Book Review: Five Survive by Holly Jackson

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Publication Date: November 29, 2022

Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Blurb:

Eight hours. Six friends. Five survive. A road trip turns deadly in this addictive YA thriller.

Red Kenny is on a road trip for spring break with five friends: Her best friend – the older brother – his perfect girlfriend – a secret crush – a classmate – and a killer.

When their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, they soon realize this is no accident. They have been trapped by someone out there in the dark, someone who clearly wants one of them dead.

With eight hours until dawn, the six friends must escape, or figure out which of them is the target. But is there a liar among them? Buried secrets will be forced to light and tensions inside the RV will reach deadly levels. Not all of them will survive the night. . . .

Review:

As a big fan of the AGGGTM series, I have been wanting to read this book for a while now! It hurt me every time I had to pass it to the next person on my Libby app because of life getting in the way, but I was finally able to crack this baby open!

I loved that there was a map of the locations in the US they traveled through as well as the blueprint of the RV at the very beginning. I love maps and things like this an irrational amount!

Something I found really interesting about this story was every single person was terrible and hiding something! There were no “good” people in this story, including the narrator. Not only did this help to not create an immediate connection with the narrator, thus putting everyone on equal footing, but it also made it so as the story went on you were dealing with the same areas of grey (no black and white answers) like the characters in the book. With everyone having done something or known something horrible, the reader is left to reason who is really bad and who is redeemable.

I found that there were four key shockers/twists in the story and I was only able to guess two from the beginning and another one after the third was revealed. I love when I have no idea what is coming and this story definitely delivered on that!

I found our narrator hard to follow at times and not super likeable since we knew she was keeping two pieces of information from the group, with only one of them being known to the reader for most of the story. From the first chapter I just got an overall feel of her being an unreliable narrator, which didn’t end up being the case, but it had me weary to trust anything she was thinking or saying for most of the story. I don’t think I’ve read any stories with an unreliable narrator, but I like to think that if I do I would want to be completely blindsided by it, not weary from page 1.

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Book Review: Say My Name (Gods of Saint Pierce #1) by Logan Chance

Genre: Romance, Suspense

Publication Date: January 25, 2023

Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Blurb:

Devereaux Huxley has a problem his billions can’t fix…me.

He’s the owner of Club Greed, an adult club that caters to the fantasies of the rich and powerful, Devereaux’s the prime suspect when the girls employed at his club start turning up dead.

The Greedy Girls.

Elegant, poised, and desired by all.

And now I’m going undercover to become one. 

He calls me Swan.

He doesn’t know my real name, but that’s how I like it. If he knew the real Chloe, I’d be in more danger than I am now. 

I might be in over my head, but I won’t let the dazzling whiskey-colored eyes and seductive charm of the mysterious owner make me fail at my first case as a detective.

I’m determined to be the best darn Greedy Girl the small town of Saint Pierce has ever seen. And not get myself murdered in the process. I’ll just need to keep my wits about me and keep the devilishly handsome and possible murderer Devereaux Huxley at bay. Which is easier said than done. 

He tempts me.

He desires me.

He pushes me to try new things.

Naughty things.

Things an undercover detective shouldn’t even be imagining.

But I am imagining them…with him. 

When the lines between reality and fantasy blur, it’ll make me question everything I’ve ever known. 

I’ll need to keep myself out of danger long enough to uncover what’s really going on, but when secrets threaten to crush us, and I end up in his bed, the real danger begins. 

*Author’s Note: Can be read as a standalone. A murder mystery romantic suspense that’ll have you flipping the pages like crazy. Featuring one hot sex club, a dirty-talking hero, a woman sleuth heroine, and so much steam it may set your Kindle ablaze!

What I liked about the book:

🦢 I don’t typically read sex club books given I have this bad feeling it’s going to involve the act of sharing, which is not my thing at all (no yuck if that’s your yum! Do you!). However, Devereaux’s possessive nature and the way Logan wrote his character and his previous “interactions” in the club were totally good with me. Perhaps I should explore more books in the sex club arena after all…

🦢 I loved the mystery component throughout this book and how it did not end the way I thought it would. I frequently ping ponged between potential culprits, which I love since it keeps me on my toes.

🦢 I loved how strong two of the three main female characters in the book were. Chloe was a smart detective who never stood down to a man and always fought back with snark. Greer was a fierce lawyer who also didn’t believe that she needed any man to protect her (despite Roman insisting otherwise!).

🦢 Speaking of Greer and Roman, I CANNOT WAIT FOR THEIR BOOK! I read this book so I could have the background on the other characters, but let’s be real: I came to this world for the dirty talking, brother’s best friend romance coming out this year. 

🦢 Even though I haven’t read it yet, I enjoyed seeing Vin and Addison from The NewlyFEDS pop up. I love a good crossover, so this was fun to see.

🦢 Last but certainly not least, my Kindle was definitely ablaze! Both the quantity and variety of intimate scenes left nothing to be desired. Logan definitely delivered! I thoroughly enjoyed their playtime, as well as their relationship as a whole.

What I wasn’t a fan of:

🦢 I’m not a huge fan of one of the tropes that came in at the very end, but that’s a me thing.

🦢 I felt like the ending was rushed and Devereaux reaching that conclusion in the case was a little bit of a stretch to me based on what he had available to him.

Thank you to Logan Chance for the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

Book Review: These Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery

Publication Date: January 30, 2024

Rating: 4.25 stars (yes, I hate me too for the .25)

Edelweiss Blurb:

A teenage sorcerer’s apprentice must solve her boss’s murder in order to prove her innocence in this twisty, magic-infused murder mystery perfect for fans of Knives Out and The Inheritance Games.

Being an apprentice to one of the world’s most famous sorcerers has its challenges; Tabatha Zeng just didn’t think they would include solving crime. But when her boss, the infamous fortuneteller Sorcerer Solomon, predicts his own brutal death—and worse, it comes true—Tabatha finds herself caught in the crosshairs.

The police have their sights set on her and Callum Solomon, her murdered boss’s youngest son. With suspicion swirling around them, the two decide to team up to find the real killer and clear their own names once and for all.

But solving a murder isn’t as easy as it seems, especially when the suspect list is mostly the rich, connected, and magical members of Sorcerer Solomon’s family. And Tabatha can’t quite escape the nagging voice in her head asking: just how much can she really trust Callum Solomon?

Nothing is as it seems in this quick-witted and fantastical murder mystery. 

What I liked: 

1. This reminded me so much of Knives Out, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and The Agathas and I absolutely loved it! I love a great murder mystery, especially with an FMC that is a little bit quirky and a whole lot loveable.  

2. I especially loved that I didn’t figure out who the “Killer” was until a good way into the book, and even then, I wasn’t 100% sure! I love that this kept me on my toes when I can usually sniff out the killer immediately and without waver!  

3. I loved the ideas behind the different forms of magic and how different each was. I also loved how each child in the Solomon family got one of each as their main talent.  

4. This was legitimately funny. To me, a great mystery book is one that is not too deep or plagued with unsettled feelings, it is one where you can have moments of fun and silliness and then be brought back to “Oh right, we have to solve a murder here” the next moment. Tabatha and Callum’s partnership definitely was the humor in this haunting book and I loved it! I especially loved the self-defense classes he made her take and how he made sure they were always partnered up. 

5. Lastly, I loved that the family and the book as a whole didn’t glorify Solomon upon his death. I won’t spoil any details, but you could say the book made it a point to even sully him after his death a bit.   

What could have been better: 

1. This needed just a bit more romance in my mind. Two make out scenes for a couple of hormonal teens with this much chemistry going through hell together to solve a crime was not nearly enough! 

2. Finally, not that I liked her at all, but I wanted to see more of Detective Chang. She is supposedly this badass supernatural detective, which I’m sure has her as an outcast among her peers, and I feel like she has a story of her own!!! I needed more Elena Chang!

Thank you to Edelweiss, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, Penguin Random House, and Andrea Tang for the advanced copy of this book. The opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

Book Review: Rook by William Ritter

Genre: Mystery, Crime

Publication Date: August 22, 2o23

Rating: 4 stars

NetGalley Blurb:

This standalone adventure set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Jackaby series brims with humor, heart, and—of course—a hefty dose of supernatural mayhem.

Abigail Rook never intended to be the mortal bridge between the human and supernatural world. But now, the power of the Sight–and all the chaos that comes with seeing the essential truth of everything, every human, fairy, werewolf, enchanted slip of paper, and municipal building, at all times–is hers alone. With this overwhelming new gift, she should be able to solve crimes and help New Fiddleham, New England find calm in its supernatural chaos.  

The only problem? She has no idea what she’s doing.

And New Fiddleham isn’t waiting for Abigail to be ready. Local witches and other magical beings are going missing, as tensions between human and supernatural residents curdle into a hatred that could tear the city apart. Abigail’s fiance, Charlie, works alongside her to unravel the magical disappearances, but as a shapeshifter, he’s under threat as well. Then Abigail’s parents appear, ready to take her back to England and marry her off to someone she’s never met. Abigail has no choice but to follow her Sight, her instincts, and any clues she can find to track a culprit who is trying to destroy everything she holds dear.

What I liked:
🔎 I adored the detective mystery feel and the witty banter from Jackaby. It felt like Sherlock Holmes with a paranormal twist that I liked.

🔎 I loved seeing an FMC with imposter syndrome overcome that. I definitely foresaw a lot of growth in her, coming from a sheltered background where she wasn’t allowed to do things for herself to the beginning of the story where she was the only one with the ability to do the task needed. Watching her grow and develop into a confident seer was beautifully executed and ingeniously done. I also liked that in the end, it wasn’t Jackaby that helped her solve the case. That was super shocking and refreshing.

🔎 I knew nothing about Alina before this book, but I loved her the first chapter she appeared. She was direct and honest, but at least you knew where she stood. I love fierce female characters and she was a baddie for sure.

🔎 I always love a mystery that I don’t see the ending coming to, and this was no exception.

🔎 There were a lot of good quotes that I liked:

“Life goes on- which I have always felt was rude on life’s part.”

—

“Progress demands discomfort. New Fiddleham is growing to become a better version of itself, just as we all are. Every scuffle in the streets or angry bit of vandalism is merely a growing pain. Throwing yourself at New Fiddleham’s problems before you overcome your own isn’t going to help anyone – lease of all you.”

—

“Confidence first, Miss Rook – competence to follow.”

—

Rook: I can’t do this. You knew how to be the Seer. I just make a mess of everything.

Jackaby: You think I didn’t make messes? My life has been one long series of messes, strung together like sausages. The trick, as far as I’ve been able to tell, is to clean up slightly more messes than you cause. Keep the scales tipped in your favor.

—

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned doing this work, it’s that being a leader is not the same thing as being independent. In fact, they’re quite the opposite. Being a good leader doesn’t mean not letting other people help you. Real leadership is about trust. It’s about accepting that others trust you, and trusting them in return. Most of all – hardest of all – it’s about trusting yourself.”

—

“The quickest way to get to the bottom of a trap, is to fall into it.”

What could have been better:

🔎 While there was nothing that didn’t make sense because of me having not read the original series (this was a self-contained mystery), I felt there were past references, character arcs, and the entire worldbuilding elements missing from my understanding. I think with a little more emphasis on the worldbuilding and character backstories added in, that would have made this standalone a little better for me, a new reader to the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Algonquin Young Readers, and William Ritter for the advanced copy of this book. The opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

In Nightfall by Suzanne Young

Hi All!

I hope everyone’s week is going well!

If you’re anything like me, you’re still super fascinated every time you have to write “XX/XX/2023” on something, and simultaneously freaked out that a whole month has already gone by! However, the good news is there are still 11 months left in the year to read as many books as we want!

Speaking of which, this weekend I read In Nightfall by Suzanne Young and had some pretty strong feelings about it. Let’s dive into it!

Genre:  Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror

Publication Date: March 28, 2023

NetGalley Blurb:

In the quaint town of Nightfall, Oregon, it isn’t the dark you should be afraid of—it’s the girls. The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this propulsive novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Treatment.

Theo and her brother, Marco, threw the biggest party of the year. And got caught. Their punishment? Leave Arizona to spend the summer with their grandmother in the rainy beachside town of Nightfall, Oregon—population 846 souls.

The small town is cute, when it’s not raining, but their grandmother is superstitious and strangely antisocial. Upon their arrival she lays out the one house rule: always be home before dark. But Theo and Marco are determined to make the most of their summer, and on their first day they meet the enigmatic Minnow and her friends. Beautiful and charismatic, the girls have a magnetic pull that Theo and her brother can’t resist.

But Minnow and her friends are far from what they appear.

And that one rule? Theo quickly realizes she should have listened to her grandmother. Because after dark, something emerges in Nightfall. And it doesn’t plan to let her leave.

What I liked about the book:

1. I liked the sarcasm and the relationship between Theo and her brother Marco. It was genuine and believable.

2. I absolutely adored Nonna, especially after she told Theo her history in the town! She was a total badass.

What could have been better:

1. I was definitely lured by the cover and blurb on this one. Given The Lost Boys and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry version) were two of my favorite movies when I was younger, I figured this would be a slam dunk.

What I didn’t figure was the book would feel like someone took The Lost Boys and made it into a Mad Lib for the author to fill out. It was especially hard to ignore in the first couple of chapters that this was a gender swapped, shot for shot remake of the film at times. Instead of the references being a “cool! I get that one!” they were very…cringy. Maybe if I hadn’t just watched the movie 2 weeks ago, I wouldn’t have caught as many of the comparisons and my thoughts on this would be a bit different?

However, I also didn’t feel there was much Buffy the Vampire Slayer­-ness to it other than fighting a bunch of vampires in a prom dress. Perhaps I’m missing something because I’m over 20 years late watching the television show, but I honestly don’t think so.

2. I liked the podcast and mystery ideas within the story, but I didn’t feel they were utilized to their potential. I didn’t really understand what the point was of her even listening to the first episode of the podcast focusing on the town if she had already met the podcasters and formed a relationship with them. I also didn’t understand why they mentioned episode two would drop and then that never went anywhere.

I felt like this was a check-the-box exercise in throwing a podcast into a story, which I’ve seen a lot more of recently. Other than perhaps trying to create a vibe reminiscent of Serial for murder mystery books or trying to show characters as relatable by listening to podcasts, I’m not sure what the theory is behind including this trait now and rarely do I see it executed well.

3. Unfortunately, the book didn’t really get exciting for me until the big reveal we all knew was coming at around the 70% mark. The romance was bleh, the characters besides Nonna were bleh, and the plot was predictable. Overall, just not for me.

4. I hate being THIS PERSON, but this definitely could have used another round of editing. A couple slips are absolutely no problem for me, but constant sentences where you can tell a word was supposed to be deleted stagnate the flow and bring me out of the story altogether.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, just not for me.

Final Rating: 2 stars

Thank you to Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press, and Suzanne Young for this free advanced review copy of this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

A Broken Clock Never Boils by C.J. Weiss

Hi All!

I hope everyone’s week has started off well!

This week I read A Broken Clock Never Boils by debut author C.J. Weiss.

Big thank you to C.J. Weiss for reaching out to me and giving me the opportunity to read this paranormal psychological thriller. As many of you probably know, this isn’t usually a genre I read too often, but something about the title, the cover, and the synopsis drew me in and I knew I had to find out what this was about!

Let’s get to the review!

Genre:  Paranormal, Psychological Thriller, Horror

Publication Date: September 26, 2022

Goodreads Blurb:

IS IT MADNESS OR THE SUPERNATURAL?

Psychiatrist Claire Rossi seeks cases nobody else can treat—cases like her mother’s, whose misdiagnosis of schizophrenia and subsequent death inspired Claire’s career. Initially infatuated with an influx of seemingly schizophrenic patients, interest turns to terror as their ailments infect her too. She sees and hears a man who grows more violent with every encounter. The analysis and training she’s relied on her whole career fail to explain his presence, leaving only one conclusion: that what haunts her isn’t in her head at all. But maybe that’s just what she wants to believe.

As her symptoms escalate, she’s left with two unsettling clues. Her mother speaks to her in twisted idioms, and a mysterious letter taunts her with a single line:

Enjoy your gifts.

What I liked about the book:

1. This was very well written, especially for such a complex topic and for a debut author. He did a good job weaving in the psychological education of the reader with the events taking place in the story, as well as referring to key points throughout so you didn’t forget about something previously mentioned.

2. All Claire’s circles of thoughts around psychology explained beautifully why I love psychology! The never-ending puzzles and rabbit holes are why I took every General Education class requirement I could in psychology! I love it all so much and this book showed just how complex and fascinating it all is!

3. Even if some of them were twisted, I’m a sucker for a good idiom and I really enjoy lines that make you think. Some of my favorites were:

Depression and loneliness fed off one another, a snake eating its tail in an endless loop of misery.

---

Beware of the gift that keeps on giving.

---

You’re strong and can handle more than most, but eventually a snowflake becomes an avalanche.

4. I liked that I didn’t know where the story was going to go at all times. There was no obvious conclusion, which made it very intriguing for someone like me that is a total Snapped maniac and tends to pick up on the conclusion of a mystery book fairly early.

I also really liked the paranormal aspect of this story. I wish it would have dove into it more (blood in Ryan’s bathroom???) but I appreciated that there was a “reasonable explanation” for all of it. This was the right amount of unnerving and “spooky”, especially having read it during California’s massive storm this week!

What could have been better:

1. At times, I felt there were a lot of big words used when they weren’t really needed. I think the parts where this stuck out to me the most were when they weren’t dialogue- or internal thoughts-related, but just general descriptions of the settings. I could definitely understand when the use of bigger words made sense when referring to Claire’s dialogue or internal thoughts, but otherwise it felt a little daunting at times.

2. Unfortunately, I really disliked the main character. I’m all for strong females, especially ones who don’t feel the compulsive need to be wives, mothers, and in line with society’s expectations. That is straight up my jam! However, the main character’s own flaws and mental struggles that weren’t looked into, her fascination with her title, and her entitlement issues made it really hard to like her or even feel blah about her. I think my big breaking point with her came when she wanted a kid to refer to her as Doctor Rossi and really drove that home until he did.

3. One thing I noticed, and I’m sure this is just me being a raging feminist, was every female body was described. Male characters had their facial features or general statures noted, but females were described for their bodies (i.e., chubby, thin, curvy hips, guys ogling their breasts, being checked out mercilessly, etc.)

After noticing this with the FMC and her friend, I tried to find females introduced that didn’t and really couldn’t. From the nurse with two sentences to the cop, every female had her body specifically described and this bothered me.

4. There were a few key things that weren’t resolved or weren’t explained to my satisfaction.

The whole “Rick” thing was one. The explanation for Rick didn’t sit well with me, especially since there was the whole other character of “Kim” that I doubt was the same explanation. I was looking for more explanation here.

Another thing I didn’t quite feel was explained well was Claire hearing her mother’s “twisted idioms”. Why was she hearing these? Why did her mother say these in the first place? Why did they actually prove useful?  

Finally, I felt there were some critical scenes that were told in past tense instead of being wrote out so the reader could read them “live”. Like the end scene with Ryan as well as Claire collecting some of the letters. These are definitely things I would have liked to read about instead of having them explained to us after the fact. I felt there was a lot of talk about wine that I would have far preferred been cut out than these.

Final Thoughts:

C.J. Weiss is one to watch! Check this one out if you like psychological thrillers with a paranormal touch.

Final Rating: 3 stars

Want to check out what else C.J. is working on? Hop on over to his social media accounts using the below.

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Lord of the Fly Fest by Goldy Moldavsky

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult

Publication Date: August 30, 2022

Rating: 2 stars

NetGalley Blurb:

To get her true crime podcast on the map, Rafi Francisco needs a splashy case. Her plan? Land an interview with Fly Fest headliner River Stone, who rose to stardom after his girlfriend’s mysterious disappearance—and expose him as the killer she’s sure he is.

But Fly Fest, the dreamy Caribbean getaway they were promised turns out to be a nightmare. Soon, Rafi is fighting for her life against power-hungry beauty gurus and spotty WiFi. And, as she gets closer to River, she discovers that his secrets might have even bigger consequences than she suspected.

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book for free. My opinions expressed below are honest and voluntary.  

I was definitely lured by the cover on this one, along with the idea that this was probably going to be filled with satire and sarcasm and all the other s- words I love so much. Upon being accepted for this ARC, I did what anybody who likes to spoil themselves does and read the reviews on Goodreads for those who were granted the ARC and reviewed since I requested…it wasn’t great. Now, I’ve been in the minority opinion before, both positively and negatively; I’m perfectly comfortable living in my own little world. But this is not one of those times.  

What I liked about the book:

1. I enjoyed the podcast scripts interlaced with the normal paragraph structures. I also enjoyed how Rafi’s personality was definitely heighted on her podcast compared to how she was normally. This is super relatable to me, given I was a radio DJ in college. I was the shy, quiet girl in all my classes, but a loud, salacious radio personality on-air and working events as a DJ.

Miss these babies…

2. The first 40% of this book was actually ok for me. It was over-the-top ridiculous in making fun of influencer and follower culture, and it was pretty hilarious. From reading reviews ahead of time, I went into this not taking it too seriously, and I think that definitely worked to my benefit.

What could have been better:

 1. This book was too long and changed “missions” too much. When the main point of the book was abandoned at around the half-way mark, I quickly lost interest. This was further exacerbated by it changing points a few more times. First, dude’s a killer, then he’s not a killer like she thought but he’s still a killer, then no one wants to go home but we’re going to just let the killer thing rest since there’s a Wi-Fi problem, then he’s a killer again. I hardcore skimmed the last 20% of this book because I refused to quit that far in.

It was all very confusing and begged the question, “What is the point and why should I care?” At the end of the day, there wasn’t one and I didn’t.

2. This book reminds me of why I’ve never had any desire to go to Burning Man.

3. So much of this book is about looks, which is supposed to be the overall satirical message, but since when are bangs controversial??? Our narrator mentions this, but I have never heard of this in my life! I’ve been rocking bangs for years and have never come across this before.

While I didn’t enjoy this book all that much, I have heard other books by this author are fabulous!

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The Curious Life of Ada Baker by Karen Hamilton-Viall

Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, New Adult, Mystery/Thriller, Paranormal

Publication Date: September 27, 2022

Rating: 4 curious stars!

NetGalley Blurb:

‘Ada Baker was a psychic. She was the seventh daughter of two parents who were both seventh children. And she had been gifted with some extraordinary powers.’

Ada Baker is a gifted psychic, who shares her home with three very bored ghosts. Spending their days roaming around Ada’s house offers little amusement, and so the three of them convince Ada to help them investigate the mysterious death of local beauty Mary Watts, who is found naked and strangled in her bathtub. This begins a series of exciting adventures for Ada, as she draws on her unique skills to help solve this heinous crime. Along the way, she must convince a skeptical detective of her aptitude for channeling the abilities of the dead, avoid the unwanted attentions of a sinister stalker, and try to enlist the help of a squadron of ghostly spitfire pilots to save her own life.

Can the dead really bring justice for Mary and help save the living too? Will Ada solve the mystery of her murder? Or will Ada’s curiosity lead to her own demise, causing her to end up as a ghost herself?

Review:

The Curious Life of Ada Baker is the first book in what is sure to be a smashing series of paranormal crime novels about the titular psychic. Ada is a relatively normal woman, except for the whole living with ghosts and allowing them to use her body thing…it’s not what it sounds like!

With the help of her ghostly friends, a skeptical detective, and a hermit librarian who possesses paranormal skills of his own, Ada Baker is on the hunt for a killer in this “supernatural cozy crime novel.”  

Perfect for fans of dry British humor and the Riley Thorn series by Lucy Score!

What I liked about the book:

1. I can’t say that I’ve read a book where a human could not only hear and see the dead, but could also channel the abilities they had in life too, but I found this super interesting! For example, one of Ada’s ghostly roommates, Mrs. E, was a cook when she was alive, so Ada could simply let her in her body and Mrs. E could cook a five-course meal using Ada’s body to prepare it. I loved this concept and was sure some bad ghost was going to take control of Ada at some point.

2. I loved that the ghosts had different abilities. For example, most ghosts could not touch or move things, but some, who were called poltergeists, did have that ability. I loved watching Dennis hone this ability of his and help Inspector Jolly learn as well! Their ghost friendship around this was just the sweetest thing to me.

3. All of the main characters were fantastic.

Ada – I liked how Ada really owned her interesting abilities, wasn’t afraid to claim them even in front of skeptical people, and she really was just a normal woman. Ada could have come across as a real weirdo, but she came across as someone you would definitely want to be friends with, which was great.

I especially loved Ada and her roommates! They really had the feel of a true family, even though Ada was the only living one. I totally saw Mrs. E as the mom with her prim ways and always wanting to cook a decent meal, Dennis as the dad with his advice and always wanting to watch his Old Western television marathons, and Rose as the spunky sister who always wanted to be involved in whatever Ada was doing. I also loved how Ada always set them a place for tea or dinner, despite them not being able to consume, just so they felt included. This was one hell of a found family and I loved it!

Matlock was my second choice for Ada, after Jian Lee, her Kung Fu classmate. After I quickly realized that Jian was not going to be a large part of this story and we were then introduced to Matlock, I fell madly in love with the idea of her with Matlock. Matlock and Ada were complete opposites in personality, but they had a lot in common with their backstories and their view on the world. When it came down to it, they were both caring people who liked to help others and who would take a bullet for those they love. I can’t wait to see these two come together, because why wouldn’t they!?!?!?  

Inspector Jolly was so confident and trustworthy that as soon as he said Matlock was a good person, I instantly believed him. Inspector Jolly was definitely one of the good ones in life and I laughed so hard when he came up with the ghost police force. Of course a career inspector like himself couldn’t just give it up, even in death!

Neville, Neville, Neville. I totally thought you were going to be involved with the murder because you were jealous of anyone else who showed affection towards Ada, you also had paranormal abilities, and you wanted to be right by Ada’s side solving the mystery. Because of this, I didn’t really give you the time of day, despite you being as awkward (read: adorable!) as the most famous Neville, Neville Longbottom. I guess you were alright after all. I kinda want you to end up with Astrid Starlight, the owner of the crystal/energy reading shop who was introduced and helped Ada at the very end of the story. I want to see more of her and I think you would be adorable together as the awkward dude and sunshine lady.  

William Kent was the right amount of creepy that you wanted to know just what the hell his deal was! He was interesting and totally gave me the unsettling feelings similar to Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs. I want to know more, but at the same time I don’t…

4. I liked how the story wasn’t simply a murder mystery. Even when the mystery of who murdered Mary was closed, there were still so many things the author can, and likely will, expand on. We still need to know who killed Inspector Jolly and what the hell William Kent is doing!!!

5. I liked how there is no way in a million years you could have seen coming who the killer was.

I wildly oscillated at first between this being aggravating and fantastic, but I have made up my mind that it was great. I liked not being able to solve this one…but just this one.

6. Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

“It wasn’t that Ada didn’t believe in God, it was only that she’d never felt the need to go to a special place to speak to him.”

– Couldn’t agree more, sis.

“All it takes for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing.”

– So true!

“I bought you some chocolate bars. I’ve heard hospital food is pretty bad.” Neville certainly knew the way to a girls heart.

What could have been better:

1. I didn’t like any of the side characters really, they all fell a bit flat. I’m not sure if it’s because I was on the hunt for the murderer so I trusted none of them, or if they really were very dull, but I couldn’t really get to a good place with any of them. The good news is, we will probably not have to deal with them going forward!

2. I didn’t love all the love interests floating around and Ada going heels-to-Jesus with, in my opinion, the wrong guy. He totally had a creepy Jeff Goldblum feel to him (which I will never forgive as I love Jeff Goldblum) and I hated it.

Special thank you to NetGalley, Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, and Karen Hamilton-Viall for the opportunity to read this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

Follow along with Karen through her next adventures with Ada:

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While you’re at it, let’s be antisocial together!

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The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Rating: 4 deadly stars!

Quote that sums up the book: “The sheep spends its life worried about the wolf, only to be eaten by the farmer.”

Goodreads Blurb:
It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in Linden, New Jersey, four teenage girls working the night shift are attacked. Only one survives. Police quickly identify a suspect who flees and is never seen again.

Fifteen years later, in the same town, four teenage employees working late at an ice cream store are attacked, and again only one makes it out alive.

Both surviving victims recall the killer speaking only a few final words… “Goodnight, pretty girl.”

In the aftermath, three lives intersect: the survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive her tragedy; the brother of the original suspect, who’s convinced the police have it wrong; and the FBI agent, who’s determined to solve both cases. On a collision course toward the truth, all three lives will forever be changed, and not everyone will make it out alive.

Twisty, poignant, and redemptive, The Night Shift is a story about the legacy of trauma and how the broken can come out on the other side, and it solidifies Alex Finlay as one of the new leading voices in the world of thrillers.

Review:
I’m not a big mystery/thriller reader unless it has a romance perspective, but this book was super good!

I received this ARC an embarrassingly long time ago, and promptly forgot about it as it is a physical book (my kindle is just such a sexy little siren! Really, she’s very distracting…). However, this is a must read for anyone who likes murder mysteries, thrillers, great writing, and plot twists. I will definitely be looking into more books by Alex Finlay.

***Given the murder mystery component of this book, I will keep my review pretty surface-level to avoid spoilers***

What I liked about the book:
1. I liked that is had short chapters that were intriguing and kept me wanting to read more. My pages read added up so quickly without me noticing.

I also loved the 3 different viewpoints throughout the story. I felt each one definitely had their own style, so I could easily tell whose chapter I was reading. I also loved how interconnected their stories/cases became and how we got to watch them all piece together.

2. I liked that while I could guess some things, there were quite a few things I didn’t anticipate or see coming until later in the book. It made my imagination run wild with possibilities and kept me hanging on the words of the author.

3. I loved the “Serial” vibes this gave off. Something about high school murder stories where it’s debatable they got the right guy always reminds me of Adnan Syed, which also happened in 1999…

4. I loved the Y2K/Blockbuster flashbacks. As Blockbuster was my Friday night go-to with my family in the 90s, I absolutely loved this bit of nostalgia the book gave me!

5. I loved the final scene where everyone was fighting together against the killer. I felt it was a great culminating scene that really finished the book with a BANG.

6. Overall, I enjoyed most of the characters.

Keller – you were one badass mamma!

Chris – I wanted to hug you through the night, stroking your hair whispering that everything would be ok.

Vince – I loved seeing your sweet moments. I have a feeling you were a giant teddy bear.

Atticus – You were truly a cool kid and definitely a source of humor in this murder mystery.

Bob (Keller’s husband) – you are the best husband ever! You are always there for Keller, always getting up and making her food or talking with her at 3am when she can’t sleep, you always send her GIFs of how she is a badass, and you never care that you are filling the domestic sphere role in your relationship. Hats off to you, good sir!

What could have been better:
1. It made no sense how much Jesse knew about people, when even the police couldn’t dig up that information. This wasn’t really explained either.

2. While Keller was easily my favorite character in the book, it made no sense that a woman 38-weeks pregnant with twins (which usually doesn’t happen anyways as most twins are delivered earlier than that) would be running around solving murders in the thick of it when she could pop any minute. At times, I found the unrealistic nature of this deterring from an otherwise engaging story.

3. I felt we were supposed to sympathize most with Jesse and Ella, but I found both of them to be really unlikable. Obviously, these women have been through some tough stuff, but I just couldn’t come around on either of them, even as the story progressed, given some of their self-destructive tendencies. If Jesse had offered more of her vulnerable self, at least to Ella, and Ella hadn’t done the one thing I can’t forgive people for, this would have been a different case for them.

4. While we got a lot of details about somewhat trivial things, whole action scenes were glossed over or happened off page. I wish we could have had a bit more insight into these scenes and a little less insight into some of the things that didn’t matter.

5. I wanted to see more of Vince and Ella’s relationship. It seemed very abrupt towards the end when Ella had that revelation.

Special thank you to Minotaur Books and Alex Finlay for the opportunity to read this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

Penalty Box by Echo Grayce

Genre: Romance, Mystery

Publication Date: May 24, 2022

Rating: 4 stars!

Goodreads Blurb:
**Penalty Box is the prequel to the Straight No Chaser series**

I’m the bad boy who will stain his soul to keep her safe.

She’s a runner.

Always has been…at least, she’s always run from me.

Our history repeats relentlessly.

Longing.

Secret trysts.

Pounding hearts.

Fiery stolen kisses.

Her retreating back.

Now she’s home, hunted by someone sinister.

The lesser of two evils, I’m the unlikely lifeline she reaches for.

Becoming her salvation means plunging my hard-won, respectable life into ruin.

But I’ve never had the strength to turn away from her hold on me.

I’ve always been hers.

She’s always been mine.

Savannah Bryant has run away from me—from us—for the last time.

Review:
This was such a fun little read!

Read if you enjoy:
• Second chance romance
• Small town romance
• Single-mom romance
• Bad boy / good girl romance
• Mystery
• Novellas
• Series starters

Trigger Warnings:
• Child abuse (talked about in the past and alluded to)

What I liked about the book:

1. This novella was short but done right. The problem with novellas usually is you may know the characters’ favorite sex positions, but you don’t know if they’re vegan or if they’re the kind of people to talk during movies. There usually is not much of a personality or backstory attached to the sex gods and goddesses. That was not the case with Penalty Box!

This book clocked in at just over an hour of read time for me, and yet I felt super knowledgeable and connected to the characters. I felt the love, passion, and missed chances from teenaged years in a short number of pages. Great job, Echo Grayce, for getting us to invest in the characters in such a short amount of time.

2. Spin off potential, duh!

I also loved how the main characters that will feature in the next book were kind of bookends in this book. Maisy helped Jackson get Savannah’s attention in the very beginning and Cain helped Jackson through his tough decision. The only way this could have been more bookended is if it was a Maisy and Kyle book, but I have faith we will get a Doctor Kyle book soon!

3. Holy shit! It was chapter 2 and was already talking about child abuse and murder. There was also a Snapped reference further into the story. This was right up my alley.

4. Yay, roller derby and a bunch of badass females! And they’re called Beautifully Brutal. Fantastic!

5. Single mom, bad-boy-turned-sweet-man romance.

I’m a sucker for a bad boy, ESPECIALLY when he turns into a good man!!!! He really takes her daughter’s well-being into account from the very beginning and it’s just so perfect!

6. So many great lines and scenes!

“Monsters didn’t hide in closets or under beds with grotesque faces. They walked upright, wore designer clothes, charmed like a prince, and smiled like the Devil.”

– It’s the pretty ones you gotta watch out for…

__________

“Keys?”

“I can drive,” she bites out with her hands on her hips.

“No doubt, but right now, I need to do something with my hands before I wring your pretty little neck or do something stupid like twisting your fuck me hair into my fist and destroying that rebellious mouth of yours that doesn’t know when to shut the fuck up.”

– Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep, Jackson…

__________

“Nothing on you is just anything, Savannah. It never has been.”

His words sweep away any concerns I had about my mom bod, leaving just the two of us in our very first public display of affection. And suddenly I want more than that. I want to claim.

– Hell yes to the mom bod representation! Rock that shit for the rest of us, little momma!

__________

“You broke me, Savannah. Over and Over, you broke me.” His teeth drag along my earlobe. “You want me to make love to you like this is some fucking fairy tale and I’m Prince Charming? Then you better be ready for my razor-sharp revenge, my jagged edges, and every ounce of hate I’ve harbored for you.”

“You want to hurt me.”

“Every bit as much as you hurt me. Yes, I’m going to squeeze that throat of yours while I fuck you hard and fast, until you’re dazed, barely on the edge of consciousness, and tears stream down your face. I’m going to sprinkle that soft, warm skin with bites that break your skin, tasting every inch of your flesh, marking you, making sure you never forget.” When I thrust forward against my hand, he grabs my wrist and wrenches it behind my back.

“I don’t fucking think so, Princess. You want to get off? You want that pussy to spasm and drip? Then you wait for me, for when I say. And I say right now it’s time to pay your way to redemption.”

__________

What could have been better:

1. I was looking forward to Savannah going all J. Lo from Enough on her husband’s ass, but unfortunately, we didn’t get that.

2. We also didn’t get a typical HEA. It works, and I’m not that mad about it, but still not a typical pretty little ending.

Thanks to my friends at SmutHood Tours and Echo Grayce for the opportunity to hop on this ongoing tour. Every month I’ll be reading and reviewing the next books in this series, so stay tuned to see how it holds up!