hayleygray's reviews
69 reviews

My Policeman by Bethan Roberts

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

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

2.5

After reading It Ends With Us and experiencing the extraordinary emotional and feelings throughout it, this sequel was a bit of a let-down. I whole-heartedly understand that everyone that read IEWU wanted Lily and Atlas’ happy endings (as they deserved) but, this book felt forced and ironically fake. IEWU felt real – there were real issues dealt in a painful and true manner and relationships with lines blurred and complex realities within them. Yet, It Starts With Us had none of that except Lily and Alyssa’s friendship and sisterhood which I deeply respect. The rest of the novel was a romance blossoming between Lily and Atlas whilst Lily attempted to balance motherhood and co-parenting with her abuser. I respected this narrative, until Atlas became the inevitable hero and saving Lily from her abusive ex with a simple conversation with some deep metaphors attached… predictable and degrading for a strong protagonist who has overcome hell on her own to be saved by a guy who waltzed into her life after a decade. I enjoyed it overall, but I felt let-down and honestly would have preferred for the story to end with IEWU so that Lily kept her strength, power and energy after taking it back from her abuser rather than being saved by another man. 
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The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

Reading this book was like taking the first sip of a cup of tea in your favourite mug, wrapped in a blanket next to an open fire. The Autumn, witchy vibes were immaculate (don’t get me started on the sexual chemistry because wow!) 
This was everything I needed in a book during cosy pumpkin season and it did not disappoint. I wish I could read it again for the first time. 
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Hare House by Sally Hinchcliffe

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

4.25

Scottish gothic folklore 🤝 witchcraft

This was an interesting, dark and mysterious story that keeps you guessing at what is happening/has happened with the answers leaving you asking even more questions. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as I’m Scottish and love Scottish/Gaelic folklore and also it’s witch season, so it was the perfect read for the start of October. Hinchcliffe has a way of bringing the setting to life as you’re reading with such attention to detail but written in a way that keeps you engaged and building that world in your head. 
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The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? No

4.0

Starting this second story in the Thursday Murder Club series was like sitting down for dinner with old friends and catching up on all their crazy life stories that you missed during your time apart – I loved it just as much as the first novel. The murder mystery intertwines itself with humour, friendships, love, and pain. Yet, it never loses charm, appeal or the moral of the story. 
I cannot wait to read the third and fourth instalments of this series and catch back up with the Thursday Murder Club!
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Girlcrush by Florence Given

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dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

So fucking powerful. 
I went into this text with an open mind, mainly drawn by the cover and excerpt from the book on the inside of the sleeve as I’m very interested in social media and it’s dark realities. As soon as I started reading, I was hooked. The characters were real and the stories were raw and relatable. Even though this book is set in 2030 with online avatars and some Black Mirror-type shit, the story was authentic and reflects the harsh realities and truths of a very real society. 
The ending was phenomenal and I would highly recommend to anyone of any race, religion, sex, gender, sexuality… please read this. It will free your inner self that may be obsessed with your online self. 
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Six Days by Dani Atkins

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? No

5.0

Perfect.
That’s the word that came to mind when I finished this book. Perfect. 
I have never read a book like this: beautiful romance story wrapped within a mystery that conflicts your opinions and emotions, every step of the way. I was hooked from the very first page and I physically couldn’t put the book down until it was finished and now I wish I could read it again for the first time. 
Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. 
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It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

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

2.5

After reading the first book in this trilogy and watching the new Amazon TV series, I decided to give the rest of the trilogy a try. I am sadly a bit disappointed in this book after how much I enjoyed the first series of the show. The show seemed to combine a lot of aspects from both books whilst making the cast more diverse and making the story (and Belly) more likeable. I felt like the story didn’t go anywhere – a lot of back and forth from Conrad to Jeremiah – with Belly complaining the whole time. I’ll finish the trilogy but I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first book or the show. 
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I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Wow. This is an incredibly raw and emotional book. As someone who has undergone the same/similar aspects of eating disorders and emotional abuse at the hands of their mother, listening to the audiobook version of this book was like therapy for me. Thank you to Jennette for writing this and sharing her story with those who need to hear it. I am inspired by the power and voice she has taken back by writing this and I recommend it to anyone who has been through something similar. It is deeply traumatic and graphic with the horrific experiences Jennette has been through but she tells the story in a really sympathetic and calm way so that it doesn’t overwhelm the reader. 
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The Places I've Cried in Public by Holly Bourne

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

3.25

At first, I struggled to get into this book. The writing style didn’t intrigue me and I felt the beginning was a little lacklustre. However, as I reached the main turning point, everything made sense. This is a story about a teenage girls journey to finding herself after surviving horrific emotional and sexual abuse from her boyfriend. I felt close to her throughout the story and only wanted the best for her. My heart broke when hers did, my tears ran when hers did, and I was proud of her every step of the way. This is not an easy read… it contains some dark and disturbing imagery and realities of women who undergo domestic abuse. But it needed to be told. And Bourne told it well. 
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