Reading Wrap-Up: Dance of Thieves, Carrie Soto Is Back, and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
This week, after re-writing the last three chapters and putting the final touches on it—I sent my WIP off to my editor!
I am feeling so excited about this story—I love the characters and I feel like my writing has grown enormously in the process of building it. I started this project in the fall of 2020, then re-wrote the entire thing from scratch nearly three times before all was said and done.
I have plans to publish it later this fall, and can’t wait to get notes back from my editor to keep moving forward on that goal!
Another exciting thing this week has been a soft-launch of a project I’ve been working on for several months. It’s a project I originally started for myself, but as it grew, I wanted to share it.
It’s called the Trope Index—and it’s exactly what it sounds like.
This product is, essentially, a database of hundreds of conflicts, relationship dynamics, characteristics, and situations that readers absolutely love to devour. If you want a chance to grab it during the pre-sale (before it increases to its full price), make sure you’re on my list!
Now, with all of that said, let’s dive into my most recent reading. They were all excellent.
Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson (YA Romantasy)
I love getting lost in Mary E. Pearson worlds. More specifically, the world of the Remnant.
I was obsessed with the Remnant Chronicles when I read that series a couple of years ago, and had just as much (or, at least, nearly as much) fun with this story.
This was a dual POV YA romantasy centered around one of the Queen’s most trusted guards and a young man who recently inherited his family’s business (which is, essentially, running a city/tiny kingdom).
Great banter and chemistry, excellent world building, evocative writing, fast-paced story. I loved it all, and am excited to dive into the last book in this duology soon.
5/5 stars
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Historical Fiction)
Taylor Jenkins Reid has such a distinctive writing style. It’s straightforward, almost to the point of being abrasive, and yet so completely anchored in emotion. Her protagonists are always layered and interesting, and Carrie Soto was no exception.
I think my favorite part of this book was the psychological study.
My husband, Keith, and I talk a lot about stories that investigate the price of success. He loves Whiplash and The Social Network. The psychological examination of a character who is so focused on their craft or goal, on how they go about pursuing it, on what they’re willing to sacrifice in the process, is fascinating.
Carrie Soto is a powerhouse. She is the most decorated women’s tennis player of all time—but now her legacy is in question, and she must come out of retirement in order to hold onto it.
The dynamics—the romance, the family relationships, the protagonist’s perspective—all felt distinctly like a Taylor Jenkins Reid novel, which is by no means a bad thing. I enjoyed the ride and appreciated the craft. However, Soto definitely did not de-throne Evelyn Hugo as my favorite of Reid’s leading ladies.
4/5 stars
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (YA Mystery)
This was such a good reading stretch!
Good Girl was another home run for me. Pip was such an excellent protagonist—so much so that I talked about her in this recent post where I dove into exactly how Holly Jackson crafted this pitch perfect mystery. She was outspoken, kind, tenacious, and yet, still perfectly flawed.
I loved the relationship Pip built with Ravi as she tried to prove his brother’s innocence in the murder that rocked their town 5 years previously. I devoured the clues and suspects. And all in all, I read it in a day and a half, desperate to learn the secrets behind this tragedy.
I consider myself fairly good at predicting twists. I’ve studied the craft of story so much that it has become a natural byproduct. And while I was unsurprised by the final reveal—I still got the breath knocked out of me when it turned out the mystery went even deeper.
4.5/5 stars
