Meh. The Paris Apartment feels mostly like melodramatic dithering, but I guess I was somewhat entertained.

Jess needs a place to stay, so she hits up her half brother. When she arrives at his residence, she finds a fancy building with questionable tenants, but no sign of Ben. As she digs deeper and asks around, she starts to realize that all is not as it seems at this apartment building. Dun dun dun!

Having read a few of Lucy Foley's books, I feel like she's really good at building up anticipation. Every moment in this book is so dramatic, with dark shadows and scary sounds at every turn. That's all good, but after a while, it gets to be a bit much, you know? There's no natural ebb and flow in the tone. It's just all high anticipation, all the time.

It doesn't help that every character acts so high-strung and paranoid, even when nothing is happening.

I watched as Nick's friend plucked a sprig of rosemary from one of the bushes, tearing hard to wrench it free. How he crushed it to his nose, inhaled. There was something presumptuous about the gesture. It felt like an act of vandalism.

What the heck. Who attacks a bush just to smell it? And who watches someone do that and calls it "presumptuous"? Reader, if you're able to keep from rolling your eyes, you're a better person than I am.

For a book advertised as a mystery, it sure doesn't feel like one. Jess doesn't so much suss out clues as she bumbles around, pilfering stuff, sticking her foot in her mouth, and just generally acts like an incompetent idiot. The other characters are all unlikable too, though each in their own way. And everyone is smelly, with stale breath and excessive sweat.

After all that exaggerated writing, do the twists deliver? Eh, they seem pretty standard to me for the genre. I wasn't really surprised or shocked. In fact, it feels more ridiculous than anything else.

Still, I was compelled to turn the pages, so I must've been somewhat entertained by all the antics.

Readaraoo Rating: 3 stars

Imagine if all men took women seriously . . .

When you come across that perfect read, at what point do you realize? For me, it was from the very first page of Lessons in Chemistry.

Honestly, who does Bonnie Garmus think she is, coming in here and writing a book that completely speaks to me? And on top of that, it's her debut. Well, just knock me over with a feather too while you're at it, why don't you!

Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in the 1960s. The problem is, she is the only one who views herself that way. Her male colleagues cannot get past the fact that she's a woman, and treat her more as a secretary and doormat, acknowledging her only long enough to steal her work. That is, until Calvin Evans, another brilliant chemist, comes along and really sees all that she is capable of. But life is unexpected, and so a few years later, Elizabeth is somehow the host of a cooking show. But in her heart, she still desires to be truly seen as a chemist.

You guys know how much I love strong female characters, and Elizabeth Zott is all that and more. She's fearless in the face of adversity, she stays true to herself, and she never lets others intimidate her into being less than all she can be. In other words, she is my hero.

It's not just Elizabeth who warms my heart. This story has the most wonderful collection of supporting characters. They add so much color and spirit to the whole thing. I wanted to hug them all. And if you're an animal lover of any sort, just be ready to have your heart burst into a million ooey gooey pieces. In fact, Six-Thirty might just be my favorite literary dog of all time.

The writing is so witty and brilliant. There's a zing to it that makes it feel zippy and wholly original. I couldn't stop laughing and I couldn't put it down. Usually I can't wait to reach the end of a book so I can check it off my long TBR and move onto the next. But I wanted this to go and go and never end. I tried to savor every moment, but I ended up devouring it.

What an absolute delight this was, from the very first moment to the last. It possesses all the hallmarks of the very best stories. It made me laugh, feel, think, and wonder. It filled me with joy and buoyed my spirits. It gave me everything I wanted and everything I didn't even know to ask for.

So many books come and go that often a true gem ends up buried in the deluge. Please don't let this one pass you by. Go read it. You'll be glad you did.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

"I was raised in hatred, Roma. I could never be your lover, only your killer."

Before you get too excited, that was practically the only pithy line in the entire book. I thought I was getting an exciting gangster retelling of Romeo and Juliet with some fantasy elements. Instead, the writing almost did me in.

In 1920s Shanghai, rival gangs the Scarlets and the White Flowers are engaged in a blood feud. Their young heirs Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov used to be secret lovers, until Roma betrayed Juliette. Now they are sworn enemies. When rumors of a monster reaches their ears, and dead bodies start piling up around the city with their throats torn out, they know they must act. But can they put aside their differences to save their people, or will they lose everything they hold dear?

The premise sounds so good, right? And did I mention it's set in Shanghai, the place of my birth and early years, one of my favorite cities in the world to visit? But even the scintillating setting and the story's numerous references to its beloved landmarks and delicious food could not save it.

It was such a slog from beginning to end. The writing feels overdone in the way that YA can sometimes come across. The melodramatic and ornate style is meant to impress the reader with how deep it is, but instead I'm just confused. Sure, it sounds good and all, but what does it actually mean?

There is so much fluff and unnecessary details packed in everywhere. No character can be introduced without pages of irrelevant background information, like how much they enjoy drawing spheres and what their favorite necklace is. But it's all telling and no showing. So even after all that, I still can't discern their personalities other than that they shoot first and ask questions later, as is typical of gangsters.

The pacing is absolutely glacial. The developments happen so slowly that I often forget where I am in the plotline. It doesn't help that the book keeps making big deals out of reveals that I thought were obvious many chapters prior, while still being unclear about key points. (What is the Larkspur?)

For a 450-page book, almost nothing happens until the very end. You could conceivable skip hundreds of pages in the middle and miss nothing. In fact, I barely have any memories of the middle chunk of the book.

I'm honestly baffled that such an amazing premise could turn into such a dull and onerous execution. There's a good story in there somewhere. It was just smothered to death by the overwrought writing.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

"What did you tell him?"

"I explained that you are a highly skilled assassin."

I've been so excited for this follow up to the Finlay Donovan series ever since I read book 1 last year. The dark humor and zaniness really left an impression on me. But unfortunately, I just didn't find Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead to be nearly as good as its predecessor.

If you'll remember from book 1, Finlay accidentally got mistaken for an assassin for hire when her conversation with her agent was overheard and misconstrued. The book ended on a twist that perfectly sets up for this one. And so we pick up right where we left off, with Finlay yet again trying to untangle herself from the world of murder and mayhem, with her loyal friend and nanny Vero by her side.

This series has always been a bit over-the-top, and that is part of its charm. Bad things happen, so Finlay has to find a way to fix them, and in the process, more bad things happen. But this book took that formula and just went to town with it, such that it no longer felt like dark humor so much as slapsticks comedy. We follow hijinks after hijinks, and it never ends. After a while, I didn't really see the point anymore.

It doesn't help that there were so many characters in here, each of whom had their own reasons and their own antics. Soon, so much was happening that it all became a bit muddled. It felt like we were just going in circles, and I had trouble keeping straight who was related to who in what way and why they were all doing what they were doing. It felt like a hot mess, honestly.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it at all (because hot messes can be fun in their own way). But looking back on the first book with its charm, wit, and dark humor, this one just doesn't quite compare.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

With Reminders of Him, Colleen Hoover cements her status as queen of the emotional read.

You'd think having read so many of Hoover's books, I would be better prepared. One, always have a box of tissues ready. Two, never read it in public. But I haven't learned my lesson. This time, I was in the doctor's office, sitting in the waiting room, when I got walloped with the feels. I tried to pass it off as allergies, but sobbing and allergies don't exactly look the same, you know?

Kenna has just been released from prison, where she served her time for an accident that had forever altered the course of her life. She returns to the town where it all went wrong, in the hopes of being reunited with the daughter she's never known. But old grudges die hard, and the town isn't so ready to welcome her back. The only ally she may have is Ledger, owner of the local bar, who has his own ties to her past.

This book sure packs a punch. I don't know if it's just where I am in my life currently, but reading about Kenna's separation from her daughter was particularly painful and heartbreaking. It was hard not to cry through most of it, if I'm being honest. The other thing that really struck a chord with me is Kenna's hope for a second chance after having done her time. It's still pretty rare for literature to include this important theme, and I'm always so heartened to see it.

There are so many sides to this story, so many different ways of looking at it. There's no real right or wrong, just lots of gray in the middle. It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of readers felt strongly that Kenna's situation is too harsh or too lenient. And I certainly wouldn't be surprised if those two groups ended up overlapping, with the same readers feeling both. This is exactly the sort of story that balances on an edge, tugging your heartstrings one way, then another.

If I had one quibble, it's that the pacing of the story felt a little bit off. The middle part dragged on for longer than necessary without much in the way of plot advances. Then when we get to the end, the resolution happens seemingly out of nowhere, without any of the anticipated pushbacks. After the odyssey that was the journey, the ending felt a bit abrupt to me.

Still, Colleen Hoover is known for delivering eminently readable stories, and this is just as riveting as the rest. Though she puts so much emotional toil into them, they never make me want to turn away. I want to continue flipping the pages. I want to feel whatever emotional punishment she has in store for me. And that's what makes her stories so special.

Just don't forget my two tips if you're going to read this. And maybe I'll even remember them myself one day.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

Now that I have found in myself a taste for power, will I be loath to give it up?

Jude finally has what she so desperately craves. Now she must do everything she can to hold onto it. But that is no easy task. How was she to know how much harder it is to keep power than it was to take it by force in the first place? After all, she is just a mere mortal in the world of Faerie.

Ah, this series is just so darn satisfying! All the political intrigue and scheming and backstabbing I loved in the first book are back, and now there is even more deception afoot. Usually, all these machinations and power struggles aren't my thing. But it's absolutely riveting here, mostly because it's so clever and I never see it coming.

Every character is as nasty as they were in the first book. It's one of the hallmarks of this series, and it really speaks to the author's ability. It must not be easy to write such morally corrupt characters, yet Holly Black makes them compelling and relatable. Even if I don't agree with their actions, they make sense to me. I understand why they must behave the way they do, so it makes them likable in their own way, even if they aren't inherently good.

The writing is as sharp as ever, with witty barbs and putdowns traded on every page. It's hard to look away. Often, I would slow down to marvel at the dialogue and reread it a few times just to make sure I fully soaked it up.

I have this fear when reading the middle book of a trilogy that it won't be as exciting as the first book (all that setup!) and the last book (the ultimate climax is here!). And this does start off a little bit slow. Not much really happens in the first two-thirds, though it was still an interesting read. Could this be the dreaded middle-book slump?

But I needn't have worried. When we hit the last 100 pages, so much happens, one right after another. I thought I could foresee where it was all going, but I was just fooling myself. I was surprised, again and again. It was so thrilling, with a showstopping finish that perfectly sets up for the next book.

I can't wait for book 3. I already know I'll be sad when this trilogy is over and I'll have to say goodbye.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Not gonna lie, The Maid was a disappointment. After all the praises heaped on it, I'm not sure I read the same book as everyone else.

Molly loves order and cleanliness. It's a good thing she works as a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, ensuring that every room is meticulously made up to her high standards. When she finds a dead body in one of her rooms, she's immediately the prime suspect. I mean, who would have more to gain from the death of a customer than a lowly maid?

If you're confused by this premise, you're not alone. It doesn't make any sense. Why would the maid be the prime suspect? But let's move on, because that seems to be the least of my problems with this book.

Where to even start? Clearly, Molly is supposed to be on the autistic spectrum. She has problems understanding social cues and reading others and is obsessed with cleanliness. Except she doesn't read like a fully-formed autistic person so much as a neurotypical author's fantasy of what a cutesy, loveable one should be.

She is depicted as essentially a precocious but dumb child. She is naïve to the point of incredulity. She is unable to understand the simplest of interactions, even when the other person is being direct. She bumbles around, sticking her foot in her mouth and acting as strange as possible to forward the plot of story. However, that's only when it suits the story. Other times, she has more insight than anyone else, even when it comes to things unsaid. Inconsistent much?

It's clear that the author cherry-picked the autistic characteristics that would best serve her story, then exaggerated them to the point of making Molly seem infantile, and created a whole plot out of it. So what's the problem? Well, there's something off about a neurotypical author crafting an adorably stupid but inauthentic autistic character, all for the sake of entertaining a predominantly neurotypical audience. In fact, it feels decidedly icky.

But it's not just Molly who is depicted as a dumb brick. What is up with Juan Manuel? Just because he's an immigrant doesn't mean he's stupid, but the book seems to equate the two. *facepalm* In fact, there is a simplicity and one-dimensionally, not to mention stereotyping, of every character in here that grated on my nerves.

I also have a problem with the story in general. It was so slow and hardly anything happens, I was bored most of the time. There is so much filler, with lots of passages on cleaning and reminiscing of the past. Every development is spelled out in so much detail, just in case the reader is dumb too. The actual plot is straightforward and probably could've been told in 50 pages. And the end was just ludicrous, with a few "twists" thrown in for shock factor, even though they don't make sense for the story or the characters.

However, not all is bad. Every time someone wrongs Molly and she figures it out, she'll wish evil things on them in the most creative and explicit fashion. And those few gems totally made me chuckle. So I'll give an extra star for that.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars