Bebe Rachel's Whimsy and Reviews

The suspense, the intrigue and, as always the macabre … Jussi Adler-Olsen does not disappoint in this 9th installment of the Department Q series.  My favorite part of this particular noir series is the surprising lighthearted humor that is the banter between the department Q colleagues. It’s not often you can read a book this dark, and laugh out loud on occasion.  In addition to the dark subject material and the twists and turns that this mystery takes, there was also an insightful commentary on the impact of Covid while trying to investigate an ongoing criminal case. This was, as expected, an incredible story, very gripping, and a definite “could not put this one down” for me. I highly recommend this series! My ADHD hack for this one was listening to the audible, while I was literally reading the book in order to focus. It’s just like that with some genres for me. With multiple viewpoints and overlapping time frames - it is easy for me to get distracted so that is my workaround. ⏰ a f

I really enjoyed reading this story of a personal trainer and client, as they consider that they may have something more ahead of them than just gym appointments. This was not the usual boy and girl meet and figure it out, however.    I was surprised    by the many twists to this journey and - without spoiling anything, the story, much like life - did not go quite the way I expected.  Some interesting bits were the    challenges of being single - and not wealthy for that matter - in London, which were made clear throughout. It was refreshing to have MC’s who live as most of us do - with actual expenses - it was relatable.     The authors’s love of travel - I checked out their travel blog - shines through Oliver’s character. And it was a pleasure    to read about the experience of travel from a real world perspective for a change. You know, as someone who would typically pick the economy seat and carry on luggage rather than make a trip unavailable.  While I originally felt that the pro

I loved this book! This was a series I read out of order, which was fine. Here we have Rosaline who is looking for an escape from her financial challenges but on her way finds romance and then love and most of all her voice. The love in question led to my favorite line, as she found “someone who cared about who she was rather than who she should be.”  I absolutely recommend this book. There were so many hilarious moments that had me replaying the audible to listen through it again. There were, as I have come to expect from Alexis Hall, some quite serious moments as well. All in all, it was funny, heartwarming and thought provoking.  The audible was ready by Fiona Hardingham, who was fantastic. ⏰ listened to in 1 week but also kept replaying parts i enjoyed (which was multiple) 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ fairly explicit. At first basic sex but also some more authentic moments of intimacy. Well written for sure. It was a fair amount but not unpleasant, except the scene described below.  🏷️  #contempo

So this book had been on my radar for some time and I picked it up at the local library’s pride 🌈 table after picking it up and putting it down many times in the bookstore. I’m really glad I finally read this. It was a very sweet story although I did have a little bit of trouble as I am not at all into gaming, and therefore had to stretch my brain a little bit. But I love a good enemies to lovers tail and this was that. I enjoyed having the story told from two voices going back-and-forth between the MC’s. The challenges faced by one MC because of his own anxiety and family pressure, as well as the terrible challenges faced by the other MC due to being exiled for his homosexuality by his family were both engaging -  I did not expect the story to be as deep as it was. As always, I love cringing over and occasionally laughing out loud at myself, as I indentified with one MC and their struggles with anxiety and imposter syndrome. #ifeelseen Overall it was a wonderful book and I recommend