stayshomeandreads's reviews
539 reviews

I think this is the book that will finally get me to stop reading YA once and for all. 

The best portrayal of being a teenager that I’ve ever read. This book made me feel seen. The author’s note made me cry!

Thank you to Hallmark and Netgalley for the ARC. A CEO is murdered on New Year’s while everyone is holed up together in a ski lodge for his big party. What a fun premise! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and had no trouble getting into the story. Darby Piper is a very savvy detective and a great choice for the narrator. I loved how, just like any good Hallmark mystery, the story was fun and lighthearted while also incorporating an page turning mystery. Not to mention the great chemistry between Darby and Tate. Frozen Detective is a fast, cozy read for the winter. 

 

I don’t know what to really say about this one. The author is a fantastic writer and I loved learning about her spinster icons. However, what frustrated me was that she was never actually a spinster, and was barely ever even single. The life of a woman who truly has forgone romance and lives alone is what a spinster is to me. It was so confusing when she would talk about her “single life” and in the same breath mention a supportive boyfriend. This, combined with the author’s somewhat narcissistic tone and lack of awareness about how, quite frankly, charmed her life was, made this reading experience not be the relatable one I was hoping for. At the same time, I did find it fascinating to read about her life. The chapter about her mother was really powerful and moving. I also really enjoyed reading about what it was like to be a part of the privileged NYC literary/media class in the early 2000s. At the very least, I feel like I learned a lot about the mindset of generation X’ers. I would still recommend it, but just know going in that this is heavy on the memoir, light on the relatability if you are a “spinster” reading this yourself. 

Don't read this if you don't like very stylized, noir writing. I loved it!

My first and last Colleen Hoover.