Tag Archive for: Stand-Alone

Darling Girl

Darling GirlTitle: Darling Girl
Author(s): Liz Michalski
Genre(s): Retelling
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 352
Length: 11h 42m
Narrator(s): Elizabeth Knowelden
Source: Owned
Reason(s): BotM Backlist
Rating:
Spice: 2.5 Flames

My Thoughts

DARLING GIRL was a very interesting, dark twist on the story of Peter Pan by JM Barrie. I really enjoyed the topsy turvy nature of this story and flipping everything on its head. I thought the idea of Holly Darling looking for her daughter while trying to keep her son safe from what lurks in the shadows, windows, and wind was a fun concept.

At first, I thought Holly was selfish but as I learned more and more about the truth and what happened to her and her family, I realized that even though many of her decisions and actions were questionable, she did what she thought was best for her family. I liked her arc of character growth. I wish, however, she had done more in the story instead of relying on other people. The ending was a bit anticlimactic because of it. I also didn’t think she spent enough time with Christopher Cooke to warrant him being the love interest. I loved that he was, but I thought he needed more time and pages in the story.

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The Slowest Burn

The Slowest BurnTitle: The Slowest Burn
Author(s): Sarah Chamberlain
Genre(s): Romance
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 336
Length: 11h 12m
Narrator(s): Hunter Johns, Kate Handford
Source: Library
Reason(s): None
Rating:
Spice: 3 Flames

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed THE SLOWEST BURN. I loved both Ellie and Kieran, their chemistry, and banter. I loved that the story switched between Ellie and Kieran’s POVs. I thought it was a fun, spicy, enemies-to-lovers romance that dealt with some hard topics.

I really appreciated the look at grief from different perspectives and how messy it can be. I also loved the look at what it feels like to be a square peg in a round-hole family and never measuring up for the people who are supposed to love you. I loved the sense of found family, the look at neurodivergence, and the lesson of learning to love yourself the way you are.

One-Star Romance

One-Star RomanceTitle: One-Star Romance
Author(s): Laura Hankin
Genre(s): Romance
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 400
Length: 10h 57m
Narrator(s): Laura Hankin
Source: Library
Reason(s): None
Rating:
Spice: 2.5 Flames

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed ONE-STAR ROMANCE. It was a fun, enemies-to-lovers romance. I loved the chemistry between Natalie and Rob from the very beginning. I normally like romances that don’t span years, but I liked how ONE-STAR ROMANCE handled the passing of years. It felt like the romance was that much more sweet because of how long it took the characters to admit to and act on their feelings. I also loved that the author narrated the audiobook.

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Here One Moment

Here One MomentTitle: Here One Moment
Author(s): Liane Moriarty
Genre(s): Contemporary
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 512
Length: 15h 53m
Narrator(s): Caroline Lee, Geraldine Hakewill
Source: Owned
Reason(s): Book Club
Rating:
Spice: 1 Flames

My Thoughts

I adored HERE ONE MOMENT. I loved the premise of the story and all the characters. I laughed, cried, and stayed up way past my bedtime finishing it. I loved the message of using our one life to love, learn, live, and overcome our fears and anxieties.

I loved the way Moriarty portrayed how personal, all-consuming, and physical grief can be. I loved the serious look at and discussion surrounding mental health. I loved the advocacy of therapy and not suffering alone, that reaching out for help doesn’t mean you’re weak. I also loved the use of math and statistics to show the probability of how life and death sometimes feels cold and calculating, and unfair, how it can be sudden or expected.

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The Last Word

The Last WordTitle: The Last Word
Author(s): Taylor Adams
Genre(s): Thriller
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 337
Length: 9:57
Narrator(s): Carlotta Brentan, Jim Meskimen
Source: Owned
Reason(s): BotM Backlist
Rating:
Spice: 0.5 Flames

My Thoughts

I read THE LAST WORD pretty quickly. The suspense kept me reading, but I figured a lot of it out by the end. The author going crazy because of a 1-star review on Amazon was a fun premise, but I didn’t like the “book within a book” idea. Every time the narrative switched over to horror novel Deek was writing, I just kept waiting for that part to end. I especially hated the ending of his novel and gritted my teeth during his acknowledgments. I wish he had gotten what he deserved. I also disliked the male narrator during those parts.

THE LAST WORD dealt with some pretty heave topics–death of a child, death of a parent, grief, and suicidal ideation. I actually preferred the non-thriller part of the story more than the actual thriller. I liked Emma and Laika a lot. I liked her story with Shawn, and I would’ve much preferred reading a whole story about them.