Category Archives: Fiction

Review: Murder Road

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Murder Road by Simone St. James
Publisher: Berkley
Pub Date: 3/5/2024

Thank you to PRH Audio & Berkley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Newlyweds April and Eddie inadvertently become suspects in a series of unexplained murders after picking up a dying hitchhiker along Atticus Line during their honeymoon. Their efforts to clear their names uncover the town’s dark, sinister secrets, threatening to engulf them in its ominous history.

I’ve always been a fan of Simone St. James’ thrillers so I was excited to hear about her upcoming release. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me and I wish I DNF’d it. While the premise seemed intriguing at first, the story ultimately proved forgettable. The protagonists, April and Eddie, came across as both irritating and dull, with their motivation for investigating the murders in the small town feeling weak and unconvincing. Additionally, many of the plot twists were predictable. I was particularly disappointed by the paranormal elements in this book, which, unlike in St. James’ previous works, failed to add any depth or eerie atmosphere to the story. This isn’t a book I would recommend. If you decide to give it a try, I suggest keeping your expectations low.

Review: The Princess of Las Vegas

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The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian
Publisher: Doubleday
Pub Date: 3/19/2024

Thank you to Doubleday & PRH Audio for the free copies in exchange for my honest review. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian, Crissy Dowling, who impersonates Princess Diana, sees her life in Las Vegas turn upside down when her sister arrives and a murder occurs, pulling her into a world of crime, secrets, and cryptocurrency.

I love Chris Bohjalian’s work so I was excited to hear that he was coming out with a new thriller. I was a bit hesitant on how I’d feel about this since I’m not a fan of the royals. I was pleasantly surprised the plot proved captivating and consistently held my attention. However, there was way too much talk about crypto currency. I liked the alternating perspectives between the sisters added depth, and their involvement in the murder mysteries kept me thoroughly engaged Setting the story against the vibrant backdrop of Las Vegas effectively turned the location into a character in its own right. Overall, I’d recommend this if you like slow burn thrillers!

Review: Tangled Up In You

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Tangled Up In You by Christin Lauren
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue
Pub Date: 6/25/2024

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue for the free copy on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tangled Up In You is the fourth installment in the A Meant To Be series and it can be read as a standalone. This is a modern day retelling of the classic Rapunzel and draws inspiration from the Disney film, Tangled. The novel is about Ren, a self-taught, off-the-grid woman attending college for the first time, and Fitz, a student with a meticulously planned future. Their lives intertwine through an immunology seminar assignment, leading them on an unexpected road trip where they discover that the answers to their dreams might lie in their unlikely partnership.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I loved the backdrop and was captivated by all the intriguing characters. Yet, I couldn’t help noticing striking similarities to Kiss the Girl, the third book in the A Meant To Be series, especially in the road trip scenes. The pacing of the book seemed to be a bit off to me. The beginning of the book was really intriguing, but once we got to the road trip part, it was pretty slow. The last quarter of the book felt rushed and packed with events with little to no explanations which led to an abrupt ending. I was also surprised to find this book to be more young adult versus adult. Contrary to the previous books in the series which featured mid-20s adults, this book felt more like a young adult novel, with Ren and Fitz behaving more like teenagers despite being in their early 20s. Fitz’s character was well-developed and was fascinated by his backstory, but Ren’s golden retriever energy and naivety were so excessive that it was off-putting for me. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite in the series, but it was entertaining to read so I rated it 3 stars.

Review: Bride

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Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Pub Date: 2/6/2024

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In Bride by Ali Hazelwood, Misery Lark, a vampyre, is thrust into a political marriage with Lowe Moreland, the Alpha of the Weres, to maintain a peacekeeping alliance. Misery navigates this uneasy alliance with her own hidden agenda, determined to reclaim something precious to her, even if it means living in the hostile territory of her mortal enemies.

Ali Hazelwood’s Bride marks an exciting shift to a new genre: paranormal romance. Moving away from her usual style, I was pleasantly surprised that she tried something a bit different. There was an element of mystery in the beginning that intrigued me. I found the subplots to be more interesting than Misery and Lowe’s romantic involvement. The steamy scenes were definitely a plus, but I just couldn’t see Misery and Lowe as a long-term couple. The pacing was a bit off in this book where some scenes dragged out and other scenes were action-packed and kept me engaged. I really liked the way that all the characters were fleshed out. It also made complete sense that this was told through Misery’s POV. The world building was a bit tedious at times and wasn’t necessary since this was more of paranormal romance. I also felt that the third act breakup didn’t make much sense and it wasn’t explained how it was really resolved. It honestly made like Lowe less. Overall, I thought this was a great first attempt into paranormal romance for Ali and can’t wait to see her explore this genre more!

Review: The Women

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The Women by Kristin Hannah
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub Date: 2/6/2024

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & Macmillan Audio for the free copies in exchange for my honest review. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Women by Kristin Hannah follows Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a young nurse who bravely joins the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War, facing the chaos of battle and the struggles of returning to a divided America. This historical fiction novel dives into sacrifice, friendship, and shining light on often-forgotten commitment and patriotism.

Kristin Hannah’s meticulous research shines in The Women, with some scenes reading like nonfiction. I was particularly captivated by the first half, detailing Frankie’s Vietnam tour, while the latter part skillfully explores her post-war life. There are so graphic scenes and multiple triggers so I recommend reading the content warnings on StoryGraph as there’s too many to mention. The author’s captivating storytelling and fresh perspective on a rarely discussed topic were eye-opening, especially in portraying Frankie’s post-Vietnam experiences with her family and friends. One of my favorite parts of the book was seeing Frankie, Barb, and Ethel supporting each other which truly highlights the value of friendship. The only part of the book I had a difficult grappling with were the romantic connections and some of the twists that related to that, but I understood why these had to be written into the story. Overall, this has to be one of my all-favorite books from Kristin Hannah and is my first 5-star read of the year! As someone who rarely reads historical fiction, I highly recommend this resonant read.

Review: No One Will Know

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No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pub Date: 1/23/2024

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

In No One Can Know, three sisters confront their dark past in their old mansion, dealing with two mysterious murders and family secrets that could destroy their lives. Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. While the plot initially sounded intriguing, the execution felt like a commercial thriller and was too predictable. I knew who the culprit was from the start, rendering the red herrings ineffective and leading to a boring reading experience. All the characters, including Emma and Nathan, lacked depth and appeared two-dimensional. I couldn’t muster any sympathy towards any of the characters. The story is told through the perspectives of the three sisters, with Daphne’s being the most interesting. Emma’s perspective was boring and JJ’s seemed odd but better than Emma’s. The flashbacks kept me engaged, but the pacing in the present narrative was slow, which affected the overall momentum of the story. Additionally, the way diversity and queerness were integrated into the story felt forced and less naturally integrated, seemingly added as an afterthought rather than as a meaningful and intentional part of the narrative. The last half of the book picks up, but the scenarios are far-fetched and detract from the storyline. I personally can’t recommend this one.

Review: The Fury

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The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Publisher: Celadon Books
Pub Date: 1/16/2024

Thank you to Celadon Books & Macmillan Audio for the free copies in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In The Fury, Lana Farrah, a ex-movie star, invites her closest friends to her private Greek island for Easter, leading to a a fateful night of revenge, a game of cat and mouse, and murder. The story is told through the unreliable narrator, Elliot Chase, who reveals secrets, unexpected twists, and betrayal.

I was super excited to hear that Alex Michaelides was coming out with a new book since I enjoyed The Silent Patient. The Fury was an entertaining read that I was able to finish in less than two days. The beginning is intriguing and sets the stage of the murder. Throughout the story, Elliot explains all the backstories of all the suspects and how they are related to each other. I also like that the book is broken out in acts like a play. The way the twists and secrets are revealed kept me on the edge of my seat. There were a couple of twists that I predicted but the way it was written kept me engaged. I found the middle to be a bit slower, but the last act made up for it. As for the audiobook, Alex Jennings did a great job bringing the story to life and had the perfect voice for Elliot. I recommend picking this up if you’re looking for a lighthearted, slow burn entertaining thriller.

Review: Say You’ll Be Mine

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Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar
Publisher: Dell (Random House)
Pub Date: 1/16/2024

Thank you to Random House & PRH Audio for the free copies in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar, Meghna, a theatre teacher and aspiring playwright, is set up by her parents with Karthik, an engineer. She’s in love with her best friend, Seth, but he’s getting married to someone else. Meghna and Karthik pretend to be engaged to deal with their problems, but their fake relationship turns into real feelings, complicating everything.

I had mixed feelings about this book. The unique premise and the fact that it’s a debut novel intrigued me. The story is well-crafted and I appreciated how the subplots of supporting characters added depth to the story. However, the pacing felt uneven at times. The beginning was engaging, swiftly diving into the central dilemmas without unnecessary delay. The relationship development between Meghna and Karthik, based on their fake engagement, was interesting but also frustrating. Karthik, in particular, was frustrating due to his frequent indecisiveness which inadvertently harmed others. Meghna was placed in difficult situations, leading her to doubt herself amidst the toxicity of those around her. It was disheartening to see her being overly accommodating and kind to Seth, who seemed undeserving of such treatment. The final 50 pages was a let down which made my lower my rating. There were some major issues introduced earlier that were abruptly resolved and then dropped which felt unsatisfying. I wasn’t a fan of the way Meghna and Karthik’s relationship was towards the end which came to a resolution that seemed to neat and contrived. Overall, I rate this book 3.5 stars but rounded it up to 4 on GoodReads for the compelling writing style and the fact I was able to finish this within a day.

2023 Year in Review & 2024 Reading Goals

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2023 marked a distinctive chapter in my reading journey. It was a year filled with bookish events and meeting my favorite authors which was a highlight. I’m hopeful to continue this trend in 2024. One significant change I noticed is that my preferred reading genres have refined in 2023, gravitating towards romance, thrillers, and fantasy. This shift in my reading tastes isn’t necessarily negative, but it shows my evolution of what I prefer to read.

Reflecting on my 2023 reading goals:

1. GoodReads Challenge: Set at 1 for fifth consecutive year to prioritize reading what I enjoy. This was a success in terms of quantity as this was the second best reading year.

2. South Asian Authors: This goal led me to discover new authors which was great.

2023 Accomplishments

• Successfully finished all the 2023 releases on my NetGalley shelf and reaching 94% NetGalley ratio by year-end.

• Finished all my BOTM selections without carrying over to next year.

• Participated in the 23 for 23 challenge, focusing on BIPOC authors and voices, a challenging but rewarding experience.

• Wrote a GoodReads review for every book I read in 2023.

2024 Goals

I’ve decided not to set specific reading goals this year. Instead, I plan to continue and deepen the intentions I’m already engaging in:

• Keeping my GoodReads goal at 1 for the sixth consecutive year, focusing on quality over quantity.

• Allowing myself the freedom to not finish books that don’t captivate me.

Cheers to a year filled with stories that inspire and connect us!

Favorite Books of 2023

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These are my top 12 favorite reads of 2023! The books are in order of when I read them. These were all 5-star reads. I considered what I read this year regardless of the publication date.

True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren (now my all-time favorite CLO book and second book in DNADuo)
Things We Hide From The Light by Lucy Score (now my all-time favorite Lucy Score book and second book in Knockemout series)
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (favorite fantasy)
How Not To Drown In A Glass Of Water by Angie Cruz (favorite backlist literary fiction)
The Only One Left by Riley Sager (second all-time favorite Riley Sager book)
Drowning by TJ Newman (new-to-me thriller author favorite)
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (favorite backlist thriller)
Mixed Signals by BK Borision (favorite sunshine-sunshine romance and new-to-me author I discovered)
The Art of Scandal by Regina Black (one of my favorite debut authors)
After That Night by Karin Slaughter (favorite book in a series I haven’t completely read)
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (one of my favorite debut authors)
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan (favorite 2024 release I can’t wait for everyone to read)

A few observations about my 2023 reading:

  • Of my top 12, I met all these authors except for Rebecca Yarros and Kate Goldbeck.
  • Lucy Score was the top author I read this year with 5 books.
    The top genres I read this year were romance, contemporary, and mystery.
  • According to my years books.com, my reading vibes were “adventurous.”

What was one of your favorite books of 2023?