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readclever's reviews
337 reviews
Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke
1.0
I wanted to like Hannah, I really did. But she's too much of a cut-out. This is the second book in the series I've read but I don't think I'll be reading the third. The murder mystery felt contrived, easy to identify the murderer, and the side plots were very thin.
I enjoy cozy mysteries. I find them very appealing in summer heat. And I love one surrounding food. But I feel like Fluke writes a cookbook with non cooking instructions instead of adding a bonus. Cleo Coyle's series has recipes but they're unobtrusive and not smack in the middle of an ending chapter. I hated that about this book. I would have to skip pages in order to continue a story I wasn't even interested in.
The love triangle is boring and useless, honestly. I don't care if Hannah ends up with Norman or Mike since it's clear she's not looking for a real match. She likes the fawning attention, occasional jealousy, and ability to eat out all the time on their dime.
No one in the series is particularly enjoyable since Hannah's cleverness is the key element in Lake Eden life. Got a killer after you? Run away from the people who can help and hope for the best! Need to find an answer, work around the cops--including the one you're dating. It's just too pat and bad writing.
Save yourself and avoid the book and series.
I enjoy cozy mysteries. I find them very appealing in summer heat. And I love one surrounding food. But I feel like Fluke writes a cookbook with non cooking instructions instead of adding a bonus. Cleo Coyle's series has recipes but they're unobtrusive and not smack in the middle of an ending chapter. I hated that about this book. I would have to skip pages in order to continue a story I wasn't even interested in.
The love triangle is boring and useless, honestly. I don't care if Hannah ends up with Norman or Mike since it's clear she's not looking for a real match. She likes the fawning attention, occasional jealousy, and ability to eat out all the time on their dime.
No one in the series is particularly enjoyable since Hannah's cleverness is the key element in Lake Eden life. Got a killer after you? Run away from the people who can help and hope for the best! Need to find an answer, work around the cops--including the one you're dating. It's just too pat and bad writing.
Save yourself and avoid the book and series.
Steamed by Susan Conant
2.0
I wanted to like the book. I couldn't really get into the heroine's head space. I had a lot of trouble finding things to really appreciate about Chloe. She seemed very self-involved. I did enjoy her post-grad classmates and nonprofit supervisor. Too bad the program didn't fit with Chloe, at all. Nor did I find the later love interest at all engaging. Both seemed very immature.
Fed Up by Susan Conant
2.0
This was my second attempt at reading the Gourmet Girl series. I picked the book out off the library shelves because the reality show premise really worked for me. Unfortunately, it feels like Chloe is never going to grow into a deeper character than her introduction in Steamed. I wanted to like the plot but I gave up about one-third into the book. So I pushed to the last 30-40 pages to see what happened. About what I suspected and without a lot of convincing evidence on why. I wish the book had focused more on creating better villains. Too cookie cutter.
Cereal Killer by G.A. McKevett
4.0
Savannah Reid's personality is really easy to follow and understand in the book. It's not just her inner personality, like her opinions, but how people interact with her. Like younger sister Marietta (note: the Reid family seem to all be named after cities in Georgia) and former police detective partner Dirk.
It's nice to see a protag in her 40s with positive body image and the ability to appreciate models younger than her. There's a solid sense of self and it's uncompromising when facing an uncomfortable initiation into the world of modeling.
The plot may have been a little thin at parts but it definitely has a pretty good ending. Reminded me a lot of Diagnosis Murder when the team would meet up at the BBQ restaurant. I would have liked more interaction between the wailing Marietta and 'Van', honestly. Mari seemed a bit underdeveloped in this book even though some of her back story was included. That's the only real critic I have on the book for the most part. It didn't quite match the rest of the book's mood.
It's nice to see a protag in her 40s with positive body image and the ability to appreciate models younger than her. There's a solid sense of self and it's uncompromising when facing an uncomfortable initiation into the world of modeling.
The plot may have been a little thin at parts but it definitely has a pretty good ending. Reminded me a lot of Diagnosis Murder when the team would meet up at the BBQ restaurant. I would have liked more interaction between the wailing Marietta and 'Van', honestly. Mari seemed a bit underdeveloped in this book even though some of her back story was included. That's the only real critic I have on the book for the most part. It didn't quite match the rest of the book's mood.
A Buccaneer at Heart by Stephanie Laurens
2.0
I honestly wanted to read more of Aileen, less of Robert. I really appreciated her gumption and drive. The way she understood the idea of military planning and didn't let go of finding her missing relative.
Sinful Cinderella by Anita Valle
4.0
*spoilers exist below*
As a darker story in the world of fairytale, this is a great view of what happens when neglect turns into hate. I really enjoyed Cinderella as a villain, or may be anti-hero is a better word. I really appreciated the complexities of the stepsisters and just how evil the stepmother was. I also liked the more family moments.
The novella was like putting Ever After and Disney's Cinderella into a blender with a large splash of Snow White: A Tale of Terror. Watching Cinderella mold herself without bothering to look beyond the prince's station is a pretty smart tactic that a lot of stories don't bother with in the fantasy genre. I really appreciated the fact the prince was dark because it would seem silly to have a goodly prince in a sinister world. The tie-in to Snow White was very well-done along with the hints of Beauty and the Beast.
One minor critique is the fact Toil and Trouble seemingly disappear. To where? Are they left to rot in the old manor house? As her only friends, how did they bear out in the world of sinister play? Over all, I think the story did a good job of setting up the next in series and I'm looking forward to reading about how terribly marred Snow White is in the land of dark.
As a darker story in the world of fairytale, this is a great view of what happens when neglect turns into hate. I really enjoyed Cinderella as a villain, or may be anti-hero is a better word. I really appreciated the complexities of the stepsisters and just how evil the stepmother was. I also liked the more family moments.
The novella was like putting Ever After and Disney's Cinderella into a blender with a large splash of Snow White: A Tale of Terror. Watching Cinderella mold herself without bothering to look beyond the prince's station is a pretty smart tactic that a lot of stories don't bother with in the fantasy genre. I really appreciated the fact the prince was dark because it would seem silly to have a goodly prince in a sinister world. The tie-in to Snow White was very well-done along with the hints of Beauty and the Beast.
One minor critique is the fact Toil and Trouble seemingly disappear. To where? Are they left to rot in the old manor house? As her only friends, how did they bear out in the world of sinister play? Over all, I think the story did a good job of setting up the next in series and I'm looking forward to reading about how terribly marred Snow White is in the land of dark.