Book Review: A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons (arc)

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons (2022) by Kate Khavari

Fiction | Historical Fiction | Mystery | Romance

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

Saffron Everleigh is in a race against time to free her wrongly accused professor before he goes behind bars forever. Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anna Lee Huber, Kate Khavari’s debut historical mystery is a fast-paced, fearless adventure.

London, 1923. Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh attends a dinner party for the University College of London. While she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon, she doesn’t expect Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin.

Dr. Maxwell, Saffron’s mentor, is the main suspect, having had an explosive argument with Dr. Henry a few days prior. As evidence mounts against Dr. Maxwell and the expedition's departure draws nearer, Saffron realizes if she wants her mentor's name cleared, she’ll have to do it herself.

Joined by enigmatic Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons. Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer’s list?

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Note: Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me access to this arc!

My Review

I absolutely LOVED this book! If you adore a mystery with a slow-burn romance between an intelligent botanist and a sexy biologist, you're in the right place. By the end of it, I was impressed by Saffron's intelligent investigative skills and found myself wishing for a second book! Could this be one in a series rather than a standalone? If so, I'm here for it.

The Good Things

1. The cover and title are fitting and appealing to the eye. I wouldn't mind owning a physical copy to show off on my bookshelf.

2. The book is well-researched. The time frame and university studies seem accurate and fitting o the genres advertised. I didn't come across anything that was visibly far-fetched.

3. Saffron and Elizabeth's (her roommate) relationship is wonderful and sisterly. I need an Elizabeth in my life (apologies to my younger sisters for this comment - love you).

4. Alexander is an enigma and a mystery, and I want to know more.

5. The end of Chapter 13. LOVE. I highlighted seven sentences alone just in that chapter that I adored.

The Bad Things

1. I have a hard time finding anything bad to say about this book other than that there were minor parts that were predictable. That being said, for those of us who love mystery stories, predictable -to a certain extent- isn't always a bad thing!

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Amazon - will be posted once the book is released)

This book will be released on June 7, 2022. Pre-order this from Amazon by clicking here!

If you have access to this ARC, please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- it! If you don't have access, let me know if this is on your tbr! I would love to hear your thoughts!

Book Review: Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life (arc)

Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life (2022) by Dallas Woodburn

Fiction | YA | Contemporary Romance

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

The person who ruined their lives just might bring them together...

Brad is ready for a perfect senior year: he has a seat at the popular lunch table, a gig co-hosting the school's morning announcements, and a gorgeous girlfriend. But when Carissa breaks up with Brad, his carefully constructed life comes crashing down. Convinced everything would be perfect if only Carissa would take him back, Brad creates a "self-improvement plan" and vows to re-win her heart.

Rose wishes she were having a normal senior year like everyone else, but leave it to her twin sister Carissa to butt in and ruin her life. Carissa secretly nominated Rose for the reality TV show Help Me Lose Weight and Live Again—and now Rose is on her way to Texas for three months of calorie-counting, marathon-exercising hell. Rose already felt overshadowed by her "perfect" sister, and collapsing on a treadmill on national TV is not making things any better. Plus, Rose can't squash feelings for her sister's boyfriend Brad (even though she knows he would never see her as anything but a friend.)

For fans of friends-to-lovers romance comes a heartwarming novel about self-improvement, identity, and acceptance in our image-obsessed culture.

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Note: Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me access to this arc!

My Review

The first thing that drew me to Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life was the title, and the second was the cute cover. I knew right off the back that this w be a fun read, and for the most part, I was right! If you're looking for a YA (I'd say middle grade-high school is definitely the perfect audience), cute, quick read, this is your book!

The Good Things

1. Brad and Rose are fantastic main characters. Despite a large amount of miscommunication between characters (fitting, since they are teenagers), the two of them have chemistry.

2. The story, overall, was cute, making this a light read that would be enjoyable for teenagers.

3. The cover and title are both fitting for the book.

The Bad Things

1. The drama was a tad too much for my taste. However, this IS a YA book, so it fits the category and probably shouldn't be counted as a "bad" thing.

2. Some chapters were VERY dialogue-heavy, which in my opinion, takes away from the overall story.

3. Discussion Questions. In theory, these are a good idea, but not my favorite addition to YA fiction.

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

☆☆☆☆ (Amazon - will post as soon as the book is released)

Release Date: February 8, 2022. Pre-order this from Amazon by clicking here!

If you have access to this ARC, please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- it! If you don't have access, let me know if this is on your tbr! I would love to hear your thoughts!

Book Review: The Silent Patient

The Silent Patient (2019) by Alex Michaelides

Fiction | Mystery | Thriller

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

Alicia Berenson's life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer; she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London's most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face and then never speaks another word.

Alicia's refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him.

The Silent Patient was named the 2019 Winner of Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Mystery & Thriller.

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My Review

I've wanted to read this book for a while. I finally received a copy from the library, and boy, am I glad that I did! This book won awards from Goodreads for a reason. Throughout the story, I found myself pointing fingers at every person that entered Alicia's life. Now, I wouldn't say that this is a THRILLER, per se, but I am on board with the mysterious aspect of the murder of Alicia's husband.

The Good Things

1. The psychotherapist is flat, but only at first. You start to relate to his character, and by the end of the third part, I thoroughly liked him.

2. Alicia is an enigma, and I am here for her mysterious character.

3. The mental health factors of the book are written exceptionally well. The author knew what he was talking about and possibly had experience with them.

The Bad Things

*#1 IS A POTENTIAL SPOILER*

1. The narrator rambles about things that don't seem to pertain to the story. However, these ramblings do add to the story - we just don't find out until later why.

2. There were a few MINOR flaws, such as the therapist taking a lighter in, the lack of background checks on therapists at the hospital, and a few others.

3. There are a few characters I want to know more about: not a bad thing, I just want MORE.

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Amazon)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

If you are interested in purchasing this book from Amazon, click here!

Please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- this book. I would love to hear your thoughts!