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It’s been so long since I’ve posted a book review! Sadly, I haven’t been reading as much lately as I’d like to, but I’m working on changing that.
Yesterday, I finished reading Tips For Living and I’m excited to share my thoughts with you. Let’s just dive right into this review while everything’s still nice and fresh in my mind!
A Little Bit About The Plot
The story begins with our narrator, Nora, explaining about a run-in with her ex-husband Hugh’s current wife: Helene, the woman Hugh got pregnant while he was still married to Nora.
Nora tells us that she had suspected Hugh was cheating for awhile, but looked the other way until she found out one of his mistresses was pregnant. That was too much for her to handle, and she had no choice but to leave Hugh.
Devastating as that discovery was, Nora had made a vow to herself that she wouldn’t let Hugh’s actions turn her into a bitter woman. She has a firm goal to bounce back and create a new, happy life for herself. She’s even been seeing a therapist to help get over the trauma Hugh caused her (though I found it interesting that her therapist only seemed to be briefly mentioned once or twice at the beginning of the book).
The real drama begins for Nora when, unexpectedly, Hugh and Helene are found murdered in their home. With Hugh having once been the love of her life, while Helene was “the other woman” that destroyed Nora’s marriage, the murders leave Nora feeling a combination of heartbreak and satisfaction.
But those feelings quickly turn to fear and anxiety when Nora can’t recall her whereabouts on the night of the murder and police begin to question whether or not she could be the killer.
Here’s What I Thought About Tips For Living
There are no “spoilers,” but I do describe the killer a bit here…
As a psychological-thriller-junkie, the synopsis of this book had me intrigued. It’s exactly the type of book I could spend an entire day curled up on the couch with. And I’ll admit, there were 1 or 2 days where I did just that (this book might be under 400 pages, but I like to read slowly and soak everything in).
Now, here’s the thing with this book: I wasn’t happy with the ending.
I’m not necessarily complaining.
I just felt like there wasn’t much of a twist (which, in itself, is almost a twist).
About halfway through the book, I thought I had the whole thing figured out. I picked a character that I thought could be the killer, and was anxiously waiting to see how/ why this character did it. If the character I had in mind had been the killer, that could have been a really great twist.
Instead, though, when I get to the end of the book, the killer ended up being someone I totally overlooked because, in my mind, it seemed too obvious.
So although I was ready to give this book 4-5 stars on Goodreads while I was reading the first 90% of the story, that dissatisfying ending took it down to a 3-star review for me.
I hate knocking other people’s work, and mean no disrespect to Renée Shafransky. In fact, I’d probably read another one of her books in the future.
But I’m a tough crowd when it comes to thrillers, so Tips For Living just missed the mark slightly for me.
Want To See If You Agree With My Rating Of Tips For Living?
Order your own copy and tell me what you think! https://amzn.to/2K4bE95
What Have You Been Reading Lately?
I’d love to hear your recommendations! Comment below and tell me what you’ve been enjoying 🙂
Before You Go!
In case you’re looking for a new e-reader, I thought I’d talk a bit about my Kindle… I’m OBSESSED with it!
I have three different Kindles that I try to keep charged in case my main one dies while I’m binge-reading.
Of the three, my favorite (and main choice most of the time) is my Kindle Voyage. It has a backlight and a touchscreen, so if you want to highlight or find the definition for a word, all you need to do is tap. It’s nice and lightweight, so I love reading on it when I’m in bed.
If you’re thinking about treating yourself to a fancy new e-reader, I definitely recommend the Kindle Voyage over any of the other models. You can check that out here: https://amzn.to/2MHCGVs.
Amazon also sells a really cool origami case to protect your Kindle (it even folds up like an easel!). It’s a little pricey, but it’s such a sleek cover and does a good job of protecting the Kindle: https://amzn.to/2JTy2Wk.
Don’t want to plug your Kindle into your computer every time it needs to charge? I don’t blame you! Here’s a handy little link to get yourself a wall charger (like a real adult!) 😉 https://amzn.to/2tq51qy
Okay, I’m done now! Thank you for reading 🙂
I think you did the book justice with your review. Now I want to read it to see how obvious the killer is haha. Also I like how you popped in those affiliates afterwards, with “add-ons”. I need to experiment doing mine like that too!
Thank you, Sarah! Let me know what you think if you decide to read the book! 🤓
(And thanks for the feedback! Affiliate links are very new to this blog so I’m trying to see what works still! 😉)
I’m a sucker for murder stories. (You should listen to My Favorite Murder on podcast if you like murder stories like I do.) I’m reading Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry and it’s a thriller too… I might have to toss this in my que though!!! I’m thinking it was Nora! Lol.
I love My Favorite Murder!! And I’ll definitely check out Under the Harrow– thanks for the recommendations! 🙂
My friend and I were just trying to decide on a murder/mystery type book to read together and this one came up…I really enjoy a twist at the end myself, though. I think we may keep looking. Thanks for this, love your blog!
Thanks so much 🙂 And that’s so funny! I’m the same way; the twist is my favorite part! I was pretty disappointed when this book didn’t have one.
I’m a thriller junkie too! I’ll have to check this book out. Great review!
They’re my favorite! And thank you 🙂 Tell me what you think!!
This sounds like a fun read. I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but you made this one sound like a book I’d like, even if the killer is too obvious. 🙂 Maybe it won’t be too obvious for a rookie thriller-reader like me!
Hahaha I’d love to hear what you think if you do decide to read it! Glad you enjoyed the review 🙂
This seems like a very interesting book! Thanks for sharing!
I think that your review was very fair! We can’t always absolutely love everything we read. I LOVE that you have 3 Kindles 🙂
Thank you, Katy! 😀
Always looking for a good book over the summer! I love a good thriller but often have that feeling that the book was not finished and I’d need a sequel to feel fully satisfied!
That’s interesting! I’m the total opposite; I like the story to be wrapped up in one book so I can move on to the next one lol. I think that’s why I’ve had a copy of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo for like 8 years and still haven’t read it 😂
I’m a reader. I’m going to add this one to my list!
Can’t wait to hear what you think!!
Your description of the kindle you like is really helpful, thanks!
That’s great to hear, I’m happy to help! 😃. The Kindle is such a game changer; physical books take up so much space!
Hmmmm, I want to know who the killer is now?!?! Great review!
Thanks so much, Gail! If you decide to read it, tell me what you think about the ending!! 🙂
Thanks for the honest review. I always love to hear someone’s real opinion. And I do agree that the non twist is almost a twist in its own way.
Glad you enjoyed it, Janine! 🙂
I love the sound of this book! I love it when a book is a thriller and keeps your focus! Perfect for a summer read.
Definitely! If it weren’t for the ending, I probably would’ve given this book 5-stars because it had me so hooked!!
You have me hooked. Want to read. Excellent review.
Thank you, Verla! Let me know what you think if you read it 🙂
Sounds like a good book. Great review!
Thank you, Heidi, glad you enjoyed!!
Great review! I love when a book engrosses me so much that I finish it in one day. I will check this one out.
Thanks, Tina! Can’t wait to hear what you think of it! 🙂
Whooa! I will admit that I haven’t read a book in quite some time…I am just tooo busy with life! 🙁 But, now that I have read your review, I am honestly considering picking up this book today! It sounds exactly as the type of book I would enjoy! Great review! 🙂
🙂 Thanks so much, Vessy! I know what you mean, I don’t always get a chance to read as much as I’d like to!
Let me know what you think of it if you get a chance to read it!!
I haven’t read this book, but thanks for the honest review! Still sounds like a great read regardless though!
Glad you enjoyed, Kristi! 🙂
It sounds like a thrilling book, just a shame that the ending is rather predictable and let you down :/
I know! I was really loving it until I got to the last few pages!
Loved your review and I also cannot rave enough about my Kindle!
Thank you! And I can totally relate; the Kindle is such a game-changer!!
Again, a dissatisfying ending can really make a difference when it comes to our ratings!
Absolutely!!