Dear Debbie - Freida McFadden

58%

13.10.26

This was less psychological thriller and more improbable farce but that made it a fun, unpredictable, easy read (although it did take mental health issues and the aftermath of violence a little too lightly).

I Hope This Finds You Well - Natalie Sue

58%
04.08.26

While the narrator was unrelentingly self-pitying and mostly unsympathetic, I was still drawn into her dark little office world. The romance aspect in particular was done well, playing out without overwhelming the rest of the story. I may have shed a tear or two.

The God of Good Looks - Breanne Mc Ivor

58%

14.07.26

I liked this book more than the Trinidad Tourist Office probably does, and more than I should when the author had to justify some of her narrative choices in an endnote. It did a good job of juxtaposing Trinidad's violence and poverty with its aspiration and luxury, and managed to stay engaging despite having so few sympathetic characters.

Immortal World - Lauretta Hignett

58%

12.07.26

This was slightly messier than the previous book in the series and could have done with a slightly more thorough edit at times but was still good violent fun with some deeper messages in amongst the craziness.

The Other Bennet Sister - Janice Hadlow

58%

08.03.26

This was charming and well characterised, although Austen did most of the hard work. As it's basically fan fiction, it suffers where it departs from Austen's example - being bogged down in endless exposition (so much telling, not much showing) and the occasional distracting head hopping away from the protagonist's point of view. And as for the completely contrived misunderstandings near the end... if even the characters admit they should have just spoken to each other, then the plot simply isn't strong enough.

How to Summon a Fairy Godmother - Laura J Mayo

58%

08.02.25

Or how to write a fun, very (sorry, "quite") American take on a traditional fairytale. Some engaging scenes although it was hard to get a handle on any of the characters and it seemed as if (sorry, "like") more budget had been spent on the fabulous cover art than on editing.

The Trouble With Mrs Montgomery Hurst - Katie Lumsden

 58%

02.12.24

The trouble with this novel was the uneasy mix of paying homage to Austen/Gaskell and the 21st-century turns of phrase and sensibilities of the characters. It worked best when it interrogated class assumptions, using a light yet skewering humour, and not always taking the easy way out. But the main character was unlikable (and not in the 'Emma' sense) and many conversations and actions were just unconvincing.

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect - Benjamin Stevenson

58%

21.10.24

Fair play to Stevenson for tackling that difficult 'second in the series' with so much meta energy. His decision to continue with the trademark self-referential elements livened up the old 'murder on a train' cliche, but the characters and plot were still too confusing and I don't think I'll remember much about it.

The Clockwork Girl - Anna Mazzola

 58%

30.11.23

This obeyed the creative writing rules of conflict, pacing, engaging all senses and heaping misfortune on the protagonist, and was therefore an absorbing read. It was rather heavy handed on how bad life was for everyone - rich and poor - in 18th-century Paris, and, of course, especially for women. The characters were also a little vaguely drawn, being defined by one or two significant USPs, but it was an unusual take on an interesting period.

A Lady's Guide to Scandal - Sophie Irwin

 58%

24.10.23

I normally avoid Heyer knock-offs, but this author had written an academic thesis on her so I decided she'd know how to approach it. The clincher was some reviewers' horror at the (actually rather sweet) lesbian subplot - what fun, I thought, and it was. It was no Heyer, of course - the characters lacked her vividness, and the immersion was spoilt by too much 'telling', too much modern-tinged dialogue, and several glaring errors that should have been picked up by an editor. But, yes, it was fun - and, yes, I have rated it higher than a few of Heyer's novels.

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley - Sean Lusk

58% 

17.07.23

This was well meaning and well researched and pretty well written. But I didn't connect emotionally to the story or characters - it seemed rather box ticky - eccentric ahead-of-her-time aunt, eccentric distant-but-loving father, eccentric allegorical-and-rather-dull hero, and queer elements that felt a bit shoehorned in.

The Beautiful Dead - Belinda Bauer

 

58%

12.10.22

I'm a big fan of Bauer's thrillers but this wasn't her best. Why? Perhaps it was a bit too weird, without the oddly humorous, very British, small-town authenticity of Snap or Exit. And there was the big problem of the serial killer's eight or nine (I lost track) victims not being as important as preventing the deaths of the protagonist and her father. But it was still better than most novels in this genre.

That Summer - Jennifer Weiner

 

58%

20.09.22

The simplistic cover designs do this book no favours by implying it's a chick-lit beach read - but it soon becomes clear that beaches can be dangerous places. Its serious message is somewhat undermined by the pantomime villain of a husband, who any real wife would have left years ago, and by the weird 1950s vibe of what was supposed to be a contemporary story. The alleged twist was also so telegraphed from the beginning that I was surprised to learn from reviews that it was a twist at all. But it was interesting enough, in a 'rich people's drama' kind of way.

Never Saw Me Coming - Vera Kurian

 

58%

12.05.22

This was fun as a psychopath primer, should The Psychopath Test not be enough. How they interacted - or not quite interacted - with each other was particularly intriguing. But the plot was badly paced and made no sense, with an irrelevant background of political protests that had no bearing on anything, and there were enough typos to break the story world on several occasions.

The Appeal - Janice Hallett

 

58%

21.02.22

The first two-thirds of this was an entertaining and perceptive skewering of middle-class middle-Britain, inventively told through emails and text messages. But once the crime finally happened, it seemed that the author (or her publisher) lost confidence in the narrative style and instead felt the need to tell, not show, readers what to think. The context for the sudden change didn't even make sense and undermined everything that had gone before. I demand an appeal!

Daughter of the Moon Goddess - Sue Lynn Tan

 

58%

28.02.22

The words were as rich and vivid and slightly overdone as the cover. The story was standard adventure fare with added magic, a fresh dash of  Chinese legends and a heroine-on-a-mission. The result was... fine.

Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan

58%
09.10.19

Just as badly written and poorly edited and stupidly fun as you'd expect.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here - Patrick Ness

58%
01.07.18

There's no denying that Patrick Ness is among the most accomplished and inventive authors of Young Adult fiction. He's great at developing characters and experimenting with ideas, so the 'off-centre heroism' premise for this was intriguing. But it didn't really work, ending up an uncomfortable mix of sketchy fantasy and teenage angst.

The Tropic of Serpents - Marie Brennan

58%
28.07.17

Much of the same, really. Notable mostly for its detailed, self-contained alternative world.

The Circle - Dave Eggers

58%
17.01.16

A carefully considered cautionary tale featuring some interesting (and concerning) issues at the expense of a proper plot and character development. Great cover. though.