April 2019 Reads

1) Red Velvet Cupcake Murder // Joanne Fluke \\ 2 Stars
Ever since watching Murder She Baked on the Hallmark Channel, I've been wanting to read & get through at least one of the books the TV series is based on. So...I listened to this one as an audiobook while working out, and while I didn't necessarily hate it, I really didn't love it. 

On top of this book having a pretty small-town vibe with seemingly all fluff-headed gossipy characters (they didn't seem that way on the TV show and this book was a major let-down for me in the character department), the plot felt incredibly tedious. And slow. And tedious. 
And that love triangle! It wasn't even romantic. Seriously, Hannah stringing along TWO boyfriends for several years but never actually making up her mind to stick with one or the other...ugh. She didn't even seem to have any romantic feelings for either of them. While I haven't read the other books in this series, Mike & Norman almost seemed like unnecessary secondary characters. Certainly not love interests.

Also, speaking of love interests--shoutout to the awkward scene near the beginning of the book where Hannah has a guy in her room and goes on to describe just how great he is without naming him...until we get to the end of the scene and discover it's Moisha. 
Her cat. 
*facepalms for days* 
I don't find that amusing. On so many levels. I love me a good animal companion, but honestly, I don't much care to hear from pets in novels. Nor have the adoration for Moisha at level 500, and have Mike/Norman adoration toned down to...I don't know...3.5? 

It's possible the narrator's bad narrating made the characters seem way more dumb and air-headed than they actually were, but...combine that with a pretty trivial and slow-moving plot and...you have a book that I passed the time working out with and didn't quite dislike--I did like a few parts or phrases, but...let's just say it was far from riveting.  

2) Verity \\ Lisa Bergren \\ 4 Stars

Verity--ah yes, what a lovely tale. So heartwarming and well-paced, with colourful characters and an intriguing plotline. And that tropical atmosphere! It was nice to have a bit of a break from the typical London or New York city vibes for at least part of the book, and get to spend it on the tropical island of Nevis. 
I was so sad to start by hearing of Duncan's demise--he was one of my favourite characters in the previous book, however, meeting and getting to know his brother was fabulous. I felt like the romance was...not rushed, but...just, kinda different, with Verity and Ian. Not nonexistent, but, not as prevalent as I might have hoped. However, I still enjoyed their relationship.

So far, I'm loving this fresh, adventurous series and look forward to reading Selah's book! 

*free ebook copy was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

3) Thief's Mark \\ Carla Neggers \\ 3 Stars

Set in a charming, small town in the UK, Thief's Mark had all the proper British, murder-mystery vibes to it. It wasn't quite "my thing" which I'm sure was due, in part, to the fact that I came crashing into the series, at book 7. The characters were a pretty surface-y, and the plot a bit too meandering and slow for my tastes. However, it was a well-crafted plot, and the UK countryside vibe was a good one!

4) Defy Me \\ Taherah Mafi \\ 3 Stars

Fast-paced with some good plot ground covered. I felt Defy Me was a bit...short--almost like a novella--which was kinda disappointing after waiting for so long. It also seemed like Juliette & Warner's romance was fairly nonexistent, until it was just...sex. So yeah. That wasn't my thing, but I still enjoyed reading Defy Me.

5) Unite Me \\ Taherah Mafi \\ 2 Stars

Maybe I'm just not a novella person...but I always feel like there isn't enough actual content to make them count. They feel like they're mostly filler scenes. That was the case with Unite Me. Yes, we got a few insights into Warner and Adam, but...not really enough to make it worth it, in my estimation--but that's just me.

6) Double Blind \\ Iris Johansen \\ 3 Stars

A good change of pace compared to the slower books I've been working through of late. I liked Kendra & Lynch's chemistry. The plot held its own. And while I wasn't over the top in love with Double Blind, I did thoroughly enjoy it!

7) Believe Me \\ JP Delaney \\ 1 Star

What the heck was this sadistic perv trip about?! Yikes! I wish the description was actually accurate--because I would've never picked Believe Me up if I knew the plot would be focused on an uber creepy, sadistic, sexually violent crime spree. Delaney lost me at the part he dropped a serial killer who's into BDSM--into my lap. *raises hands in a placative manner* let's back up, and let me run in the opposite direction, screaming bloody, psychopathic murder.

I was quite intrigued by the concept of this book and knew that, if executed correctly, it would be a real stunner of a thriller. However, in the space of ONE CHAPTER, it took a turn for the MAJOR CREEPS, ya'll. For reference, we got like five, uber descriptive, macabre murders (that were also pretty sexually messed up, just to make it weirder) recapped for us in one chapter, when things started getting weird, and this was only at about 150 pages into the book. I cannot stress enough on the chilly willies I got in that chapter or two--and I've read a lot of crime/suspense books. Add to that a serial killer who's into BDSM & all kinds of pervy crap--and I tossed this book faster than you can say goodbye.

8) The Noble Guardian \\ Michelle Griep \\ 4 Stars 

Such a delightful tale, featuring one of my favourite characters of the series--Thatcher! The Noble Guardian has all the high and low points that will make a reader sing, and is straight up--a robust, well-paced, heart-warming & colourful historical read.

*I was given a free ebook copy on Netgalley via the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion*

Favourite of the month: 

It's a tossup between Verity & The Noble Guardian. Both were so beautiful and entertaining. 

What was your favourite read of the month?