this book is absolutely validated by the American Liberals' (and Western Liberals as well) full embrace of genocidal rhetorics to shield and protect their rogue state ally, reading it in 2025 also makes it feel dated given how much more openly corrupted and irredeemable the liberal world order is once it chose to be complicit in the world's most documented genocide.