finding_novel_land's reviews
99 reviews

The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan

fast-paced

5.0

Utgghhh I loved thissssssss! 

Incredible chemistry, humour, tension -beau-ti-ful 

Ending was so short and rushed though. 10 pages conclusion. What is this? 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

fast-paced

5.0

Very rushed ending but wow, packs a punch! 

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.75

Ohhh ok so A LOT of confusing lore to grasp (and that I’m still getting my head around) but now I’ve finished it I am hooked for book 2. Bring on the Darlington story Bardugo you tease! 

(Ps that ending was so rushed and convenient. So much lore added to make it work. It was eh.) 

The Switch by Beth O'Leary

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Loved this. Beautiful bit of escapism. Predictable to a tee with every romance cliché going and all issues overcome a bit too easily (and hardly explored in much depth - Leena’s improving relationship with her Mum comes to mind) but so wonderfully written I didn’t mind. Had me giggling on the train while I made lists of everyone I need to give this to.

Not at all what I expected when I picked this up two years ago in a charity shop. More Octogenarian romances please!

Old Baggage by Lissa Evans

medium-paced

4.5

Surprised how much I enjoyed this. But between the children’s group and the child adoption I couldn’t help but think it was surprisingly lacking in child protection and health and safety forms 😅

Very fast ending, suddenly sped through everything after such a long build up. 

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

One word - Thimble 🥺🥺

I was surprised how much I loved this. The descriptions were divine. It has the same wholesome cosy, comforting aura as those coffee shop sketches on TikTok. More low stakes fantasy please!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

A haunting tale of isolation and connection interspersed with rich imagery drawn from the authors own experience as a wildlife scientist. 

Wow.

I would never picked this up, despite the hype, had I not been gifted it. 

I am so glad I persevered with this book, despite the hard-to-understand-in-places, written, southern dialect, as it’s the best thing I’ve read in over a year. 

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan

medium-paced

3.75

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

medium-paced

4.0

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Very slow and hard to get into, but there’s no denying this is very accomplished novel. 

Very dark. Full of tropes around college students drinking and taking drugs excessively. A depressive air to the whole thing. All of which are not to my personal taste.

Not at all what I expected.