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booksbytheglass's reviews
864 reviews
What the Wife Knew: A Novel by Darby Kane
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
me? loving a darby kane novel? I’m as pleasantly surprised as all of you 🥹
this is absolutely my favorite of darby kane’s so far! for a domestic thriller, the story takes the typical tropes and completely flips them on their head, leaving the reader scrambling to find out what could possibly happen next!! and I swear, there were at least three different major reveals at the end 🙂↕️
the story follows addison, the second wife to richmond who recently passed away after a “fall” down the stairs 🤔 and of course, everyone suspects her to have something to do with it… and while it was frustrating to watch all of the characters walk all over addison, it was absolutely perfectly written in dual timelines to discover the truth behind addison and richmond’s marriage…
and reader, I was gasping every few chapters!! it was such a wild ride!!
this thriller is bingeable, fast-paced, and so evenly spread out with the twists and reveals y’all I’m so impressed
a huge thank you to netgalley and william morrow for sticking with me for darby’s novels and sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: finger lakes cabernet franc
this is absolutely my favorite of darby kane’s so far! for a domestic thriller, the story takes the typical tropes and completely flips them on their head, leaving the reader scrambling to find out what could possibly happen next!! and I swear, there were at least three different major reveals at the end 🙂↕️
the story follows addison, the second wife to richmond who recently passed away after a “fall” down the stairs 🤔 and of course, everyone suspects her to have something to do with it… and while it was frustrating to watch all of the characters walk all over addison, it was absolutely perfectly written in dual timelines to discover the truth behind addison and richmond’s marriage…
and reader, I was gasping every few chapters!! it was such a wild ride!!
this thriller is bingeable, fast-paced, and so evenly spread out with the twists and reveals y’all I’m so impressed
a huge thank you to netgalley and william morrow for sticking with me for darby’s novels and sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: finger lakes cabernet franc
Run: A Novel by Blake Crouch
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
starting off this review by saying that horror / suspense without plot books is not really my cup of tea, and if I had taken thirty seconds to establish the fact that this is indeed a futuristic horror novel, perhaps I wouldn’t have picked it up…
BUT HERE WE ARE! blake crouch’s writing is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before with a way to keep your heart pounding while your brain desperately tries to read faster and faster to find out if they’ll make it to the end!
unlike his other sci-fi stories, this one didn’t have much of a plot… as it’s based in the future when humanity is going crazy and basically turning into the purge, one family is on the run from everyone who wants them dead… and it does not stop until the very end 😩
I just wanted more than a suspenseful gory horror movie, as it was never truly explained what made certain people turn to the dark side after seeing the lights… and why it just suddenly stopped? I don’t know I like to have a conclusion 🥸
thank you to ballantine and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! will continue to read anything blake crouch writes!
rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: australian malbec
BUT HERE WE ARE! blake crouch’s writing is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before with a way to keep your heart pounding while your brain desperately tries to read faster and faster to find out if they’ll make it to the end!
unlike his other sci-fi stories, this one didn’t have much of a plot… as it’s based in the future when humanity is going crazy and basically turning into the purge, one family is on the run from everyone who wants them dead… and it does not stop until the very end 😩
I just wanted more than a suspenseful gory horror movie, as it was never truly explained what made certain people turn to the dark side after seeing the lights… and why it just suddenly stopped? I don’t know I like to have a conclusion 🥸
thank you to ballantine and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! will continue to read anything blake crouch writes!
rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: australian malbec
This Girl's A Killer by Emma C. Wells
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
if there’s one thing about thrillers I love, it’s those with a female 🥣 killer!!! they’re always so intriguing and fun!!
cordelia black is a mysterious woman who only cares about her job, her best friend, and her goddaughter. everyone else better watch out 😤 but she sticks to a code and finds the worst men out there to make sure justice is served…
the pacing in this one was the biggest issue for me. the plot itself moved glacier slow to the point where I was waiting for shit to hit the fan at any moment, and then when it did, everything wrapped up quickly in the remaining 10% of the book. and it was so neat and tidy and happily ever after vibes that I kind of forgot what genre I was reading 🤔
for such a high stake, high risk plot, there were absolutely no consequences at the end 🤠
and there were also a ton of characters introduced that just… didn’t have an ending either? I really enjoyed the cat and mouse-esque chase up until that point…
thank you to netgalley and poisoned pen press and sourcebooks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: australian malbec
cordelia black is a mysterious woman who only cares about her job, her best friend, and her goddaughter. everyone else better watch out 😤 but she sticks to a code and finds the worst men out there to make sure justice is served…
the pacing in this one was the biggest issue for me. the plot itself moved glacier slow to the point where I was waiting for shit to hit the fan at any moment, and then when it did, everything wrapped up quickly in the remaining 10% of the book. and it was so neat and tidy and happily ever after vibes that I kind of forgot what genre I was reading 🤔
for such a high stake, high risk plot, there were absolutely no consequences at the end 🤠
and there were also a ton of characters introduced that just… didn’t have an ending either? I really enjoyed the cat and mouse-esque chase up until that point…
thank you to netgalley and poisoned pen press and sourcebooks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: australian malbec
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
freida does it again!!! I’m so happy I preselected this one on BOTM before reading it because I knew my thriller plot-twist queen would never let me down 🫡
THE BOYFRIEND starts out as a typical dual timeline thriller: sydney, a single woman trying her hand at dating apps in the present day, and tom, a high schooler with a massive crush on the popular girl in school… and as the characters developed in both timelines, I was sure the rest of the story would play out very predictably…
readers: I WAS SO WRONG!! around 60-70% in the book, I started to develop another theory that I was absolutely sure was the big plot twist - and the clues freida laid out definitely solidified my theory. but chat, I was wrong again 🤡🤡🤡
I love getting fooled in a thriller, especially as I tend to read more of them than any other genre!! the domestic cat and mouse chase left my heart pounding!!
the only thing that really annoyed me was the idiocy of the MC, sydney. she actively chose not to call the police on multiple occasions and decided to keep on the dating apps when there’s a 🥣 killer around??
anyway another win by freida in the books!!
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: finger lakes cabernet franc
THE BOYFRIEND starts out as a typical dual timeline thriller: sydney, a single woman trying her hand at dating apps in the present day, and tom, a high schooler with a massive crush on the popular girl in school… and as the characters developed in both timelines, I was sure the rest of the story would play out very predictably…
readers: I WAS SO WRONG!! around 60-70% in the book, I started to develop another theory that I was absolutely sure was the big plot twist - and the clues freida laid out definitely solidified my theory. but chat, I was wrong again 🤡🤡🤡
I love getting fooled in a thriller, especially as I tend to read more of them than any other genre!! the domestic cat and mouse chase left my heart pounding!!
the only thing that really annoyed me was the idiocy of the MC, sydney. she actively chose not to call the police on multiple occasions and decided to keep on the dating apps when there’s a 🥣 killer around??
anyway another win by freida in the books!!
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: finger lakes cabernet franc
The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
still sitting with my thoughts on this one as I do love paula’s writing a lot - it’s clear she does a ton of research into her subjects (this time focusing on artwork and galleries), and it was very impressive to read about!
THE BLUE HOUR focuses on becker, an art curator working with the estate of a famous artist recently passed away. while the gallery becker works for is owed the rest of the paintings and sculptures due in the will, the executor of the estate, grace, is hesitant to give up her best friend’s life’s work, and the mystery behind all of their pasts is quickly unraveled.
I tend to enjoy slow burn mysteries, but only when the pay off in the ending is worth it. the ambiguous ending, however, was not what the story needed. while it was shocking, not surprising but shocking indeed, it felt disconnected from the rest of the story… to just not get answers at the end was wildly unsatisfying 🥴
thank you to netgalley and mariner books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! this one was firmly just okay for me…
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: new zealand sauvignon blanc
THE BLUE HOUR focuses on becker, an art curator working with the estate of a famous artist recently passed away. while the gallery becker works for is owed the rest of the paintings and sculptures due in the will, the executor of the estate, grace, is hesitant to give up her best friend’s life’s work, and the mystery behind all of their pasts is quickly unraveled.
I tend to enjoy slow burn mysteries, but only when the pay off in the ending is worth it. the ambiguous ending, however, was not what the story needed. while it was shocking, not surprising but shocking indeed, it felt disconnected from the rest of the story… to just not get answers at the end was wildly unsatisfying 🥴
thank you to netgalley and mariner books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! this one was firmly just okay for me…
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: new zealand sauvignon blanc
Dangerous Play by Elise Hart Kipness
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
this was 100% a filler book, but honestly, it was a quick binge and exactly what I was looking for during a hurricane read!
continuing right after the events of LIGHTS OUT (which is helpful to read before this one but not necessary), kate green is back at her job, reporting at the olympics when she discovers her friend’s body in the locker room 👀 to which I have to say… is this reporter okay??
kate is a take-no-shit character, but she really needs to learn some boundaries. for a non-detective, she certainly knows how to solve an investigation and worm her way into getting details about a private investigation. and that’s thanks to her estranged father who’s the lead detective on the case… and I have to say, for someone who wanted nothing to do with him in the first book, she suddenly has a change of heart??
and while the overall mystery behind liam’s estrangement continues in this book, not much is answered. instead, the story focuses on the murder and how it ties into kate’s past with the victim (which personally I found a bit boring and predictable…)
it was a quick read but ultimately fell victim to the predictable mystery tropes!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel
continuing right after the events of LIGHTS OUT (which is helpful to read before this one but not necessary), kate green is back at her job, reporting at the olympics when she discovers her friend’s body in the locker room 👀 to which I have to say… is this reporter okay??
kate is a take-no-shit character, but she really needs to learn some boundaries. for a non-detective, she certainly knows how to solve an investigation and worm her way into getting details about a private investigation. and that’s thanks to her estranged father who’s the lead detective on the case… and I have to say, for someone who wanted nothing to do with him in the first book, she suddenly has a change of heart??
and while the overall mystery behind liam’s estrangement continues in this book, not much is answered. instead, the story focuses on the murder and how it ties into kate’s past with the victim (which personally I found a bit boring and predictable…)
it was a quick read but ultimately fell victim to the predictable mystery tropes!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Kidnapping
Lights Out by Elise Hart Kipness
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
oh I loved this one! sometimes I need a good police procedural to scratch that NCIS / CSI part of my brain - and this one was perfect!!
kate green is on forced sabbatical from her job as a reporter after an altercation with a sexist player, leading her to be in the right place at the right time when her best friend’s husband gets murdered. when the police are only focused on yvette, kate’s friend and now widow, as a suspect, kate takes the investigation into her own hands (which is very stereotypical but also fun to read)
what worked well was the cast of characters and what they individually brought to the story. spanning three generations and different facets of life, all of the side characters prove to be capable of secrets, leading the reader to believe that any of them may be capable of the worst act…
the ending and ultimate reveal were a bit predictable to me, a veteran thriller reader, but I enjoyed the process of elimination that kate went through as she put all of the pieces together. I’m so excited this series is continuing because I can totally see myself binging this again!!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: long island chardonnay
kate green is on forced sabbatical from her job as a reporter after an altercation with a sexist player, leading her to be in the right place at the right time when her best friend’s husband gets murdered. when the police are only focused on yvette, kate’s friend and now widow, as a suspect, kate takes the investigation into her own hands (which is very stereotypical but also fun to read)
what worked well was the cast of characters and what they individually brought to the story. spanning three generations and different facets of life, all of the side characters prove to be capable of secrets, leading the reader to believe that any of them may be capable of the worst act…
the ending and ultimate reveal were a bit predictable to me, a veteran thriller reader, but I enjoyed the process of elimination that kate went through as she put all of the pieces together. I’m so excited this series is continuing because I can totally see myself binging this again!!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: long island chardonnay
What Lies Between Us by John Marrs
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
a john marrs book that I didn’t like? who am I?
to be perfectly honest, as someone who chronically goes into reads blind and doesn’t read synopsis’, I shouldn’t be surprised that I probably wouldn’t have picked this one up if I had… death of a parent (or estrangement from parents) is one of my biggest triggers, and while I can usually push through if it’s not the main focus, this one unfortunately was…
nina and maggie (a mother / daughter duo) live in the same house, but when no one’s the wiser, nina locks her mother in the attic based on a cryptic past event she did… and that was a little too much for me 🥴
per john marrs typical style, his writing was absolutely poetic and just enough leading to send the reader careening off a cliff in the opposite direction. his twists are unmatched!!
definitely take the chance and pick this one up and make sure you actually read the synopsis and triggers for this one because… this dislike of this book is 100% a me problem y’all 🤠
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel
to be perfectly honest, as someone who chronically goes into reads blind and doesn’t read synopsis’, I shouldn’t be surprised that I probably wouldn’t have picked this one up if I had… death of a parent (or estrangement from parents) is one of my biggest triggers, and while I can usually push through if it’s not the main focus, this one unfortunately was…
nina and maggie (a mother / daughter duo) live in the same house, but when no one’s the wiser, nina locks her mother in the attic based on a cryptic past event she did… and that was a little too much for me 🥴
per john marrs typical style, his writing was absolutely poetic and just enough leading to send the reader careening off a cliff in the opposite direction. his twists are unmatched!!
definitely take the chance and pick this one up and make sure you actually read the synopsis and triggers for this one because… this dislike of this book is 100% a me problem y’all 🤠
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death of parent
The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
hmm it was enjoyable but there was something missing (reader: it was the plot 🫢)
the hawthorne brothers are back and better (??) than ever as they present the second annual grandest game, funded by avery’s multi-million dollar earnings. and while I definitely had to spark notes the last two books to remember who all of these new characters are, I had a fun time getting back into the world of the puzzles and riddles!
sadly, that was where most of the fun stopped for me. what I love most about JLB’s writing is the intermixing of fluffy riddles and puzzle solving with hard-hitting emotions and backstories that make the characters multi-faceted. that was the part that was severely lacking for me…
savannah and lyla were easily the most intriguing characters, and I still feel like the surface was barely scratched with their character development. between all of the new players, the mysteries and cryptic one-liners never really resolved and instead worked to set up the next installment of this series
I just wished the story held more on its own rather than relying on future plot resolutions. because at the end of the day, nothing really happened? the biggest reveal in lyla’s story was a plot point that was already revealed in THE BROTHERS HAWTHORNE - so I’m just over here 🤔🤔🤔
at the end of the day, will I continue reading this series and anything JLB writes? yes. was this book still fun to read? yes. are her new characters just as strong as the original hawthorne brothers? definitely not.
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: new zealand cabernet riesling
the hawthorne brothers are back and better (??) than ever as they present the second annual grandest game, funded by avery’s multi-million dollar earnings. and while I definitely had to spark notes the last two books to remember who all of these new characters are, I had a fun time getting back into the world of the puzzles and riddles!
sadly, that was where most of the fun stopped for me. what I love most about JLB’s writing is the intermixing of fluffy riddles and puzzle solving with hard-hitting emotions and backstories that make the characters multi-faceted. that was the part that was severely lacking for me…
savannah and lyla were easily the most intriguing characters, and I still feel like the surface was barely scratched with their character development. between all of the new players, the mysteries and cryptic one-liners never really resolved and instead worked to set up the next installment of this series
I just wished the story held more on its own rather than relying on future plot resolutions. because at the end of the day, nothing really happened? the biggest reveal in lyla’s story was a plot point that was already revealed in THE BROTHERS HAWTHORNE - so I’m just over here 🤔🤔🤔
at the end of the day, will I continue reading this series and anything JLB writes? yes. was this book still fun to read? yes. are her new characters just as strong as the original hawthorne brothers? definitely not.
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: new zealand cabernet riesling
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I spent two weeks reading the first ten chapters, and then binged the rest in one day 🤯 what started off as a slow burn mystery quickly turned into an enthralling family drama (aka among my fave tropes!!)
liz moore’s writing is so enchanting and haunting, especially on the subject of two disappearances in the same family, fifteen years apart from one another. the setting of a summer camp was eerily spooky, perfect for this time of year, and gave all of the nostalgia for youth and nativity.
what didn’t work for me was the ultimate conclusion. for a multi-layered, dual timeline, family crossed mystery, the way that it wrapped up was very anticlimactic. I wanted a larger reveal that had complications throughout the entire family and surroundings, rather than a coverup that was much smaller than anticipated. and while I loved the conversation of gender roles during the time period of the 1970s, it didn’t contribute much to the mystery at hand.
I feel that this story falls victim once again to the mismarketing of genres (this is a publisher not an author critique!)… this is most certainly NOT a thriller and instead leans more into the family drama aspects rather than a mystery at all…
for a 500 page book though, it certainly read very quickly with short chapters (which is my weakness)! loved buddy reading this one with my pal ashley!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay
liz moore’s writing is so enchanting and haunting, especially on the subject of two disappearances in the same family, fifteen years apart from one another. the setting of a summer camp was eerily spooky, perfect for this time of year, and gave all of the nostalgia for youth and nativity.
what didn’t work for me was the ultimate conclusion. for a multi-layered, dual timeline, family crossed mystery, the way that it wrapped up was very anticlimactic. I wanted a larger reveal that had complications throughout the entire family and surroundings, rather than a coverup that was much smaller than anticipated. and while I loved the conversation of gender roles during the time period of the 1970s, it didn’t contribute much to the mystery at hand.
I feel that this story falls victim once again to the mismarketing of genres (this is a publisher not an author critique!)… this is most certainly NOT a thriller and instead leans more into the family drama aspects rather than a mystery at all…
for a 500 page book though, it certainly read very quickly with short chapters (which is my weakness)! loved buddy reading this one with my pal ashley!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death of parent