Tag: Book Review

Book Review: Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Finlay Donovan #5) by Elle Cosimano

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Cozy Mystery + Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Elle Cosimano
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: March 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave—the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series.

Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet . . . but at least there’s not a body in her backyard.

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go . . . except Finlay’s house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case—or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

THE SERIES CONTINUES.

I’m grateful I got a chance to listen to this book rather than digitally read because I am simultaneously over this series and need to know how it all ends, you know? I have no idea if the next book is the finale, but one can hope.

I still enjoy Finlay and her humorous ways. And blessed be that she FINALLY let Nick in on a few very important aspects of her life.

There is the same song and story of Finlay’s ex-husband being caught in the investigation cross fire but it did take him out of a lot of this book so I wasn’t too upset.

I ended up liking Mrs. Haggerty and the book club. She took no talk back and her pestering ways grew on me.

It’s another quick read with all of the things you’ve come to expect from this series. I’m just hitting that wall (as I usually do with long cozy mystery series) where the will to continue is waning.

Overall audience notes:

  • Cozy mystery
  • Language: low
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: murder

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ALC Book Review: Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy
Length: 352 pages
Author: Laura Steven
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: March 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.

They’ve loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They’ve killed each other in every one.

Evelyn remembers all her past lives. She also remembers that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being whose soul―and survival―is tethered to hers.

The problem is that she’s quite fond of the life she’s in now, and her little sister needs her for bone marrow transplants in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she’ll have to:

1. Find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life―before they find her first.
2. Figure out why she’s being hunted and finally break their curse.
3. Try not to fall in love.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

A BIT BLAND.

I am an Addie La Rue fan so jumping onto reading this. I did think the audio production was good and I enjoyed the narrator. No qualms there. I more or less had issues with the storyline.

The whole premise surrounding the I have to kill you to save you was fine, until the repetitiveness of the story drove me wild. Over and over again Evelyn asks Arden why are you doing this and over and over again Arden saying you just have to trust me. Without a stronger mystery plot holding everything together it felt like I was going in circles.

Some of the flashbacks were interesting and I didn’t mind the writing style. There’s a fated quality that works out well enough. I would try another book by this author.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: vague fade to black
  • Violence: mild – moderate
  • Content warnings: a loved one with cancer

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Scrivener’s Bones (Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians #2) by Brandon Sanderson

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: MG Fantasy
Length: 340 pages
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Starscape
Release Date: November 1st, 2008
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

#1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mistborn series Brandon Sanderson continues the epic adventure he began in Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians

So now you’ve read all about me, Alcatraz Smedry, and how I was swept out of my life in your normal world and into the fight against the Librarians (jerks!). After being all heroic and stuff in that tale, I didn’t expect to charge headlong into enemy territory: the Library of Alexandria, where I—and my grandpa and my grouchy bodyguard Bastille and her even grouchier mother and some weirdly gifted cousins—would face the Curators (ghosts who will gladly help you check out a book as long as you don’t mind giving up your mortal soul) and some new nasty Librarians who hate our guts…and would be happy to rip them out for us.

But none of that comes close to the horror we would have to face if we succeeded in finding what we were searching for…

MY DAD! (DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!)

The Scrivener’s Bones is the second book in this action-packed fantasy series for young readers.

STILL LAUGHING.

Oh my goodness, these books have me busting up and I love it. I love the cheek and sass and the wry humor of how this is narrated.

I liked how the story progressed and getting a fun change of location too. There’s a bit of growth starting to happen in Alcatraz and I love his friendship with Bastille.

A lot of fun here, really is a great for all type of read and I look forward to continuing the series and seeing where these characters go next.

Overall audience notes:

  • Middle Grade Fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: low

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ALC Book Review: The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (The Three Realms Duology #1) by Amelie Wen Zhao

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Amelie Wen Zhao
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Release Date: March 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In a world invaded by demons, one girl will face the ultimate test when she is forced to enter into an ancient, deadly competition for the chance to save her mother’s soul… before she loses her forever. From the New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night comes the beginning of a dark and opulent fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Throne of Glass.

Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore Àn’yīng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now the mortal realm is falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.

Àn’yīng is no longer a helpless child, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter the Immortality Trials, which are open to any mortal who can survive the journey to the immortal realm. Those who complete the Trials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Àn’yīng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.

Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, Àn’yīng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng.

The longer she survives the Trials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Àn’yīng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms.

Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

DON’T LET ME DOWN.

Here we are at the ending of another first book from AWZ. I have unfortunately felt let down two times over with the last book in her trilogy and previous duology. SO PLEASE. LET BOOK TWO BE GOOD. I liked this book y’all. I am maintaining hope.

The idea was a concept I’ve read before but I enjoyed the spin and take on the story line. There’s a little bit of a competition which moved the plot well enough. The romantic banter felt a little forced on the audiobook but when I was physically reading I liked it a lot more. It’s a good enemies vibe and there were enough movement and turns in the last few chapters that absolutely have me questioning where this will go.

The characters were well crafted, I do still very much enjoy the writing style and I’m looking forward to the sequel.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: one vague open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: loss of loved ones, war themes, creature attacks

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph