I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists. Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.
1. Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams - As soon as I finished the first book in the When in Rome Quartet I immediately put the audio of book 2 on hold through Libby. I really liked Annie in the first book and I really enjoyed getting to know her better in this book. Will is also a great character and the author does a great job with making them realistically complicated and keeping them likable and relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the relationship unfolded and getting to know all the side characters better as well. I didn't like this book quite as much as I did the first book but I read that versus listening to this one so I'm wondering if the change in medium impacted my thoughts. Regardless, this was a fun story about lovely people with enough depth to keep it from being silly. I'm looking forward to picking up the next two books in the series. My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
2. A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey - I have been so excited to read this book since it first came out. And I liked it. I really enjoyed both Keaton and Becks Saint James' stories. They're both likable and sympathetic characters. I loved the side characters - all the ladies of Beaufort and especially Anderson. I was hooked both because I enjoyed spending time with all the characters and because I wanted to find out just what happened that night long ago. My main issue with this one is that I felt like I wanted more. More character development, more heart, more plot development. As well, there was one issue at the very end that I just had a hard time believing was never noticed. I can't go into detail as it's a major spoiler but it definitely pulled me out of the story a bit. My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
3. All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie - I read this series in the late 90s/early 2000s and really enjoyed it. I've been wanting to reread it for ages so I was really excited to pick this 2nd book in the series up. It was okay. The mystery itself was interesting and the conclusion was pretty shocking but there seemed to be a lot of plot lines and red herrings for a fairly short book. As well, I wasn't sold on Duncan and Gemma's dynamic. I don't know if it just feels a bit dated or if I just previously missed that Duncan is pretty oblivious to the people around him. The mystery is solid and the series just keeps getting better so I'm looking forward to reading the next book. My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
4. An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen - This is my second book by this writer team and another winner. This was a wild ride of a mystery/thriller. I wasn't sure if I liked anyone involved, what was happening, and I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. I do know was completely hooked from start to finish and could not wait to keep reading when I had to put it down. The audio was very well done and the pacing on the story as a whole was spot on. I'm looking forward to reading more from this duo and the authors individually. My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
5. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristin Perrin - The premise of this one hadn't really grabbed me but a later book in the series did so I decided to pick this one up. Despite a slow start, I ended up really enjoying it. Annie is a good main character and while she has her issues she's intelligent and doesn't land in TSTL territory too often. I also enjoyed the 1960s timeline. The solution was a surprise but made sense. It did take me awhile to feel invested in the story but once I did, I was hooked. I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series. My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
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