The Lying Game - Ruth Ware

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

An unexpected discovery reunites four boarding school friends, bringing them together to deal with the repercussions of past decisions.

Okay, I didn't love Woman in Cabin 10. But I truly didn't like this book. In fact, if I hadn't been stuck in the hospital with a family member for days with nothing else to read, I would have quit it several times.

All of the characters are entirely unlikable. They were all annoying and whiny and utterly self-involved - both in the present story and when Isa's memories take you back to the past.

The plot was convoluted and choppy Yet it also seemed to drag, painfully and meandering through emotions and memories and dialogue - including much foul language.

If you loved Woman in Cabin 10, don't expect this book to be of the same caliber. If you thought Cabin 10 was just okay, I'd say skip this one entirely.

I received this book free in a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions are entirely my own.

If you would like to see more of my reviews, visit www.mommyreadsbooks.blogspot.com

View all my reviews

The Crossover - Kwame Alexander

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book started at 2 stars for me...not knowing much about basketball and needing to acclimate to the “novel in verse” form. But it gained stars throughout. The basketball importance faded as the characters cane to life. I loved the formatting and presence of the words on the page as well.

View all my reviews

After Anna - Lisa Scottoline

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Noah Alderman and Maggie are married. Everyone is happy, including Noah’s young son. Until Maggie’s lost but not forgotten daughter moves in with them. She is 17 and used to doing her own thing. Then she is murdered. Noah is on trial for the crime he swears he didn’t commit. What is the truth?
The more Lisa Scottoline I read, the less I like her books. Which is disappointing.
The only character I liked in the whole book was Noah, the man on trial for murdering his step-daughter. Maggie was annoying and whiney and entirely too accommodating to her daughter, who clearly respected no one and nothing.
The whole timeline of the story seemed off. The story itself was plodding in many points. Also, it was only a couple of weeks between Anna coming to live with the family and her murder. Yet no one can remember when they didn’t fight? After just 4 days they all need a weekend at the beach where their roles aren’t all set in stone?
And then there were the discrepancies. The trust manager who Anna knew so well even though her dad had just died. Why would a criminal attorney work for a group of allergist doctors? A malpractice attorney, sure. But a criminal one? If Kathy (Maggie’s best friend) is a teacher, how does she meet Maggie every morning for a walk? And, more importantly, how does she take all sorts of time off after the murder and during the trial to take care of and be with Noah’s son? How could Noah throw a punch when he’s handcuffed? It was snowing a lot, but Maggie could see the front of the farmhouse, but the next page there’s too much snow to see anything. Easter candy is a caffeinated treasure?
Also, there were so many plot points that just didn’t make sense to me. I hate to (and never have) written a spoiler in a review. But I have to this time around. So, if you are still wanting to read the book, stop reading this review now!


No law enforcement would let a mom ride along on an ambush of where her daughter might be being held. It just wouldn’t happen. Much less would the law enforcement let the mom get out of the vehicle and run to the scene of the ambush. How did Connie known PG had set up to meet Noah and been able to get there from out of state in time to kill her before Noah arrived? And more than that, why would he kill her before they had their hands on the large inheritance?
It just required too much suspension of disbelief for me in reading a realistic fiction suspense.
However, I do appreciate this book for helping me nail my overall issue with the last few Scottoline books I’ve read: there is too quick and unrealistic a resolution.


View all my reviews

Still Me (Me Before You #3) - Jojo Moyes

Still Me by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I do think this is my favorite book of the series. I was a little concerned as it had been quite awhile since I'd read the first two. I wasn't sure I would remember enough of Louisa Clark's story to enjoy this one. But after a few pages, most of the backstory returned to me; and I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to the series.
I feel like Louisa really...finally...came into her own. Her characters was developed in this story instead of just aimlessly floating along on the whim of others' wishes and her own circumstances. It was a satisfying conclusion.

View all my reviews

Love and Other Words - Christina Lauren

Macy and Elliot were each other’s first loves. Destined to be together until Macy’s heart is broken. And neither is every the same again. This story is told as a dual narrative of teenage Macy & Elliot and what unfolds after an unexpected reunion as adults. This book was not my cup of tea. It should have been, based on the cover copy. I enjoy dual narrative, and who doesn’t love a good soulmate story? But had I not received this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I wouldn’t have made it past the first few chapters. The story in and of itself is great. I love Macy and Elliot’s nerdy, book obsessed teenage friendship that turns into something more. I think Macy was a great, complex character in her motivations and choices. However… The first thing that turned me off was all the foul language. It did taper off some as the book continued, but there was no need for it at all. It didn’t serve as character development in any way, shape, or form. And then there was so much sex in this book. Pages and pages of really descriptive sex that I skipped. I would turn a few pages, read a few words. Oooops. Nope. Still going at it. Skip a few more. Again, I felt this was completely unnecessary for the overall story. Especially the graphicness of it. Another (could have been great) story ruined by excessive swearing and sex. A disappointment for sure.