REVIEW⇢ BEST DAY EVER

BY KAIRA ROUDA

SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
The perfect marriage is the perfect illusion.
Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he’s the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That’s why he’s planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. And he’s promised today will be the best day ever.
But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How much do they trust each other? And how perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really?
Forcing us to ask ourselves just how well we know those who are closest to us, Best Day Ever crackles with dark energy, spinning ever tighter toward its shocking conclusion. In the vein of The Couple Next Door, Kaira Rouda weaves a gripping, tautly suspenseful tale of deception and betrayal dark enough to destroy a marriage…or a life.

BOOK TAGS⇣

⤏ SLOW-BURN
⤏ PSYCHOLOGICAL (LIGHT) SUSPENSE
⤏ A STUDY OF A SOCIOPATH
⤏ OVER-THE-TOP...TO THE POINT OF HILARITY 

BOOK DETAILS⇣

AUDIO PERFORMED BY⇢ GRAHAM HALSTED & AMY MCFADDEN
NARRATION RATING⇢  4/5
BOOK COVER⇢ LOVE THE COVER

SETTING⇢ COLUMBUS, OHIO

SOURCE⇢ LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)

AUDIOBOOK LENGTH⇢ 7 HOURS, 56 MINUTES

MY THOUGHTS⇣

Told mainly over the course of a day...in what is dubbed THE BEST DAY EVER.  Paul tells the story of his and Mia's life to that point.  Told completely from Paul's warped point of view, you'll slowly get a picture of what makes Paul tick.  If you look up sociopath on Google it says this is the profile of one...

⌧Glibness and Superficial Charm.     
⌧Manipulative and Conning.      
⌧Grandiose Sense of Self.   
⌧Pathological Lying.   
⌧Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt.  
⌧Shallow Emotions.  
⌧Incapacity for Love.     
⌧Need for Stimulation.

Paul ticks every one of these...and does it well.  So much so, that I literally laughed out loud often while listening to this.  The author worked the title into the story really well, and I always love that.  

Graham Halsted played his part swimmingly, although I found my mind wandering often...not sure if it was the narrator's fault, the slowness of the story itself, or me...could have been a little of all three.  Amy McFadden only narrates the epilogue...but hey, she did that epilogue really well.

MY RATING⇢ 3¾✰STARS✰

BREAKDOWN⇣

Plot⇢ 4/5

Characters⇢ 4/5

The Feels⇢ 4/5

Pacing⇢ 3.5/5

Addictiveness⇢ 4/5

Theme or Tone⇢ 4/5

Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 4/5

Originality⇢ 3.5/5

Ending⇢ 4/5

REVIEW⇢ DIRTY GIRLS

BY LILY WHITE

SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
They were the boys any good girl knew to avoid.
Rich and privileged.
Gorgeous and cruel.
The poster boys for rebellion…their tongues so sharp they cut to the bone.
We worshipped them despite their dangerous games.
We laughed even as we cried.
 It was all fun and games until the first dirty girl died.
Now, as the bodies pile up, I believe I can endure their wicked ways.
Only time will tell if I’ll escape.
Because when wealthy boys are accustomed to getting everything they want, not even the lives of those around them are too high an asking price.

BOOK TAGS⇣

⤏ A POSSIBLE SERIAL KILLER MYSTERY
⤏ MIXED WITH ROMANCE...AT LEAST I THINK IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
⤏ MORE DEPRAVED THAN DARK
⤏ TRYING TO FIT WITH THE IN CROWD
⤏ BULLYING & DEGRADATION 

BOOK DETAILS⇣

BOOK COVER⇢ ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT...THOSE BOOTS ARE CUTE

SETTING⇢ WINTER RIDGE, WASHINGTON

SOURCE⇢ I OWN KINDLE EBOOK

eBOOK LENGTH⇢ 396 PAGES

MY THOUGHTS⇣

I was looking for something dark that would suck me in with undeniable chemistry, despite the darkness of the couple's situation...sadly that's not what I got.  No, instead the MC was only attracted to the guy who strung her up like an animal, literally hanging her by her arms for hours.  For no other reason than he thought it was funny, to show her that he was "that" guy, the one who could get away with anything he wanted.  That incident was actually only the beginning of his douchebaggery.

After that point, I was disillusioned, but I stuck with it...hoping this girl would get a clue, feeling like she had to.  But...it didn't happen.  So then I was hoping the subplot of a serial killer mystery would be able to carry this story...and while it kept me reading it ultimately fizzled out too, since I found it rather unbelievable.

So, why did I give it 2 stars then, despite all these numerous issues?  Basically, because I kept reading...all the way to the end.  I'll give credit for at least hooking me.

MY RATING⇢ 2✰STARS✰

BREAKDOWN⇣

Plot⇢ 2/5

Characters⇢ 2/5

The Feels⇢ 2/5

Pacing⇢ 3/5

Addictiveness⇢ 3/5

Theme or Tone⇢ 2/5

Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 3/5

Twisty-ness⇢ 2/5
Steaminess/Story Ratio⇢ 15/85

Ending⇢ 1/5

REVIEW⇢ BE NOT FAR FROM ME

BY MINDY MCGINNIS

SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
The world is not tame.
Ashley knows this truth deep in her bones, more at home with trees overhead than a roof. So when she goes hiking in the Smokies with her friends for a night of partying, the falling dark and creaking trees are second nature to her. But people are not tame either. And when Ashley catches her boyfriend with another girl, drunken rage sends her running into the night, stopped only by a nasty fall into a ravine. Morning brings the realization that she's alone - and far off-trail. Lost in undisturbed forest and with nothing but the clothes on her back, Ashley must figure out how to survive despite the red streak of infection creeping up her leg.

BOOK TAGS⇣

⤏ A CHEATING BOYFRIEND...A DRUNKEN FALL DOWN A RAVINE
⤏ LOST & HUNGOVER WITH A VERY BROKEN FOOT
⤏ GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF SURVIVAL
⤏ LIFE REFLECTIONS

BOOK DETAILS⇣

AUDIO PERFORMED BY⇢ BRITTANY PRESSLEY
NARRATION RATING⇢  5/5
BOOK COVER⇢ MISTY FOREST VIBES

SETTING⇢ A TENNESSEE STATE FOREST IN THE SMOKIES 

SOURCE⇢ LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)

AUDIOBOOK LENGTH⇢ 5 HOURS, 28 MINUTES

MY THOUGHTS⇣

A gruesome tale of survival, filled with misadventure and ruminations about life.  I haven't listened to a Mindy McGinnis book, yet, that I didn't enjoy.  Her books are so varied and move between genres seamlessly.  So far, I've consumed a dystopian duo about water shortage, and a stand-alone about heroin addiction, and now this.

Ashley (the MC) is badass...once you read this...I don't know how you cannot realize that about her.  She also doesn't always make the best life choices, but when it comes down to it, she's does own them.  My only question after listening to this...can a person really get that lost and off the grid and not see someone for that length of time?  I've never been to the smokies, or even near them, so I guess I don't know if they are really that vast.

This story is super graphic, with some scenes that will make you cringe, but it moves along at a quick pace.  The narration by Brittany Pressley is terrific...I really like her as a narrator...for me, her voice is perfect, not too high pitched or shrill and not too nasally either. 

MY RATING⇢ 4¼✰STARS✰

BREAKDOWN⇣

Plot⇢ 4/5

Characters⇢ 4/5

The Feels⇢ 4/5

Pacing⇢ 4.5/5

Addictiveness⇢ 4.3/5

Theme or Tone⇢ 4/5

Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 4/5

World-Building⇢ 4/5

Originality⇢ 3/5

Ending⇢ 4.3/5

BOOKS WITH A SIMILAR VIBE...

REVIEW⇢ THE SHINING GIRLS

BY LAUREN BEUKES

SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
In Depression-era Chicago, Harper Curtis finds a key to a house that opens on to other times. But it comes at a cost. He has to kill the shining girls: bright young women, burning with potential. He stalks them through their lives across different eras, leaving anachronistic clues on their bodies, until, in 1989, one of his victims, Kirby Mazrachi, survives and turns the hunt around.

BOOK TAGS⇣

⤏ TIME TRAVELING 
⤏ SERIAL KILLER THRILLER
⤏ MYSTERY WITH SUSPENSE
⤏ GRAPHIC SCENES
⤏ FULL-CAST NARRATION

BOOK DETAILS⇣

AUDIO PERFORMED BY⇢ KHRISTINE HVAM, PETER GANIM, JAY SNYDER, JOSHUA BOONE, DANI CERVONE, & JENNA HELLMUTH

NARRATION RATING⇢  4/5

BOOK COVER⇢ A BUZZING BEE...WELL, IT DID HELP ME WITH A READING CHALLENGE

SETTING⇢ CHICAGO...TIME-JUMPING THROUGHOUT THE YEARS

SOURCE⇢ LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)

AUDIOBOOK LENGTH⇢ 10 HOURS, 33 MINUTES

MY THOUGHTS⇣

I'm usually never disappointed with a full-cast narration...but one particular voice was really bland...and he was the voice of the time-traveling serial killer...and unfortunately, his POV was the one we heard from the most.  Which then brings me to my other issue...I didn't like being in his head.  He was icky, like sexual predator icky, I didn't want to be in his head at all.  I get it, you're not supposed to like him...but sometimes it helps if you can like him at least a little...you know, like Joe (from YOU).  If he had any of the charisma that Joe had...then it might have been better. 

Other than that, the whole concept of a time-traveling serial killer was terrific. I just not sure how well she pulled it off.  If you read the synopsis of this, it states that the house is what made him kill the girls...not his own sadistic tendencies.  If it really is the house then I missed important information while listening to this.  And if that's the case it was most likely due to the overly bland narrator, which I assume was Peter Ganim.  I tended to let my mind wander away from the story whenever he was narrating. 

Khristine Hvam was wonderful as Kirby, but even her parts of the story left me feeling confused sometimes.  Although it's possible the constant time-jumping, and an over abundance of characters, is what really had me unable to follow the story, plus that splash of romance felt uncomfortable and unnecessary to the plot. Overall I wanted to like this more than I actually did.  

MY RATING⇢ 3✰STARS✰

BREAKDOWN⇣

Plot⇢ 3.5/5

Characters⇢ 3.8/5

The Feels⇢ 2.5/5

Pacing⇢ 3/5

Addictiveness⇢ 3/5

Theme or Tone⇢ 3.5/5

Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 3/5

World-Building⇢ 2/5

Originality⇢ 5/5

Ending⇢ 3.8/5

FEBRUARY⤏ RECAP

MONTHLY RE-CAP

FEBRUARY⤏

What a February it was...First off, we got a new puppy...the people we got her from said she was 7 weeks old and her mother died giving birth to her.  So sad...we took her to the vet to see about getting her some shots and they said she was still too young because she was more like 5 weeks old.  So far she is doing good, and she is such a cutie...she is a mix of Lab and Husky and her name is Sophie...She has one bright blue eye and one that is darker blue, and I'm thinking it might end up being brown, eventually.  It's hard to say because she is only 6 weeks old.

Since we didn't get Sophie until the 23rd...I still managed to get quite a few books finished.  That could change for March because she sure is a handful.  I've been calling her zombie dog...since her favorite thing to chew on is human flesh.

My stand-outs for the month being my reread/listen of The Grace Year and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, which has a full-cast narration and was really awesome.

MY RECAP FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY⤏

12⤏ AUDIOBOOKS

 1⤏ eBOOK (NETGALLEY ARC)

 1⤏ NOVELLA

14⤏ BOOKS TOTAL

4,665 PAGES READ (INCLUDING AUDIO'S)

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AUDIOBOOK
SOCIAL CREATURE
BY TARA ISABELLA BURTON

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ I think I only finished it...in hopes that they would all die in the end.

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP
⤏ SOMEONE DIES
⤏ CHIC-LIT-ISH
⤏ A TALENTED MR RIPLEY FOR THE DIGITAL AGE
⤏ ANNOYING CHARACTERS
⤏ I WANTED THEM ALL TO DIE IN THE END
FINISH DATE:  02/02
MY RATING⇢ 1½✰STARS✰

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AUDIOBOOK
THE STRANGER GAME
BY CYLIN BUSBY

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ It's more a story of perseverance or the tenacity of the living to keep on doing so, and maybe make their world a place that they can live in.

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ 15 YEAR OLD GIRL GOES MISSING
⤏  4 YEARS LATER SHE IS FOUND
⤏ EVERYONE THINKS SHE IS SARAH...BUT IS SHE REALLY
⤏ WHAT REALLY HAPPENED THE DAY SARAH WENT MISSING???
FINISH DATE:  02/04
MY RATING⇢ 4✰STARS✰

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AUDIOBOOK
BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY
BY RUTA SEPETYS

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ An enlightening yet brutally harsh look at the atrocities committed to Lithuanians by Stalin/Russia during WWII.

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ WWII
⤏ LITHUANIAN DEPORTATION
⤏ SIBERIAN WINTER
⤏ THE BRUTALITIES OF WAR
⤏ A STORY ABOUT THE POWER OF LOVE & THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SOUL
FINISH DATE:  02/06
MY RATING⇢ 4¼✰STARS✰

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AUDIOBOOK

A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER

BY HOLLY JACKSON

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ This one had many curious layers to it, the deeper she dug the more layers she uncovered.

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ HIGH SCHOOL CAPSTONE PROJECT
⤏ A MURDER FIVE YEARS AGO
⤏ MYSTERY WITH LAYERS & TWISTS
⤏ DISPERSED WITH INTERVIEWS
⤏ FULL CAST NARRATION
FINISH DATE:  02/07
MY RATING⇢ 4½✰STARS✰

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AUDIOBOOK
PRISONER
BY ANNIKA MARTIN & SKYE WARREN

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ I was worried this would be one of those stories with more sex scenes than an actual story...but it actually had a perfect balance of each.

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ DARK-ISH CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
⤏ SUSPENSE WITH SOME THRILLING MOMENTS
⤏ TWO BROKEN PEOPLE
⤏ A RIVETING BACKSTORY
FINISH DATE:  02/10
MY RATING⇢ 4✰STARS✰

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AUDIOBOOK
THE GRACE YEAR
BY KIM LIGGETT

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ This book is a lot of things...dubious, challenging, frustrating, darkly horrifying, curing, wonderful, loving, saddening, hopeful & most of all empowering.

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ RE-READ ON AUDIO --ONE OF MY TOP 3 BOOKS OF 2019
⤏ DYSTOPIAN SETTING/ALTERNATE WORLD
⤏ SOCIETY WHERE MEN HAVE ALL THE POWER
⤏ OPPRESSION OF WOMEN
⤏ HORROR-IF-IC
⤏ DEATH, LIES, & BETRAYAL
⤏ SPLASH OF ROMANCE
⤏ WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN
⤏ STAND-ALONE
⤏ BONUS INTERVIEW WITH KIM LIGGETT AT THE END OF THE AUDIO
FINISH DATE:  02/13
MY RATING⇢ 5+✰STARS✰

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AUDIOBOOK
THE LAST CONFESSION OF AUTUMN CASTERLY
BY MEREDITH TATE

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ There are elements in this book that totally worked for me and a few that fizzled...as in they felt unnecessary to me.

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ REMINISCENT OF IF I STAY MIXED WITH A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
⤏ BEATEN, KIDNAPPED & BOUND
⤏ THE BOND OF SISTERS
⤏ HOW MUCH LOSING YOUR MOTHER CAN AFFECT YOU
⤏ IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDSHIP
FINISH DATE:  02/14
MY RATING⇢ 4✰STARS✰

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AUDIOBOOK

THE BONE HOUSES

BY EMILY LLOYD-JONES

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ I wanted to like this more than I actually did because it's so wholly original.

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ BONE HOUSES...AKA THE WALKING DEAD
⤏ FANTASTICAL W/A SIDE OF MAGIC
⤏ CREEPY YA HORROR
⤏ SPLASH OF ROMANCE
⤏ A BONE HOUSE GOAT...WHO IS REALLY THE STAR OF THE WHOLE BOOK
FINISH DATE:  02/15
MY RATING⇢ 3¼✰STARS✰

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AUDIOBOOK

DAMSEL

BY ELANA K ARNOLD

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ Overall, this was more uncouth than anything else...but the ending was just about perfect...so, go figure.

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ DARK FAIRYTALE RETELLING
⤏ QUITE SEXUALLY CRUDE & SHOULD COME WITH A WARNING
⤏ WITH A FORCED SEXUAL ACT...BUT NO ACTUAL SEX
⤏ DIDN'T FEEL LIKE YA TO ME
⤏ A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS...
⤏ WHO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE NEEDED RESCUING
FINISH DATE:  02/18
MY RATING⇢ 3✰STARS✰

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NETGALLEY eARC

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

BY GREER HENDRICKS & SARAH PEKKANEN

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ Told mainly from the POV of Shay, and interspersed with POV's of a few other key players, with a few flashbacks to the past, everything slowly converges, like watching a painting come together. 

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ ONE MAIN POV INTERSPERSED WITH A MULTITUDE OF OTHERS
⤏ PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
⤏ A SLOW BUILD-UP KIND OF MYSTERY
⤏ REVENGE ISN'T ALWAYS SWEET
FINISH DATE:  02/20
MY RATING⇢ 4✰STARS✰

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AUDIOBOOK

FAME, FATE, AND THE FIRST KISS

BY KASIE WEST

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ If I summed this book up in one word, it would be AWKWARD.

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ ASPIRING ACTRESS HEROINE
⤏ TUTOR/CRITIC HERO
⤏ CAMPY ZOMBIE MOVIE
⤏ A LITTLE BIT OF MYSTERY
⤏ SECOND IN A SERIES BUT CAN BE READ AS A STAND-ALONE
FINISH DATE:  02/21
MY RATING⇢ 2✰STARS✰

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NOVELLA eBOOK
THE WINTER QUEEN
BY SHERRY D FICKLIN

MY REVIEW IN BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ MINI NOVELLA LENGTH
⤏ AN INTRODUCTION TO HOLLOW QUEEN
⤏ PREQUEL TO SOPHIE/CATHERINE'S STORY...AT LEAST I THINK IT WAS...???
⤏ STORY FELT RUSHED
⤏ WRITING COULD HAVE USED POLISHING UP
⤏ MAYBE I'LL CONTINUE THE SERIES...
⤏ ROUNDED UP SINCE I DID LIKE THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES
FINISH DATE:  02/21
MY RATING⇢ 2½✰STARS✰

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AUDIOBOOK
STAR WARS: REBEL RISING
BY BETH REVIS

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ It was interesting to get a backstory for Jyn...one that fits with her character in Rogue One.

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ JYN ERSO'S STORY
⤏ FROM THE TIME HER MOTHER DIES AND FATHER DISAPPEARS
⤏ TOLD IN ALTERNATING TIMELINES
⤏ NOT NEARLY ENOUGH DROIDS IN THIS ONE
⤏ SPLASH OF ROMANCE
FINISH DATE:  02/25
MY RATING⇢ 3½✰STARS✰

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AUDIOBOOK
THE LOST NIGHT
BY ANDREA BARTZ

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE⤏ I found the story within this mystery rather fascinating.

LINK TO FULL REVIEW

BOOK TAGS⇣
⤏ MYSTERIOUS QUESTIONABLE SUICIDE
⤏ THE PARTY LIFE IN 2009
⤏ FOGGY, ALCOHOL INDUCED MEMORIES (BLACKOUT DRUNK)
⤏ A VERY UNRELIABLE NARRATOR
⤏ PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
FINISH DATE:  02/29
MY RATING⇢ 4¼✰STARS✰

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BEST COVER FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY GOES TO...

because that skull is fantastic...

REVIEW⇢ THE LOST NIGHT

BY ANDREA BARTZ

SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
What really happened the night Edie died? Ten years later, her best friend Lindsay will learn how unprepared she is for the truth.
In 2009, Edie had New York’s social world in her thrall. Mercurial and beguiling, she was the shining star of a group of recent graduates living in a Brooklyn loft and treating the city like their playground. When Edie’s body was found near a suicide note at the end of a long, drunken night, no one could believe it. Grief, shock, and resentment scattered the group and brought the era to an abrupt end.
A decade later, Lindsay has come a long way from the drug-addled world of Calhoun Lofts. She has devoted best friends, a cozy apartment, and a thriving career as a magazine’s head fact-checker. But when a chance reunion leads Lindsay to discover an unsettling video from that hazy night, she starts to wonder if Edie was actually murdered—and, worse, if she herself was involved. As she rifles through those months in 2009—combing through case files, old technology, and her fractured memories—Lindsay is forced to confront the demons of her own violent history to bring the truth to light.

BOOK TAGS⇣

⤏ MYSTERIOUS QUESTIONABLE SUICIDE
⤏ THE PARTY LIFE IN 2009
⤏ FOGGY, ALCOHOL INDUCED MEMORIES (BLACKOUT DRUNK)
⤏ A VERY UNRELIABLE NARRATOR
⤏ PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

BOOK DETAILS⇣

AUDIO PERFORMED BY⇢ KRISTEN SIEH, BRITTANY PRESSLEY, WILL DAMRON, FRED BERMAN, AND MACLEOD ANDREWS

NARRATION RATING⇢  4.5/5

BOOK COVER⇢ WHO DOESN'T LOVE DRUG INDUCED BLURRY LIGHTS?

SETTING⇢ NEW YORK

SOURCE⇢ LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)

AUDIOBOOK LENGTH⇢ 10 HOURS, 20 MINUTES

MY THOUGHTS⇣

For the most part, this is narrated by Kristen Sieh as Lindsay and I liked her better in this than I did another audiobook.  But the best part is we get a separate narrator for each person whose head we are in.  Which I like a lot.  Did the excellent narration carry this story?  I don't really know, but a lot of other people didn't really care for this book, so maybe.  But in all seriousness, I found the story within this mystery rather fascinating.

It delves into the mysteries of our memories and how our brain can play tricks on us and makes us remember are memories differently, especially if it's something we don't want to remember. It shows the highs and lows of being a 20-something, especially the dark side of getting blackout drunk or just drinking excessively, without glorifying it.  Although, it helps that I've done some hard-partying myself in the past and it's probably why this resonated with me. 

If you can relate to characters who once relished the party life and everything that goes with that, and you also like an unreliable narrator, then this could totally be your jam.  I also saw on Andrea Bartz's website that this is being optioned by Cartel Entertainment for development as a limited series, with Mila Kunis’ Orchard Farm set to produce, so we'll see if that happens.   

MY RATING⇢ 4¼✰STARS✰

BREAKDOWN⇣

Plot⇢ 4/5

Characters⇢ 4/5

The Feels⇢ 3.8/5

Pacing⇢ 4/5

Addictiveness⇢ 4.2/5

Theme or Tone⇢ 4/5

Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 4.3/5

Twisty-ness⇢ 3.7/5

Originality⇢ 4/5

Ending⇢ 4.3/5

REVIEW⇢ REBEL RISING (STAR WARS)

BY BETH REVIS

SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
When Jyn Erso was eight years old, her mother was murdered and her father taken from her to serve the Empire. But despite the loss of her parents, she is not completely alone-Saw Gerrera, a man willing to go to any extremes necessary in order to resist Imperial tyranny takes her in as his own, and gives her not only a home but all the abilities and resources she needs to become a rebel herself.

Jyn dedicates herself to the cause-and the man. But fighting alongside Saw and his people brings with it danger and the question of just how far Jyn is willing to go as one of Saw’s soldiers. When she faces an unthinkable betrayal that shatters her world, Jyn will have to pull the pieces of herself back together and figure out what she truly believes in… and who she can really trust.

BOOK TAGS⇣

⤏ JYN ERSO'S STORY
⤏ FROM THE TIME HER MOTHER DIES AND FATHER DISAPPEARS
⤏ TOLD IN ALTERNATING TIMELINES
⤏ NOT NEARLY ENOUGH DROIDS IN THIS ONE
⤏ SPLASH OF ROMANCE

BOOK DETAILS⇣

AUDIO PERFORMED BY⇢ REBECCA SOLAR
NARRATION RATING⇢  3.5/5 --I DON'T THINK SHE WAS GOOD FIT...
BOOK COVER⇢ IT WORKS

SETTING⇢ STAR WARS UNIVERSE

SOURCE⇢ LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)

AUDIOBOOK LENGTH⇢ 9 HOURS, 53 MINUTES

MY THOUGHTS⇣

This is my third book in Star Wars Disney Canon Novels and despite really liking Rogue One (the movie), I didn't like this as much as Solo or Most Wanted.  It was okay, but it didn't grab me like those books did.  Maybe, it was the lack of droids or the narration or the timing of when I read it.  It could even possibly be the constant back in forth of timelines; that I couldn't follow, or maybe it was the writing. Not to say that I don't like Beth Revis' writing, just that possibly since Rae Carson's Most Wanted was the first Star Wars book I listened too, maybe I like her writing best because she was what I cut my teeth on, so to speak.

It's not as if it's lacking action, because there is plenty of that and it also has heartfelt moments too...and it was interesting to get a backstory for Jyn...one that fit with her character in Rogue One.  Overall, I think it was a little of each of those reasons above that made it less than spectacular for me.

MY RATING⇢ 3½✰STARS✰

BREAKDOWN⇣

Plot⇢ 3.7/5

Characters⇢ 4/5

The Feels⇢ 3.5/5

Pacing⇢ 3.5/5

Addictiveness⇢ 3.5/5

Theme or Tone⇢ 4/5

Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 3/5

World-Building⇢ 4/5

Ending⇢ 3.5/5