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obsidian_blue's reviews
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The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten
2.0
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
You would think a locked room mystery (an island cut off from everything except by boat or ferry) would be my jam, but this was boring and at times defied any type of logic. I think jumping around the timelines didn't help either. All in all, just a snooze.
"The Bachelorette Party" takes place off the coast of Sweden. During timeline one, we have four friends--Tilly, Anna, Linnea and Evelina--who meet every year for a get together. However, something happens and the four women are never seen again. Ten years later, we follow another group of women, going to the same location for a bachelorette party at a new hotel that has been built. We mostly follow Tessa, who is an ex-true crime podcaster who is hoping to use this trip to dive into what happened to these women to be able to redeem herself after an incident has left her persona non grata. The other women with Tessa, is her sister, Lena; the bride to be, Anneliese; Mikaela, maid of honor; Natalie, the new girl; and Caroline. There's also the owner of the hotel, Irene and the hotel chef, Adam.
I will say, that Tessa and her ever increasing fear just didn't work tension wise for me. It just felt like it was coming out of nowhere. I think until we get to the certain point in the story it just felt aimless to me. I also think us not knowing what happened to her in the past until most of the book was almost done, hindered the story. Maybe if the story had started with that first, that would have made sense to why she was so focused on the original four missing women. I think I just got lost once we started shifting to Matilda and then getting newspaper articles, text messages, emails, etc. to read through. It just keeps you pulled from the story entirely IMHO.
The book shifts over to some Agatha Christie lite at one point, and I wish that Sten had pushed in on that more.
The setting of the island had the potential to be creepy and mysterious, but it didn't fit the mood of the book.
The reveals and the whys were some head scratchers to me too by the way. It just didn't make a lot of sense to me and I think that took away from the book.
You would think a locked room mystery (an island cut off from everything except by boat or ferry) would be my jam, but this was boring and at times defied any type of logic. I think jumping around the timelines didn't help either. All in all, just a snooze.
"The Bachelorette Party" takes place off the coast of Sweden. During timeline one, we have four friends--Tilly, Anna, Linnea and Evelina--who meet every year for a get together. However, something happens and the four women are never seen again. Ten years later, we follow another group of women, going to the same location for a bachelorette party at a new hotel that has been built. We mostly follow Tessa, who is an ex-true crime podcaster who is hoping to use this trip to dive into what happened to these women to be able to redeem herself after an incident has left her persona non grata. The other women with Tessa, is her sister, Lena; the bride to be, Anneliese; Mikaela, maid of honor; Natalie, the new girl; and Caroline. There's also the owner of the hotel, Irene and the hotel chef, Adam.
I will say, that Tessa and her ever increasing fear just didn't work tension wise for me. It just felt like it was coming out of nowhere. I think until we get to the certain point in the story it just felt aimless to me. I also think us not knowing what happened to her in the past until most of the book was almost done, hindered the story. Maybe if the story had started with that first, that would have made sense to why she was so focused on the original four missing women. I think I just got lost once we started shifting to Matilda and then getting newspaper articles, text messages, emails, etc. to read through. It just keeps you pulled from the story entirely IMHO.
The book shifts over to some Agatha Christie lite at one point, and I wish that Sten had pushed in on that more.
The setting of the island had the potential to be creepy and mysterious, but it didn't fit the mood of the book.
The reveals and the whys were some head scratchers to me too by the way. It just didn't make a lot of sense to me and I think that took away from the book.
The Lost House by Melissa Larsen
2.0
Please note that I received this via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
I was so hopeful on this one, but the book falls apart before it even gets going and the ending had me going okay then. I liked the idea of the Agnes going to Iceland to see if she can figure out what happened to her grandfather's wife and daughter, but it was so hamfisted and it just didn't work. I am realizing that maybe it would have been better to have the story told through the eyes of Nora Carver (the podcaster).
"The Lost House" follows Agnes traveling to Iceland to be interviewed by a true crime podcaster, Nora Carver. Agnes has dealt with her father and grandfather not talking about what happened to drive them from Iceland about 40 years earlier. All Agnes knows is that her grandmother and aunt were both found murdered and left in the snow. Many thought Agnes's grandfather did it, but she does not believe that and wants to clear his name. She agrees to stay with Nora so she can be interviewed and also see where her family is from.
Agnes was a lot. I think that Larsen had way too much happening with her to the point that I found her distracting to the central plot/story. I didn't care about her love life, the insta-love that happened in the story was just so bizarre I didn't even really get what that was about, and she was just a poor amateur investigator. I just found myself taking out of the story so much with her and I wish that Larsen had switched to Nora's POV for some of this.
The other characters are paper thin outside of Nora I thought. I found her more interesting along with her backstory and why she got involved with true crime. She also seemed to read people way better than Agnes did. I thought the podcast angle was a good one, but it just seems to be picked up and dropped off randomly in the story because of Agnes and what she was doing.
The plot was pretty basic to me because it can only be one of two things, the grandfather did it, or someone else did it. And there's not a lot there to only think one thing IMHO.
The setting of Iceland I wish had been leaned into more. It felt like most of this book took place in the rental that Agnes and Nora were at or other rooms. The beginning of the book with the descriptions showed promise though.
The ending just felt broken apart. I really want to know what happened with certain characters and was disappointed on how Larsen ended things.
I was so hopeful on this one, but the book falls apart before it even gets going and the ending had me going okay then. I liked the idea of the Agnes going to Iceland to see if she can figure out what happened to her grandfather's wife and daughter, but it was so hamfisted and it just didn't work. I am realizing that maybe it would have been better to have the story told through the eyes of Nora Carver (the podcaster).
"The Lost House" follows Agnes traveling to Iceland to be interviewed by a true crime podcaster, Nora Carver. Agnes has dealt with her father and grandfather not talking about what happened to drive them from Iceland about 40 years earlier. All Agnes knows is that her grandmother and aunt were both found murdered and left in the snow. Many thought Agnes's grandfather did it, but she does not believe that and wants to clear his name. She agrees to stay with Nora so she can be interviewed and also see where her family is from.
Agnes was a lot. I think that Larsen had way too much happening with her to the point that I found her distracting to the central plot/story. I didn't care about her love life, the insta-love that happened in the story was just so bizarre I didn't even really get what that was about, and she was just a poor amateur investigator. I just found myself taking out of the story so much with her and I wish that Larsen had switched to Nora's POV for some of this.
The other characters are paper thin outside of Nora I thought. I found her more interesting along with her backstory and why she got involved with true crime. She also seemed to read people way better than Agnes did. I thought the podcast angle was a good one, but it just seems to be picked up and dropped off randomly in the story because of Agnes and what she was doing.
The plot was pretty basic to me because it can only be one of two things, the grandfather did it, or someone else did it. And there's not a lot there to only think one thing IMHO.
The setting of Iceland I wish had been leaned into more. It felt like most of this book took place in the rental that Agnes and Nora were at or other rooms. The beginning of the book with the descriptions showed promise though.
The ending just felt broken apart. I really want to know what happened with certain characters and was disappointed on how Larsen ended things.
Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
A friend said it best, this started off like a very good Hitchcock inspired "Psycho" but McFadden is going to McFadden. It just got really bad towards the 2nd act following Quinn's sister Claudia and then the book just ground to a halt when we shifted over to [redacted]. I was just disappointed with the whole thing. And the twist ending we get (again) made zero sense to the point I just went whatever.
"Do Not Disturb" follows Quinn who is running away in the dead of night from her home. She comes across a fairly decrepit motel called the Baxter Motel. Quinn knows she has to keep moving, but someone seems determined to keep her there and Quinn gets more worried as she finds out more about the motel's history and a woman who stayed there years earlier who was found murdered. Then the book shifts to Claudia who is determined to find her sister.
I think the book was really slow when we followed Quinn. Once again, we start off with her in a harrowing beginning scene and McFadden did not do a great job with keeping up with the tension of that and why Quinn was running away. Things got better when we shifted to Claudia I thought. She actually came more alive to me than Quinn did and it was fun following her. But the book shifted again to another character and then shifted again to another character and then back to a character and it slowed down to the point I was just forcing myself to finish this. I just felt like I was getting different versions of this book and none of them were good after a while.
The setting of the Baxter Motel in a snowstorm was a great mystery/thriller setting and McFadden didn't do enough with it.
The ending was a letdown and a half. I think McFadden gets so focused on her twists she doesn't do a great job with character development.
"Do Not Disturb" follows Quinn who is running away in the dead of night from her home. She comes across a fairly decrepit motel called the Baxter Motel. Quinn knows she has to keep moving, but someone seems determined to keep her there and Quinn gets more worried as she finds out more about the motel's history and a woman who stayed there years earlier who was found murdered. Then the book shifts to Claudia who is determined to find her sister.
I think the book was really slow when we followed Quinn. Once again, we start off with her in a harrowing beginning scene and McFadden did not do a great job with keeping up with the tension of that and why Quinn was running away. Things got better when we shifted to Claudia I thought. She actually came more alive to me than Quinn did and it was fun following her. But the book shifted again to another character and then shifted again to another character and then back to a character and it slowed down to the point I was just forcing myself to finish this. I just felt like I was getting different versions of this book and none of them were good after a while.
The setting of the Baxter Motel in a snowstorm was a great mystery/thriller setting and McFadden didn't do enough with it.
The ending was a letdown and a half. I think McFadden gets so focused on her twists she doesn't do a great job with character development.
Ward D by Freida McFadden
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I got nothing. The main character was exhausting and also, we are doing the TSTL thing to the point that I was hoping for a different ending because Amy was so painfully obtuse it hurt after a while. Typical McFadden book, follow heroine to some really dumb plot, heroine flashes back to high school to some character who is important to said plot, lather rinse repeat, twist, and then other twist. This was just not good in any way shape or form. I just got sick of the plot holes and the exhaustion of the whole thing. Not McFadden's best by a long shot.
"Ward D" follows medical student, Amy Brenner. She is going to be locked in overnight at a psychiatric facility as part of her rotation. The location has a Ward D where she is very scared to be in because of who is housed there. As the night goes on, Amy is confronted with someone from her past and the possibility that someone very dangerous is on the loose.
This could have been a fun version of "And Then There Were None" but nope. This was just pretty bad from beginning to end. Amy is not written well. McFadden also has her saying the same things over and over again about Cameron to the point I didn't want to hear about him anymore. And also what we find out messes with the whole ending because it does not make sense in context of what the character had been saying. And no unreliable narrator does not work here, it just seemed to be something that McFadden ignored because hey she wanted to just have her twists. Also, the whole thing about American cheese was weird and not true. I didn't even know where that came from and each time I was like....so she's too poor to just buy a damn sandwich that is not 2 years old cheese? Anyway, moving on.
Other characters we get introduced to are not developed at all.
The plot was thin and the whole explanation for things and certain characters was messy as hell.
The ending made me roll my eyes.
"Ward D" follows medical student, Amy Brenner. She is going to be locked in overnight at a psychiatric facility as part of her rotation. The location has a Ward D where she is very scared to be in because of who is housed there. As the night goes on, Amy is confronted with someone from her past and the possibility that someone very dangerous is on the loose.
This could have been a fun version of "And Then There Were None" but nope. This was just pretty bad from beginning to end. Amy is not written well. McFadden also has her saying the same things over and over again about Cameron to the point I didn't want to hear about him anymore. And also what we find out messes with the whole ending because it does not make sense in context of what the character had been saying. And no unreliable narrator does not work here, it just seemed to be something that McFadden ignored because hey she wanted to just have her twists. Also, the whole thing about American cheese was weird and not true. I didn't even know where that came from and each time I was like....so she's too poor to just buy a damn sandwich that is not 2 years old cheese? Anyway, moving on.
Other characters we get introduced to are not developed at all.
The plot was thin and the whole explanation for things and certain characters was messy as hell.
The ending made me roll my eyes.
The Inmate by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
This was painful to read after a while. I thought the premise sounded good, but then you get to the third act and everything went to hell real quick. I also hated the twist that McFadden leaves us with in the end. She keeps doing that and it's so used at this point I just expect another twist in her endings which just has her as a so-so thriller writer to me at this point. There were also plot holes galore that did my head in.
"The Inmate" follows Brooke Sullivan who is now working as a nurse at the penitentiary in her hometown. Brooke though is worried that she may eventually come face to face with a man that left her for dead when they were teenagers. Brooke used to be in love with Shane Nelson and he with her, until an incident caused him to be locked up for life and Brooke ends up leaving her hometown til now. Brooke though starts to have doubts about the things she remembered and wonders if Shane has been telling the truth for the past ten years about how he is innocent.
Eh. Look, Brooke is doing the TSTL thing to the point that I was just over her. There's no logical thinking skills going on at all. The whole reason why she goes back to her hometown (when she tells you how traumatized she is) made zero sense and it's something that McFadden should have dropped. The other characters (the ones we barely get) are so underdeveloped that it's surreal.
The 'plot' was just bad in this one. Probably because as I said there were plot holes you can drive a truck into. I know that most readers find her books entertaining, but I am starting to realize that out of the Housemaid's series, she's not that great. The 'why' behind everything was so damn dumb I think I lost IQ points.
"The Inmate" follows Brooke Sullivan who is now working as a nurse at the penitentiary in her hometown. Brooke though is worried that she may eventually come face to face with a man that left her for dead when they were teenagers. Brooke used to be in love with Shane Nelson and he with her, until an incident caused him to be locked up for life and Brooke ends up leaving her hometown til now. Brooke though starts to have doubts about the things she remembered and wonders if Shane has been telling the truth for the past ten years about how he is innocent.
Eh. Look, Brooke is doing the TSTL thing to the point that I was just over her. There's no logical thinking skills going on at all. The whole reason why she goes back to her hometown (when she tells you how traumatized she is) made zero sense and it's something that McFadden should have dropped. The other characters (the ones we barely get) are so underdeveloped that it's surreal.
The 'plot' was just bad in this one. Probably because as I said there were plot holes you can drive a truck into. I know that most readers find her books entertaining, but I am starting to realize that out of the Housemaid's series, she's not that great. The 'why' behind everything was so damn dumb I think I lost IQ points.
Such a Good Mom: A Novel by Julia Spiro
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
<b> Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review. </b>
Honestly, not a bad thriller, but the whole book just falls apart at one point and never gets itself back on track. I liked the idea of looking at a woman's post-partum depression, but the whole murder to solve thing just felt like a weird combination since there was a lot happening and you didn't have a lot of time to focus.
"Such a Good Mom" focuses on Brynn Nelson who is still reeling after the birth of her son. She's not really able to put into words what is wrong with her, but taking a shower and even sleep seem beyond her. She knows she used to love her husband, but now she feels frustrated by everything he does. When a murder takes place though, Brynn is left investigating because she does not think the person accused could have done it.
It was a bit exhausting being in Brynn's head so much, and honestly that's just because Spiro just writes her repetitively after a while. I thought that Brynn was not very developed and neither were a lot of the other characters after a while.
The book takes place on Martha's Vineyard, but we get a different side to it in this book because Brynn and her husband are "natives". They grew up there and she doesn't want to ever leave even though it's hard to make a living there year round. Brynn's husband is in construction and she's fighting to get back to writing.
The why behind the murder didn't make sense and then who did it and why was so obvious I kept waiting for Brynn to catch up. I think that Spiro just should have stuck with one theme. If she wanted to write about how hard motherhood is, that would have been fine. That honestly were the best parts of the book. The tossing in of the murder and cast of characters did not work really. It felt like an afterthought after a while. And I have never been pregnant, but even I knew that she was dealing with post partum depression and her refusing to acknowledge it was weird after a while. It just felt like there were so many different things happening in this one it took a while to sort through.
Honestly, not a bad thriller, but the whole book just falls apart at one point and never gets itself back on track. I liked the idea of looking at a woman's post-partum depression, but the whole murder to solve thing just felt like a weird combination since there was a lot happening and you didn't have a lot of time to focus.
"Such a Good Mom" focuses on Brynn Nelson who is still reeling after the birth of her son. She's not really able to put into words what is wrong with her, but taking a shower and even sleep seem beyond her. She knows she used to love her husband, but now she feels frustrated by everything he does. When a murder takes place though, Brynn is left investigating because she does not think the person accused could have done it.
It was a bit exhausting being in Brynn's head so much, and honestly that's just because Spiro just writes her repetitively after a while. I thought that Brynn was not very developed and neither were a lot of the other characters after a while.
The book takes place on Martha's Vineyard, but we get a different side to it in this book because Brynn and her husband are "natives". They grew up there and she doesn't want to ever leave even though it's hard to make a living there year round. Brynn's husband is in construction and she's fighting to get back to writing.
The why behind the murder didn't make sense and then who did it and why was so obvious I kept waiting for Brynn to catch up. I think that Spiro just should have stuck with one theme. If she wanted to write about how hard motherhood is, that would have been fine. That honestly were the best parts of the book. The tossing in of the murder and cast of characters did not work really. It felt like an afterthought after a while. And I have never been pregnant, but even I knew that she was dealing with post partum depression and her refusing to acknowledge it was weird after a while. It just felt like there were so many different things happening in this one it took a while to sort through.
The Gift by Freida McFadden
4.0
Not a bad thriller. It's fairly short and McFadden did a great job with the whole reverse "Gift of the Magi" thing. I also like that for once you didn't see the ending coming at all and it made sense in the context of the story.
Bonded in Death by J.D. Robb
3.0
<b>Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review. </b>
Not much to say about this one, it's a solid 3 star "In Death" book, but the 60th book laid all of the flaws of the series out there in my opinion.
This "In Death" focuses on Summerset and a group of people he worked with during the Urban Wars. They were apparently part of a secret organization called "The Twelve." When one of them is found dead, Eve is racing against time to stop someone who wants to see the remaining group and those they loved, killed.
So here's the thing. Does anyone even understand the Urban Wars at this point? I am very confused about what was going on, because this book made it seem like secret spy rings were all over the place. Doing what exactly? Why? I could have sworn earlier books talked about when crime got so bad in the cities, police forces were out there arresting tons of people and the fallout was certain things like "antique guns" being banned. It also made it seem like this was a result of gangs. But now it seems like larger governments were at work? I don't know all. It just got muddled and didn't make any sense. We know that Summerset was a medic during the Urban Wars, but now he's like a freaking Bond agent? And we get more detail about his dead wife and I just felt like plot hole city came to play and I just let it go.
We have some callbacks to prior books, especially with one character and there's a whole scene between Eve and Peabody that just didn't ring true.
Nadine. I just want her shuttled off of the series. Her stopping by to talk about her relationship (again) was annoying. So is her protégé. I just don't know why Eve would continue to use Nadine for information. She doesn't need her. At one point she gives Eve something she already knew. It just seems a way to have Nadine write Hollywood Oscar worthy material. At some point I want someone anywhere to bring up their connection and ban Nadine from coming to Cop Central. Let's at least pretend conflicts of interest matter in the future.
The house renovation thankfully was short and we did not have to explore it too much.
I am very confused on ages. I just realized Jamie is somehow going to the Academy, but he was how old in he first book that introduced readers to him. He is 19 now in the series, and he was I think 16 or Eve pegged him as such as in Death. I just cannot anymore. It's only been three years since Ceremony in Death?
Oh, Eve told Roarke he should not be assaulting potential suspects since it's a bad look for the other cops. I maybe laughed a little too long. I love how there's no call back to the prior book where Roarke fist fought a dude in front of NYPD and international law enforcement and no one blinked an eye.
The ending didn't do a lot for me. I think we were supposed to be all girl power, but I just wanted it over. It was very repetitive.
Not much to say about this one, it's a solid 3 star "In Death" book, but the 60th book laid all of the flaws of the series out there in my opinion.
This "In Death" focuses on Summerset and a group of people he worked with during the Urban Wars. They were apparently part of a secret organization called "The Twelve." When one of them is found dead, Eve is racing against time to stop someone who wants to see the remaining group and those they loved, killed.
So here's the thing. Does anyone even understand the Urban Wars at this point? I am very confused about what was going on, because this book made it seem like secret spy rings were all over the place. Doing what exactly? Why? I could have sworn earlier books talked about when crime got so bad in the cities, police forces were out there arresting tons of people and the fallout was certain things like "antique guns" being banned. It also made it seem like this was a result of gangs. But now it seems like larger governments were at work? I don't know all. It just got muddled and didn't make any sense. We know that Summerset was a medic during the Urban Wars, but now he's like a freaking Bond agent? And we get more detail about his dead wife and I just felt like plot hole city came to play and I just let it go.
We have some callbacks to prior books, especially with one character and there's a whole scene between Eve and Peabody that just didn't ring true.
Nadine. I just want her shuttled off of the series. Her stopping by to talk about her relationship (again) was annoying. So is her protégé. I just don't know why Eve would continue to use Nadine for information. She doesn't need her. At one point she gives Eve something she already knew. It just seems a way to have Nadine write Hollywood Oscar worthy material. At some point I want someone anywhere to bring up their connection and ban Nadine from coming to Cop Central. Let's at least pretend conflicts of interest matter in the future.
The house renovation thankfully was short and we did not have to explore it too much.
I am very confused on ages. I just realized Jamie is somehow going to the Academy, but he was how old in he first book that introduced readers to him. He is 19 now in the series, and he was I think 16 or Eve pegged him as such as in Death. I just cannot anymore. It's only been three years since Ceremony in Death?
Oh, Eve told Roarke he should not be assaulting potential suspects since it's a bad look for the other cops. I maybe laughed a little too long. I love how there's no call back to the prior book where Roarke fist fought a dude in front of NYPD and international law enforcement and no one blinked an eye.
The ending didn't do a lot for me. I think we were supposed to be all girl power, but I just wanted it over. It was very repetitive.
The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I got nothing you guys. What a mess of a book. I can't even call it in the realms of romance and the best place for it would be to say, it's badly written women's fiction. I think if Mallery had focused on the sisters relationships with each other and how they evolved over time that would have worked. But it can't be a Susan Mallery book without messy men and the women who love them.
I loathed the love interest for Sage. I am sorry, but if a man tells me he used to masturbate to me when he was 16, I would never see you as a viable anything.
I loathed Daisy's husband who was the worst. However, he was written so inconsistently that I think Mallery pulled that third act stunt out of her butt frankly.
Cassidy's love interest was the only well rounded one and honestly we only get to "see" so to speak, twice in the book.
Everything else was just a mess. The flow, plot, etc. Heck we even get some child abuse in this one.
I loathed the love interest for Sage. I am sorry, but if a man tells me he used to masturbate to me when he was 16, I would never see you as a viable anything.
I loathed Daisy's husband who was the worst. However, he was written so inconsistently that I think Mallery pulled that third act stunt out of her butt frankly.
Cassidy's love interest was the only well rounded one and honestly we only get to "see" so to speak, twice in the book.
Everything else was just a mess. The flow, plot, etc. Heck we even get some child abuse in this one.
The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cute little short story following Molly. Its obvious what is going on, but still mostly enjoyable to get there.
I honestly think this was an okay novella, but not really needed.
"The Mistletoe Mystery" follows Molly the Maid and Juan Manuel, together now for 5 years. Molly misses her Gram, but especially around the holidays. Juan Manuel though has made the holidays special by making sure they continue traditions, and also create new ones. Juan Manuel though, has been acting strangely this holiday season, he's not where he should be, seems to have different people he's talking to, and Molly is afraid she chose a frog and not a prince.
Pros:
-This was a fast read, it's only 112 pages. That said, it probably should not have cost as much as it did honestly (FYI this is $9.99, it's a novella, come on).
-We have more of a plot in this one than the second book. It's really easy to see where things are going though to the point this could have been wrapped up in less than 20 pages.
-I do enjoy holiday romances, so it's interesting to see Prose write it as such with no dark murders going around. I am wondering if she's going to move into that genre fully in the future.
-The characters we have gotten to know re-appear which is nice.
Cons:
-As I said already, there is no way this should have cost $9.99. I didn't even know it cost that much when I selected it. My fault for not paying attention.
-Plot. Super simplistic. Did not need to be drawn out. Also, there's no "mystery" here at all. Just in Molly's mind. I am also tired of hearing about Gram. It's to the point the woman sounds like a nightmare. Or Molly is. I don't know.
-Flow. This dragged. I mean we all knew what was going on and why, but holy cow it took too long to get there.
-Molly. I don't know all, it does not sound like Molly and Juan Manuel are poor as much as it is Molly is cheap as hell. I really wish someone had brought that up. Also, I wish someone have given me old magazines as a Secret Santa gift. That's all I got on that.
-Ending. I assume whatever book she does, this is going to be after these events, so we have to know by then these two are 5 years together.
I honestly think this was an okay novella, but not really needed.
"The Mistletoe Mystery" follows Molly the Maid and Juan Manuel, together now for 5 years. Molly misses her Gram, but especially around the holidays. Juan Manuel though has made the holidays special by making sure they continue traditions, and also create new ones. Juan Manuel though, has been acting strangely this holiday season, he's not where he should be, seems to have different people he's talking to, and Molly is afraid she chose a frog and not a prince.
Pros:
-This was a fast read, it's only 112 pages. That said, it probably should not have cost as much as it did honestly (FYI this is $9.99, it's a novella, come on).
-We have more of a plot in this one than the second book. It's really easy to see where things are going though to the point this could have been wrapped up in less than 20 pages.
-I do enjoy holiday romances, so it's interesting to see Prose write it as such with no dark murders going around. I am wondering if she's going to move into that genre fully in the future.
-The characters we have gotten to know re-appear which is nice.
Cons:
-As I said already, there is no way this should have cost $9.99. I didn't even know it cost that much when I selected it. My fault for not paying attention.
-Plot. Super simplistic. Did not need to be drawn out. Also, there's no "mystery" here at all. Just in Molly's mind. I am also tired of hearing about Gram. It's to the point the woman sounds like a nightmare. Or Molly is. I don't know.
-Flow. This dragged. I mean we all knew what was going on and why, but holy cow it took too long to get there.
-Molly. I don't know all, it does not sound like Molly and Juan Manuel are poor as much as it is Molly is cheap as hell. I really wish someone had brought that up. Also, I wish someone have given me old magazines as a Secret Santa gift. That's all I got on that.
-Ending. I assume whatever book she does, this is going to be after these events, so we have to know by then these two are 5 years together.