That is truly a scary story for any aspiring writer. I really liked the excerpts of the book within the book and how it factored in. Even if I guessed accurately, the story managed to sway me into going in new directions along with the protagonist. It was another fast and engaging read by this author.

This book had all the right fixings, but it didn't pull me in as much as I'd hoped. It had the setting, the friendship trope, and it centered around books and writing. But something that I can't explain was missing. I enjoyed the plot, and though the characters were all different enough, I didn't bond with any of them. I think if I read it on a beach vacation, it would boost my rating a bit more.

I was hooked in by the prologue and immediately invested in the large cast of characters.Kate Quinn writes books that makes writers feel they can not write themselves and readers like it was just a great story until you read the author's note and see all the moving parts that she magically weaved in. The time period, the themes, the character arcs, and the plot are all ingredients for the perfect book. Plus, there are recipes.

I have mixed feelings about the main character but love her love interest and her friends. Most of the book was a 3 star, but the ending boosted it up. The repetition throughout was annoying. I find that to be a popular literary device in fantasy/witchy stories, and it isn't my favorite. I feel like the author doesn't trust the reader to understand without repetition. I will read the next book.

I started this one on the plane to go on vacation but barely picked it up again throughout due to time commitments and the lack of intrigue in the story or any of the characters. I stuck with it because I figured the good stuff was coming, and it did, all at the end. This is the kind of book that will slide you into a reading slump just because, meh. My reading spot won my attention on this one.

I had been looking forward to this book for quite a while and devoured it in two sittings within 24 hours. A great family saga exploring 3 generations of the mother-daughter relationship, with mystery, a deep love story, and a new romance.

This one is hard to rate, or explain why I am rating it like I am, even to myself. On the one hand, the characters bother me. Even the nickname of the protagonist bothers me. Their banter annoys me. But then there is the relatable humanness during menopause that makes me forgive it all.

This book is a must because it makes the reader stare down the idea and origin of division among beliefs and how they are tearing society apart. It is hard to hold opinions, to share them, to question them when you hold them up to the light.

I made it to 60ish pages before removing this book from my e-reader. I didn't connect with the protagonist, and I think it was because of the way the author attempted interiority and foreshadowing, and the book written in the 1st person read like an annoying person constnatly vague booking for attention.

I am not familiar with Greek mythology, so this book was a learning curve, which means it took a week to read it. I loved the themes that poked through without being too obvious. The writing was fantastic.

This was truly an entertaining read with levels of multitude. Her stories are romances for the every day woman which makes each character so relatable. This is another winner from this author that proves her status as an auto-buy author for me.

A truly funny book with plenty of spice. I had to actually put it down right at the typical 3rd act breakup point for a couple of agonizing hours but devoured it once I was finally reunited. Another winner from them.

I picked this read because it was the opposite genre of the book I dnf'd. I am on page 60, and I have already lost count of how many times I have laughed out loud! Not a surprise from this powerful duo, but it is a delight.

First off, I pictured the author as the younger protagonist for this one. I don't do that often, but this one was strong. Then, at a time, when both stories' actions were coming to their climax, I wasn't drawn in like I should have been. This was between a Pick and a SoSo, but the very end made me lean toward Pick.

This was a wild and wacky read. I often laughed out loud, I cringed, and at times felt like my heart and Enid's heart were one... well, certainly our minds. I'm pleased with the protagonist's closure on some matters, but I was shocked when I turned the last page to the acknowledgments. It was abrupt.

The second book of the duology was action-packed and filled with mythology. I loved Iris and Roman and many of the secondary characters. For some reason, one of my favorite things was the subtle way the reader is told the significance of the title when sometimes the titles or themes are overly repeated or stressed.

What a fantastic and uncomfortable must-read. It is also structured and pieced together in a way that completely works with the story and typical story structure that isn't noticed by the reader. It will give you a lot of feelings but will help you process those complex leftover thorns from a complicated mother daughter relationship.

Don't let the cover fool you into thinking this is a fluffy read. The plot moves through many different serious subjects, making the HEA hard earned and bittersweet. It kept me reading far too late into the night.

What's not to love about a love story brought on by magically linked typewriters and wardrobes? But the agony!!! It kept me fraught through the rest all the way to a cliffhanging ending that will likely put me through much of the same for 484ish pages of the sequel.

This book is a bit different from this author, and she built this mystery well. I was constantly falling for all the hints and suspected everyone. I really liked the female protagonists in both timelines, their feelings up and down, and human. The Gothic tale was such an entertaining read.

Another winner from Emily Henry. Her dialogue/banter makes all her books deliciously easy to devour in one sitting. The way she describes the everyday mundane activity is her superpower. I am convinced her similies are what make her writing so relatable across such a vast audience. You know exactly what each feeling she describes feels like.

I really liked each character separately and enjoyed seeing their individual journeys. Together, their bond is impressive, heartwarming, and endearing. There were a few twists and turns that wound up tightly at the end and explained a few things, but the open ending makes me nervous and uncomfortable at numerous possibilities for this genre. Convinced Sally is trying to give us panic attacks.

It is hard to convince anyone how empowering the book is as you relay one plot point after another, but it truly is. It had all the frustrations women feel and felt through the ages, wrapped up in a harrowing tale that made me grip the reading chair with worry, gasp in well expressed grief and wallop when battles are hard won.

This story was exactly what I needed to get me out of a reading slump. I read this after a heavy book. It truly was love and light. The magical realism was sprinkled through in such a plausible way to give hope and make natural talents sparkle and glimmer.

A very twisty turny tale. Though I figured out a few of the plot lines, I still enjoyed the book. The characters were complex and sometimes annoying, but in that way that humans can be, and at times, they could be so relatable.

This was a cute story that did dive deeper, which was great. But I didn't feel as much magic in the notes, which made me wonder when the explanation would come. It was still a pick, but I feel something is missing.

I love books with an artistic, fraught protagonist. I also especially love the story of a woman reclaiming her own strength and power in middle age. I wanted to be friends with Johanna from page one. I loved how messy it got and how strong she remembered she was.

This storyline was a tad inconceivable, but it was told well and had me laughing out loud a few times. It talked about the nastier side of representation and how the best intentions can be misconstrued and how scary it is to have and express opinions when you are famous because it all goes awry fast. Then you get canceled. I really enjoyed it and read it on a rainy weekend.

Another romance to remind me to STOP with the whole story "I don't enjoy romances." This one was rich with many delights. 20s fashion and music world in Harlem, going your own path, found family, and a sense of deep romantic love running through. The magic element was the cherry on top. Once the big surprise came out, I was able to predict the ending, but that was ok. It was a beautiful ending plus epilogue.

I love historical fiction that tells womens' stories. And though I do read a lot of stories about wars, I love it when I find one that centers around other events. I learned a lot about San Francisco earthquake and fires and enjoyed all four of the womens' stories. The two authors co-wrote a very enjoyable book that was seamless to read.

This was a long read for me. At first, it was because the protagonist was driving me crazy but I was so damn intrigued already. But I was rewarded for accompanying Esther through the journey because it was breathtaking with the poetic prose. The descriptions dreamy, the story symbolic.

It took quite a while to finish this short beauty because I kept stopping to take notes and letting the creative energy in this book inspire me. It is a book I will need to re-buy in hard copy to come back to as often as I need.

I liked the uncertainty the writer gave the reader until the end. I chose this book as I visited Key West, where it is set. The terms of endearment were creepy, but that was not the author's doing but rather a true account within this story.

This was such a great read about women's stories. I especially love the morally grey characters that have such an enriching back story. The characters' voices were strong and individual and had me empathizing with each of them.

Another masterpiece by Kristin Hannah that put my heart through a blender. The range of emotions through this epic, and I am going to believe what I want of the open ending. Now I am just sad that I'm done!

This is a fantastic account into how Van Gogh died a starving artist to now having exhibitions of his art juxtaposed with quotes and letters from him. This is a wonderful story about a woman who made that all possible. I love how each part is named after one of his paintings. It also reminds me how happy I am to not have been born in that time as a woman.

I breezed through this one in two sittings. It was an engrossing story with loveable characters. It felt like a metaphorical journey the author was sorting through, and I was here for it.

I didn't think it was possible to read a story that mirrored mine so very closely, right down to the new fear that our broken hearts will surely fail any day now. Tears streamed down my face while I read this, as I suspected they would.

It took me almost a week to read this story because of the way she writes grief so clearly and it burrowed in deep. It was both heartbreaking and heart mending for me, but without the added bonus of cake lol

This was a smart cat and mouse story. One you don't realize is being played on you as well. It was very well done. There were parts that I felt I had to get through to get to the other side, but it made it a slower read for me.

I read this in one day and cursed all the tasks that stood between me and this book. I love the characters. The settings and descriptions were rich in all senses.

Every single character's bad decisions grated on me. It took a while for me to get through it. The story itself is interesting, but this isn‘t my favorite of hers.

This was an empowering retelling. With retellings, there isn't as much surprise in the storytelling, but this was enjoyable as a story in itself. The theme was easy to decipher and was relatable for sure. The novella length also made the pacing of the story perfect.

After 5 days I found myself on page 89 of 291 and knew I had to bail. I really wanted to love this. Maybe I put too much "first book of the year" pressure on it but I cannot continue.

That was not what I was expecting, though I am not sure what I was expecting beyond the "haunted house," likely due to a lack of imagination on my part. The writing was simply delicious.

This historical fiction read was unlike many and had many intertwined subplots that the author miraculously kept going. It was so friggin maddeningly wild to read about the antiquated laws back then, especially towards women. Hence, the need to swiftly take justice in your own hands in such an amazing fashion.

I liked the multi faith component a lot. I disliked some of the miscommunication tropes, but these stayed true to real life. I enjoyed the fact that there were so many moving parts. And mostly, I love how much it reinforces the idea that there is no war on Christmas....all faiths can wish each other blessings for the season no matter which holiday they celebrate in their faith.

I enjoyed every single layer of this complex story. I like the social elements. The relationships between characters aren't an easy given, and the fact that there is no automatic or easy romance made the important plot issues stand out as they should.