Literally Lenny: murder mystery

What's it about?

"Twenty-five-year-old Cassie Danvers is holed up in her family’s crumbling mansion in rural St. Jude, Ohio, mourning the loss of the woman who raised her—her grandmother, June. But a knock on the door forces her out of isolation. Cassie has been named the sole heir to legendary matinee idol Jack Montgomery's vast fortune. How did Jack Montgomery know her name? Could he have crossed paths with her grandmother all those years ago? What other shocking secrets could June’s once-stately mansion hold?

Soon Jack’s famous daughters come knocking, determined to wrestle Cassie away from the inheritance they feel is their due. Together, they all come to discover the true reasons for June’s silence about that long-ago summer, when Hollywood came to town, and June and Jack’s lives were forever altered by murder, blackmail, and betrayal.

As this page-turner shifts deftly between the past and present, Cassie and her guests will be forced to reexamine their legacies, their definition of family, and what it truly means to love someone, steadfastly, across the ages." - Goodreads Synopsis

My Thoughts?

Finishing this book, I'm really confused about what I feel about it. I'm not sure if I enjoyed the story or found it to be too much. The writing was decent since the author was able to paint images very clearly for my mind, but I got incredibly annoyed when she kept going on and on about something as if she was just trying to use a filler! For example (no spoilers), there's one scene where the author is describing the way two figures are standing together, and it felt like an eternity for her to explain the scene.

What I did love though were the women in this book; June, Cassie, Elda, Tate, and even Lindie. Yes, each and every one had their flaws, but they also were able to learn from this and still "follow their dreams". Cheesy, yes. But what I mean is that the things that they did, were out of love for someone. Not one was selfish, regardless of what it seemed. Their characters were strong individuals. Individuals being the key word. Each was strong and very much capable without a man. They just each needed to find what was worth living for. And I admire them greatly for that. Whether or not their lives were what they had always dreamed of or not. They were never selfish.

The story was predictable for most of the novel, however, I was surprised to learn of what the true conflict was in June and Lindie's story. That in itself made the book for me. Completely out of left field, and turned the book into a completely different genre than I had originally expected.

I did not approve of the romantic relationships that occurred during both time periods, but that could just be me. I would never condone cheating, even in a fictional story. I don't like that the person that I saw as the "villain" (Jack) got a "happily ever after" and did not even suffer any consequences. And towards the end, it was almost as if the author was trying to make an excuse for why Jack was the way he was, saying it was okay because "he's better now". That just irked me because I found Jack to be an all-around terrible person. And the fact that the author can make me feel so much hatred for a character, kudos.

So. With that being said, I give June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore 3 stars.

4:39 PM No comments

What's it about?

EVERY DAY THE SAME
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

UNTIL TODAY
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

My Thoughts:

This book was a really great thriller and full of a lot of jaw-dropping moments, but to be honest, I think it's pretty overhyped. I get that it's a really good plot and the writing is great but oh my goodness the characters drove me insane. This book takes unreliable narrator to the extreme. Which I get is the point of a mystery-thriller, so maybe this just isn't MY cup of tea. The women characters were weak and vulnerable which irked me to no end. They had no treated themselves like crap and had absolutely no respect for who they were without men. I'm not going to go on a feminist rant or anything, but this book just really harped on the weakness of women when it came to men. No woman was independent, and each woman hated the other. I get that not every person is a strong individual, but this was just a bit too far. And quite frankly it ruined the book for me.

So the reason I'm even giving this book 3 stars is because the ending for me was unpredictable. The plot was great and the writing was good. But the characters was the make it or break it for me. I don't really know what else to say about this book. It was a good read, but I would not recommend to anyone unless they were massive murder-mystery fans.

3:57 PM No comments

What's it about?

"In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she's the person Quinn thought she knew.

Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbor town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister than he ever expected.

As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under Pearl's spell, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted thrill ride that builds to a stunning conclusion and shows that no matter how fast and far we run, the past always catches up with us in the end." - Goodreads Synopsis

My Thoughts (Spoilers!) :

So, I had really high expectations for this book because I freaking loved The Good Girl. I knew that it wasn't going to be the same plot or anything, but it's almost as if the writing and the way the plot unfolded was completely different from "The Good Girl".

Don't get me wrong, it was still a good book, but there were things that just really irked me about it that are still bothering me even after I put the book down.

Why the hey was Quinn so damn oblivious? She literally thought of the storage space WAY BEFORE the 5 day mark. That just really bothered me because if she had freaking used her brain she would've gone there when she thought about it. Find some bolt cutters or something, I don't know!

The whole ending was really good and creepy as fudge, but it was the only part that was actually exciting. I found the entire beginning and middle to be very lack luster and boring.

I know I was wrong to expect another The Good Girl, but I just so desperately wanted another fantastic crime novel like that again!

I gave Dont You Cry 3 stars.

10:03 AM No comments

What's it about?

"Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron wakes up in a hospital room, leg in a cast, stitches in her face and a big blank canvas where the last six weeks should be. She discovers she was involved in a fatal car accident while on a school trip in Italy. A trip she doesn’t even remember taking. She was jetted home by her affluent father in order to receive quality care. Care that includes a lawyer. And a press team. Because maybe the accident…wasn’t an accident.

As the accident makes national headlines, Jill finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. It doesn’t help that the media is portraying her as a sociopath who killed her bubbly best friend, Simone, in a jealous rage. With the evidence mounting against her, there’s only one thing Jill knows for sure: She would never hurt Simone. But what really happened? Questioning who she can trust and what she’s capable of, Jill desperately tries to piece together the events of the past six weeks before she loses her thin hold on her once-perfect life." - Goodreads Synopsis

My Thoughts (No Spoilers):

I can't really make up my mind about this book. I really loved certain parts of it, but then seriously hated other parts. It had an extreme case of unreliable narrator, making the story even more mysterious. But then again, there were times where the main character just really bothered me, because in addition to being an unreliable narrator, she was incredibly clueless. I think what bothered me the most was that she did not once second guess the character of her best friend. She worshiped Simone and that was that. It was just all very close-minded and in the end I don't think she grew as a character at all.

The plot was fantastic. I've heard people say that it is a spin off of the Casey Anthony trial, which is very clear to see once you get into the story. This being said, it was all quite predictable but the whole case had you second guessing the entire time! It left me on the edge of my seat to find out what really did happen.

The ending...was awful. Yes, it was not a surprise ending, but it was in no way a satisfying ending. It really bothered me how Jill handled everything once her memories started to return. Almost like she was thinking "Oops. Too late now! Oh well..." and that REALLY irked me! For me, the book just ended...there was no closure and no end result for anyone.

I listened to this on Audible and for the last 10 minutes of the audiobook, my mom was listening as well. After about 5 minutes my mom chirped up and said "I have no idea how you've listened to this girl for so long. After 5 minutes I cannot even stand to listen to her whine and complain." Yup. That pretty much sums that up, Mom!

Overall, I would probably only recommend this to people who were looking for a quick summer mystery. Nothing more. It was a good book, but I probably wouldn't read it again.

I gave With Malice 3 shiny stars.

7:56 PM 2 comments