THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. Oh my goodness, thank you so much to Jesse Q. Sutanto and Berkley Publishing for this book. I wTHIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. Oh my goodness, thank you so much to Jesse Q. Sutanto and Berkley Publishing for this book. I want to tell you the synopsis but that was the reason I almost missed out on this book. I would say go into it blind, because it is so much better than what it sounds like.
Thought: This isn’t the influencer story you think it is. I’m going to be honest, I almost didn't read this book because it sounded like every other influencer book out there. It is not. The characters of Aspen and Meredith are duplicitous and dynamic and interesting. The world of high level influencing was interesting to read about and I couldn’t put this book down.
I love a book with layers, and this book had a ton. I flew through this book and enjoyed the gasp out loud moments peppered throughout the story. The ending wasn’t my favorite, as things happened to work out a little too perfectly. I love a messy ending, but despite that, this story was still great! 4.5 stars for this fun thriller. ...more
Thank you so much to Rachel Harrison and Berkley Publishing for the perfect spooky season book. You know it’s fall when Rachel Harrison comes out withThank you so much to Rachel Harrison and Berkley Publishing for the perfect spooky season book. You know it’s fall when Rachel Harrison comes out with a new book, and this one was perfect for the season! This book was about Sloan, a woman who is just getting by in life. She is in a predictable and loveless marriage, celebrating her birthday with a friend by going on a girls weekend. When she meets up with her troublemaker friend Naomi, she knows things are going to get wild.
Naomi plans a wild night out, and the friends end up meeting some mysterious strangers. Then things take a turn that completely changes the course of their lives. The friends are now dealing with eternal ramifications of their choices, and all the complicated thoughts and feelings that come with eternal life.
Thoughts: Another fun book, this one about vampires! This was a book about feminism and bloodlust, the perfect combination. This book was a quick and fun read, and gave off Thelma and Louise vibes. I loved the group that the girls met and all of their fun personalities, regardless of the kind of pointless romance thrown in.
This book was about finding happiness and making decisions for ourselves. It is about doing things as a woman and not depending on a man to live our lives. It had such a wonderful female friendship, full of heart, humor, and a bit of horror. 4-stars! ...more
Thank you to Stephanie Wrobel and Berkley Publishing for my copy of this book! It was about a group of friends all meeting for a reunion weekend at a Thank you to Stephanie Wrobel and Berkley Publishing for my copy of this book! It was about a group of friends all meeting for a reunion weekend at a hotel that one of them recently opened. Alfred is the founder, owner, and manager of the Hitchcock hotel, a victorian mansion dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock himself. There are movie props, constant movie showings, and even an aviary full of crows.
To celebrate the first anniversary of the hotel, Alfred invites his former friends from Film Club for a reunion. Even though he hasn’t spoken tot hem in sixteen years, he knows they will come. How could they not after what the did to him? And Alfred isn’t one to forgive or forget. The weekend will end as any good Hickcock film does, with a dead body.
Thoughts: The premise of this book was so much fun. I’m not a huge Hitchcock fan,but I loved all the references and the idea of this hotel. Alfred is horrible, as well as all the other characters actually were. It’s hard to root for any of them, especially once you learn about each of their pasts. They are all so self-righteous, and there are no characters you want to escape unscathed.
The concept and plot of this book are amazing, however the story was very underwhelming. I wanted her to go much darker, but it was all very Scooby Doo and surface level. The reveal was so obvious and there were far too many things that just seemed to fall into place. 3-stars for this one. ...more
Thank you to Penguin Audio and Andrea Mara for my copy of this book. It’s about an online trend of videos being posted online. A masked person comes fThank you to Penguin Audio and Andrea Mara for my copy of this book. It’s about an online trend of videos being posted online. A masked person comes from the attic into someone’s house to promote a reality show. But while Anya is taking a bath one night, the attic hatch opens and she is found dead. Across town her friend Julia sees a video posted online of her house with someone coming out of the attic. Is this real? A warning? And why is Julia being targeted?
Thoughts: This premise is so amazing. I love the idea of videos being filmed in someone’s house because it is so creepy. I can’t imagine what I would do in that eerie situation. Of course I would probably stay home and make sure no one is in my attic, but that’s just me. There was some fun drama in this book and an interesting backstory.
The plot was a bit weak and seemed like it might have been overblown. I can see how Mara created the story, but the connections were a bit weak. I did like how creepy this story was and how many different suspects there were throughout the book. In the end, it was a bit predictable, and still didn’t make much sense, but it was a fun book. 3-stars ...more
Thank you so much to Blackstone Publishing, Simon and Schuster Audio, and Ruth McIver for my copy of I Shot the Devil. This story was based on the satThank you so much to Blackstone Publishing, Simon and Schuster Audio, and Ruth McIver for my copy of I Shot the Devil. This story was based on the satanic panic and six friends, three of whom end up dead. Erin is a journalist, and is looking deeper into what happened in the past. She was there, and still doesn’t know what exactly happened. She wants to write a story, but also learn about her friends who died, especially Ricky Hell who was killed and blamed for the deaths.
Thoughts: This book was about teenage hysteria, sexuality, and the dark parts of childhood. There were SO many triggers including child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, drug use, suicide, violence, etc etc. There are satanic and cultish themes, as well as a twisted story about the police, teens, and a lot of corruption.
I thought this story was really interesting and twisted. The characters were monsters and it was hard to read, but also believable. There was a good mystery going on and I wasn’t sure what really happened because there were so many evil things going on. It got a bit confusing, but I still enjoyed the journey. 4 stars for this one. ...more
Thank you so much to Vi Keeland and Atria Publishing for my copy of The Unraveling. This book was psychotic in the best way. It was about Meredith, a Thank you so much to Vi Keeland and Atria Publishing for my copy of The Unraveling. This book was psychotic in the best way. It was about Meredith, a woman who is obsessed with a man. She and Gabriel have a connection that no one wants, and she can’t get him out of her mind. She starts to follow him and becomes obsessed with how he can move on with his life, while she is left traumatized.
Then Gabriel walks into her psychotherapy office, and Meredith decides it wouldn’t be too bad to take him as a patient. He doesn’t know who she is, and even if it’s crossing boundaries, she accepts him as a patient. But as her life starts to unravel things start to get worse for Meredith in every way. She has an unhealthy obsession, and she needs to stop before someone gets hurt.
Thoughts: This was a story about unhealthy obsession. It explored a woman’s grief and the way she blurred the lines between what is okay and what isn’t. I didn’t like Meredith at all, especially coming from a background in psychotherapy and knowing the ethics and rules behind it. She is a trainwreck and makes horrible decisions and it was so fun to read about.
I had no idea she was a romance author, but I could not tell from this wild thriller. I tore through this book in a few hours, and the ending was fun and satisfying. There weren’t any huge surprises, but definitely a few twists that kept me on my toes. 4-stars! ...more
Thank you to Atria Books and Jessa Maxwell for my copy of I Need You to Read This. It was such an interesting story about a famous newspaper advice coThank you to Atria Books and Jessa Maxwell for my copy of I Need You to Read This. It was such an interesting story about a famous newspaper advice column, Dear Constance. When the writer is murdered, people are shocked and confused. Alex Marks decides to apply for the job on a whim, and she is thrilled to get the job. But as soon as she starts, she gets stranger letters in the mail and begins to feel unsafe. Alex starts to look into the murder of her predecessor and questions why she would be a target. Is someone from her new job involved? Or is it someone from her past, which is beginning to resurface.
Thoughts: The premise of this story was so much fun. I thought this book would be an amazing thriller, but it felt flat to me. The main character was boring and I thought there was a lot more the author could have done with her character. She added other one dimensional characters which was a bummer and it seemed like each person only had a single personality trait.
The reveal was fairly obvious, and lacked a thrilling element that made me care about Alex and the other characters. The chapters in the past were also transparent, and I wish the author would have committed to the darkness of this storyline, instead of keeping it at a surface level. 3-stars for this one. ...more
Thank you to Berkley Publishing and May Cobb for my copy of this book. It’s about Cassidy, a woman who moves to LA to recover from heartbreak. When a Thank you to Berkley Publishing and May Cobb for my copy of this book. It’s about Cassidy, a woman who moves to LA to recover from heartbreak. When a friend finds her a job as a personal assistant to a famous couple, Cassidy is thrilled. Marisol and Nate seem like the perfect couple, and all Cassidy has to do a run errands and help out, and in return she has access to luxury. But as she gets to know the couple, Cassidy’s attraction to Nate grows. And it seems like he has the same feelings as she does. Marisol and Nate are constantly fighting, and and soon Cassidy realizes she has been hired for a totally different reason than she originally thought.
Thoughts: This was such a fun and dramatic story. It was so juicy and just a lot of fun. I think this is more of a popcorn thriller, as I was able to consume it quickly. I didn’t enjoy any of the characters at all, but they were they type I loved to hate. It had a lot of dialogue and each character had their own flaws and quirks. I thought there was a good twist, and this was a fun beach read, perfect to take on any vacation. ...more
Thank you so much to Knopf Publishing and Kimberly McCreight for my copy of this book! It was about Cleo, a girl who does not get along with her motheThank you so much to Knopf Publishing and Kimberly McCreight for my copy of this book! It was about Cleo, a girl who does not get along with her mother, Kat. One night when she is meant to arrive for dinner, she shows up late and finds food burning on the stove and a bloody shoe left behind. What happened to her mother?
Cleo is used to her mom being perfect, but Kat has been lying to everyone. She works as a fixer, and deals with problems that won’t go away. In the days leading up to her disappearance, things start to pile up and Kat begins to realize that she can’t fix everything, especially when someone starts threatening her and the people she loves.
Thoughts: Kimberly McCreight’s writing is addictive and easy to tear through. The book started off with a bang and kept my attention the whole time. I thought the relationship between Cleo and Kat and Cleo and Aiden were both really well done and unique. The secrets in this book just kept coming and layer after layer were slowly unraveled.
This book was about how our past always comes back to haunt us. It was about an emotional relationship between a mother and daughter and all the different nuances that come into play in our lives. I loved that the chapters were mixed with diary entries and therapy sessions, and though the ending was fairly obvious, I enjoyed the story! 4.5 stars! ...more
Thank you so much to Josh Winning and Putnam for my copy of this book. This was a fun summer camp thriller about people who need to escape the public Thank you so much to Josh Winning and Putnam for my copy of this book. This was a fun summer camp thriller about people who need to escape the public eye and detach from their social media. Camp Castaway is where Willow goes to recover from a bad tweet and getting canceled. She meets other people who need to leave behind their mistakes and fade into oblivion, but no technology means no way to call for help. When a woman comes screaming out of Willow’s wardrobe, she is spooked. Then one of the campers go missing, and campers start to literally lose their heads.
Thoughts: This was a super fun and campy thriller/horror book. I love the way Josh Winning writes and this book was extra fun on audio because of Willow’s internal voice. I love a killer at a summer camp, and read this book quickly. The short chapters made it so easy to consume, and it was cheesy and over the top in the best way. Yes, you have to suspend belief. Yes, it was a little too much, but I still loved it. 4.5 stars! ...more
Thank you so much to Del Rey and Josh Malerman for this chilling horror book. It was about Bela, a girl who loves her family more than anything. She lThank you so much to Del Rey and Josh Malerman for this chilling horror book. It was about Bela, a girl who loves her family more than anything. She loves her Mommy, Daddo, Grandma, and even Other Mommy, a tall hairy creature that lives in her closet and asks her every day “Can I go inside your heart?” Terrifying things start happening around around the house, and Other Mommy is getting tired of asking the same question over and over.
Bela realizes that Other Mommy is going to make her pay, and only the bonds of her family can keep her safe. But there are cracks in her family she never knew about, and as secrets start to unravel, Bela has to decide if she wants to give Other Mommy an answer or run for her life.
Thoughts: This book was SO CREEPY! I loved that it was from Bela’s perspective, and Malerman did such a good job of writing from her point of view. This story is so great because of what it doesn’t say. It leaves the horror up to the reader’s imagination, and you feel that something is waiting for you in the dark. You can feel the build of dread as this family tries to do everything they can to escape Other Mommy.
The story was about childhood trauma and family dynamics and innocence. Malerman explores the way our childhood affects our adult lives, and the things we carry with us. I thought the juxtaposition of Bela with the party her family throws and all the guests was especially well done. I couldn’t put it down for a minute and I want to go back and read some of Josh Malerman’s past books! 5-stars! ...more
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Sarah Pekkanen for my copy of this book. It was about a nanny who fell (pushed?) to her death, and it was Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Sarah Pekkanen for my copy of this book. It was about a nanny who fell (pushed?) to her death, and it was witnessed by a nine year old girl who hasn’t said a word since. She now collects sharp objects, and is assigned a lawyer to help find out what really happened- who is a victim and who may be a murderer.
Rose is a child who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny in the midst of her parents divorce. Stella is a best interest attorney who is appointed to represent children in custody cases. But from the moment she enters the Barclay estate, she realizes that the case is more twisted than she though. The house is plastic- there isn’t a piece of glass to be found. As Stella gets closer to uncovering the secrets hidden there, she needs to figure out who needs protecting, and who they should be protected from.
Thoughts: The idea of a little girl who won’t talk was both creepy and interesting. It was hard to know if she was evil or not, and my opinion changed throughout the book. Each character had a motive to murder and their own unique personality that captured my interest. This book was so easy to binge and I couldn’t put it down.
I thought Stella’s history was an important part of the story and was woven in really well. Her story was a good mirror to Rose’s story, and it was nice to have a likable main character. I wasn’t as invested in the story as I am in others, but it was a fun and quick read for me. 4.5 stars for this one!...more
Thank you so much to Emma Bamford, Netgalley, and Gallery Books for my copy of this book. It was about Maddy, a ghost writer who is commissioned to wrThank you so much to Emma Bamford, Netgalley, and Gallery Books for my copy of this book. It was about Maddy, a ghost writer who is commissioned to write a memoir for a famous plastic surgeon, Angela. She travels to her home in the remote Scottish highlands, and is asked to stay there while writing to be fully immersed. She is sharing the estate with Angela's partner Scott, and finds herself drawn to him.
Strange things start going on, including strangers lurking outside, handprints on the windows, and Scott's mood swings. When she returns to London to start promoting the book, she finds out that Scott jumped to his death, and Maddy thinks things are much more dark and complicated than she originally thought.
Thoughts: I am so sad that this was a DNF for me. It was just such a slow story that I couldn't get into it. I got around 40% of the way into this story and still felt that nothing was happening. I think I'll try to come back to it in the future, but I'm putting it down for now. ...more
Thank you so much to Natasha Preston and Delacorte Press for my copy of this book. This book was about Marley and her friends senior year of high schoThank you so much to Natasha Preston and Delacorte Press for my copy of this book. This book was about Marley and her friends senior year of high school. As is the tradition, the seniors embark on a series of dares, more troublesome than the last. But when Marley and her friends accept a dangerous dare, something awful happens and they have to live with the consequences. And now someone knows, and they’re threatening to tell everyone.
Thoughts: Classic YA page turner. This book was full of teen drama, unlikable characters, and a plot that was hard to believe. I think this book would be perfect for me in high school. There were a few twists that were thrown in and my main issue was all the plot holes. Why is there a family who has a bunch of secrets about everybody and forces them to do dares? Why are these kids so easily involved with murder? Why do Marley’s friends not care about killing a person? How can they so easily get all of this done? I read it fast, there were short chapters, but it didn’t make much sense. 2 stars ...more
I’m sorry WHAT. This book was literally nothing like I thought it would be, in the very best way. Thank you so much to Catherine Steadman and Random HI’m sorry WHAT. This book was literally nothing like I thought it would be, in the very best way. Thank you so much to Catherine Steadman and Random House for my copy of this book. It was about Nina, a woman who has just lost her father. Still grieving, she finds out that she has inherited a house in the British Virgin Islands that she had no idea existed. Nina has so many questions about how her father had money for this property and what the purpose of it really was.
Then there's Maria, a nanny to the super rich. She takes a job that will have a huge payout, but the family never shows. Maria starts to enjoy herself, waiting for the family and enjoying their beautiful house. There is just one rule- don’t go into the basement. But why? And how long can she really stay away?
Thoughts: This book is nothing like I could have ever imagined. The story was so fast paced and I couldn’t put it down. Nina was a strong character, and I really liked Maria as well. The premise was a true mystery, and I had no idea where the story was going. I can’t honestly say much without spoiling it, but this book was WILD. It almost had an element of horror to it, besides being a unique thriller.
If you enjoyed her book The Family Game, you will love this book as well. The ending was a bit far fetched, and there were some things just happened to work out, but it was such a fun read. If you liked the movie The Game, this book is perfect for you. 4.5 stars! ...more
What in tarnation. Thank you to Berkley for this wild book. It was about Hannah, a girl who becomes obsessed with a true crime case. She learns about What in tarnation. Thank you to Berkley for this wild book. It was about Hannah, a girl who becomes obsessed with a true crime case. She learns about the four murders that handsome lawyer William commits, and deep dives into the case. She joins forums online, talks to everyone she knows about the case, and starts to write him letters as an outlet for her rage. She is very surprised when he writes back, and seems normal.
The letters become more frequent, and Hannah becomes more obsessed. When she loses her job, she decides to drive to where the trial is held to support him. She becomes enamored with his family, following them around and trying to figure out if William is innocent or guilty. But then a fifth woman is killed, and Hannah realizes there is more going on than meets the eye.
Thoughts: This book was deranged. I understand being obsessed with true crime and the way our society turns horrific crime into entertainment. We have all sorts of shows and podcasts dedicated to consuming other people’s tragedy. Hannah embodied this unhealthy obsession, and took it much further. This story was compelling and I couldn’t stop reading it. I had to know what was going to happen next, and if Hannah was really as delusional as she seemed to be.
The author did a good job of describing “those women” who fall in love with serial killers and have an unhealthy obsession. I couldn’t stand Hannah, and found her the most delusional character of them all. That’s saying a lot compared to a rich privileged family and a man in prison for killing multiple women. The ending was odd and strange and unsatisfying, but somehow fit the rest of this story. 3-stars...more
Thank you so much to Charlie Donlea and Kensington Books of my copy of Long Time Gone. This book is about Sloan, a woman in her first year of a patholThank you so much to Charlie Donlea and Kensington Books of my copy of Long Time Gone. This book is about Sloan, a woman in her first year of a pathology residency on genealogy. As part of her residency, she submits her DNA to a site and finds out she is actually Baby Charlotte, a baby that disappeared along with her parents almost 30 years ago. Sloan decides she needs to go back to the place she was born and meet her relatives, while at the same time, work with the Sheriff to find out what happened to her birth parents. Sloan begins to find out that many other suspicious things happened back in July 1995, and they may all be connected.
Thoughts: I love the way that Charlie Donlea writes. This story had an amazing plot and I loved the way the genealogy part of Sloan’s job tied into the plot. The idea of someone finding out they are actually a missing child is intriguing, and adding in the powerful family was a great background. I also love that Donlea brought in characters from some of his other books.
The pace wasn’t always fast, and I found myself getting bogged down by the pathology scenes at times. I felt the reveal was a bit much, but still enjoyed the plot and the path the book took. I think this book will be a fan favorite, and if you like Donlea’s past books, you will love this one! 4 stars ...more
Thank you so much to Saga Press and Stephan Graham Jones for this wonderful book! It was about Tolly Driver, a boy living in Lamesa Texas in 1989. He Thank you so much to Saga Press and Stephan Graham Jones for this wonderful book! It was about Tolly Driver, a boy living in Lamesa Texas in 1989. He is a normal kid full of hopes and dreams and friendships, and also happens to be cursed with bloodlust for revenge. After something happens at a party, Tolly is infected with the need to become a slasher and right how he was wronged. His normal life is about to be turned upside down, and he isn’t sure if he can stop it.
Thoughts: This book was about being an outsider. I loved that the perspective is from the mind of a killer, who also has humanity and is trying to figure out who and what he is. I loved the way this book is written, almost like a letter or confession to whoever finds it. The story pays homage to the horror genre, and uses emotion and humanity to create a nostalgic and heartwarming story about a teenager murdering his classmates. You know, tale as old as time.
Jones is a phenomenal writer and I could see how much of himself he poured into Tolly as a character. His relationship with Amber and the way she kept him anchored to humanity was beautiful, and I thought lots of themes were explored well. The way the book talks about being an outsider, dealing with tragedy, and the nuance of friendship, all while delivering the shock and gore of a horror novel. 4.5 stars! ...more
Thank you so much to Paul Tremblay and William Morrow for my copy of this book. It was about a film that never came out, due to the curse surrounding Thank you so much to Paul Tremblay and William Morrow for my copy of this book. It was about a film that never came out, due to the curse surrounding the movie and multiple deaths associated with the film. Only three scenes were ever released and only one star remains- The Thin Kid. Nevertheless, the movie has a cult following and is being rebooted. The Thin Kid is asked to collaborate with the director to make sure the reboot is as close to the original as it could be, but being back on a set is brining back memories of things that happened in the past. As he starts to remember the strange events of the past, they begin to blur with the present and the future of the film.
Thoughts: THIS BOOK WAS DISTURBING. Like, super disturbing. It was nothing like I thought it would be, and firmly in the horror category. I thought it would be similar to Burn the Negative by Josh Winning, but it was a time warp that jumped around to different parts of the Thin Kid’s life. I get what the author was trying to do, but there were so many things that left me bothered. Where did the mask come from? What was the whole point of the teens doing everything to the Thin Kid? What were any of the character’s motivations?
The author wanted to look at the monster’s in us, and who people really are inside. I thought the script mixed in with the chapters was a great way to break up the story. While the dread did build during the story, it was slow going. I wished that the curse would have been in the story more, as well as an explanation about the four main characters and more about who they were. 3-stars for this one. ...more
Thank you so much to Dutton and Riley Sager for my copy of Middle of the Night. Riley is one of my favorite authors, so I was beyond excited to get myThank you so much to Dutton and Riley Sager for my copy of Middle of the Night. Riley is one of my favorite authors, so I was beyond excited to get my hands on this one. It’s about Ethan and his best friend Billy, and the summer Billy is taken from a tent in Ethan’s backyard in the middle of the night. The tent is cut open and no one hears from Billy again. Now years later, Ethan is back in his parents house after his life is turned upside down. Ethan has both terrifying dreams of the night Billy disappeared, as well as insomnia, and now signs of Billy’s presence start showing up in Ethan’s backyard. Is this just a joke? Or has Billy somehow returned to Hemlock circle?
Thoughts: This book was much anticipated and the cover grabbed my attention right away. I love the idea of someone going missing in the middle of the night, and all the mystery surrounding it. I loved the setting of the mysterious institute that may or may not be a cult. It’s more of a mystery than thriller, and the multiple perspectives make for a slow burn.
Unfortunately this book wasn’t my favorite of Sager’s. First of all, it was repetitive and a bit boring. Ethan didn’t have much of a personality, and the way his insomnia is described is confusing. The supernatural elements were not interesting and felt obvious on where they were going. All the reveals were predictable, and there were too many thrown in. Lots of things didn’t make sense (they didn’t search the grounds? He just happened to call when the police found something?). It seemed like a lot of ideas were thrown together to make a book that felt disjointed and predictable. Sadly, 3 stars for this one. ...more
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