Sylvia Day - So Close (Blacklist #1)

Sylvia Day - So Close (Blacklist #1) 

3⭐

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 374 

Format: Paperback Proof 

Publisher:  Penguin Michael Joseph 

Date Published: 28th March 2023

Huge thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph for sending me a proof copy.

Book Blurb: 

You can’t believe all of them, but can you trust any of them?

Widower Kane Black is still ruinously married to his late wife, Lily. Grief has hollowed him… until he sees a woman with his wife’s inimitable beauty on the streets of Manhattan. He whisks her up to his towering penthouse, protectively under guard, nestling her in dark opulence where Lily’s memory is a possessive beguiling force.

Aliyah, Kane’s mother, deals in science. There are too many questions, too few answers, and too much at stake. “Lily” has dangerous control over Kane and there can be only one queen on the throne.

Amy, Kane’s sister-in-law, has been bloodied by deceit and betrayal, and she’s devolving into murderous rage. She’s paid too high a price and now intends to claim what she’s owed.

Three women, linked by buried secrets, circle the man who unquestioningly accepts the return of his beloved long-dead wife. Kane is happier than he’s ever been, and he’ll do anything to stay that way.

Propulsive and sly, So Close is a lushly gothic novel of domestic suspense with the emotional intensity, scorching sensuality, and complex exploration of female trauma that are the hallmarks of multimillion-copy international bestseller Sylvia Day.

My Review: 

What did I just read? This book was so weird, yet captivating and intriguing, yet I am still confused as to what is going on in this book. It is very well written, as it managed to draw me in from the very first page and didn’t let me go until the very last. However, I am not sure I know what is going on with the characters or where the plot is going. The is so much going on, yet not much is revealed, and so many unanswered questions are left open.

Kane Black is a widower. His wife Lily disappeared 5 years ago, however, one day he sees someone just like her on a street in Manhattan. He takes her in and learns that his wife might still be alive. Kane’s mother enjoys seeing Kane unhappy as she never liked his wife, Kane's sister-in-law, however, wants to be with him. What follows is the story of three women fighting for Kane, Kane's love, wealth and attention…

I liked and disliked that during the whole book, we have POV of the most important females in Kane's life, his mother, his sister-in-law and his lover. However, we don’t get his POV, so what we learn about him is from others, yet we don’t know who he is exactly and that itself is very intriguing but at the same time frustrating as I want to know why he is so important.

I did like the drama and mystery in this book, all the secrets and backstabbing that is happening between the three females in Kane's life. However, the plotline is so confusing as so much is happening and there was a huge revelation near the end of the book which made me even more confused and made me question everything that I have read so far in this book. The revelation at the end of the book wasn’t realistic for a contemporary romance book, although quite shocking, Also, part of this book reminded me of 50 Shades but with much better writing, and with characters that are so morally grey and unlikable.

Overall: Very weird and confusing book, that left me with more unanswered questions at the end than I had at the beginning. It is very well written and has a mystery and suspense element that draws you in and doesn’t want to let you go, yet something is missing. I wanted more and I know that the premise of this book could have delivered much more. I do want to read the sequel, just so some of the questions (hopefully) get answered, however, I don’t have much high expectations for it. 

About the Author: 

Sylvia Day is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, #1 Sunday Times, #1 Globe and Mail, #1 Der Spiegel, and #1 international bestselling author of over twenty award-winning novels, including ten New York Times bestsellers and thirteen USA Today bestsellers. She is a number one bestselling author in twenty-nine countries, with translations in forty-one languages and over twenty million copies of her books in print. 

www.sylviaday.com

Caroline Kepnes - You (You #1)

Caroline Kepnes - You (You #1) 

5⭐

Genre: Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Contemporary 

Pages: 464

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK

Date Published: 25th September 2014 

 

Book Blurb: 

When a beautiful aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

A terrifying exploration of how vulnerable we all are to stalking and manipulation, debut author Caroline Kepnes delivers a razor-sharp novel for our hyper-connected digital age.

My Review: 

Joe Goldberg is so toxic...We all agree on that..but this book is so good and creepy and just draws you in and doesn’t let go until the very last page. It is also not for everyone. Some hate it and some love it, and I weirdly loved it (as much as the TV show). Honestly, this book messes with your mind so much, from the very beginning. Also, the writing is so good, so suspenseful and so much tension. Love it!

The book follows Joe Goldberg who is a lonely bookshop owner in the Lower East Side in New York. One day he sees a beautiful female walking into his shop and he is fixated on her. He becomes obsessed with her and well.. slowly makes himself present in her life. Joe knows that Beck will be his, one way or another, even if it means killing her friends and boyfriend…

Honestly, I don’t think Kepnes intended for any of the characters to be likeable in this book. None of the characters were likeable, but I wanted to know more about them, and they were so fascinating to me.  Joe is complex and creepy and although I was supposed to hate him, there were moments when I forgot that and actually felt sympathy for him. Beck and her friends are also super unlikable, but once you get to know them, they have their own reasons why they are the way they are, and I had to also sympathise with them. I loved character development and progression throughout the book too, even though we see them from Joe’s POV only.

I loved the writing even though it is written from Joe’s POV in the present tense. It make me feel that I was seeing everything that Joe is and that I was a part of the story there with him. Also, the scene setting and plot were quite suspenseful and full of tension as you never know what will happen next or what Joe will do next. I read this book after seeing the first season of You, but it felt like I was experiencing everything from the first time.

Overall: Love this book so much! The writing, the scene setting, the plot and the complex and complicated bunch of unlikable characters just grew into me. Truly recommend this book to everyone who wants to experience something in between contemporary literature and thriller. 

About the Author:

Caroline Kepnes is the New York Times bestselling author of You, Hidden Bodies, Providence and You Love Me. 

Her work has been translated into a multitude of languages and inspired a television series adaptation of You, currently on Netflix. Kepnes graduated from Brown University and then worked as a pop culture journalist for Entertainment Weekly and a TV writer for 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She grew up on Cape Cod, and now lives in Los Angeles.

http://www.carolinekepnes.com/

Sayaka Murata - Life Ceremony

Sayaka Murata - Life Ceremony 

4 ⭐

Genre:  Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, Translated Fiction, East Asian Literature, Short Stories, Horror, Mystery 

Translated by: Ginny Tapley Takemori 

Original Title: 生命式 [Seimeishiki]  

Original Language: Japanese 

Pages: 266

Format: Kindle (Digital) 

Publisher: Granta Books 

Date Published: 1st October 2019

 

Book Blurb: 

From the author of international bestseller Convenience Store Woman comes a collection of short fiction: weird, out of this world and like nothing you’ve read before.

An engaged couple falls out over the husband’s dislike of clothes and objects made from human materials; a young girl finds herself deeply enamoured with the curtain in her childhood bedroom; people honour their dead by eating them and then procreating. Published in English for the first time, this exclusive edition also includes the story that first brought Sayaka Murata international acclaim: ‘A Clean Marriage’, which tells the story of a happily asexual couple who must submit to some radical medical procedures if they are to conceive a longed-for child.

Mixing taboo-breaking body horror with feminist revenge fables, old ladies who love each other and young women finding empathy and transformation in unlikely places, Life Ceremony is a wild ride to the outer edges of one of the most original minds in contemporary fiction.

My Review: 

OMG! This book was something else! In both, good and very grossly disturbing ways. The good is that this book is different to anything else I have ever read before. The grossly disturbing is that each story makes you feel like you are in a horror version of the Black Mirror episode. However, the writing is amazing, just as amazing as it was in Convenience Store Woman. I enjoyed the different parts of all twelve stories and learned so much, as each of them had a different hidden message in it.

Throughout 12 stories Murata explores our societal norms and traditions in a very creative way. Most of the stories ask ‘’what if..?’’ and makes you question whether the norms and traditions we have now wouldn’t be weird for others that come before us or will come after us. I felt that each story makes the reader question what societal norms are and who creates them. It also makes people question what is considered normal and what is not.

Overall: I really recommend this book, but be aware that is not a light-hearted read. There are so many gruesome, disgusting, and weird parts in every story, yet you also take something important and informative from each of the stories too. If you like horror and if you like Black Mirror, then you will definitely enjoy Life Ceremony! 

About the Author:

Sayaka Murata (in Japanese, 村田 沙耶香) is one of the most exciting up-and-coming writers in Japan today. She herself still works part time in a convenience store, which gave her the inspiration to write Convenience Store Woman (Konbini Ningen). She debuted in 2003 with Junyu (Breastfeeding), which won the Gunzo Prize for new writers. In 2009 she won the Noma Prize for New Writers with Gin iro no uta (Silver Song), and in 2013 the Mishima Yukio Prize for Shiro-oro no machi no, sono hone no taion no (Of Bones, of Body Heat, of Whitening City). Convenience Store Woman won the 2016 Akutagawa Award. Murata has two short stories published in English (both translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori): "Lover on the Breeze" (Ruptured Fiction(s) of the Earthquake, Waseda Bungaku, 2011) and "A Clean Marriage" (Granta 127: Japan, 2014). 

https://twitter.com/sayakamurata

Michael J. Malone- The Murmurs

 

Michael J. Malone- The Murmurs

5⭐

Genre:  Crime, Paranormal, Thriller, Gothic, Fiction, Mystery 

Pages: 277

Format: Paperback Proof 

Publisher:  Orenda Books 

Date Published: 14th September 2023

Huge thank you to Orenda Books for sending me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. 

 

Book Blurb: 

A young woman starts experiencing terrifying premonitions of people dying, as it becomes clear that a family curse known only as The Murmurs has begun, and a long-forgotten crime is about to be unearthed...

On the first morning of her new job at Heartfield House, a care home for the elderly, Annie Jackson wakens from a terrifying dream. And when she arrives at the home, she knows that the first old man she meets is going to die.

How she knows this is a terrifying mystery, but it is the start of horrifying premonitions ... a rekindling of the curse that has trickled through generations of women in her family – a wicked gift known only as 'the murmurs'...

With its reappearance comes an old, forgotten fear that is about to grip Annie Jackson.

And this time, it will never let go...

A compulsive gothic thriller and a spellbinding supernatural mystery about secrets and small communities, about faith, courage and self-preservation, The Murmurs is a startling and compulsive read from one of Scotland's finest authors.

My Review: 

I read the blurb of this book and I knew that I needed to read it. It just sounded so good…and I wasn’t wrong. This book is brilliant! I loved this with all my heart and didn’t want to finish it so quickly, but at the same time, I also wanted to know the ending.

Annie starts a job at a care home, yet her first day doesn’t go well. One of the elderly patients that she is supposed to care for suddenly dies. Annie however sees a premonition about his death and knows how the patient is going to die precisely, via the murmurs, a curse that is passed through the generation of the females in the family. She doesn’t know about The Murmurs, and she doesn’t know why she is the only one hearing them. These chilling murmurs make Annie and her twin brother look for answers, which leads them to numerous secrets about their family, the mysterious Scottish Highlands, unsolved murder cases, and witchcraft.

I loved how this book follows then and now timelines and chapters that are told from various characters' POVs. Also, I loved that in each chapter there is a crumb of information and a reader has to collect them all to puzzle a story. I think this just added more to the suspense and thrill of this book. The setting of this book in the remote Scottish Highlands was just brilliant, as it captures that truly gothic and mysterious atmosphere of lochs, mountains and small villages hidden in them. I also adored how the author managed to link the mystery and gothic atmosphere of the Scottish Highlands so naturally with curses, and witchcraft, as well as the present-day environment/society.

I just knew from a few chapters that this book is going to be amazing. The atmosphere, scene setting, suspense and writing were all so good. It was also an emotional story because both Annie and her brother are searching for the truth about The Murmurs, but alongside that learn quite a lot about their own family. I must mention how all the characters in this book are very well-developed and each of them makes the story whole and are important in one way or another to the story.

Overall: This was my first book from Michael J. Malone but definitely won’t be the last. Beautifully written, with short yet captivating chapters full of suspense and tension. Mysterious and gothic atmosphere, family secrets, and paranormal murmurs all mixed in a perfect book. One of my favourite gothic thrillers that I have ever read.

About the Author:

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines, After He Died, In the Absence of Miracles and A Song of Isolation soon followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.

https://orendabooks.co.uk/product/the-murmurs

Emma Rosenblum - Bad Summer People

Emma Rosenblum - Bad Summer People 

3.5⭐

Genre:  Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary, Fiction

Pages: 346

Format: Paperback Proof 

Publisher:  Penguin Michael Joseph 

Date Published: 8th June 2023

Huge thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph for sending me this book to read and review.

 

Book Blurb: 

You are cordially invited to summer on New York State's idyllic Fire Island.
Thirty miles of golden sand:
No traffic. No tourists. No trash.

The city elite gathers here every year, trailing kids, their nannies (vital!), wine and seafood imported from Manhattan: hard workers need their playtime.

Take the Parkers and the Weinsteins. Lauren and Jen hold sway on the beach and the tennis court. Their husbands are childhood friends bearing grudges as deep as they are secret.

Their lone single friend, Rachel Woolf, is looking to meet her match, whether he's the new tennis pro - or someone else's husband. She's not picky.

And while this season starts out quietly as any other, it soon changes when beneath the boardwalk, a body is found.

No one is claiming to be a good person. But is someone actually capable of murder?

My Review: 

I expected this book to be like White Lotus, but sadly it was more like a Gossip Girl on vacation. I enjoyed the pacing, the setting and the writing of this book, yet for me the suspense and thrill were missing from it. I expected more of a murder mystery, suspenseful reveals and a plot that kept me on my toes, but I didn’t get any of that. It was just a bunch of rich, obnoxious people cheating on one another and stabbing each other’s backs during the whole summer on a very beautiful island.

The story follows four rich couples who as every year, are enjoying their summer holidays on New York’s Fire Island. All couples have their secrets and lies that lie deep within the island. We also meet a series of side characters who all play some sort of role in these couples' lives. Oh, and then there is a body found on the island and suddenly all the couples are somehow suspected to be linked with the murder. That’s when readers slowly get to know the lies and the secrets that each of the couple is keeping.

I didn’t like any of the characters. I mean there are unlikable characters that I could root for, but none of these couples had any redeeming characteristics apart from moaning, gossiping, sleeping with one another, and hating each other. All of the characters, especially the couples were very two-dimensional. Additionally, there were so many side characters to keep track of and at times I was so confused as to why some of the characters and chapters about them even existed. I wish there were fewer side characters, and the main characters were more developed, which would have added more substance to the story.

I did like, however, how easy was to read this book, and how short chapters somehow made me slightly interested in the plotline. I mean I was also interested as I thought it was going to have more murder mystery in it.

Overall: Easy summer read if you want something forgettable or a palette cleanser in between the books, whilst sitting in the sun by the poolside. This book does lack a deeper message and although the book's premise had so much potential for a proper murder mystery, it just didn’t deliver. Don’t expect to like the characters though and some of them will be pretty forgettable or will make you rage inside. The writing, however, is pretty good, so as are the scene setting and pacing, so at least that is something. 

About the Author:

Emma Rosenblum is chief content officer at Bustle Digital Group, overseeing content and strategy for BDG’s lifestyle, parenting, and culture & innovation portfolios, including Bustle, Elite Daily, Romper, NYLON, The Zoe Report, Romper, Scary Mommy, Fatherly, The Dad, Gawker, Inverse, and Mic. Prior to BDG, Emma served as the executive editor of ELLE. Previously Rosenblum was a senior editor at Bloomberg Businessweek, and before that a senior editor at Glamour. She began her career at New York magazine. She lives in New York City, with her husband and two sons. Bad Summer People is her first novel.

https://www.emma-rosenblum.com/

Julie Mae Cohen - Bad Men

Julie Mae Cohen - Bad Men 

4⭐

Genre: Thriller, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Contemporary Fiction 

Pages: 314

Format: Paperback Proof 

Publisher: Zaffre Books 

Date Published: 20th July 2023

Huge thank you to Zaffre Books for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

Book Blurb: 

Saffy has a secret. A secret that she is deeply ashamed of. It's not the fact that she's a serial killer in her free time. In fact, she's quite proud of that. After all she's only killing the bad men. She is making the world a better place.

No, her secret is far worse than that. Saffy has a messy, inexplicable, uncontrollable crush. So while she's busy plotting her next murder, she also has the much harder task of figuring out how to get a boyfriend.

But if there's one thing Saffy knows, it's how to get her man . . .

My Review: 

This book was so addictive! I didn’t want to stop reading as it was so suspenseful with twists and turns, yet with a good dose of comedy and rom-com vibes mixed in too. I loved how fast-paced this book was and how easy it was to read.

The story follows Saffy who is rich and famous, but her secret hobby is to kill ‘bad men’, only ‘bad men’. In the book we see her develop an obsession with a journalist and crime writer, then slowly position herself in his life just at the right moment to catch his attention. However, to catch his attention she also by accident (or is it?) puts him in the middle of a series of murders and secrets.

Firstly, I wouldn’t class this book as a thriller, as although the main heroine is a serial killer, there are more romantic comedy, and dark humour book vibes,  than thriller and mystery vibes. Secondly, I really wanted more of Saffy’s darker side, since the first chapter set the premise so nicely for that. I felt that her character wasn’t fully flushed without that dark side appearing on pages.

Despite that, I really enjoyed other characters in this book, especially the journalist that Saffy is obsessing over. I think his character was very interesting and very well-developed. He was also a complete contrast to Saffy, so it was very interesting to read whether Saffy’s plan to make him love her will work. Saffy on the other hand, was strong, brave, sexy, rich and not afraid to work for what she wants and believes in, despite being a fully functioning and self-described sociopath.

Overall: I really enjoyed how suspenseful, funny, dark-humoured and easy to read this book was. Although I wanted more thriller vibes and the dark side of Saffy, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. I mean who doesn’t like a strong female boss character who comes up with a genius plan to make a man she wants to fall in love with her, whilst she also murders bad men? Very interesting and refreshing read.

 

About the Author:

Julie Cohen grew up in Maine and studied English at Brown University, Cambridge University and the University of Reading. Her award-winning novels have sold over a million copies worldwide, and she has twice been selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club in the UK. Julie is an Associate Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Reading, and runs an online school, Novel Gazing. She is a Vice President of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, a founder of the RNA Rainbow Chapter for LGBTQ writers, and a Patron of literacy charity ABC To Read. She won the 2020 Romantic Novelists’ Association Inclusion Award. Her bestselling novel TOGETHER has been translated into eleven languages and optioned for television; THE TWO LIVES OF LOUIS & LOUISE was long-listed for the Polari Prize and has been optioned by Enderby Entertainment as a feature film. Her first historical novel, SPIRITED, was published in July 2020 and her latest novel is SUMMER PEOPLE (Orion, 2022). Under the name Julie Mae Cohen, her first thriller, BAD MEN, will be published by Bonnier in July 2023. She lives in Berkshire, UK with her teenager and a terrier of dubious origin.

https://juliemaecohen.com/about/

Alice James - Grave Danger (The Lavington Windsor Mysteries #2)

 

Alice James - Grave Danger (Lavington Windsor Mysteries #2)

5⭐

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery, Romance, Humour, Crime, Horror

Pages: 298

Format: Paperback

Publisher:  Solaris, Rebellion Publishing

Date Published: 23rd May 2023 

 

Big thanks to Alice James for sending me an e-copy of this book to read and review. 

Book Blurb: 

Agatha Raisin meets Sookie Stackhouse, with love, heartbreak and zombies.

More murder. More mayhem. More champagne.

Toni Windsor is failing at ‘happily ever after,’ but it really isn't her fault.

All she wants is true love and the perfect wardrobe, but it doesn't look like they are coming her way any time soon. Instead, there are murders to solve and zombies to raise, and she’s broken her phone again.

Worst of all, her shiny new boyfriend turns out to be a jerk; maybe dating a vampire wasn’t her best decision ever?

My Review: 

This book is even funnier and quirkier than the first one. It is also even more sarcastic and witty than the first one. Oh, and it has even more sexy vampires. What’s not to like? James’s writing is brilliant! A perfect blend of witty, crazy and humorous tones mixed with seriousness and complexity. All this makes each of the characters, especially Toni, not only fun but also portrays how complex each of them are. Basically, I am trying to say that life is complex and James writes her characters with a perfect balance of seriousness, crazy and funny. 

In the book, we follow Toni, who is asked to assist her brother in yet another murder case. There are several suspects, but no one knows who did it, not even zombie Bella after Toni raises her from the dead. On top of that, Toni has to deal with her boyfriend Oscar, who, let’s say, is getting on her nerves and pressuring her to do things she doesn’t want. She also is pushed around by Benedict, who she has to run errands for. Oh, and Toni also has to deal with the forever-growing line of people that wants to kill her…The girl can’t seem to catch a break…

This book felt both, a murder mystery and Toni trying to find her way, as well as make sense of her newfound life with vampires at such proximity. She is not only asked to find out who Bella’s murderer is but also needs to sort out her own (messy) love life and keep herself safe from vampires and other creatures that are trying to kill her, whilst also juggling whatever the Assemblage tells her to take care of. 

I loved how Toni grew as a character throughout the first two books, especially in this book. I just love her attitude and her outlook on life. I feel I could learn a thing or two from her, yet at the same time, she feels like a familiar character to whom I can relate. 

I love how the story is progressing too. There are still so many questions unanswered, but this book built such a great foundation for all of those to be answered in the next instalments. 

I am just going to go and cry about how frustrating Peter’s situation is… and laugh about Oscar…if you know, you know…#TeamPeter

Overall: Brilliantly written story, with so many great characters that I fell in love in the first instalment and don’t want to let go. Like I need the third book now! The suspense! Why did the book have to finish on such a cliffhanger!!! Honestly, can’t wait to see what crazy situations Toni will get herself into in book three. 

About the Author:

Alice lives in a converted chapel in Oxfordshire, England, with three cats and many house plants. She works as a writer, specialising in finance and travel. She was previously a journalist and TV presenter for Bloomberg before becoming press and PR director of a $1 billion US hedge fund for 18 months. That turned out to be the worst period in history for hedge funds, so she retired wounded. Alice has a degree in Maths from Bristol University – and half of a diploma in silversmithing from UCE University because it turns out that making the ladies’ version of the One Ring is a lot harder than she thought.

Alice’s first novel, Grave Secrets, is a whodunit with zombies, vampires, romance and croquet and you should definitely read it. Today.

https://www.alicejames.co.uk

Susan Dennard - The Luminaries (The Luminaries #1)

Susan Dennard - The Luminaries (The Luminaries #1)

4⭐

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Horror, Paranormal, Mystery, Supernatural.

Pages: 304

Format: Digital Proof Copy 

Publisher: Daphne Press 

Date Published: 7th March 2023 

 Huge thank you to BlackCrowPR for sending me a proof copy of this book to read and review. 

Book Blurb: 

From Susan Dennard, the New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series, comes a haunting and high-octane contemporary fantasy about the magic it takes to face your fears in a nightmare-filled forest and the mettle required to face the secrets hiding in the dark corners of your own family.

An Instant New York Times Bestseller

A Barnes & Noble YA Book Club Pick

An Indigo Best Teen Book of 2022

A Junior Library Guild Pick

An Indie Next Pick

A Goodreads Most Anticipated YA Book

Hemlock Falls isn't like other towns. You won't find it on a map, your phone won't work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you.

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie's town—and the rest of humanity—from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night.

Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family's good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.

My Review: 

I am slowly getting myself back into YA Fantasy and Fantasy in general, and reading The Luminaries displayed why I want to go back into reading more fantasy. This book for me was really enjoyable. I loved the setting of Hemlock Falls, enjoyed the history and explanations about each clan and its nightmares, and I liked the characters, too. Yes, this book felt a bit slow at times and there wasn’t a lot of action, but it presented a perfect foundation for the series and storylines to be expanded over the next instalments. I also really enjoyed the cliffhanger at the end of this book, which made me feel super excited for the second instalment.

The story follows Winnie Wednesday who grew up in Hemlock Falls, a magical town surrounded by a dangerous forest, where the nightmares and the spirits that create them, live. All the different clans in town train to be hunters that hunt nightmares every night and Winnie’s biggest dream is to become one of the hunters. Though, for Winnie to become a hunter will be much harder than for others in town. She and her family are the outcasts, due to her father’s betrayal of the Wednesday clan more than four years ago. Winnie comes up with a plan on her 16^th Birthday, she will attempt the hunter trial, not only to become a hunter but also to prove her loyalty and make sure that her family are no longer outcasted.  However, she soon realises that there is something really dangerous lurking in the forest that might not only affect her hunter's trial but could be potentially very dangerous for everyone at Hemlock Falls.

Firstly, I loved the setting of the forest and the world-building that Dennard did in this book, especially how she weaved so many mythological and paranormal creatures together as inhabitants of one mystical forest.

Secondly, this book was so easy to read and as I was so invested in Winnies stories, I just flew through the short chapters. And I also wanted to know more about the mysterious Jay and some other characters more, hence I couldn’t put this book down.

Finally, the book finished on such a cliffhanger and some really important questions weren’t answered in this book (which hopefully will be answered in the next instalments). I still feel there is so much unknown about the Dianas, Winnie’s father and the town itself (as in why they don’t speak to the outside world about The Luminaries or the forest).

My only negative thing was that there were romantic feelings and loads of tension between the two main characters but nothing has been done to address it…I wish that romance was explored a bit more in-depth.

Overall: A very promising and exciting story, that reads very quickly with characters and a plotline that captures the reader and doesn’t want to let go. Honestly, enjoyed this book so much and can’t wait for the sequel. 

About the Author:

Susan Dennard has come a long way from small-town Georgia. With a masters degree in marine biology, she got to travel the world—six out of seven continents, to be exact (she’ll get to Asia one of these days!)—before she settled down as a full-time novelist and writing instructor.

She is the author of the New York Times bestselling Witchlands series as well as the Something Strange & Deadly series. When not writing, she can be found slaying darkspawn on her Xbox or earning bruises at the dojo.

https://susandennard.com/

RuNyx - Gothikana

RuNyx - Gothikana 

4⭐

Genre: Romance, Fiction, Dark Academia, Paranormal, Gothic, Mystery 

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback Proof 

Publisher:  Solaris 

Date Published: 16th March 2023

 

Huge thank you to Solaris for sending me a proof copy of this book to read and review.

Book Blurb: 

An unusual girl. An enigmatic man. An ancient castle. What could go wrong?

An outcast her entire life, Corvina Clemm is left adrift after losing her mother. When she receives the admission letter from the mysterious University of Verenmore, she accepts it as a sign from the universe. The last thing she expects though is an olden, secluded castle on top of a mountain riddled with secrets, deceit, and death.

An enigma his entire life, Vad Deverell likes being a closed book but knowing exactly everything that happens in the university. A part-time professor working on his thesis, Vad has been around long enough to know the dangers the castle possesses.
And he knows the moment his paths cross with Corvina, she's dangerous to everything that he is.

They shouldn't have caught each other's eye. They cannot be. But a chill-inducing century-old mystery forces them to collide. People have disappeared every five years for over a hundred years, and Corvina is getting clues to unravelling it all, and Vad needs to keep an eye on her.

And so begins a tale of the mystique, the morbid, the macabre, and a deep love that blossoms in the unlikeliest of places.

My Review: 

I loved the atmosphere this book has, so creepy, gothic, mysterious, supernatural and suspenseful. The dark academia vibes in this book were spot on too! I was definitely obsessed with the Verenmore mystery and the Slayers. I loved the writing and the setting of this story, as well as the character development, especially Corvina’s throughout the book. However, the only love-hate relationship that I have with this story was Corvina’s and Vad’s relationship and at parts smut that was just too cringe.

The story follows Corvina who is invited to attend Verenmore University for gifted students from unfortunate backgrounds. At Verenmore, she soon meets the very mysterious, attractive bad boy Professor Vad Deverell and can’t seem to get away from him. Vad also seems to be very attracted to her. However, Corvina tries to be careful around him, not only because of his reputation as a Casanova with the female students but also because she believes there is something evil about him and that he might be responsible for all the mysterious and unexplainable things that are happening at Verenmore.

I loved the gothic atmosphere, dark academic vibes and mystery of the story, especially the forbidden woods, scary lake and cemetery, castle tower, as well as dungeons. The whole Verenmore and the surrounding mountain felt like one big secret and it was a rather exciting one! I also loved how the mysteries surrounding Verenmore, were answered one by one and quite slowly. At times it also felt that we as readers learn everything at the same pace as Corvina, and the reader is there with her to experience it all.

I really liked how much Corvina grew as a character throughout the book. At first, she was so shy and reserved, and also doubted herself so much, but Verenmore and uncovering all its secrets made her so confident, strong and determined. I think she is definitely one of my favourite characters.

In terms of Vad, I wished there was more of his POV in this book. Maybe then I would have warmed up to him and would have understood the relationship and attraction between him and Corvina. For me, he still ended up just as mysterious at the end of the book as he was at the beginning. 

Also, there was a lot of smut and spice, like a lot! I mean I enjoyed most of it, but in parts, I wanted less of it, as it was getting rather cringy. I was also very conflicted about the relationship between Corvina and Vad Deverell, in part I loved it but in part I hated it…So I ended up having a love-hate relationship with those parts of the book.

The ending….I wanted more…I felt that there were so many things that this book didn’t answer yet. Yes, most of the mysteries were solved in this story but there were so many that weren’t. So, I do hope it is because there will be a second book (fingers crossed), as I need to know the answers and need more mystery of Verenmore in my life!

Overall: Despite the love-hate relationship that I have about the relationship of the main characters in this book, I loved it! I loved the gothic, dark and mysterious atmosphere. I was also obsessed with dark academia vibes and Verenmore in general! The mystery too!! Run, don’t walk and get a copy yourself! I will be definitely looking out for more books by RuNyx in the future! 

About the Author:

USA TODAY and international bestselling author, RuNyx enjoys creating universes and setting them on fire. She loves to travel, wants to adopt a dog before 30, and learn different languages. When she's not writing, she's reading, traveling, meditating, daydreaming, and most of all, procrastinating.

Even though she's intensely private, she shares a strong bond with her readers. Her favorite part about writing is knowing that it has somehow changed somebody's day in some corner of the world for the better.

https://runyxwrites.com

Heather Darwent - The Things We Do To Our Friends

Heather Darwent - The Things We Do To Our Friends  

5⭐

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Dark Academia, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 378

Format: Paperback 

Publisher: Viking Books UK 

Date Published: 12th January 2023 

Huge thank you to the Viking Books UK for sending me a proof copy of this book to read and review! 

Book Blurb: 

A dark, intoxicating, compulsive tale of feminist revenge, toxic friendships, and deadly secrets

Clare arrives at the University of Edinburgh with a secret. This is her chance for a blank slate – to finally become who she was meant to be.

And then she meets Tabitha.

Tabitha is charismatic, beautiful and intimidatingly rich. Soon Clare is sucked into her enigmatic circle of friends and their dizzying world of champagne on rooftops and summers in France.

Her new life has begun.

Then Tabitha reveals the little project they're working on, a project they need Clare's help with. And Clare can't say no.

Because they know what she did . . .

My Review: 

This book was so dark, suspenseful, and intense and omg it had some twists! I loved this story of a very disturbing protagonist and her even more disturbing friends, yet for me, the atmosphere Darwent created by setting this book in Edinburgh was just something else, absolutely amazing. This book just draws you in and will not let go until the very end. Amazing story and a brilliant debut!

This story follows Clare, who arrives in Edinburgh to start fresh. She starts her studies at University but she also wants a clean slate from all the secrets that she keeps. However, soon in her lectures, she is drawn towards a mysterious group of friends run by a girl called Tabitha. Clare is straight away fascinated by Tabitha and her graciousness and by the fact that someone like these people wants Clare in their circle. Clare is engulfed in the friendship with Tabitha and Co until she realises that she is too deep into said friendship. That’s when Tabitha asks Clare to be a part of a little project that the whole group is working on, yet as much as she wants, Clare can’t say no, since Tabitha knows more about Clare than Clare would like her to know…

I loved that this story was set at a university and that it had a lot of suspense and drama. All the characters are so damaged but in their own little ways, and it was so interesting to read how each of them rather complemented each other, but at the same time brought out the worst in each other. I also loved how throughout the story you can see how the toxic friendship that Clare has with Tabitha and Co grew and progressed until it all exploded and was tainted by lies, misunderstandings, mind games, etc. Yes, all the characters are unlikable and really disturbing in this book, but at the same time the story allows you to appreciate how complicated each of them is and how much they all change as the story progresses, so we see their true faces at the end.

Darwent’s writing is something else…Writing in this book just captures the reader and seduces them to read more. Each chapter is so perfectly crafted with just enough tension, suspense and drama for the reader to keep going and wanting more. Loved it! It definitely didn’t feel like a debut book at all! Also, this is the first character-driven / character exploration story that I actually enjoyed reading in a while.

Overall: Loved it loved it loved it! Such a great, dark, intense book with very damaged and unlikeable characters that are so interesting to analyse. For me, I spent a day just thinking about each of the characters and pondering why they are like that and why they did things they did. Oh, and the ending, that lived in my head rent-free for weeks, hence I couldn’t gather my thoughts to write this review for a while. Beautiful and compelling writing that makes you want to read more and more. Amazing debut! I can't wait to see what Heather Darwent writes next as I will be reading it!

About the Author:

Heather Darwent is an author based just outside of Edinburgh near the sea.

She is currently working on her debut novel, The Things We Do to Our Friends which will be published by Penguin in January 2023.

https://www.heatherdarwent.com/