I found the first half to be as sharp and piercing as they come, but then the second half kind of lost me.

We start off with Keru and Nate each taking a turn inviting their parents to vacation with them. Keru's Chinese parents are strict and emotionally guarded, while Nate's white, working-class parents don't quite know what to make of their son's career in academia. So when you throw these characters together, surely comedy and conflict ensues.

And it does. That first part definitely had me chuckling and shaking my head, with its sharp, satirical commentary of the typical dynamics within a Chinese American family and a white working-class family. Add to that the factor of marrying outside of your race and class, and each scene felt like such a zinger. The frequent misunderstandings and earnest hurt feelings made for a searing and funny read.

But I'm not sure I was as enamored with the second part of the book. At times, it became too exaggerated and I had a hard time relating to the characters and their inflexible ways. It feels like in Part Two, they became caricature of the people they were in Part One, ever more obstinate and set in their ways. I saw less and less of the humor I had previously enjoyed, and I just felt sad for the characters.

This isn't that long of a read. It honestly feels a bit like one of those stories where the author came up with a specific situation and wrote a novel around it. As a result, that original premise of vacationing with the parents shines as the story's strongest part. The rest of it did feel less focused, as if it were there to pad a great scene out into a full-length novel.

But don't let me dissuade you. I feel like this is my usual complaint with literary fiction, that I always expect more than it gives me. I hope to walk away with food for thought, but instead, the rather directionless culminations always leave me more befuddled than enlightened.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

This book feels a lot like its more famous successor Big Little Lies, only without any of the fun or insight.

In both stories, we follow three women facing their own problems and dilemmas. Here in The Husband's Secret, we have Cecilia, Rachel, and Tess. Cecilia is at the center of this story. Her husband is the one with the earth-shattering secret, and before we are through, each of the three women will feel its repercussions.

Okay, if I had to pinpoint the biggest issue for me, it’s probably the bland and strangely indistinguishable characters. I had trouble keeping them and their children and relatives—of which there were many—square and straight throughout the story, and they somehow all blended together in my mind.

They also weren't exactly the most likeable of people. They were fairly wrapped up in themselves, and it made it hard to connect with them. Here we have these characters each dealing with their own bad fortunes and predicaments, and yet, I just couldn't make myself care. At times, I even caught myself hoping things wouldn't work out in their favor, which was rather discombobulating since I knew I was supposed to cheer for them.

And then there were the actual issues they were each facing. Their moral dilemmas should’ve been interesting and given me much food for thought, but here again, I just couldn't get into them. There was something that didn't quite ring true about the whole thing, as if I knew these characters were not real and neither were their issues, and I was being sold a story all along.

This all sounds terrible, but it really wasn't that bad. It just lacks the wit and spark I've come to associate with Liane Moriarty. Of course, this story is one of her older ones and every writer grows with experience, so maybe this was the necessary stepping stone on the way to writing bigger and better books. If so, I guess I'm okay with that.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

This is everything I've come to expect from a Scandinavian noir. It's dark, complex, and disturbing, and I couldn't look away.

It's hard to nail down exactly what The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is in a few simple sentences. It's a multi-layered story with several different mysteries that are sometimes closely and sometimes loosely intertwined. There is a historical disappearance, a hunt for a serial killer, and even a financial mystery all wrapped up in one. Along the way, we are introduced to two compelling protagonists in Blomkvist and Salander, and together they make a fascinating and unstoppable team.

But first we must get to the exciting part. Now, this wouldn't be a proper Scandinavian noir without the requisite slow start or the long page count, and this one clocked in at just under 600 pages (at least in the version I read). It's fair to say that the first 300 pages was more or less setting up for the story and nothing exciting really happens until we are about halfway through. In the meantime, it does count on the reader to keep track of a large number of characters, several subplots, and multiple timelines.

That isn't to say it isn't an interesting or riveting start. The best books in this genre have a way of grabbing the reader and keeping them engaged, all the while expecting them to wade through gobs of backstory and tons of extraneous information—all of it dark and bleak—and then come out the other side still excited and wanting more. And so this book does too.

But make no mistake, this story is as dark and disturbing as they come and should carry pretty much every trigger warning you can think of. In fact, the original Swedish title is directly translated as "Men who hate women," which I think is a much more appropriate name and should give you a better idea of the grotesque directions this story takes. You have been warned.

And yet for all the darkness and monstrosity of the crimes depicted, the resolutions bring a surprising amount of satisfaction and buoyancy to the reading experience. While not every crime can have a just outcome for the victims, there is closure for all and every villain gets their comeuppance and then some on the pages, so we do end up in a place of light instead of darkness.

By the way, speaking of the title, I thought the English one is a complete misnomer. This book isn't about Salander so much as it is about both Salander and Blomkvist. In fact, Blomkvist plays a much more central role to the mysteries, at least up until near the end when Salander steps in. But the English translation must have happened during that crazed period when every thriller had to have "girl" or "woman" in its title, so here we are.

Oh, one last observation—this story seems to think that people of the opposite sex cannot possibly coexist in the same place without wanting to jump each other's bones immediately, no matter the circumstances or their backgrounds or really anything. If you thought romance books have got the lock on instalust, you obviously haven't read this yet.

Random thoughts aside though, I did enjoy this book. While I wouldn't say it was the perfect mystery for me, I did find it gripping and compelling and ultimately satisfying. If you're a fan of Scandinavian noir, I don't think you'll regret picking up probably the most famous and quintessential book of the genre.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I don't think I'm asking for too much when it comes to romance. I want banter, I want sizzle, and I want swoon. And yet, somehow, I keep coming across romance books with none of the above.

Emmy was thrown from her horse during barrel racing, so she's now back at her family's ranch recovering mentally from the accident and figuring out her next steps. Of course there's a cute boy next door who just happens to be her brothers' best friend and totally off-limits. All of a sudden, sparks are flying and Emmy and Luke can't help falling for each other.

Okay that's a great premise. But right off the bat, there's a problem. Where are the sparks? I detected not an ounce of sizzle or tension anywhere in here. The characters were bland, their conversations were bland, and I had a hard time imagining anyone falling in love or lust while saying such bland and boring things to each other.

A large part of the problem is the writing style. It essentially intercuts scenes inside the characters' heads (where they constantly go on and on about how beautiful the other person is and how attracted they are to them), with the aforementioned bland dialogue, with some additional scenes of them talking to their BFFs about how much they like the other person. It was just tell, tell, tell, with no show at all.

The things is, tension (romantic or otherwise) always comes from what is unsaid, not what is said. So if you have a story that is all tell and no show and essentially overshares and overexplains the feelings that the characters have for each other, then you have effectively killed good and dead the most important element in a story.

Another issue is the characters. It's not that they're unlikable, because that would mean there is something to dislike. It's more that they feel generic, like cardboard cutouts of what romance leads should be. Luke is nice and handsome and always there to lend a hand, while Emmy has deep-seated issues that Luke will inevitably swoop in and make all better. I guess I just expected a little bit more.

Even the cowboy element felt so bland. If you take out the fact that they're on a ranch and Luke wore a cowboy hat once in the whole story, and substitute a different sport for barrel racing, this would literally be any other romance. I don't think there was even a single cowboy expression or "yeehaw!" in here.

The other thing that was disappointing was the ADHD rep. There was specifically an author's note at the beginning of the book talking about how she has ADHD, and she wrote Emmy with that in mind. I'm always so heartened to see diverse representation in books, so when Emmy's ADHD turned out to be little more than her being messy and late to things, it felt lacking.

I'm sorry, but this book did not live up to the hype. Sure, if you're wanting a generic romance with some horses thrown in, there's nothing wrong with this one. But if you're hoping for even a little bit more, you're better off looking somewhere else.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

I really wanted to love this book. But at the end of the day, it's hard to love something you don't really understand.

Let me start with what I enjoyed. Colored Television was interesting and unusual, and because I've never read anything like it, it fully engaged my brain. It constantly tried to explore so many meaningful topics that it often felt like every sentence and every paragraph had the potential to be something profound.

Every time I sat down with this book, I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to keep going, to keep turning the pages. There was this perpetual feeling that something compelling was right around the corner, if only I could stick around for a few more pages to find out what it was.

But the problem is that the compelling bits never really emerged. This story had the anticipation and the tension, but not the payoff. The whole thing felt like a setup instead of a story with a beginning, middle, and end.

The same could be said for the would-be interesting explorations. It feels like a lot of great ideas were introduced, but then nothing came of them. Yes, the book made me think, but that's because it served up ideas without any follow-through, so I was forced to come up with stuff myself or just leave the ideas dangling. As a result, while the book may have arrested my attention, it didn't actually give me anything new I could take away with me.

Let me give an example. It's clear Jane suffered from envy and wanted an upper-middle class life. But neither she nor her husband were willing to give up their high-minded artistic pursuits in trade for a job that would make more money. In fact, they regarded everyone who did as sellouts and were bitterly against them. Okay, but so what? I understand (as I'm sure everyone does) the conundrum of either working a well-paid but soulless job versus pursuing your passions but making considerably less, so I didn't understand what this story was trying to add to that conversation.

Another example is Finn, Jane and Lenny's son. He is possibly special-needs, but they're not sure. Jane and Lenny have different parenting views on what this could mean. Okay, but so what? I'm pretty sure every set of parents have had differing views at one point or another regarding their child, special needs or not. Again here, I feel like the author is trying to say something, but what it is eludes me.

Maybe part of the issue is the characters. Jane was not really sympathetic and neither were any of the supporting characters. They all just seemed to muddle along, blissfully certain in their views of the world while being bitterly against everyone who doesn't share them. From beginning to end, it seemed like there were no character growth, no gained understanding from their experiences.

Or maybe the problem is that this is billed as a dark comedy, but I didn't see any humor. It's not that I read potentially funny passages and just didn't laugh because it wasn't my brand of humor. No, it's more that I didn't even understand where the humor could be. Instead, this story felt earnest throughout, almost overly so, and thus I had to take everything it said seriously.

I suspect if I'd understood the humor, this probably would've read like a completely different story to me. Or if it hadn't come across so shallowly traversed, as I always prefer more depth than breadth. But as it stands, I can't shake the feeling that I didn't quite get this story. Still, I really enjoyed Senna's writing and will check out more from her. Hopefully my next foray will be more successful.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Did she sound like a whiny child? Yes. Did she care? Not even a little bit.

Oh boy. Here we go.

When I first heard about this story, I thought this was it. Billed as Knives Out meets enemies-to-lovers, you couldn't get me to say "Sold!" fast enough. I immediately dropped everything on my TBR and made room for this. But alas, I'm having a hard time pointing to even one thing I liked about it.

Let me start by saying that when an author wants a down-on-their-luck heroine but don't quite know how to write one, the result is often someone like Maggie. Instead of being a character who is sympathetic and cheer-worthy, you get one who is precious, annoying, and at times downright mean. She needs constant reassurance that she's special and worthy, but she's so stuck in her pity party that all she can give back is insecurity and insults.

Enter Ethan, our nice, handsome, charming male lead who crushes hard on Maggie, no matter what she does and says to him.

"Sometimes I lie in bed at night, thinking of ways to kill you and make it look like an accident."

In case it's not clear, that isn't the murderer talking, that's Maggie speaking to Ethan. Yikes. Seriously you guys, you know anyone who's attracted to people wanting to kill them? Yeah, me neither. And Ethan's response wasn't to run out of there screaming like a banshee, but rather something insipid and flirty. I just can't.

So when you put these two characters together, you'd be right to think their interactions would be vapid and cringe-inducing. And indeed they were. Every dialogue was as dull as dishwater, yet presented like they were some sort of witty repartee deserving of swoon. Reader, I did not swoon. Indeed, I should say I was lucky I did not suffer permanent damage from the constant eye-rolling.

In order for enemies-to-lovers to work, it has to make sense why they were enemies in the first place. But here, to pile on to poor Maggie's characterization of being annoying and full of herself, her only reason for disliking Ethan, which she states time and again, is that he's "handsome and charming and . . . universally adored." Ah, pettiness doesn't look good on anyone, and Maggie certainly didn't change my mind.

It's hard to stay engaged with such bland, unlikable characters, and the writing didn't help either. During what should've been emotionally charged moments, it often felt like we were just dropped there without any buildup or the necessary cues. In fact, when Ethan revealed the big ol' secret of his job prior to being an author, I actually laughed because I thought it was a punchline and he was joking.

But what about the mystery, you ask? Well, it had potential, but ultimately ended up rather clichéd. It's clear that the focus of the story was on Maggie and Ethan, and the rest of the characters were more or less cartoony cutouts lifted from the mystery genre. And I'm willing to put up with that, if not for the very end.

Mystery writers everywhere, in case it's not clear, I never want to reach the end of the mystery and see the line "there are some mysteries that are better left unsolved, some questions better left unanswered." Uh, no. Writers, it is your duty, after all that build up, to make sure I know every which way exactly how it all unfolded. It is not cute nor satisfying to leave a big part of the mystery unsolved just because.

But hey, don't let me dissuade you. I see nothing but glowing reviews for this book, so what do I know? But if you're unsure, I've devised a litmus test:

"Dobson thinks we tried to kill Eleanor. But that's crazy. Isn't that crazy? I think that's crazy. Because you are you. and I am me, and we are not a we?"

If that quote and all the italics made sense to you, have at it. Otherwise, you're probably better off saving your TBR—and your eyes—for a less exasperating read.

Readaroo Rating: 1 star

This was such a cute, short story. It was the perfect way to kick off the holiday reading season, or if you're like me, scrambling to fit in even one seasonal read, then you'd have successfully met your quota.

This has got everything I'd want in a romcom—tension, sizzle, romance, and absolutely hilarious banter. Honestly, I don't think anyone does banter quite like Ali Hazelwood. She often has me in stitches, and this time, I was at the library, so I had to stifle my laughter and do the silent shakes, for fear of being kicked out.

I will say, having read quite a few books by Hazelwood now, I've come to recognize what seems to be her excessive reliance on the miscommunication trope. Yes, the guy has professed every which way how much he loves the girl, and yet, she doth protest. But since this is a novella, it doesn't go on and on past the point of believability like it would in a full-length novel. Instead, we get it all sorted out pretty quickly, and that makes this reader very happy.

I can't think of anything bad to say about this other than it's short and I want more. But then that's my problem with every short story. Anyhoo, definitely recommend if you're a fan of Ali Hazelwood and looking for a fun way to spend an hour or two.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars