Reviews written by Kelly Goodwin

At first, I thought the unthinkable. "I'm not going to like this book." I kept looking at Stormdancer's gorgeous cover, dismayed that I just wasn't enjoying the first sixty pages or so. Where was the civil unrest and strong female protagonist I was promised?! But then I met an arashitora,...

A dark and disturbing story of sibling rivalry, All You Never Wanted is unlike any contemporary I've ever read. Both protagonists have their own issues - one is a pathological liar while the other is literally wasting away to nothing because of her anxiety - yet those issues pale in...

Mystery, romance, political intrigue and magic - Mystic City has a little bit of everything! Immediately capturing my attention with Aria's suspicious memory loss, I was hooked from the start. While Aria definitely took too long to realize the truth, her journey of discovery was fascinating. Pair that with vivid...

Rape Girl, though almost frustratingly short, is not an easy read. I experienced the full breadth of my emotions - anger, frustration, hate, helplessness, sympathy, happiness, hope - in a little over an hour. Though it's definitely too short, leaving little room to become attached to the characters, I appreciated...

Velveteen started off so promising! A spunky, take-charge heroine hell-bent on seeking revenge on her killer? Yes! But I quickly realized that Velveteen was going to be much more about the inner turmoil of Purgatory than about Velvet's thirst for vengeance. Velveteen's opening scenes were brillant -...

I struggled to get through most of Dearly, Beloved. The elements I loved from Dearly, Departed - rich detail, a complicated romance and modern technology mixed with Victorian era elements - either were absent or only added to Dearly, Beloved's inability to fully capture my attention. Nearing the end, my...

Dark and seductive, Monstrous Beauty started out as the perfect mermaid tale - full of immortal beings with razor sharp teeth, claw-like nails and breathtaking beauty. But as the mermaid lore became less important, and the plot centered on Hester and her inexplicable connection to Ezra, I almost lost interest....

The Demon Catchers of Milan was subtle in its hauntingly dark and ominous atmosphere. Descriptions reminiscent of classic horror novels combined with a deliciously teasing air of mystery kept me in suspense for much of the book. A lacklustre and slightly confusing plot with little resolution did lessen my enjoyment...

Solid was a mindlessly entertaining read, with a witty and sarcastic narrator who kept things on the lighter side with her constant banter. Even though I had several issues with Solid, I really enjoyed the ride of this plot-driven tale! Clio is a likeable protagonist. She's confident...

With hints of old Hollywood glam, an obsessively controlling and abusive relationship and a shroud of secrecy, Grace Doll is a suspenseful thriller where the possibility of being found constantly waits in the shadows. Though not without its faults - like insta love and a few too many unanswered questions...

Speechless surprised me in many ways. With wonderfully constructed characters, who managed to be appropriately funny even while tackling some tough issues, Speechless is simply beautiful - to both read and with the message it delivers. Chelsea starts off as a completely shallow and unlikable character. Striving...

If there's one thing Pushing the Limits has in spades - and there are definitely several things I could mention - it's palpable chemistry. There were several steamy moments between Noah and Echo that had me putting the book down in an attempt to calm my breathing, as another one...

Initially intrigued by the undertaking that S.A. Bodeen tackled, that of making floating at sea in a dingy not only interesting, but suspenseful, I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by The Raft. While not without it's flaws - a selfish, monotone protagonist and a not-so-surprising twist ending...

With a well-paced plot and an interesting spin on reincarnation, Shattered Souls had the potential to be amazing. The insta-love and useless heroine had me cringing internally, but by the end I still found Shattered Souls to be a mostly enjoyable read! I loved Shattered Souls' concept...

My initial attraction to Touched's promising concept wasn't enough to sustain my interest through a detached narrative, an insta-love romance and a jerky plot. Nick's decision to stay from the script and Emma's subsequent drowning played too strong a role in his inner torment. Had it been...