michelles_book_nook's reviews
252 reviews

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

⚠️ CW: abandonment, domestic abuse, addiction, kidnapping, gun violence and brief mentions of infertility ⚠️ This whirlwind small town romance had me obsessed, and for someone that isn't a huge romance fan it had me hook, line and sinker! This book follows Naomi Witt, a hopeless romantic good girl, who came to the rescue of her estranged twin sister, Tina, whilst also having escaped from her own wedding. But as Naomi rolls into Knockemout, a small rough around the edges town in Virginia, she realises that her sister hasn't changed one bit. After helping herself to Naomi's car and cash, she leaves her with an unexpected gift; the 11 year old niece, Waylay, that she didn't know she had. Now she is stuck with no job, no plan, no home and a whole lot of extra responsibility. Then there's Knox, the local bad boy barber, bar owner and extremely gorgeous bearded, tattooed hunk that doesn't do complicated or high maintenance women, especially not romantic ones but after Naomi's life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out. And just as soon as she stops getting into trouble, he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life. At least that's the plan, until their lives begin to entwine in ways they never imagined. This book is filled with drama, tension and lots of spicy encounters! It is so well written from the deeply complex characters, to the page turning storyline and I absolutely loved it. I'm actually really lost for words with how much I loved it in all honesty, especially with me not being a huge romance fan but as soon as I finished it I was looking for the next book. Overall, if you're a fan of grumpy meets sunshine, good girl/bad boy and fake dating tropes then this one is definitely for you and I highly recommend it!
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The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

⚠️ CW: murder, death, suicide, grooming, child abuse, torture and drug use ⚠️ Wow what a mind-blowing read! I stayed up all night just to binge this book. This book follows Amanda Bailey, a true crime author, who is researching the Alperton Angels for her upcoming book, a cult who brainwashed a teenage girl and convinced her that her newborn baby was the antichrist and that they were on a divine mission to kill the baby. However she came to her senses and alerted the police before any harm could come to the baby and the angels committed suicide rather than stand trial whilst she and her baby disappeared into the care system. Now nearly two decades later Amanda starts her book and finds that the baby is due to turn 18 and can finally be interviewed, but first they need to be traced. If she can locate the baby this will be the flagship moment of her career but the deeper she digs the more she discovers dark and strange forces surround this story and if she continues digging it could be her last. This book was so incredibly gripping and I could not put it down! It's so hard to review without spoilers but it was perfect. I love seeing mixed media in books but this was my first time reading a book that solely contained mixed media to tell the story. It felt like the most intense murder mystery game while reading all of the documents and information surrounding this in depth and captivating read so you can make your own conclusions as you read. Overall, I highly recommend this book and not only is it my favourite read so far this year but I think it will easily make my top 10 at the end of the year too!
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The Tea Dragon Tapestry by K. O'Neill

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

⚠️ CW: medical trauma and grief ⚠️ This series is so wholesome, inclusive and magical that once I started reading it I just couldn't stop! This series follows Greta, a blacksmith's apprentice, and her friends as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons after she discovers one lost at the market one day. And from this chance encounter Greta learns about the dying art of tea dragon husbandry from the tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik, as she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette. As time goes on she sees how this age old craft enriches their lives, and eventually her own. This series is so beautifully written and takes you on a magical journey filled with so many amazing mythical creatures. As well as having heartwarming underlying messages throughout about finding yourself, your purpose and love, it also has incredible LGBTQ+ and disability rep with Erik being a wheelchair user following a past traumatic battlefield injury from his and Hesekiel's days as bounty hunters, and deaf and sign language rep with one of the characters in the second book. Overall, I absolutely loved this series and found that they were the perfect YA graphic novel reads that I was looking for right now and I cannot recommend them enough!
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The Tea Dragon Festival by K. O'Neill

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Reviewed the series as a whole. My review can be found under book 3.
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The Tea Dragon Society by K. O'Neill

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Reviewed this series as a whole. My review can be found under book 3.
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Cannibal Killers: Monsters with a Taste for Murder by Moira Martingale

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challenging dark informative medium-paced

4.0

⚠️ CW: graphic content, cannibalism, murder, rape, child abuse and much more ⚠️ This book is definitely not for the faint-hearted but it is so captivating and well written that I couldn't put it down! This book is a comprehensively updated and expanded version of Martingale's original publication on cannibal killers from the 90's that examines the ancestry of cannibalism from early human history right up to the present day. It is filled with research from scholars all over the world that aid the discussions throughout the book relating to the age old question of nature vs nurture and, in my opinion, is the perfect mix of psychology, criminology and true crime analysis. One particular part that I really found interesting was the discussion on how the internet has allowed groups of individuals to come together and create 'safe spaces' on not only the dark web but also in privately secured social media groups that has changed the way these people work to stalk their victims or enable their darkest desires. The only reason I dropped it down a star is because in a few areas I felt that there was an unnecessary emphasis put on some of the people who had any kind of preferences that lay outside of heteronormative behaviours or sexualities and how this somehow linked to the outcomes whether they were killer or victim. Overall, this was a very succinct and captivating read and if you're interested in psychology, criminology or just true crime in general then I highly recommend this book.
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Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

⚠️ CW: miscarriage, infertility, sexual assault, murder and brief mentions of cancer ⚠️ If you love classic whodunits and slow burning thrillers then this one is for you! This book follows two married couples, Christian and Lily and Nina and Jake, but when one of them goes missing questions start to surface and cracks begin to show. When Jake first went missing Nina thought he was just blowing off steam after a heated argument but then as the days go by she starts to realise something more sinister is happening. Nina's friend, Lily, thinks she may be the last person to have seen Jake before he went missing but after confessing everything to her husband, Christian, the two decide nobody can find out what happened leading up to Jake's disappearance, especially Nina. But she is out there looking for Jake and she won't stop until she discovers the truth. This book was a good little page turner that kept my attention and really kept me guessing, and even though I did guess the big reveal it was still a good read! I really enjoyed the tension that Kubica builds with how she writes her books with the incident at the beginning and then drip feeds you clues like breadcrumbs for the rest of the book. Overall, I recommend this read if you like books with messy relationships and juicy lies!
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The Mist by Stephen King

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

⚠️ CW: death, overdose, suicide ⚠️ If you're a fan of Stranger Things then you'll love this! This novella follows the Drayton's and the people of Long Lake, Maine who following a freak summer storm end up joining together in their local grocery store after becoming trapped by the ominous mist that has enveloped their small town. While waiting for it to pass they realise that the dreaded mist has been concealing violent and strange forces that begin to emerge. However, that isn't their only concern as a group of survivors, led by a religious zealot, are calling for a human sacrifice. Now David and his young son, Billy, must try to escape but what's outside may be even more dangerous than what faces them in the store. This book was such an exhilarating and horror filled thrill ride! It reminded me of those classic horrors that make you choose between the enemy you know and the one you can only imagine which I absolutely loved. Overall, I highly recommend this book if you want a short horror filled read with a twist of sci-fi that leaves you wanting more!
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Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

⚠️ CW: war, death, sexual assault and mentions of rape ⚠️ Wow what an end to an absolutely incredible trilogy! This book continues to follow Karou who is intent on steering her and the rebellion away from dead-end vengeance in the hopes of a better future for all and their war-ravaged world. However, when Jael's brutal Seraph army trespass into the human world the unthinkable becomes essential and Karou and Akiva must rally their enemy armies against the threat. It may be a twisted version of their long-ago dream but they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people, and perhaps for themselves to also find a new way of living and maybe even loving. But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing; A vicious queen is hunting Akiva and in the skies of Eretz something terrifying is happening that fills their world with a deep sense of dread. This series hasn't stopped leaving me speechless after every single book! I generally find with trilogies that there is always one book that is lacking in some way but again Laini Taylor has absolutely smashed it. There is so much I could rave about this book and this entire series but its so hard without giving spoilers. Overall, I don't know how there isn't more hype surrounding this trilogy because I've adored every last page and the beautiful writing of Laini Taylor. And I know I've said it before with the last two book reviews but if you are into epic mythical fantasies then you need to read this series!
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Behind Closed Doors by Carol Wyer

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

⚠️ TW: abduction, violence, domestic abuse, torture, suicide, brief mentions of drug use ⚠️ If you're looking for a slow burn that will keep you guessing then this one is for you! This book follows Stacey and her ex-husband, Jack, who turns up on her doorstep begging for her help after his 13 year old daughter, Lyra, has been abducted. But this terror is all too familiar for Stacey who was abducted 30 years earlier in a violent ordeal that was never solved and left her with severe amnesia. All she knows is that her father never paid her ransome and she was only saved thanks to an anonymous tip off to the police. And now Lyra is in the same situation and her captors have made it clear not to involve the police but Stacey can't help to notice eerie similarities between the two cases and she knows that she will do whatever she can, from using her journalistic powers to speaking with shady contacts, to save Lyra from the same nightmare. This book was a gripping read that made you second guess everything you thought you already knew about the characters while you try and piece together a complex whodunit puzzle. I did sort of guess it from quite early on but it was still really enjoyable to see it unfold and there were some great twists and plot points that I didn't see coming at all which I loved. It was a little slow in certain parts but with so much going on it made it more manageable in those slower paced chapters. However my main downside was that I felt the bad and dislikable characters outweighed the good ones but that also gave you lots of people to suspect 🤷🏼‍♀️ Overall though I quite enjoyed this read and recommend it if you're into the abduction/whodunit type reads.
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