Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Liked More/Less Than Expected

When I saw today's topic, Books I Liked More/Less Than I Expected, on The Broke & The Bookish, I thought, "Hey, I can do that!" I've read enough books and I'm opinionated enough about them that the only problem was limiting myself to ten books! I decided to go halfsies—first I'll talk about the books I liked less than expected, then I'll gush about the ones that surprised me in a good way.

Before I get into the lists, I want to point out that I am in no way saying that the books on my "less than expected" list are bad books. They're just books that, for reasons I'll explain, I didn't like as much as I'd hoped. The same goes for my "more than expected" books. I'm not saying these books are masterpieces, but I'm saying I got more enjoyment out of them than I'd anticipated.

Books I liked less than expected:

The Brontë Plot by Katherine Reay (review)

The Brontë Plot is a solid novel, but it also represents the biggest disappointment on this list. I so passionately loved Katherine Reay's debut Dear Mr. Knightley that my expectations for this novel were astronomical, and it just didn't live up to them. (Keep reading, though, and you'll see how a Katherine Reay novel made my good list, too!)

Beowulf: Explosives Detection Dog by Ronie Kendig

Beowulf came highly recommended to me, but, for whatever reason, it just didn't resonate with me. I finished it, but barely. It's been a couple years since I read it, so the specifics behind why I didn't really like it escape me, but I do remember having trouble keeping up with all of the characters—who are sometimes referred to by first name, sometimes by last name, and sometimes by military rank.

The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

I was intrigued from the moment I heard about The Versions of Us. It's about three possible timelines for a man and woman who meet in college. Unfortunately, the main characters aren't very likable, and the jumping around among the timelines ends up getting confusing. The novel had so much potential, but it wasn't executed as well as I'd hoped.

Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii by Robin Jones Gunn (review)

I loved Robin Jones Gunn's Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series when I was a teenager, so I was thrilled to find out she'd written an ending to Sierra's story in this Love Finds You novel. I wish I could say the story was everything I'd hoped for, but it wasn't. This novel does seem to be an anomaly, though—I've read several more of Gunn's books since this one, and I've loved them!

A Tapestry of Secrets by Sarah Loudin Thomas (review)

This is the third book in Sarah Loudin Thomas's trilogy about the Phillips family. I loved the first two books, but this third one fell flat. I did appreciate certain aspects, but the main plot line wasn't my favorite.

Books I liked more than expected:

A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay (review)

After my experience with The Brontë Plot, I went into A Portrait of Emily Price with pretty low expectations. I was blown away! This novel is so, so good.

Dining with Joy by Rachel Hauck (mini review)

Have you ever read a book that made you totally change your opinion about an author? That's what happened when I read Dining with Joy. I went from being underwhelmed by Rachel Hauck's books to adding her to my must-read list. 

Cold Case Witness by Sarah Varland (review)

I "met" Varland through the launch team for Jen Hatmaker's For the Love. When Varland asked if any of us would like to help launch her novel, I agreed ... a bit hesitantly. What if I hated it? Fortunately, I needn't have worried. Cold Case Witness is a solid suspense novel, and I really liked it.

Going Up South by Janet Ferguson (review)

This is the second book in Janet Ferguson's Southern Hearts series. I enjoyed the first book and expected to like Going Up South, too, but I definitely didn't anticipate how much it would challenge me or just how great the romance would be!

Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade (review)

This one is a little bit of a stretch—ever since I read Becky Wade's My Stubborn Heart, I've fully expected to adore each and every one of her subsequent releases, and those expectations have always been met. What I didn't expect with Meant to Be Mine, though, is to find a book that I still find myself thinking about 2-1/2 years after I first read it. I didn't expect to find a book that I would read multiple times. I didn't expect to find a book that I can still remember clearly—because let's face it, I read so many books that, while I can always remember if I liked a particular book, the plot points become muddled in my brain pretty quickly. Meant to Be Mine is really the best of the best! (The Kindle edition is just $2.99 right now, and it's worth every single penny ... and more!) OK, I'll stop gushing now :-)

Have you read any of these books? What books have you liked more or less than anticipated? Let me know!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."