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themoodylibrary's reviews
223 reviews
Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
3.0
thank you so much @berkleypub for the free ebook copy. #Berkleypartner #Berkley
CATEGORY IS: MURDER
MURDER IN THE DRESSING ROOM is a quirky, slightly campy, queer mystery following joe as they take time off their day job to solve the murder of the infamous drag queen lady lady. when joe’s not sure they’re the right person for the job, misty divine is ready to save the day.
i enjoyed seeing misty and joe as distinct characters and personalities, and it was lovely to see joe gaining some of misty’s confidence by the end!
i loved all of the nods to criminal minds, and was happy to read an MC who is just as obsessed with matthew gray gubler as i am.
this book came with gossip and drama, but has an overall darker tone to it. there were definitely some over the top moments, but not nearly as much as i expected.
one of my favorite parts about mysteries is theorizing about whodunnit, and i found that the story dragged (pun intended) for me in the middle because i didn’t know the characters well enough to formulate potential motives.
i was able to guess some of the reveals due to the tell-not-show style of writing (some were just blatantly obvious), but the final reveal?? i was GAGGED.
this would be better for less character-driven readers who just enjoy sitting back and being along for the ride because the story was primarily our MC strolling about town, asking people questions, jumping to conclusions, then asking more questions.
MURDER IN THE DRESSING ROOM paved the way for a sequel, and i would like to see growth in the author’s writing. a lot of scenes felt clunky and there wasn’t much of an overall flow to the story. i’d be open to trying book 2 on audio especially if the author narrates it again.
CATEGORY IS: MURDER
MURDER IN THE DRESSING ROOM is a quirky, slightly campy, queer mystery following joe as they take time off their day job to solve the murder of the infamous drag queen lady lady. when joe’s not sure they’re the right person for the job, misty divine is ready to save the day.
i enjoyed seeing misty and joe as distinct characters and personalities, and it was lovely to see joe gaining some of misty’s confidence by the end!
i loved all of the nods to criminal minds, and was happy to read an MC who is just as obsessed with matthew gray gubler as i am.
this book came with gossip and drama, but has an overall darker tone to it. there were definitely some over the top moments, but not nearly as much as i expected.
one of my favorite parts about mysteries is theorizing about whodunnit, and i found that the story dragged (pun intended) for me in the middle because i didn’t know the characters well enough to formulate potential motives.
i was able to guess some of the reveals due to the tell-not-show style of writing (some were just blatantly obvious), but the final reveal?? i was GAGGED.
this would be better for less character-driven readers who just enjoy sitting back and being along for the ride because the story was primarily our MC strolling about town, asking people questions, jumping to conclusions, then asking more questions.
MURDER IN THE DRESSING ROOM paved the way for a sequel, and i would like to see growth in the author’s writing. a lot of scenes felt clunky and there wasn’t much of an overall flow to the story. i’d be open to trying book 2 on audio especially if the author narrates it again.
Where You End by Abbott Kahler
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
i am soooooooooooo bored and could not care less about any of these characters. i know it’s supposed to get cult-y but i can’t risk the book slump. also the CWs are insane. i don’t think this is worth my time.
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST tore me to pieces and then put me back together again. this is such an important story depicting the heartbreaking reality for many trans and queer kids who come out to their families.
ben was a lovely MC to follow. they are real, funny, and extremely quick-witted around others despite being fully confident in themself at the beginning of the book.
it was really sweet to see ben's crush slowly grow, and how they used art to express their feelings.
i especially appreciated the dynamic between ben & their sister, hannah. both are flawed in their own ways, and seeing the two of them work together and be there for the other was incredibly heartwarming.
i adored nathan's character and how he was there for ben without even realizing it. the other side characters were super sweet as well. this is another friend group i would love to be a part of.
ben was a lovely MC to follow. they are real, funny, and extremely quick-witted around others despite being fully confident in themself at the beginning of the book.
it was really sweet to see ben's crush slowly grow, and how they used art to express their feelings.
i especially appreciated the dynamic between ben & their sister, hannah. both are flawed in their own ways, and seeing the two of them work together and be there for the other was incredibly heartwarming.
i adored nathan's character and how he was there for ben without even realizing it. the other side characters were super sweet as well. this is another friend group i would love to be a part of.
That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.75
as expected, this book was SO fun. kimberly lemming is actually hilarious, and her humor makes reading her books a BREEZE.
the friendships and relationships between all of the characters (main and side) are so strong and full of witty banter. i would LOVE to be in this friend group.
this book seemed to be less plot heavy, BUT that could be due to it being second in a series. this one didn't have to world-build or introduce characters the way 'saved a demon' did.
felix is a LITERAL golden retriever love-interest and our acts of service king 🫡 i mean STOPPING THE RAIN FOR THEIR DATE?! this man will do ANNNYYTTHIIINNGGGG for brie.
lemming set us up for the next book at the very end which made me want to pick it up immediately, but i'm trying to stick to a tbr over here!!
if you're looking for a silly but SMUTTY good time -- these are the books for you.
the friendships and relationships between all of the characters (main and side) are so strong and full of witty banter. i would LOVE to be in this friend group.
this book seemed to be less plot heavy, BUT that could be due to it being second in a series. this one didn't have to world-build or introduce characters the way 'saved a demon' did.
felix is a LITERAL golden retriever love-interest and our acts of service king 🫡 i mean STOPPING THE RAIN FOR THEIR DATE?! this man will do ANNNYYTTHIIINNGGGG for brie.
lemming set us up for the next book at the very end which made me want to pick it up immediately, but i'm trying to stick to a tbr over here!!
if you're looking for a silly but SMUTTY good time -- these are the books for you.
It's Elementary by Elise Bryant
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5
IT’S ELEMENTARY is perfect for lovers of the FINLAY DONOVAN series. it has the same clever, fast-paced vibe, but with a bit more of the day-to-day chaos of being a single mother. i loved how pearl had such a big personality. she added so much to the book.
the side characters definitely seemed like caricatures at times, but it didn't bother me because of the silly and unserious tone of the book. additionally, as someone who has worked with some of these personalities in an elementary school, i thought it was hilarious that things were played on and amped up.
there’s mystery and twists, but also school politics and PTA drama. and the draaaaammmaaa y'all. this group of moms provided all the nosey tea.
bryant nails the dynamics of privilege, micro-aggressions, and the not-so-subtle power plays between the moms. the caucasity in this one is real y'all... i cringed a few times.
i reallyyyy hope we get more books set in this world. i would love to see more of the relationship bloom, the father-daughter dynamic, papa's podcast, and jasmine because she's a real one!
the side characters definitely seemed like caricatures at times, but it didn't bother me because of the silly and unserious tone of the book. additionally, as someone who has worked with some of these personalities in an elementary school, i thought it was hilarious that things were played on and amped up.
there’s mystery and twists, but also school politics and PTA drama. and the draaaaammmaaa y'all. this group of moms provided all the nosey tea.
bryant nails the dynamics of privilege, micro-aggressions, and the not-so-subtle power plays between the moms. the caucasity in this one is real y'all... i cringed a few times.
i reallyyyy hope we get more books set in this world. i would love to see more of the relationship bloom, the father-daughter dynamic, papa's podcast, and jasmine because she's a real one!
The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco
like okay….. go off then i guess...
each chapter ended with a cliff hanger which kept kept me hooked and wanting to read more.
my main qualm with this book is that each character seemed to have 3 different names. depending on who was speaking, each character could be referred to as their first name, last name, or something random (e.g., hawaiian shirt). it was consistent based on the speaker, but still hard for me to follow since there were quite a few members of the film crew. this would have been easier to follow if we had distinct povs (per chapter) or if there were only 2 names to keep track of.
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
THE SACRIFICE was such a great horror read. i really enjoyed the setting and the eerie atmosphere was slow-building and suffocating.
there was a lot of lore throughout this book. everything had a well-thought-out reason or history to it. at times it felt a little overwhelming, but i definitely prefer lots of lore to none at all.
the entire film crew is INFURIATING but hemslock… babygirl i’m finna rock yo.. yeah you know how it goes. some people just don't deserve redemption.
this book holds strong themes of greed, privilege and power with a standout quote being,
there was a lot of lore throughout this book. everything had a well-thought-out reason or history to it. at times it felt a little overwhelming, but i definitely prefer lots of lore to none at all.
the entire film crew is INFURIATING but hemslock… babygirl i’m finna rock yo.. yeah you know how it goes. some people just don't deserve redemption.
this book holds strong themes of greed, privilege and power with a standout quote being,
“i’d sacrifice the world if it would get me exactly what i want.”
like okay….. go off then i guess...
each chapter ended with a cliff hanger which kept kept me hooked and wanting to read more.
my main qualm with this book is that each character seemed to have 3 different names. depending on who was speaking, each character could be referred to as their first name, last name, or something random (e.g., hawaiian shirt). it was consistent based on the speaker, but still hard for me to follow since there were quite a few members of the film crew. this would have been easier to follow if we had distinct povs (per chapter) or if there were only 2 names to keep track of.