Reading over Reality

[Book Review] Without Merit

Thu, 29 May 2025 00:54:07 GMT

TITLE: Without Merit

AUTHOR: Colleen Hoover

RELEASES: October 3, 2017 by Atria Books

GENRE: Romance novel, New adult fiction, Contemporary romance, Psychological Fiction, Domestic Fiction

AGE RANGE: Adult

RATING: 1 out 5

SYNOPSIS: Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.

The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit.

Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix.

Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.

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#WWWWednesday: 28 May 2025

Thu, 29 May 2025 00:51:16 GMT

Hello everyone, this is my second WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

What did you read last?

What are you currently reading?

What will you read next?

Just Finished Reading

My reading last week consisted of three manga. Ultimately, all three manga are okay to read. Also, I was disappointed with my reading of Scythe by Neal Shusterman. The book had an intriguing premise but fell short in its execution. The pacing felt uneven, and the characters lacked depth, making it difficult to connect with them. Additionally, the plot twists were predictable, which detracted from the overall suspense and excitement.

The rating I gave to the finished book.

Dragon and Chameleon 01 by Ryo Ishiyama 3 out 5

Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1 by Bisco Hatori 3 out 5

Always a Catch! 01: How I Punched My Way into Marrying a Prince by Mayo Momoyo, Itsuki Mito, Kaki Nagato (Art) 3 out 5

Scythe by Neal Shusterman 2 out 5

Reading Next

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

Reading Next

Cajun Justice by James Patterson, and Tucker Axum

What are you currently reading? I hope you’re enjoying whatever book you’ve picked up, friends!

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[Book Review] A Plus One for Murder

Mon, 12 May 2025 15:49:32 GMT

TITLE: A Plus One for Murder
AUTHOR: Laura Bradford
SERIES: Friend for Hire Mystery (#1)
RELEASES: December 7, 2021 by Berkley
GENRE: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction
AGE RANGE: Adult
RATING: 1 out 5
SYNOPSIS: Entrepreneur Emma Westlake is reinventing herself as a hired friend when murder gets in the way in this exciting new mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Laura Bradford.

Emma Westlake has always wanted to be in business for herself. As a kid, she had her own successful lemonade stand and dog-walking business. And when she entered adulthood, Emma sunk all her cash into her dream job of travel planning. But as her customers became more and more internet savvy, the need for her services declined. At a loss for what to do next, she turns to an elderly friend who suggests she try to get paid for doing something she's really good at--being a paid companion. Emma thinks it's a crazy idea until requests start pouring in. Big Max from down the block wants her to act as his wingman at the local senior center's upcoming dance, nurse practitioner Stephanie needs a workout partner, and writer Brian Hill asks Emma to be his cheering section at an open mic night.

Brian will be reading from his latest work and wants to know someone will clap for him when he's done. When Emma balks at the notion that people wouldn't, he tells her the room will be filled with people he's invited--most of whom will likely want him dead by the time he's done reading. Assuming he's joking, she laughs. But when Brian steps up to the mic and clears his throat to speak, he promptly drops dead. Emma is one of the last people to see him alive, and so she becomes an immediate suspect. Now she'll have to cozy up to a killer to save her skin and her new business.

REVIEW: Emma Westlake has always dreamed of owning her own business. As an adult, she invested all her savings into the job of her dreams: travel planning. However, she saw her services diminish as her customers became increasingly internet-savvy. When she's lost for what to do, an elderly friend suggests she try being a paid companion, something she has a lot of experience doing.

The idea seems wild to Emma until the requests begin to pour in. A neighbor from down the block wants her as his wingman at an upcoming dance at the local senior center, a nurse practitioner needs a workout buddy, and a writer wants Emma to be his cheering section at an open mic.

When Emma balks, he tells her the room will be full of people he's invited--most of whom will want him dead when he finishes. She laughs, thinking he's joking. Upon stepping up to the mic, Brian drops dead. As one of the last people to see him alive, Emma becomes an immediate suspect. She must cozy up to a killer to save herself and the business she's just started.

I had a tough time getting through this book. My first impression of the main character was that she was so stupid. The suspect was poisoned, and she fled the scene, taking evidence with her. My jaw dropped in disbelief at how stupid she was.

There is barely any discussion of the murder mystery until about halfway through the book when it focuses instead on the main character's new job. This doesn't add anything to the plot.

I skimmed through many of the pages because there was so much fluff. One chapter would feature the main character talking to one person, and then the next would feature the same conversation rehashed with very similar dialogue. It seemed overly redundant. Despite the main character's apparent love for her dog, I did not enjoy their incessant dialogue. Emma's occasional conversation with her dog would have been fine if it had added anything to the plot. Once again, though, most of it seemed like unnecessary fluff, so I skipped over it.

Overall, the book was disappointing due to its lack of focus on the murder mystery and excessive filler content.

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[Book Review] Creepers

Mon, 12 May 2025 15:19:07 GMT

TITLE: Creepers
AUTHOR: David Morrell
SERIES: Frank Balenger
RELEASES: September 26, 2005 by CDS Books
GENRE: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Speculative fiction
AGE RANGE: Adult
Rating: 2 out 5
SYNOPSIS: On a cold October night, five people gather in a run-down motel on the Jersey shore and begin preparations to break into the Paragon Hotel. Built in the glory days of Asbury Park by a reclusive millionaire, the magnificent structure - which foreshadowed the beauties of art deco architecture - is now boarded up and marked for demolition.

The five people are "creepers," the slang term for urban explorers: city archeologists with a passion for investigating abandoned buildings and their dying secrets. On this evening, they are joined by a reporter who wants to profile them - anonymously, as this is highly illegal activity - for a New York Times article.

Frank Balenger, a sandy-haired, broad-shouldered reporter with a decided air of mystery about him, isn't looking for just a story, however. And after the group enters the rat-infested tunnel leading to the hotel, it becomes clear that he will get much more than he bargained for. Danger, terror, and death await the creepers in a place ravaged by time and redolent of evil.

REVIEW: Five people gather in a run-down motel on the Jersey shore one night in October to prepare for a break-in. The Paragon Hotel, an Asbury Park landmark built by a reclusive millionaire in the city's glory days, is now boarded up and slated for demolition.

They are creepers, slang for urban explorers investigating abandoned buildings and their dying secrets. Their group is joined by a reporter who wants to profile them anonymously for the New York Times, as this is a highly illegal activity.

Upon entering the tunnel leading to the hotel, the group realizes that they will get much more than they bargained for. Among the ravaged ruins of a forgotten time, the creepers will encounter danger, terror, and death.

It all starts so promisingly in Morrell's novel! A group of five "creepers" who enjoy history and investigating abandoned buildings (in a way that is not legal) gather to explore the Paragon Hotel. They encounter much more than they bargained for, and the expedition turns into a bloody, gory nightmare that threatens their lives.

There was nothing particularly frightening about the horror.

While this concept was great, it didn't connect with me. The plotting was so tight and propulsive that it didn't allow us to provide the characters with a breath, making them seem flat. My only other gripe would be the characters' constant monologues delivering exposition. The relentless pace left little room for character introspection and growth.
As a result, the characters felt more like archetypes than fully fleshed-out individuals, making it difficult for readers to connect with them on a deeper level. The focus on nonstop action overshadowed meaningful character interactions and emotional resonance.

While the book's premise was intriguing, its execution fell short due to a lack of character development and overreliance on action.

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Sundays in Bed With…#MyWeeklyWrapUp [1]

Sun, 11 May 2025 12:11:50 GMT

My first Sunday in bed meme. Unfortunately, I won't be able to post the Wednesday meme. As a result, this is a close second. This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time reading in bed or wish you had time to read today.

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