It is that time of the year when we reflect on the stories that, in my opinion at least, failed us. These books just didn’t live up to their summaries or the expectations my friends set. So without further ado…some books I DNF’d!
Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese. This was the year I discovered that I really, really don’t like historical fiction. I’m fine with fantasy set in the past for some reason. But straight up fiction? Nope. I tried listening to the audiobook, and I tried reading the physical copy. This genre just doesn’t interest me at all.
Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly. This is also the year that it finally registered that I don’t like books that center around reality/competition TV. I got about halfway through this one because the characters were so fun, but I just couldn’t with the plot.
How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days by K.M. Jackson. I am in my romance era, but this one did not do it for me. I tried so hard to like it. I was struggling through it, overlooking what I thought were its flaws, when all of a sudden Chris Evans showed up. It lost me at that point. Completely took me out of the story.
The House Witch by Delemhach is one of those books I had seen all over my social media. People were loving it. I can’t put my finger on why I didn’t like it, I just gave up halfway through. It just didn’t sit right with me for some reason.
Love Hacked by Penny Reid is the third book in the Knitting in the City series. I liked the first two books, but this one was just not it. This woman is smart and the things she puts up with for this man that she just met are not things an intelligent woman would do. Nope. Not even a little bit. Gave up halfway through when I couldn’t deal with it anymore.
The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer started off great. It has great disability and Jewish representation, the latter we don’t often see in romances. I was really enjoying it, but then the male main character started being deliberately cruel to the female main character. And she is expected to forgive him and go off and have a HEA with him? Nope. Not for me.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was a book club pick this year, and they loved it. I did not. I had issues with the writing style and how the plot was being set up. This book was not for me at all.
What were your worst books of the year?
Lauren Corcur 
I’m always interested in the books that people don’t enjoy. Possibly because there are far fewer posts about them. I’ve seen loads of great reviews for The Housemaid but writing style is a very personal thing I think and if you don’t get on with a particular author’s style, there’s not a lot that you can do. My worst book was Ink Blood Sister Scribe which I didn’t finish and that’s really unusual for me. Lots of people really loved it but I just didn’t enjoy it.
I hope that you find loads of books that you enjoy more in 2024.
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I agree with you in regard to writing style. It is always a talking point in my various book clubs whenever someone brings it up.
I have Ink Blood Sister Scribe on my TBR shelf, and our fantasy likes and dislikes tend to be similar, so now I am scared!
I wish you the same as well!! May 2024 be the year of fewer DNF’s for all!!
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I think Ink Blood might have been a question of timing as much as anything else. I read it in the Summer when I had too many ARCs to read before publication date and it might have just been one book too many. Hope that you enjoy it though
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I know a few people who didn’t gel with The Housemaid. I’ve read 1 of Freida McFaddens books and I’m not sold quite yet on her writing style.
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She has quite the catalog of titles if The Housemaid wasn’t for you. I’ve tried a few of them and she just isn’t for me though.
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I appreciate your post very much. Thank you.
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