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The Rachel Incident (by Caroline O'Donoghue)
Well, this was several hours of wasted time I will never get back. I simply could not get invested in the story and I did not care about the characters. If the “incident” was something worth discovering by the time I slogged through to the end, it might have redeemed itself. Unfortunately, that did not happen. I gave this one an extra star because it took place in Ireland. Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own. Fo

Ms. Ladybug
7 days ago1 min read
Women of a Promiscuous Nature (by Donna Everhart)
This is definitely an emotional read that will have you angry at how society treated women in the early 20th century. Their treatment at the institutions was horrendous and eye-opening. The fact that the book is based on real events is appalling. A very difficult and uncomfortable read, but also important that we learn about this type of unacceptable treatment of women in the hopes that history does not repeat itself. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my advance

Ms. Ladybug
Mar 111 min read
The Pillager's Guide to Arctic Pianos (by Kendra Langford Shaw)
The title alone caught my attention and I thought it was a book I would enjoy reading. I do not mind quirky books, but this one was too over the top in that regard. I do not feel that this book delivered enough to make me care about the characters, the story, the ... anything. Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own. For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 review

Ms. Ladybug
Mar 101 min read
Full Bloom (by Francesca Serritella)
I have evidently been on a tangent with reading books with a fantasy and magical realism focus. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of books in that genre. I had really enjoyed the author’s previous book, Ghosts of Harvard, so I was looking forward to reading this one. Alas, I felt like I was on a ride through an ADHD experience. There were too many topics and none of them received the focus needed to make it a cohesive read. I will probably read future books by this author, but I

Ms. Ladybug
Mar 101 min read
Letters from Strangers (by Susan Walter)
While this book read like a YA one, I still enjoyed aspects of it. There are a lot of triggers that you need to be aware of before opening the cover and reading the first word. They are adultery, body shaming, homosexuality, giving a child up for adoption, eating disorders, unplanned pregnancy, infertility, and suicide. Yet these are all handled in a delicate way by the author. I was not sure I was going to enjoy this book when I first started reading it, but I was pulled int

Ms. Ladybug
Dec 30, 20251 min read
The Irish Goodbye (by Aimee O'Neill)
This is just a pitiful family drama book that had me struggling to stay invested. The one positive comment I can make is that it is a quick read. So you will feel like you are wasting an inordinate amount of time with these highly dysfunctional characters. None of the characters appealed to me and I could care less what was happening in their lives. I am sorry to say that this book did not do it for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for my advanced review copy.

Ms. Ladybug
Nov 8, 20251 min read
Before We Say Goodbye ~ Red Mountain #4 (by Boo Walker)
Boo Walker has become one of my favorite authors. As soon as I find out he has a new book being released, it is at the top of my to-be-read list. While I have all of the books in the Red Mountain series, I have not had the chance to read them yet. However, I do not think that affected my time spent in this story. It is a story of family, love, grief, alcohol and drug abuse, insecurities, growth, and wine making. I understand that the author had to provide a lot of tedious and

Ms. Ladybug
Oct 19, 20251 min read
The Banned Books of Berlin (by Daisy Wood)
I love reading historical fiction books, especially if they are set during WWII. And it is even more appealing when there is a dual...

Ms. Ladybug
Jul 29, 20251 min read
The Homemade God (by Rachel Joyce)
A story about family and the results after the family patriarch passes away. The characters were well developed but to be honest, this...

Ms. Ladybug
Jun 14, 20251 min read
The Memory Library (by Kate Storey)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Watching the relationship between mother, Sally, and daughter, Ella, change during the time Ella is...

Ms. Ladybug
Feb 14, 20252 min read
Earth’s the Right Place for Love ~ Mason #0.5 (by Elizabeth Berg)
I absolutely loved The Story of Arthur Truluv and was so excited at the opportunity to read about Arthur’s growing up years. What a...

Ms. Ladybug
Sep 25, 20241 min read
When the Moon Turns Blue (by Pamela Terry)
This is a story of small town relationships ... family, friends, enemies. The characters are well developed. And while there are a lot of...

Ms. Ladybug
Nov 5, 20231 min read
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