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shawnerly's reviews
515 reviews

Till The Last Piece: A Perfect Recipe For Murder by Kenneth Cruz

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dark emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

The Last Piece, Yes, this was a great short story. It was a great when Stephen King included it in Thinner. Yea, I know, slightly different set up, pie, instead of cake. But, I cant help feeling deja’vu. Hey, if its any consolation, I think others have used the same vehicle in a similar way as well. 

I thought the narration was a bit ‘whispery’. I had to turn up the volume quite a bit above the level i typically listen. Interestingly enough, once the story ended and she was describing upcoming stories, I liked her narration much better. 

Overall, I would give 2 stars. Atmospheric, but its been done before and better. The upcoming stories sound grand! Good luck. 

Note: Audio ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op
A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke

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funny lighthearted mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

This is a paranormal mystery with cozy vibes. Cordelia has recently released her apartment, via suicide, and Ruby, is the new tenant. One of Cordelia’s neighbors has just been shot & killed on the sidewalk outside the apartment, and Cordelia couldn’t keep him in ghost form long enough to figure out what happened. She doesnt even know what happened to herself! But something is up in their building and Cordelia is going to get Ruby, to help her figure it out.


Ruby and Cordelia make a good team. Both are a bit silly and naive but, smart when it counts. The big gap in the story is they fail to find out what happened to Cordelia. This is the first entry to a series so I guess that’ll be addressed later. 


I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel

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dark reflective 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

3.0

The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I didn’t die. Its fine. No new ground covered. Ultra ‘cozy’. 
Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Look In the Mirror by Catherine Steadman

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This is s cute thriller! Kept me turning pages, not so much because i liked the characters but I really wanted to know how it would all end. 
We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
I tried. I think this wants to be Get Out for the YA crowd. This feels like its written for middle grade.