Back of Beyond (Highway Quartet 1)

By: CJ Box
Published Year: 2011
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Pages: 372

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Cody Hoyt, while a brilliant cop, is an alcoholic struggling with two months of sobriety when his mentor and AA sponsor Hank Winters is found burned to death in a remote mountain cabin. At first it looks like the suicide of a man who's fallen off the wagon, but Cody knows Hank better than that. Sober for fourteen years, Hank took pride in his hard-won sobriety and never hesitated to drop whatever he was doing to talk Cody off a ledge. When Cody takes a closer look at the scene of his friend's death, it becomes apparent that foul play is at hand. After years of bad behavior with his department, he's in no position to be investigating a homicide, but this man was a friend and Cody's determined to find his killer.

When clues found at the scene link the murderer to an outfitter leading tourists on a multi-day wilderness horseback trip into the remote corners of Yellowstone National Park—a pack trip that includes his son Justin—Cody is desperate to get on their trail and stop the killer before the group heads into the wild. Among the tourists is fourteen-year-old Gracie Sullivan, an awkward but intelligent loner who begins to suspect that someone in their party is dangerous.

In a fatal cat and mouse game, where it becomes apparent the murderer is somehow aware of Cody's every move, Cody treks into the wilderness to stop a killer hell bent on ruining the only thing in his life he cares about.

First Impressions

Over my winter break I watched the first 5 episodes of the show Big Sky and loved it. I saw that it was based off of a novel so I immediately looked it up. Then discovered that it was actually based off of the second book in a series, so I decided to read the first book. I don’t know if this would have grabbed me based off of the cover, but I tend to avoid the books that have a giant male author’s name splashed across the cover.

What I thought

Well… I devoured that one.

Cody Hoyt is an alcoholic detective. When he discovers that his sponsor is dead, he is convinced that it is a murder and not an accidental death like his partner believes. When he discovers that the last website visited was for a back county wilderness trip, Cody decides that the killer must be on that trip.

I pretty much had a slow day and read this book instead. But, to say that it held my attention for an entire day to read it speaks volumes. I usually judge a mystery by my ability to figure out who did it and this one I only figured out about half of what was going on which I say is a win.

Hoyt is rough around the edge and I really enjoyed it. It definitely helps that he is just naturally gifted as a detective. If he wasn’t good at his job, he would have become very annoying. It also helped that he had a good heart, made obvious by the care that he has for his son.

The setting for this book was also intriguing. I haven’t read a book that took place in Montana/Wyoming before. The rough and tumble wild west was its own character and it brought a lot to this story. Once the tour group came into the story, it really started to pick up and I was completely sucked in. Even though there were a ton of characters, they were all made to be individuals and I wanted to learn more about all of them.

Admittedly, I was a bit worried that based off of what I had seen on the show and the description of the book it would be a bit graphic and violent. However, I would say that the Robert Galbraith novels are much more graphic and violent than this one. Not to say that it doesn’t have some violent scenes (one guy gets shot in the knee which is still making me cringe), but overall it wasn’t bad.

This was a solid mystery with a strong protagonist. I want to follow him on more cases, which I feel makes this book a success. It had me sucked in pretty quickly and by the end I couldn’t put it down. Is it an earth shatters twist the likes of which you’ve never seen? No. But it will keep you entertained and guessing the whole way.

Mind the Gap Dash & Lily

By: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Alfred A Knopf Books
Pages: 256

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Dash and Lily were feeling closer than ever...it's just too bad they're now an ocean apart. After Dash gets accepted to Oxford University and Lily stays in New York to take care of her dogwalking business, the devoted couple are struggling to make a long distance relationship work. And when Dash breaks the news that he won't be coming home for Christmas, Lily makes a decision: if Dash can't come to her, she'll join him in London. It's a perfect romantic gesture...that spins out of Lily's control. Soon Dash and Lily are feeling more of a gap between them, even though they're in the same city. Will London bring them together again--or will it be their undoing?

First Impressions

This is the 3rd (and latest) installment in the Dash and Lily series. If you haven’t read my reviews on the other books, you can read the first one here and the second one here. While I haven’t loved the other two books, they were both cute and entertaining and I definitely wanted to finish the series and find out what happened. I do love the cover and the fact that it takes place in London helped.

What I thought

We meet up with Dash and Lily another year later, this time with Dash in England during his first year at Oxford and Lily taking a gap year before deciding what to do with her life. When Dash decides to spend Christmas in London, Lily decides to tak her hard earned dog walking and business money to surprise him with a visit. Except it doesn’t go exactly as planned.

Lily hasn’t always been my favorite character and she definitely got on my nerves in this story. She immediately takes a dislike to Dash’s grandma for literally no reason and is seriously considering moving to England to attend a one year dog school that she learned about online. Dash is also disenchanted with Oxford and depressed and therefore, not doing anything about it.

I felt like in this book Dash is and has been growing whereas Lily is the one who seems immature. She isn’t confronting any of her issues, refuses to look at any other perspectives, and pretty much believes she’s the only one who knows what’s right for anyone. She did make some growth as the book went on, thanks to Dash. Otherwise she would’ve been completely intolerable. Although, if I had to hear the word “dogprenour” one more time I was going to chuck the book across the room.

Dash is struggling with a lot. And it was hard for me to not get mad at him because I would have loved to live in England and gone to Oxford. But, I know that it’s not for everyone so I tried to set my own wants and needs aside. I was so happy that Dash finally has a decent family member as well.

One difference between this one and the others is that it really didn’t revolve around Dash and Lily as a couple. Yes, there were moments here and there where that was central to the story and even the fact that he lived in England was a driving force behind some of the conflict, but mostly it was about Dash and Lily separately. They were both trying to figure out what they want in life and where they want their lives to go.

I think overall, I enjoyed this series. Dash and Lily aren’t my favorite individuals, but as a couple they usually seem to work. I do prefer the Netflix series to the books and am looking forward to seeing how books 2 and 3 are adapted. I would still recommend watching Dash and Lily over reading them, but they are all around 200-250 pages so they’re pretty quick to get through.

Book Club February 2021- The Duke & I (Bridgerton)

We had a few changes this month for book club. Because of everything that we have all gone through in 2020, we have leaned more towards lighter reads this past year. This month was Denise’s choice and she had picked two different books that, once she started reading, didn’t feel right. She found one to not be what the summary had said and both to be more serious and heavy than she expected. As a result, we were at the beginning of January with no book picked. So, Logan suggested that since we had all been watching Bridgerton, we read the book and then we could discuss both the show and the book!

By: Julia Quinn
Published Year: 2006
Publisher: Avon Books
Pages: 386

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable… but not too amiable.

Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.

Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.

The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule...

What I Thought

Let me start by saying that I watched the show before reading the book. 4 out of the 5 book club members did it in this order. I absolutely loved the show. I devoured it in just over 24 hours. I was a little nervous to read the book because of how much I enjoyed the show.

The book was very cute, though I will admit I didn’t love it as much as the show. There were a lot of differences and most of the differences were ones that I missed as reading the book. For example, the Bridgerton siblings barely appear in the book. We really only see Anthony and Colin. Benedict maybe once and definitely no Eloise. There were also a few storylines that must have been completely made up for the show that weren’t in the book that I missed. The Featheringtons also had a significantly lesser role in the book than the show.

What did still work was Daphne and Simon. Their banter and ease of the relationship was just as fun to read as it was to watch. The one thing that did irritate me slightly was the writing got to be a bit repetitive. Daphne continually reminded us that she had 4 brothers and at one point I wanted to yell “We get it!” But, overall, the writing was fun and light.

If I to pick only one, I would definitely recommend the show over the book. But that’s not going to stop me from reading the other books because I want more of the Bridgerton siblings and I can’t wait a year.

What Book Club Thought

The 4 of us who watched the show before reading the book loved both. The one who read the book first and then the show, hated both. I don’t know if that necessarily is the reason but it was interesting. We enjoyed talking about the differences between the show and the book. Initially, I didn’t realize how many differences there were and while I did enjoy the show more overall, there were some parts of the book that I preferred. I

The Nature of Fragile Things

By: Susan Meissner
Published Year: 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 384

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this book.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): April 18, 1906: A massive earthquake rocks San Francisco just before daybreak, igniting a devouring inferno. Lives are lost, lives are shattered, but some rise from the ashes forever changed.

Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. San Francisco widower Martin Hocking proves to be as aloof as he is mesmerizingly handsome. Sophie quickly develops deep affection for Kat, Martin's silent five-year-old daughter, but Martin's odd behavior leaves her with the uneasy feeling that something about her newfound situation isn't right.

Then one early-spring evening, a stranger at the door sets in motion a transforming chain of events. Sophie discovers hidden ties to two other women. The first, pretty and pregnant, is standing on her doorstep. The second is hundreds of miles away in the American Southwest, grieving the loss of everything she once loved.

The fates of these three women intertwine on the eve of the devastating earthquake, thrusting them onto a perilous journey that will test their resiliency and resolve and, ultimately, their belief that love can overcome fear.

From the acclaimed author of The Last Year of the War and As Bright as Heaven comes a gripping novel about the bonds of friendship and mother love, and the power of female solidarity.

First Impression

I’ve read a few other novels by Meissner and enjoyed each of them. But lately, I haven’t been in much of a mood for historical fiction, so I was a little hesitant to agree to reading this one. The cover is also pretty bland, so I don’t think it’s one I would’ve picked up off the shelf. The summary ultimately is what got be though. I was curious about a woman who would marry a stranger and how her life would intertwine with the other women.

What I thought

Wow. This book was so good. It sucked me in and I flew through it.

Sophie has immigrated to the US from Ireland. She is living in squalor in New York City when she sees an ad from a man in San Francisco looking for a bride. He is widowed and has a child who needs caring for. Sophie sees it as her only way out of New York, as well as a promise of comfort and a potential of love. Until a pregnant woman shows up on her doorstep and everything she thought to be true is upturned.

The idea of Sophie marrying a stranger intrigued me. How bad must your life be that you’re willing to move across a new country to marry someone you’ve never met and immediately become a mother to a 5 year old? Martin, the man that Sophia marries, is a mystery and immediately untrustworthy. I was curious from the start why he wanted to marry Sophie because the reasons he gave were not believable.

When Belinda shows up on Sophie’s doorstep 8 months pregnant, her world is shaken. Then it literally becomes shaken by a massive earthquake. The mystery element of Belinda, Martin, and Sophie added in with the action of a city falling and burning to the ground made me unable to put down this book. The book opens with Sophia being interviews about reporting Martin’s disappearance after the earthquake, so I needed to know what happened to him, how Sophie and Kat (the daughter) survived. There were so many questions that needed answering and every page kept me intrigued.

I think what surprised me the most about this book was the pace. It moved quickly and I flew through it. a lot of the time with historical fiction novels, even though I enjoy every minute they take me a little longer to get through. This one I continually forgot it was even set in the early 1900s. Every bit of the story wan engaging and I grew attached to Sophie and Kat.

This book was a great balance of mystery, action, and history. It was a story of empowered women in a time when they were not given much power. This may be my favorite book that Meissner has written. It sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down. I’d probably lean more towards giving it a 4.5/5 than a true 4. If you are stuck in a reading rut or need a well written palate cleansing book, I highly recommend checking this one out.

Pretty Things

By: Janelle Brown
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 496

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Two wildly different women - one a grifter, the other an heiress - are brought together by the scam of a lifetime in a page-turner from the New York Times bestselling author of Watch Me Disappear.

Nina once bought into the idea that her fancy liberal arts degree would lead to a fulfilling career. When that dream crashed, she turned to stealing from rich kids in L.A. alongside her wily Irish boyfriend, Lachlan. Nina learned from the best: Her mother was the original con artist, hustling to give her daughter a decent childhood despite their wayward life. But when her mom gets sick, Nina puts everything on the line to help her, even if it means running her most audacious, dangerous scam yet.

Vanessa is a privileged young heiress who wanted to make her mark in the world. Instead she becomes an Instagram influencer—traveling the globe, receiving free clothes and products, and posing for pictures in exotic locales. But behind the covetable façade is a life marked by tragedy. After a broken engagement, Vanessa retreats to her family’s sprawling mountain estate, Stonehaven: a mansion of dark secrets not just from Vanessa’s past, but from that of a lost and troubled girl named Nina.

Nina’s, Vanessa’s, and Lachlan’s paths collide here, on the cold shores of Lake Tahoe, where their intertwined lives give way to a winter of aspiration and desire, duplicity and revenge.

This dazzling, twisty, mesmerizing novel showcases acclaimed author Janelle Brown at her best, as two brilliant, damaged women try to survive the greatest game of deceit and destruction they will ever play.

First Impressions

Something about this cover kept drawing me back to it. I almost picked it as a book club book a few times. The summary intrigued me as well, but it definitely was the cover that sold me.

What I thought

So, I started reading this book in September. Then I had a bit of a crazy life event that caused me to not want to read for a while, or at the very least not read anything heavy. I had gotten this book from the library so, of course it needed to be returned before I could finish it. However, even 2 months later I still wanted to know how the story ended and finally picked it back up.

Nina has turned to the life of a con artist to pay for her mother’s medical bills. Vanessa is an heiress living alone in Lake Tahoe. Nina and Vanessa have a complicated and connected past that draws Nina back into Vanessa’s life when her mother’s cancer comes back.

I did ejoy this book but, I can’t figure out if because of the fact that I had to read it at two different times made it a little harder for me or if it was the book itself. I enjoyed the first half of the book, getting to know Nina, Lochlan (Nina’s con artist boyfriend), Nina’s mom and learn all about Nina’s past and how she ended up where she was. After Nina and Lochlan arrive at Vanessa’s family’s estate, it switches to a few chapters told from her perspective.

What I really liked about the perspective switches was that they tackled some of the same scenes. So, you got to see what Nina was thinking and feeling when she and Lochlan arrive and their first few days there and then later you get to relive those events through Vanessa’s perspective.

What I didn’t like about the first perspective shift was how boring Vanessa’s story was. I had gotten attached to Nina and invested in her story so when I was thrown into Vanessa’s story it took a little while to adjust. I didn’t start to enjoy Vanessa’s perspective until Nina came back into it. However, the second perspective shift I was very excited for because I wanted more information about what was playing out.

Again, I don’t know if this is partially due to the way I read this book but I really enjoyed the first 25%, the second 25% was a bit slow for me, and the last half of the book flew. I never quite struggled to pick the book up but I definitely read a little bit slower in the middle. Once it picked up again I was shocked at how quickly I was over.

This one would maybe be about 3.5 stars for me, but I enjoyed the writing so I bumped it up a little bit. The characters are strong and the mystery moves the book along at a quick pace. It is different than most things I have read and definitely stands out in that way. However, because of that I’m not sure if I can quite say “if you like… you would enjoy this book” I would say if the summary sounds interesting to you, then you should pick it up because it was definitely worth the read.

The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily

By: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Published Year: 2015
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 215

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Dash and Lily have had a tough year since they first fell in love among the shelves of their favorite bookstore. Lily’s beloved grandfather suffered a heart attack, and his difficult road to recovery has taken a major toll on her typically sunny disposition.

With only twelve days left until Christmas—Lily’s favorite time of the year—Dash, Lily’s brother Langston, and their closest friends must take Manhattan by storm to help Lily recapture the unique holiday magic of a glittering, snow-covered New York City in December.

First Impressions

I wasn’t crazy about the first Dash and Lily book and much preferred the TV show. I don’t know if I would have been as curious about the second book without having watched and enjoyed the TV show. I do love this cover though!

What I thought

I actually think I liked this book more than the first! There will be some spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t read the first book or watched the show, you have been warned.

This book starts almost exactly a year later. Dash and Lily have been together for almost a year, but Lily’s light has dimmed since her Grandpa had a heart attack in May. Dash hasn’t been able to connect with Lily and Lily feels like she hasn’t been able to connect with Dash. Lily’s brother Langston comes to Dash for help and they work toward reigniting their relationship.

In the first book, and even a little bit at the beginning of this book, I didn’t quite understand how Dash and Lily made sense. They are vastly different and I saw their love burning out fast. In this book, Lily’s moodiness kind of makes them fit more. It was nice to see her not so optimistic and bubbly. I definitely liked her a lot more in this book. I also liked Dash a lot more. It was nice to see him less moody and putting effort into things.

The only thing I was a little bit bummed about was that at the beginning Langston and Dash come up with the idea to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas to bring the old Lily back. They start off with buying a Christmas tree and making it a partridge in a pear tree, and there is a two turtle doves reference, but after that it kind of dies off. I had really hoped it would be something where each day there was a gift or a task tied to the song. If it did happen, it was so subtle I missed it.

I liked this book more than the second. It made me look forward to a second season of Dash and Lily on Netflix as well. I also am more excited to read the third book than I was to read the second after reading this book. If you were on the fence about the first book, I definitely recommend giving this second book a chance.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

By: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 260

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): “I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

First Impression

This book has been on my to-read list for a few years. I love the mysterious Christmassy cover and the idea of following dares from a stranger. When I saw that Netflix was making a series based off of the book I knew that it was finally time for me to read this book.

What I thought

I’m doing this review after reading the book and then watching the series. First, I’ll start with my review of the book and then I’ll talk a little bit about how the series compares.

Lily is spending Christmas without her parents and grandparents for the first time. Her parents have decided to spend Christmas in Fiji and her grandpa is going to Florida, so her brother Langston is watching her in New York City. Dash is also spending Christmas alone. He has told his father he’s spending it with his mother and his mother he’s spending it with his father so that he can stay in the city by himself. Dash finds a red notebook next to one of his favorite books in the bookstore The Strand and follows the instructions within. He then sends the book back to Lily with his own instructions and the back and forth begins.

Even though it’s a relatively short book, parts of it moved slowly. I loved all of the characters. Lily’s whole family is great and I especially love her great aunt. Her brother Langston has a good heart but definitely has no idea how to take care of his sister. I also really like Dash’s best friend Boomer. I guess the only issue is that I liked most of these characters more than Dash and Lily. Not to say I didn’t like them, but I loved when they were interacting with the other characters.

I did prefer the first half of the book where they were sending dares back and forth and there was a lot of mystery. The second half of the book where they finally meet was a bit more boring and felt a little anticlimactic. It was also a little hard for me to believe that Dash and Lily would get along in real life, but it’s nice to believe. The only other issue I had with the book was that it was a bit abrupt, but there are two more books, so I guess I’ll have to check them out.

The TV series was very similar to the book until about episode 5. There were some changes that were made to make it translate to TV better. For example, Boomer works at a pizza parlor in the show and he does not in the book. But when you get to episode 5 is when it really start to diverge. Slight spoiler, but Dash’s relationship with his ex in the book is very different from his relationship with her in the show and I have to say I liked it better in the book. I appreciate that in the book he is able to acknowledge that they liked each other while they were together but they knew it wouldn’t be love and that was ok.

You Have a Match

By: Emma Lord
Published Year: 2021
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Pages: 320

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this book.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie…although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front.

But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister.

When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents—especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself.

The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp’s co-chef, putting Abby's growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything.

But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.

First Impressions

I read Lord’s debut Tweet Cute last year and loved it. I thought the banter was witty and the chemistry jumped off the page. I was immediately sold on read this next book without even reading the summary. Also, I’m a huge sucker for cartoony covers.

What I thought

This book was a little slow to get into, but did pick up in the middle and was cute overall.

Abby’s friend Leo is adopted and wants to find more about his background so he asks for his two friends to do it with him. While Leo doesn’t learn anything, Abby discovers that she has a full blooded sister who is only a year and a half older than she is. Instead of confronting her parents, her newly found sister invites her to spend a month at the summer camp that she is working at so they can figure out what happened together. Little does Abby know, Leo is working at the same camp.

For me, the book didn’t really pick up until Abby had been at camp for a day or two. The beginning was definitely a lot of setup. I understand why it needed to be, but it made it a little harder to get into. The meat of the story where Abby and Savannah were getting to know each other and figure out why their parents gave up Savannah were the best parts for me. I wasn’t even crazy about the love story between Leo and Abby.

The writing was still good, but this book didn’t have the same spark for me as the first book. I could get rid of the beginning and the end of the story and just take the middle. I did like Abby and I liked the growth that she had. I think there is an interesting story of teenage grief and stress. Leo felt a little bit like an afterthought to me. Savvy was more of the secondary character and it seemed like Leo was thrown in there just because Lord felt like there needed to be a love story.

Overall, this book fell a little flat for me. I loved the idea of the story and I did enjoy the meat of it, but I wasn’t left with any strong impressions or feelings. I still look forward to reading anything that Lord writes, but it didn’t have that same magic as Tweet Cute for me.