reviews

Chain of Thorns

Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

But you cannot fix someone. In the end, if they can be fixed at all, they must do the repairs themselves.”

Cassandra Clare

Synopsis:

Cordelia Carstairs has lost everything that matters to her. In only a few short weeks, she has seen her father murdered, her plans to become parabatai with her best friend, Lucie, destroyed, and her marriage to James Herondale crumble before her eyes. Even worse, she is now bound to an ancient demon, Lilith, stripping her of her power as a Shadowhunter.

After fleeing to Paris with Matthew Fairchild, Cordelia hopes to forget her sorrows in the city’s glittering nightlife. But reality intrudes when shocking news comes from home: Tatiana Blackthorn has escaped the Adamant Citadel, and London is under new threat by the Prince of Hell, Belial.

Cordelia returns to a London riven by chaos and dissent. The long-kept secret that Belial is James and Lucie’s grandfather has been revealed by an unexpected enemy, and the Herondales find themselves under suspicion of dealings with demons. Cordelia longs to protect James but is torn between a love for James she has long believed hopeless, and the possibility of a new life with Matthew. Nor can her friends help—ripped apart by their own secrets, they seem destined to face what is coming alone.

For time is short, and Belial’s plan is about to crash into the Shadowhunters of London like a deadly wave, one that will separate Cordelia, Lucie, and the Merry Thieves from help of any kind. Left alone in a shadowy London, they must face Belial’s deadly army. If Cordelia and her friends are going to save their city—and their families—they will have to muster their courage, swallow their pride, and trust one another again. For if they fail, they may lose everything—even their souls.

My Review:

Once again I don’t know how Cassandra Clare does it. Such a complex cast of characters, yet I feel like I know and love them ALL. An even more complicated mystery. Everyone interconnects and small clues are scattered about. Yet she managed to keep my attention the whole 752 pages with her poetic writing, amazing chemistry between characters, and great character arcs. The banter between the merry thieves and between couples made my heart happy the whole way. I laughed, I cried, and I almost flung the book across the room. (It’s so massive, that throwing it would’ve caused more damage to my room than to it, so I decided against it). If you haven’t caught up with this series, what are you waiting for? It’s absolutely amazing!

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, and all opinions on this blog are my own.

Life Update:

I’m currently reading Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun and really enjoying it. This series is hilarious and I highly recommend it as a palette cleanser in between more serious books.

I’ve been recently getting used to life as a stay at home mom, after leaving my job of 9 years as a 911 Dispatcher. It’s been tough getting used to sleeping at night like regular people for one. Being a regular person with a regular schedule is definitely an adjustment.

I’ve been enjoying the little things, like coffee in the mornings while I catch up on social media posts and cuddle with the dog on the couch. Also, my husband and I recently started playing pickle ball. He has been whooping my butt lately, but I’m getting better. I’ve been trying to be more present with the kids, especially on the way back from school when they take turns telling me all about their days.

I’ve been trying to heal and take it easy. One day at a time. I can’t heal 9 years of trauma in a few months. So I’ve been practicing being gentle with myself and giving myself grace.

How about you? How is life? Share anything you would like to share in the comments!

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reviews

The Bodyguard

Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis from Goodreads:

She’s got his back. 
Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener. Or a ballpoint pen. Or a dinner napkin. But the truth is, she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka “bodyguard”), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker.

He’s got her heart. 
Jack Stapleton’s a household name—captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, famous for, among other things, rising out of the waves in all manner of clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity. But a few years back, in the wake of a family tragedy, he dropped from the public eye and went off the grid.

They’ve got a secret. 
When Jack’s mom gets sick, he comes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah—against her will and her better judgment—finds herself pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover. Even though her ex, like a jerk, says no one will believe it.

What could possibly go wrong???
Hannah hardly believes it, herself. But the more time she spends with Jack, the more real it all starts to seem. And there lies the heartbreak. Because it’s easy for Hannah to protect Jack. But protecting her own, long-neglected heart? That’s the hardest thing she’s ever done.

My Review:

I’ve been in love with Katherine Center’s books for a while, but this one is definitely a new favorite. I fell in love with Hannah and Jack and their easy chemistry. I went into this one completely blind, which has become my new favorite way to read books. I didn’t even read the synopsis, because I knew as long as Center wrote it I would read it. This is a story about found family and self discovery. About knowing your worth. But mostly it was a hilarious fun ride packed with action and banter. Read it! You won’t regret it.

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, and all opinions on this blog are my own.

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reviews

The Measure

Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Synopsis from Goodreads:

Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.

It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out.

But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live.

From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?

As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?

The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.

My Review:

I love books that dive into the human condition, and this one had such a unique thought provoking premise. I enjoyed the multiple POV’s, which worked so great because different people will always choose different paths, and as a reader I wanted to find out how their paths would end and how they interconnected. What if you looked? What if you didn’t? What if your partner had a short string? I was satisfied to learn the answers to all my questions by the end. I found myself turning page after page and finishing it in one day. Pick it up and you won’t regret it, just make sure you have time to read it all because you won’t want to put it back down.

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, and all opinions on this blog are my own.

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reviews

Lessons in Chemistry

Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

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Synopsis from Goodreads:

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

My Review:

If you are a woman, I am warning you now that you will find this book difficult to read, but it’s definitely 100% worth it! I laughed, I cried, and I fumed over all the injustices. I had to put it down several times, on days when the words struck a bit too close to home, but then I would take some deep breaths and dive back in. I am a dog person, and if you are one of those you will also love this book for that reason alone. I hate that I waited so long to read it. Amazing job Bonnie Garmus! All the awards this book has received and will receive are well deserved!

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, and all opinions on this blog are my own.

reviews

Love on the Brain

Dee’s Reading Tree

Rating: 5 out of 5.
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Synopsis from Goodreads:

Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project – a literal dream come true – Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school – archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.

But when her equipment starts to go missing and the staff ignore her, Bee could swear she sees Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas… devouring her with those eyes. The possibilities have all her neurons firing.

But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?

My Mini Review:

I enjoyed this one so much. Maybe a bit more than The Love Hypothesis. Except, there was a lot more of the “miscommunication” trope in this one for my liking. I loved the slow burn romance, the spice, and the side characters were amazing! Her assistant Rocio! I loved her. She was hilarious. I enjoyed the banter between the characters. I liked the plot twist at the end and the action. This book was just a perfect wholesome STEM Romance.

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reviews, Uncategorized

The Thursday Murder Club

Dee’s Reading Tree

Rating: 5 out of 5.
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Synopsis from Goodreads:

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?

My Review:

This was such an amazing cozy mystery. I fell in love with all the characters. How is that even possible? There were so many I had a hard time keeping them straight at first, but once I got the hang of all the names it was smooth sailing from there. These old people were hilarious. The detectives were great. The husbands and the side characters were also amazing. I mean, I even had a hard time disliking the people I know I was probably supposed to hate, but they were all so genuine I had to like them. I did not solve the whole mystery until the end, and I love when that happens. The Thursday Murder Club has my heart, and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

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reviews

The Spanish Love Deception

Dee’s Reading Tree

Rating: 4 out of 5.

For fans of: The Unhoneymooners, The Trouble with Hating You, and The Love Hypothesis

Hey guys! I’m back with another Mini Review. Thank you for sticking around! You can expect more regular bookish content from me from now on.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Catalina Martín desperately needs a date to her sister’s wedding. Especially since her little white lie about her American boyfriend has spiraled out of control. Now everyone she knows—including her ex and his fiancée—will be there and eager to meet him.

She only has four weeks to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic and aid in her deception. New York to Spain is no short flight and her raucous family won’t be easy to fool.

Enter Aaron Blackford—her tall, handsome, condescending colleague—who surprisingly offers to step in. She’d rather refuse; never has there been a more aggravating, blood-boiling, and insufferable man.

But Catalina is desperate, and as the wedding draws nearer, Aaron looks like her best option. And she begins to realize he might not be as terrible in the real world as he is at the office.

My Review:

This was such a wholesome Rom-Com. I really enjoyed the banter between Aaron and Catalina. I love a good enemies to lovers romance, and this one did not disappoint. The dynamic between Catalina and her Spanish family was very entertaining as well. I am also a fan of the “one bed” trope and was excited to see it play out. There were some steamy scenes which are always fun to read. If you are a fan of all these things I’ve mentioned, then you will definitely enjoy this book.

Let me know your opinions about it in the comments!

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, and all opinions on this blog are my own.

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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Dee’s Reading Tree
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Author: V. E. Schwab

Published: October 6, 2020

Pages: 442

For fans of: Fantasy, The Priory of the Orange Tree, The Time Traveler’s Wife

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

My Review:

Schwab’s writing is as poetic and entrancing as ever. I loved the unique premise of the story and how it delved into the human condition. We are all trying to leave our imprint on this world, and we always wish we had more time. Schwab explores what happens when a woman has all the time in the world but cannot leave any mark on it. Addie cannot die, but is she really alive? The plot switches back and forth between the past and the present, which I thought was the perfect way to tell a story like Addie’s. The book also includes a lot of descriptions of artistic works such as plays, musicals, books, paintings, and sculptures; which serve to highlight all the ways people try to leave a piece of themselves for others to enjoy when they are gone.

I adored Addie, but Henry absolutely broke my heart. He is the most accurate reflection of myself I’ve ever read, and his character will stay with me forever. Also, a little warning that the descriptions of all the food Addie gets to sample throughout her very long life will make you extremely hungry. I enjoyed listening to the audio while reading the physical copy of the book. The narrator had the perfect voice and accent for it. I highly recommend this one to all Fantasy lovers, and fans of Schwab’s writing definitely won’t be disappointed.

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, and all opinions on this blog are my own.

reviews

From Blood and Ash

Dee’s Reading Tree
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Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Published: March 30, 2020

Pages: 634

For fans of: Fantasy, The Shadows Between Us, Kingdom of the Wicked, and Serpent and Dove

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A Maiden…

Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.

A Duty…

The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.

A Kingdom…

Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

My Mini Review:

I confess that I haven’t been so utterly consumed by a story in a while. I loved Poppy and Hawke and their slow-burn romance. I always enjoy fierce and strong female leads along with dark and sexy love interests, and this book did not disappoint. The plot was fast-paced and intriguing. There were some plot twists that I easily guessed, but many shocking moments that took me by surprise. The premise of the story was unique with some familiar fantasy elements sprinkled in. I enjoyed the humorous dialogue and playful banter between the characters. I can certainly see why so many recommended I read this. I absolutely cannot wait to read the sequel to this, and I will proudly call myself a member of the Blood and Ash fan club.

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, and all opinions on this blog are my own.

Uncategorized

The Shadows

Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

the shadows book by alex north
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Author: Alex North

Published: July 7, 2020

Pages: 336

Goodreads rating: 3.79/5

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, and all opinions are my own. If you are interested in purchasing this book, please consider using my Amazon affiliate link (by clicking on the top or bottom pictures) and helping a fellow book blogger out 🙂 I will receive a small fee from Amazon, but your book will still cost the same.

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Synopsis from Goodreads:

You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile–always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet–and inspired more than one copycat.

Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree–and his victim–were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and senile, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home.

It’s not long before things start to go wrong. Reading the news, Paul learns another copycat has struck. His mother is distressed, insistent that there’s something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago.

It wasn’t just the murder.

It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again…

My Mini Review:

This book left me craving more of this genre. Also, I figured my usual bright aesthetic could never do it justice, so I present to you my backyard (pictured above), where I’m frequently visited by bears (mainly they like to eat from my trash), and all sorts of forest animals. Maybe that’s why the creep factor in this book was so bad for me? It was not a very long leap from Alex North’s Shadows to my own world. Plus, we all knew a kid like Charlie…

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I did a bit of the audio and a bit of the hardback. The plot was engaging, and the small twists had me hooked. I liked this one and The Whisper Man equally, though I’ve heard people say they liked Whisper Man better. Apart from the suspense, I always enjoy North’s take on the different sides of parenthood. I usually find myself comparing my own parenting style to the ones of the parents presented in his books. I admired Paul’s mom and the way she defended her son so passionately when he was interrogated for a terrible crime. She never doubted him for a second. I highly recommend this one to all Mystery/Thriller fans, and if you can do the audio book even better!