Deadline by Steph McGovern

 

Ebook previously provided by NetGalley. Thank you.

2/5 stars

Rose is a television reporter, used to schedules, deadlines and sudden changes until one morning...

In the middle of an interview with a prominent politician a mystery voice comes over Rose's earpiece: "ask him my questions or your wife and son die." Who is this and what does he want?

This book had an interesting premise but sadly the execution was a bit lacking. The pacing wasn't great, there were things mentioned that weren't as important as they were made out to be and then the middle...

The middle is one long flashback section centred on a teenage lad with no apparent connection to the present day case. The connection does become more apparent eventually but reaching the conclusion takes a lot of patience.

The characters were mostly just there, there was little distinct personality.

I'd certainly say Steph has writing talent but she needs to work on her plotting and flow.

Steff Out x

The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

 

Ebook previously provided by NetGalley. Thank you.

3/5 stars

Well this was unique. Ana is one of 7 Fantasist "princesses", robot hybrids who live at The Kingdom, a massive Disney-like park.

Told in dual timeline of then and now where the now is a mix of trial and interview transcripts that reveal that Ana is on trial for murder. Then is the events leading up to the murder which show that some of the Fantasists are going wrong.

This was a really interesting concept but I don't think it went far enough with the overall criticism of the program. Also I felt that the ending was a little weak and incomplete.

Steff Out x 

Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney

 

Ebook previously provided by NetGalley. Thank you.

3/5 stars 

This opens with a baby being abducted on Mother's Day before moving 20 years later where we follow four women: Edith, who has been put in a care home by the daughter she has a tense relationship with; Clio, Edith's daughter; Patience, a teenage girl working at the care home whole Edith befriends; and Frankie, a prison librarian searching for her estranged daughter.

I thought that the characters were reasonably well-written though their voices blended a little at points. Also with 4 POVs it did get a little convoluted at times but I did enjoy how it unfolded and the reveal did surprise me.

Steff Out x 

People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd

 

Ebook previously provided by NetGalley. Thank you.

2/5 stars

Emmy is a a super successful famous Instamum who tells it like it is. Her author husband - a one-hit-wonder - knows that it's all bullshit. Then there's the woman who who wants to destroy it all, like Emmy destroyed her family...

I feel like this book tried but ultimately fell short. It tried to be a thriller but it wasn't thrilling enough. It tried to be a criticism on social media fakeness but it didn't go far enough or scathing enough.

The characters were awful, the pacing was not great and the ending fell very flat for me.

Steff Out x

Wrong Way Summer by Heidi Lang

 

Ebook previously provided by NetGalley. Thank you.

3/5 stars

Wrong Way Summer is a middle grade novel that follows Claire and her dad and her little brother as they join the hashtag vanlife!

Claire's dad loves stories, even more so since her mum left but this is a new one, a convoluted story about an ancestor, some cows and a princess told while on a mystery road trip in a tatty converted van.

This was a cute story and I liked how Claire developed and learned to appreciate the van but I would have liked a little more depth and for Claire to push for the truth from her dad sooner.

Steff Out x

We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune

 

Ebook with thanks to NetGalley and Tor/Pan Macmillan.

5/5 stars

A slightly belated review since I read this in January but also shockingly ahead of schedule for me considering this isn't released until April.

At 176 pages this is a novella rather than a novel but though short it packs a lot of impact.

The world is ending in a few days. A massive black hole is sucking everything up, most of the planets have been destroyed and once it comes for the moon humanity is done for.

Don and Rodney are an old married couple driving from Maine to Washington State to do something important (and heartbreaking once revealed) before it's too late. On the way they meet a variety of people: crazy bad, crazy good, dangerous crazy and queer kin.

This is a simple book but it has so much emotional depth and characterisation and it is beautiful.

Stef Out x

The Family by Louise Jensen

 

Paperback read but ebook previously provided by NetGalley. Thank you.

2/5 stars

Laura is in strife. Her husband died in an accident 6 weeks ago and the life insurance is refusing to pay out until the inquest is complete. She's lost her business and her home looks set to follow. Her daughter, Tilly, is barely speaking to her and her brother in law and his wife can't or won't help.

A chance meeting with a woman named Saffron leads Laura and Tilly to move onto the vegetable farm commune where she lives. Alex, the leader is immediately enthralling but is all as it seems?

I feel like this book seriously overcomplicated things and several things could have been removed or streamlined. The ending was also very vague and none of the characters were likable.

Steff Out x