Leslie > Recent Status Updates

I love the first installment of a cozy mystery. Is this guy the blackmailer or is he the future love interest? Guess I'm about to find out!

So far this protagonist is one of my favorite styles of cozy mystery protagonists. The one who really doesn't want to get involved, and would really prefer you stop telling her all your secrets.

Very confused why it feels like this is the last quarter of the plot when it's only half way through the book.

One of my least favorite "third act breakups" is one person breaking up with the other because they care too much and don't want to get hurt. I know it's realistic and something that happens in real life, but it's stupid.

I know they were going for a Catwoman vibe with Madeline but she is so boring. Maybe it's that this is young adult, which I've outgrown, but I find her to be lacking.

I love when you're re-reading a book and the important Plot Device is mentioned before it's relevant and you can feel smart about noticing it.

I'll say this for KJ Charles, she never has her third act break up be a miscommunication. It's always a culmination of the clashes the characters have always had and been ignoring.

I'm not enjoying this as much as the first, mainly because Zahn is very purposefully writing Anakin/Vader closer to his Revenge of the Sith portrayal. And he's a turd.

I can tell when I'm not enjoying a book because I keep upping the speed the narrator is speaking.

I'm enjoying the hell out of this for the second time (love it when a library book comes in and you realize you barely remember the first one), but I wish it took place over a few days instead of one. We are still in the same day that the main character woke up in. Especially with all the driving around Seattle the characters are doing, that shit takes time.

I am very bored of this one.

So many pov characters.

This is definitely the worst of these three books by this author, but it's still readable. Part of it are clumsy and should have been taken out, like Palpatine wondering if Bail and Padme have feelings for one another.

Okay the writing is substantially worse than her later books, wow. Maybe it will get better.

This is the weakest book in the series, but the last time I read these I didn't finish this one either, and I'm determined this time.

I'm going to finish this because I'm mostly done, but it's going to lose a star because the mystery could have been solved 100 pages ago if the characters spoke to one another.

Ah, there it is. The third act breakup for stupid reasons.

I know I said the first one was bad, and it was, but also I want to know what happens?

I feel like the first moment of genuine, non-sexual connection between your main characters should come sooner than 90 pages in.

I can see why a lot of the reviews complained this is boring, there is absolutely nothing keeping these two apart except a conversation.

I want this to be an adult novel, so it can actually explore the themes of alcoholism, homophobia, PMS and the sexism associated with its treatment, and whatever other things are going to come up. I feel the author had all these things they wanted to say, and was constrained by the audience they were writing for.

This is good so far, but it's been so long since I read YA that I forgot it's full of characters making mistakes so they can grow.

The writing is charming, but the characters and plot are pretty thin.

Mm, the intimacy of cleaning hand wounds while discussing trauma.

I do appreciate the slow burn. First flicker of me thinking they'd be good together.