Book Club #2

[vanilla cupcakes]

I’m about 40% of the way through preloved and really enjoying it!

I’ve put hot springs drive on the back burner a bit for now, I think it’s a mix of not really being what I expected and only being able to read it a couple of pages at a time so never being able to fully get into it. I do still like the sounds of it so I’m planning on going back to it after a couple of other reads, but I have said that before 🫣

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Im almost finished with Hot Springs Drive. Its definitely more of a social observation than a thriller imo. That being said itl probably be a 4 star for me.

 

[Marylou]

Started First Lie Wins in the early hours of this morning when insomniac hit, very fast paced and intriguing so far

 

[Smca53]

Very admin-y posts but going forward will we just have the thread titles as “Book Club #2” etc? I’m guessing it’s not helpful for the mods to have to edit it monthly. I don’t think the thread moves so fast that someone coming in wouldn’t be able to see what the current book is?

 

[nbt]

Very admin-y posts but going forward will we just have the thread titles as “Book Club #2” etc? I’m guessing it’s not helpful for the mods to have to edit it monthly. I don’t think the thread moves so fast that someone coming in wouldn’t be able to see what the current book is?

Yeah good idea. I did ask for this one to be changed to just “February reads” but it didn’t happen obviously, so better to keep it as book club and number as you’ve suggested.

 

[Marylou]

Finished First Lie Wins and it's my first 5* read of the year. Brilliant storyline, couldn't stop thinking about it when I had to put it down and it did surprise me since...

Spoiler: Spoiler First Lie Wins

I suspected Mr Smith may have been Ryan when she was hiding in the bathroom of his truck business office and heard a different side to him. Thought it was confirmed when she overheard him talking to George at the motel and I was furious/ready to throw my kindle across the room. Man, that ending was brilliant.

 

[ToolaRoola]

I finished First Lie Wins the other day. I enjoyed the start but I'm never a fan of books that are a bit far fetched with the stuff happening within them, it's so unrealistic that it loses my attention.

Spoiler: Devon

He's the real hero of the story. Lucca just turns up, this guy seems to everywhere and anywhere all at once putting every intelligence agency to shame as a one man band with a computer.

 

[Smca53]

I started Hot Springs Drive, about 20% in and it’s really not at all what I expected it to be from the blurb and marketing

With that said, I am quite enjoying it. Although finding it quite jarring that it keeps jumping between time periods with no prior warning. Like (one example) someone is walking towards a room to do something, then in the next sentence is somewhere else altogether, and it doesn’t make sense until the earlier event (and its outcome) are referenced.
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I finished First Lie Wins the other day. I enjoyed the start but I'm never a fan of books that are a bit far fetched with the stuff happening within them, it's so unrealistic that it loses my attention.

Spoiler: Devon

He's the real hero of the story. Lucca just turns up, this guy seems to everywhere and anywhere all at once putting every intelligence agency to shame as a one man band with a computer.

Spoiler

This is a very fair comment. Although I think it’s quite a lazy plot thing a lot of authors use - it’s not my main character/narrator so I don’t need to fully explain how this tech whiz is doing what they’re doing, I can just say it’s happened and my main character accepts it and writes it off as the super tech guy dealt with it, I don’t really need to know how. And yes it does always seem to be a tech guy…

I did still like the book though

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I started Hot Springs Drive, about 20% in and it’s really not at all what I expected it to be from the blurb and marketing

With that said, I am quite enjoying it. Although finding it quite jarring that it keeps jumping between time periods with no prior warning. Like (one example) someone is walking towards a room to do something, then in the next sentence is somewhere else altogether, and it doesn’t make sense until the earlier event (and its outcome) are referenced.
---

Spoiler

This is a very fair comment. Although I think it’s quite a lazy plot thing a lot of authors use - it’s not my main character/narrator so I don’t need to fully explain how this tech whiz is doing what they’re doing, I can just say it’s happened and my main character accepts it and writes it off as the super tech guy dealt with it, I don’t really need to know how. And yes it does always seem to be a tech guy…

I did still like the book though

If you get to part 2 its all sort of present day and any previous periods are in italics. I did enjoy it but its nothing like its described. Its more character driven (which I enjoy) but I imagine if youve picked this up thinking its a thriller which I did youd be disappointed.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Have I pre ordered this? Yes. Look how beautiful.

Waterstones have special editions of funny story back in stock. I pre ordered that months ago!

 

[mindlessness]

I recently learnt there are two endings of Beach Read! The US had a diff one to the UK/Aus/International English market.

Spoiler: Spolier here

it ends in a proposal in the US version apparently!

 

[QueenBW]

I recently learnt there are two endings of Beach Read! The US had a diff one to the UK/Aus/International English market.

Spoiler: Spolier here

it ends in a proposal in the US version apparently!

Sorry to say this isn't true. It's the exact same.

The proposal is in a special newsletter Emily sent to her subscribers.

 

[mindlessness]

Sorry to say this isn't true. It's the exact same.

The proposal is in a special newsletter Emily sent to her subscribers.

Oh really? I am kind of glad about that. I think that ending would be a bit more predictable. I was just going by tiktoks (so you know, not the most reliable!) and old reddit threads I saw when I googled (https://www.reddit.com/r/RomanceBooks/comments/i1vfdl/beach_read_different_endings_spoilers/)

 

[QueenBW]

Oh really? I am kind of glad about that. I think that ending would be a bit more predictable. I was just going by tiktoks (so you know, not the most reliable!) and old reddit threads I saw when I googled (https://www.reddit.com/r/RomanceBooks/comments/i1vfdl/beach_read_different_endings_spoilers/)

Huh, I read an ARC for the US version and it didn't include the proposal. Wonder if it's something that got added to the US version afterwards then?

And the newsletter one I meant is called Layover and it's now in the bonus content and I'm apparently insane cause it doesn't include a proposal but a pregnancy reveal

 

[Smca53]

Spoiler: A phrase from HSD that will sadly stay with me:

hard as a carrot

 

[mindlessness]

Huh, I read an ARC for the US version and it didn't include the proposal. Wonder if it's something that got added to the US version afterwards then?

And the newsletter one I meant is called Layover and it's now in the bonus content and I'm apparently insane cause it doesn't include a proposal but a pregnancy reveal

Ha! Another cliche! I mean I love a happy ever after. But we don’t need it all obvs now going to hunt down the layover though.

 

[nbt]

Like others have said, HSD isn’t what I imagined but I’m finding it okay, even though it’s not my thing. It’s short enough that it’s not really a chore to read. I’m about 40% through quite easily really. And of course, if I’d not have continued I wouldn’t have had read the above phrase

 

[Serene Serena]

I want First Lies Wins to be made into a Netflix series. Although, to be fair, that would probably ruin it.

 

[Marylou]

I'm struggling through Hot Springs Drive and hope to finish it today so I can file it away and read something that doesn't feel like a chore. Glad I left this last from the 3 picks tbh cause I would have been so wary going into the other 2.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Am I the only one who liked HSD? I liked The Virgin Suicides too