Tag Archives: LibroFM

Review: The Dream Builders

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The Dream Builders by Oindrila Mukkherjee
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Pub Date: 1/10/2023

Thank you to LibroFM for the free advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

GoodReads Synopsis: After living in the US for years, Maneka Roy returns home to India to mourn the loss of her mother and finds herself in a new world. The booming city of Hrishipur where her father now lives is nothing like the part of the country where she grew up, and the more she sees of this new, sparkling city, the more she learns that nothing—and no one—here is as it appears. Ultimately, it will take an unexpected tragic event for Maneka and those around her to finally understand just how fragile life is in this city built on aspirations.

Written from the perspectives of ten different characters, Oindrila Mukherjee’s incisive debut novel explores class divisions, gender roles, and stories of survival within a society that is constantly changing and becoming increasingly Americanized. It’s a story about India today, and people impacted by globalization everywhere: a tale of ambition, longing, and bitter loss that asks what it really costs to try and build a dream.

Review: The Dream Builders is Oindrila’s debut. This contemporary fiction novel is told through the perspective of 10 different characters and takes place in Hrishipur, a fictional city in India. The novel tackles themes of social class, corruption, politics, and community. Overall, I had mixed feelings about this book. The plot sounded really intriguing. I liked that the different perspectives varied from the ultra rich to the help. However, the pacing seemed off. Some parts went by fast while other parts dragged out. Also I think there were too many characters to keep in order and it may have helped to have different narrators instead of just one or to condense the number of perspectives. I didn’t really like the American politics aspect of the book either, but I understood the purpose behind it. Overall, this was a solid 3 stars for me.

Review: The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy

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The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy by Megan Bannen
Publisher: Orbit Books
Pub Date: 8/23/2022

Thank you to Orbit Books for the free advanced listening copy on Libro.fm in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

GoodReads Synopsis: Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.

Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest.

After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.

If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most – Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares – each other?

Review: The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy is a fantasy romance book that explores loneliness, family pressure, unexpected friendship, and contains an enemies-turned-lovers trope. I was initially intrigued by this book because of Helen Hoang’s review. I went in knowing very little about the book and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Though the fantasy romance is a bit morbid, it such a sweet and beautifully written story. I loved seeing Mercy and Hart’s relationship grow throughout the story. I also adored the side characters in this book that made it funny and heartfelt. Highly recommend picking up the audio as both narrators did a phenomenal job making the story engaging!

Review: American Dirt

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American Dirt by Jeannie Cummins
Publication: Flatiron & MacMillan
Publication Date: 1/21/20

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced listening copy of this book from LibroFM and MacMillan Audio in exchange for my honest opinion. This has no effect on my opinion, review, or rating.

GoodReads Synopsis: Lydia Quixano Perez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable.

Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with four books he would like to buy–two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.

Review: American Dirt is the first book I’ve read from Jeannie Cummins. The audiobook narrator of this book was amazing. As I was listening to the book, I felt like I was listening to a drama show. As for the actual book, I was intrigued by the author’s captivating writing style. However, there were times where the story felt like it was dragged on a bit instead of progressing. The relationship between Lydia and Javier fell a bit flat and was inconsistent through the story. Besides those issues, this was still a five star read for me based upon the writing style alone. I’d recommend picking this up if you’re looking for a strong and heavy contemporary novel.

Rating: 5/5

Review: Get A Life, Chloe Brown

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Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Publication: Avon Books

Publication Date: 11/5/19

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced listening copy of this book from LibroFM, Avon Books, and Harper Audio in exchange for my honest opinion. This has no effect on my opinion, review, or rating.

GoodReads Synopsis: Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamourous family’s mansion. The next items?

Enjoy a drunken night out.
Ride a motorcycle.
Go camping.
Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
And… do something bad.
But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.

Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.

But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…

Review: Get A Life, Chloe Brown is the first book I’ve read from Talia Hibbert. This contemporary romance had a decent storyline and the characters were well-developed. It’s great that the author was able to develop characters that went beyond the typical in a romance book which I applaud her for. I appreciated that the author added a trigger warning in the beginning of her book. However, this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. I felt like the book dragged in a few areas. As for the main characters, I felt like the chemistry between them was too forced. It also didn’t help that I wasn’t a fan of the writing style at all which makes me unsure about picking up the future books in the series.

As for the actual audiobook, I despised the narrator. Her voice was too shrill for my taste and I couldn’t stand the high pitched voice she was using for Chloe and the deep voice she was trying to use for Red. About half way through the audiobook, I put it down and decided to purchase the ebook version. The ebook version made the reading experience much more pleasurable. I also felt that by reading the ebook, I could rate and review overall book fairly. My three star rating has nothing to do with the audiobook and everything to do with the actual storyline of the book.

Personally I wouldn’t go out and recommend this book to everyone, but at the same time, I wouldn’t shun anyone from reading it as well. If you like contemporary romance, then you may enjoy this one more than me.

Rating: 3/5

Review: The Witches Are Coming

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The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West

Publication: Hachette Books

Publication Date: 11/4/19

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced listening copy of this book from LibroFM and Hachette Books in exchange for my honest opinion. This has no effect on my opinion, review, or rating.

GoodReads Synopsis: What do Adam Sandler, Donald Trump, and South Park have in common? Why are myths like “reverse sexism” and “political correctness” so seductive? And why do movie classics of yore, from Sixteen Candles to Revenge of the Nerds, make rape look like so much silly fun? With Lindy West’s signature wit and in her uniquely incendiary voice, The Witches are Coming lays out a grand theory of America that explains why Trump’s election was, in many ways, a foregone conclusion.

As West reveals through fascinating journeys across the landscapes of pop culture, the lies that fostered the catastrophic resentment that boiled over in the 2016 presidential race did not spring from a vacuum. They have in fact been woven into America’s DNA, cultivated by generations of mediocre white men and fed to the masses with such fury that we have become unable to recognize them as lies at all.

Whether it be the notion overheard since the earliest moments of the #MeToo movement that feminism has gone too far or the insistence that holding someone accountable for his actions amounts to a “witch hunt,” The Witches are Coming exposes the lies that many have chosen to believe and the often unexpected figures who have furthered them. Along the way, it unravels the tightening link between culture and politics, identifying in the memes, music, and movies we’ve loved the seeds of the neoreactionary movement now surging through the nation.

Sprawling, funny, scorching, and illuminating, The Witches are Coming shows West at the top of her intellectual and comic powers. As much a celebration of America’s potential as a condemnation of our failures, some will call it a witch hunt—to which West would reply, “So be it. I’m a witch and I’m hunting you.”

Review: The Witches Are Coming os the second book I’ve read from Lindy West. I enjoyed listening to Lindy narrate her latest nonfiction book. Her writing style continues to be intriguing and witty. I admire how unapologetic she is and her ability to express her opinion in way that takes off the rose colored lenses. However, I did feel that The Witches Are Coming fell flat in comparison to Shrill. In The Witches Are Coming, I like that she sheds light to sensitive and relevant topics for people to continue talking about, but I didn’t learn anything new. I was looking forward to gaining new insight about these topics beyond what was already in the news. Despite that tidbit, I do recommend you check out her latest book.

Rating: 3/5