Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line (Elle Cosimano)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library because I've read the others in the series.

I gave this book four stars on Goodreads, but given the choice, I might have gone with 3.5 stars. I enjoy the stories a lot. They are easy to read, easy to get into, funny, etc. Bonus that there weren't any gory scenes this time around!

I'd drop the stars by a half-point just because the sexual banter is a little more than I want to read in a book like this. It's not necessary and doesn't even seem to fit in with everything else going on. There could have been just a tiny bit more editing work, too. There were just a couple things that needed to be tidied up.

I thought for sure this book would tie up the series, but the author left us with a cliffhanger again. She is really good at those cliffhangers!

I'm sure there was some profanity, but I don't recall exactly what level it was. There's some sexual banter/talk, no descriptive sexual scenes, though. It's a mystery, so expect some "edge-of-your-seat" moments.

First Lie Wins (Ashley Elston)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library, and then had to turn my Kindle's airplane mode on so it wouldn't get returned before I could finish it. December was not my best month for reading.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I used an Audible credit to buy the audio version so I could go back and forth, and the narration was smooth and easy to understand. There was some back and forth in the timeline, so I was glad to be able to reference the Kindle version to keep things straight.

I was kept intrigued throughout, and gave it four stars on Goodreads. Very clever story.

Again, I don't remember specifics. It was on par with most modern books as far as profanity and sexual content, I'd say. Nothing extreme that I remember, but not squeaky clean.

Forever (Judy Blume)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library because once in a while, I like to revisit books from my youth.

I'm pretty sure I read this before, but I don't remember how old I was. All I know is that it certainly hits differently when you're a parent of teenagers.

The book got better toward the end. It felt pretty shallow at the beginning. Surprisingly, it needed an editor. The punctuation definitely didn't follow the rules.

What I didn't like... it is too sexually descriptive for a book that was written for teenagers/young adults. The character development is lacking. The parental attitudes about sex felt a bit too casual, but I know it's not always easy to discuss sex with teenagers. Overall, it felt too permissive about teenage sex without showing the repercussions in a meaningful way.

What I did like: I liked that the characters learned that teenage "love" doesn't always work out the way they think it will. That was one really realistic part that I wish all teenagers could learn (and not the hard way of having to suffer because of their choices).

I think what leaves me so unsettled about this book is that the casual way the topic is presented can really shape how a teenager will think of sex before they are mature enough to make those decisions. The story just doesn't go deep enough into the emotional aspects or possible biological repercussions of sex (pregnancy and STD's).

I did give it two stars because it kept my interest, it did get better as it went on, and because it showed that teenagers shouldn't think that "first love" is "forever love." I couldn't give more stars because I feel like she didn't take the opportunity to teach more important lessons about the consequences of our choices.

It's crazy to me that Judy Blume is considered such a great writer. She's really not. I think she gained her popularity because she wrote about topics that were considered more taboo for the younger crowd in her day.

There is some profanity. The sexual scenes are moderately to highly descriptive (for the target audience), and it's definitely a book that a parent should read in order to discuss it with their child if the child is going to read it. 

The Frozen River (Ariel Lawhon)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library because I kept seeing it mentioned online.

Okay, I really was conflicted on whether to give this four or five stars on Goodreads. I really loved the writing. It is so beautifully written, and I felt completely transported to the time and setting of the story (the 1790's in Maine). It felt like a solid five-star book.

I did drop it down to a four, though, because the "c" word got thrown in toward the end. Totally unnecessary and disgusting (I despise that word more than any other), and I felt like the "justice" (while totally deserved) felt a little contrived. I'd give it an easy 4.7 if that were an option, but I couldn't quite go with five stars.

Having said that... I still can't get over the writing. I'm going to look for other books by the author.

The story deals with rape and murder. Other than that one disgusting word, I don't recall any other swearing? No promises, though. There are instances of children being born out of wedlock.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Elle Cosimano)

Why I have this book: It's the fifth book in a series I've been reading. I borrowed it from the ebook library.

I thought this was the last book in the series, but it ended in a cliffhanger, so I guess another one will be out at some point. I'm not sad about it.

Another fun, light read that I enjoyed thoroughly. I gave it four stars on Goodreads.

There is a bit of language, a bit of sex (not descriptive), murder, dead bodies... but all on the light side.

Five Total Strangers (Natalie D. Richards)

Why I have this book: Again, my daughter checked it out from the school library. I don't know how it came up for borrow from the ebook library for me shortly after... did I already have it on hold? Did I look at it after she told me and then it suddenly was available? No idea, but I borrowed it and read it.

I gave it four stars at first, then after thinking about it, I changed it to three stars. The four stars were because it kept me completely engrossed the further I got into the story. I was on the edge of my seat.

Three stars would be because there were some loose ends that could have been more fully explained, and the "bad person" played out in a somewhat corny manner.

The writing was easy to get into, but it wasn't particularly deep. It's written for the high school crowd, obviously.

I would have gone with 3.5 if that were an option.

This psychological thriller is maybe not quite to the "creepy" level, but definitely close. It might be creepy for some people, though. There is profanity. Nothing sexual that I recall.

Fat Mom on a Mountain: Fifty Weeks that Restored My Life (Kriste O'Brien)

Why I have this book: I think it came up on Bookbub for cheap, so I bought it hoping it would inspire me to exercise more. Haha...

This book earned only two stars from me on Goodreads. The writing was okay, but maybe it wasn't better since one of her goals was to write a book about the experience. It wasn't like she had the experience, then decided to write a book about it, you know? She decided to do the experience and write a book about it as she was going along. It just didn't come together for me.

I saw several reviewers say the book ended very abruptly, and I agree. There was a lot of detail about the months leading up to the hike, a good amount of detail about the hike to the summit itself... then nothing. Nothing about the descent, nothing about how she felt afterwards or how her recovery went, nothing about what she's done since.

She expressed a lot of negative thoughts about others or what they were thinking about her or how they annoyed her, etc. She didn't come across as very likable, to be honest.

I like what she set out to do and that she accomplished it. I just didn't think the book made it as compelling as it could have been. I also didn't like that her method for her weight loss goal was drinking weight-loss shakes for most of her meals. She didn't do it in a medically-supervised way, so it just seems a little unhealthy for those readers who might be inspired to follow her example without researching it or checking with their doctors.

I think there were some swear words, but it was clean otherwise.

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice (Elle Cosimano)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library. It's the fourth in a series that I've enjoyed.

This one earned four stars on Goodreads from me! The ending was *insert shocked face*, and I can't wait to read the next one. I think the next one (#5) is the last of the series. It doesn't come out until March, but I'm on the "Notify Me" list at the ebook library, so hopefully I won't have to wait too long once it's released to get my hands on it.

Like some of her other books, there was a bit of editing that needed to be cleaned up.

These books involve murder, but they are also comedic and fun, so it takes the edge off what could be a more scary or creepy vibe.

There's some profanity, including the F-word if I'm remembering correctly. There are some sexual moments (unmarried) that are very mildly descriptive. The stories involve murder and dead bodies and such, and sometimes the descriptions are a bit yucky... but that's coming from someone who doesn't do well with that kind of thing. It's probably pretty mild compared to other books. 

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Elle Cosimano)

Why I have this book: It was a Kindle Unlimited book, I think. Or maybe I borrowed it from the ebook library. I can't remember. It's the third in a series I've been reading, though.

I gave this one four stars on Goodreads, although I would have preferred to give it a 3.5. There were some editing issues, but I did enjoy it overall. I'll be reading the whole series.

There's swearing, including the f-word, if I'm remembering correctly. I'm to the point that I barely notice them anymore. It's just too common nowadays. There is some "unmarried" sex, but not graphically described. I think that's about it.

The first two books in the Finlay Donovan series (Elle Cosimano)

Finlay Donovan is Killing It

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead

Why I have these books: I borrowed the first three (haven't read the third yet) from Kindle Unlimited. I saw a lot of recommendations for them, plus the covers are really cute. Sadly, the rest of the books aren't on KU and are months out on the ebook library, so I don't know when I'll get to them.

I liked both these books to the tune of 4 stars each on Goodreads. They are fun, light reads without being shallow. They probably aren't super realistic. I mean, no "probably" about it... they really aren't realistic, but they kept my interest and kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next.

I told a couple of people that I could totally see the books in movie form. Lo and behold, the author mentions in the "acknowledgments" section of the book that she's looking forward to seeing Finlay on the screen. Sounds like I'm not the only one who could see these characters and stories as a movie! 

If I were the editor or early reader, I'd have helped her clean up a few things.  ;)

Mostly clean. I think there was some swearing, but I'm not sure if any of it was in the F-word category. (Am I becoming desensitized?) It has a tiny bit of spice, but nothing descriptive. There is a little violence since they are murder mysteries... um, mostly yucky because they deal with dead bodies, and that's never fun to imagine.

The False Flat (Melissa Collings)

Why I have this book: Someone online recommended it, so I borrowed it from Kindle Unlimited.

Ugh. 

Okay, the book itself was well-written, but it was SO SAD. Too sad for me, and also... I just wasn't expecting it to be that way. Maybe I didn't read the synopsis.

I liked it a lot, but I only gave it three stars because it was just too sad for me. Maybe that's not fair on my part to give it fewer stars because it was sad. I don't know.

The story deals with cancer and death. Again, not sure on the swear words. There's sex, but I don't remember it being descriptive. (Back-dating again.)

The next three books in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series (Dianne Freeman)

A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder

A Bride's Guide to Marriage and Murder

A Newlywed's Guide to Fortune and Murder

Why I have these books: I borrowed them from Kindle Unlimited to finish out the series. There's actually one more book that will be published soon, so I'll borrow that one when it comes out.

I gave these four, four, and three stars respectively. They were all enjoyable.

Clean. I don't recall any swearing, but if there was, it was mild and rare. (I am once again backdating this review since it's been two - three weeks since I read these.)

Five Survive (Holly Jackson)

Why I have this book: I read the author's series The Good Girl's Guide to Murder and liked it well enough to read another of her books.

Oh, my goodness. I was completely engrossed in this book. I was kind of dumb and started it just before bed, and it got pretty spooky and creepy. Not too smart to read a scary book when it's dark and quiet in the house. Yikes.

I gave it four stars on Goodreads. Like her other books, I'm not sure how plausible the storyline is, but it kept me totally sucked in and invested in the outcome. Some people might hate the ending, but I think leaving some questions at the end probably made the book even better.

Lots of swearing, including the F-word. It's a murder mystery, so there's murder and death involved. It's got a creepy vibe, for sure.

The Family Next Door (Sally Hepworth)

Why I have this book: I like the author, so I bought the Kindle version last year. I actually ended up borrowing the audio version from the library, so I listened and just cross-referenced with the book when needed.

I gave this one four stars on Goodreads. It totally kept me intrigued... in fact, I stayed up until 2:00 am and then forced myself to turn it off and go to sleep since I still had a couple hours left of listening time. I finished it today. I'm off to put more of her books on hold.

To be honest, the narrator wasn't my favorite, but it was fine. Also was a little confused when a child asked for a cookie, then they were called "biscuit" in the same scene. It's set in Australia, and I know a "biscuit" is what we call a cookie, but I was confused why it was used both ways in the same scene. Editing problem or do they use both words there in Australia? (I googled, and apparently they do use both words, although a cookie is usually softer and thicker than a biscuit, which sounds more like a shortbread-type cookie they'd serve with tea. Maybe?)

This is a book for grown-ups. You know people are having sex... it's talked about, but not described. There are grown-up themes (such as adultery) as well as swearing, including the F-word a couple of times.

Flying Solo (Linda Holmes)

Why I have this book: A friend recommended it to me, so I borrowed the audio version from the online library.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I was all on track to give it four stars, but I didn't like the ending. It felt like the protagonist had kind of a selfish outlook on relationships, and her boyfriend just kinda went along with it. I mean, it's great that she's independent, but it felt a little one-sided that she got to determine the way their relationship played out. At the end of the day, I could only give it three stars because of that. I might have gone with 3.5 if that had been an option.

I did like it well enough to put her first book on my list of books-to-be-read. I hope the narrator is as good as the one who read this book.

There are some F-words in this book, maybe some other swear words, as well. An unmarried couple sleeps together, but it's not super descriptive.

From the Embers (Aly Martinez)

Why I have this book: I saw it recommended online, so I bought it on a day I got double points for the Kindle Rewards program or something.

Anyway... I was really torn on how many stars to give this book. On the one hand, the author is a good writer. The story flowed well, it was easy to like the main characters, there was more depth than a typical "smut book," and I didn't see what was coming.

Haha... I didn't know it was a smut book when I bought it, but yeah. Definitely more detail than I am used to in my reading habits. I can do without all that, and I can do without the bad language especially in regards to the "love scenes."

Overall, I enjoyed the story, so I did give it three stars. I don't think I'll read anything else of hers, though, because I just didn't need all the extra details and language.

Not clean. (See above.) Also deals with death, adultery, and unmarried sex.

Friends, Lover, and the Big Terrible Thing (Matthew Perry)

Why I have this book: I used one of my Audible credits to buy the audio version. I had seen clips of the author online, and I thought the story would be compelling because of all the health issues he's dealt with due to his drug and alcohol use.

I ended up giving this book only two stars on Goodreads. I actually enjoyed the book a lot for maybe 2/3 of it, but after that, I really just wanted it to hurry up and be done. Sometimes it seemed like the timeline was disjointed, but the problem was mostly that I couldn't take one more F-word (I don't know if I've ever read a book with so many), and I was tired of hearing his stories about women. It's obvious that he has a lot of issues stemming from his parents' divorce, but it seems like there must be more going on because he's certainly not the only kid whose parents got divorced, and I don't think his way of coping is necessarily the norm. But what do I know?

Overall, I don't hate that I read (listened to) it, but I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone. I've never watched Friends (except maybe one episode), and this didn't make me want to watch it. I think I know too much about Matthew Perry to get lost in the character of Chandler now.

And... I'd never step foot into the world of Hollywood. Their "normal" is not reality, and honestly, I applaud any actor who comes through with their sanity, health, and morals intact.

Waaaaaaay too much profanity. Some talk of all the women he slept with. Maybe some other sexual talk, but I don't remember exactly. It was just a yucky kind of book.

Firegirl (Alivia Anderson aka Taryn A. Taylor)

Why I have this book: I bought it way back in 2014. I'm sure it was cheap, if not free.

I read that the author changed her pen name to Taryn A. Taylor so as to not get confused with a writer of erotica... but when I tried looking her books up under the Taryn name, it was all erotica. 

I have no idea what to make of that, but in any case, it doesn't matter because apparently Firegirl and/or Firegirl Part 2 don't seem to exist on Amazon anymore. I was only looking because if Part 2 was available for 99 cents or less, I would have read it.

I gave this one 2 stars on Goodreads. I probably would have given it 2.5 or maybe even 2.7 if I could have, but I couldn't quite get to a 3. The story was intriguing, but there weren't really any answers in Part 1 about what happened in the past. There were just a lot of hints. There were some editing issues, as well. The writing was pretty good, though, and the character development was done well enough that I wanted to know what the heck was going on with everyone. Too bad I can't find the second one (or even the first one) on Amazon. Oh, well.

Clean. There are hints of something sinister having happened in the past. There are some "rough" kids who smoke, but it's an LDS-type book, so that's about it.

The Firm (John Grisham)

Why I have this book: I bought it for my husband for Christmas on Kindle.

I'm pretty sure I read this book back in the day, and I'm also pretty sure I liked it better back then, as well.

It took me a long time to get through this one because I just wasn't into it. The main character (Mitch) wasn't very likable. It also was kinda corny and unrealistic, but I know it was a big hit, so maybe I'm just not imaginative enough. 

I also was confused by how the author made comments about how the 24-year-old wife was aging well (???), and how the 51-year-old looked her age (gray hair and frail). I don't know how old John Grisham was when he wrote this, but as a 54-year-old, it gave me pause.

I was also annoyed that Mitch cheated on his wife and never told her. Jerk.

I gave it two stars on Goodreads.

There are murders (not graphic) and sexual situations (semi-descriptive about women, gross references to other men liking to see pics of couples having sex while being secretly monitored, one-night stands, etc), and I'm guessing there was some mild swearing, but I can't recall for sure.

French Braid (Anne Tyler)

Why I have this book: I saw the "buzz" about it here and there, so I borrowed it from the ebook library.

I gave it two stars on Goodreads. It was fine. It didn't seem to have much of a point to it.

And this is what I pretty much said about another book by Anne Tyler (A Spool of Blue Thread) that I read in May of 2015. I actually gave that one three stars, so I must have liked it better than this one... or I'm just less generous in my ratings at the moment. I don't know.

There were some sweet sentiments, but mostly it just seemed to be a sad reflection on family life.

There may have been some mild swearing. I don't remember anything worse than that. There is an implied sexual relationship with a teenager, but not described. One extra-marital affair (also not described).