Lisa

An other worldly, haunting mystery exploring how people change (or don't change) in a place where the past bleeds into the present.

This book takes place in a small, isolated town surrounded by redwoods, and it couldn't be more perfect for the plot. It amplified how stifling a community can be where nothing changes and everyone knows everybody.

Because James has been gone for 20 years, you get the unique perspective of an outsider who still has insider information, and that works great to create an atmosphere where everyone is suspicious. Things unravel at a great pace, and by the end I had a bunch of theories and was still surprised.

This was also a really interesting look into how lifelong relationships grow together and apart, how time and distance can change our perception of people, and how ignoring the truth will eat away at you.

I'd recommend for anyone looking for a moody, suspenseful mystery with a little bit of romance and a deep exploration of loss.

I can already tell this one will stick with me for a while.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for feedback

This was fun. Unique premise and a great blend of action and humor.

If you like urban fantasy and have ever looked around a Costco thinking about what you could use as a weapon, this book is for you.

It goes quick. I listened to the graphic audio version and enjoyed it.

(4.75 stars) A Christmasy, locked room mystery tailor made for book lovers and fans of romantic suspense.

This was a quick fun read. The banter is witty. The mystery is compelling and twisty. The romance is swoony with some great protection tropes. It's the perfect book to read during the busy Christmas season when you have a million other things on your mind.

My only complaint was that some parts of the big finale twist kind of came out of nowhere, but it didn't ruin anything for me. I just think it would have been better to lay a little bit more groundwork.

Overall would recommend. Will reread. Great if you watch Knives Out and were like "I wish this had more romantic suspense".

A dramatic and emotional conclusion to the mysteries set up in the first book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one, but it has a different vibe than the first. There's more action but less excavating. The plot is quick paced and the stakes are high. Multiple twists took me by surprise.

Inez and Whit's flaws are front and center in this one in a way that was a little frustrating to watch play out, but they never go so far as to be unlikeable (at least not for long). The romance takes a very different tone in this one, which isn't unexpected but did make me miss the yearning and the early stages of falling in love from the first book.

I particularly liked the epilogue.

Having finished the duology, I'd absolutely still recommend it for anyone who wants a historical fantasy romance with mystery and strong "touch her and die" themes.

A beachy, cozy, romance that will make you want some ghosts and banana bread in your life.

This book gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings. The setting of Boneyard Key is full of ghosts, but in a fun non threatening way. There are some goosebump-inducing moments but nothing terrifying. I’d almost go as far to say it was heartwarming to read about how kindly the town treats the ghosts amongst them.

The romance is easy without being too insta-lovey. It has enough challenges to drive the plot but not so many that you worry they won’t work through them. I’m honestly surprised how much I loved reading this book and I can’t wait for more.

I’d absolutely recommend this any time of the year, but it would be an especially great option for readers looking for softer spooky options around Halloween. More Casper the Friendly Ghost vibes than Poltergeist.

I love Tangled, but was hesitant about reading a story where the heroine was naive, earnest, trusting, and interacting with the world for the first time.

Ren is still all those things, but she's also charming and kind and that made the difference.

The book does a great job following the spirit of the movie and is full of little Easter eggs any Tangled fan will recognize.

That being said, I think the book is still good enough on its own for someone who hasn't seen the movie.

It's not my favorite Christina Lauren book but it does like a Christina Lauren book, so I still enjoyed it.

Forbidden love filled with all the tension, longing, and heart you could ask for.

This is basically a slow burn in the Tessa Bailey world, despite a timeline that feels jarringly fast at first. You get a very charming meet cute, leap through the getting to know you phase, and dive deep into the desperation of two people forced to ignore their feelings. It kind of feels like the whole book takes place in a third-act-breakup, but not in a bad way. The timeline makes sense since so much of Sig and Chloe's story takes place before we meet them in the previous book. It's written in a way that feels natural, there's just a small part of me that is bummed I missed out on some of those early moments.

Sig and Chloe are likeable (yet flawed) and you really root for them to figure things out. Really great romantic tension with their efforts to not cross the line drawn between them. Watching Chloe grow more confident and independent with Sig's help is a delight.

The actual sports aspect is pretty light but it IS there. There are plenty of fun scenes with notable members of the team outside of practice or games, so to me it did still feel like a sports romance.

Tessa Bailey should also be called The Queen of Breadcrumbs because she always sets up her next book in a way that has you invested based off of just a few pages. I have no hesitation about continuing with the series.

I'd recommend to anyone who loves Tessa Bailey (obviously), fans of Clueless, and people who think self sacrifice is a noble way to show your love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper and Avon Voyager for access to this ARC in return for honest feedback.

Part dark romance with some light suspense.

I don't know that I found anyone particularly likeable, but I did find myself unable to stop reading.

I doubt I'll be continuing with the series, but it was enjoyable enough for someone who likes tension, cons, and a protector trope romance.

Check trigger warnings if you have any.

A sci-fi story that thrives in the gray areas of morality, friendship, and the reality of ever changing history.

I really enjoyed this read. The different cultures and worlds felt established and unique. The pacing was great, the stakes are appropriately high, and there's a real emotional depth lying underneath all the action. Big themes of the self vs. the whole, historical blind spots, and whether there are ever truly good guys and bad guys.

I thought I had this book all figured out in the first 20 pages. Things seemed almost too obvious to me, so I kept reading assuming I would either be very surprised or not surprised at all. I'm happy to report most of my assumptions were wrong.

I thought this book would be about Clementine trying to find Iwan in her present, but it's really about change, growth, and the expectations you put on other people. Finding him wasn't the hard part, it was coming to terms with the seven years in between past and present Iwan. This is what kept me reading.

I didn't have any complaints about pacing while reading it, but in hindsight things feel very quick. The story has depth but overall it feels like not a lot happened. I'm sure this is because time is split between the past and the present.

I think this is one of my favorites of hers. Ashley Poston writes tender romantic comedies with complex feelings on grief and this is no exception. Fans of her other books will find this one just as good.

I flew through this entire book in one sitting on a plane! I wouldn't consider it traditional paranormal romance but it has a lot of paranormal content. That made it a fun, cryptid-filled, light read for Halloween season.

The romance was sweet. The pacing was good. It had some of my absolute favorite tropes in it.

I consumed a lot of buzzfeed content when it was getting really popular and this nailed that atmosphere so spot on that I genuinely wondered if this was genderbent, Buzzfeed Unsolved fanfiction with different names. That's not a bad thing.

I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for something easy to read and enjoy that would fit into a spooky season themed TBR.

If the first book could be boiled down to world building and dread, then this book is a big shift forward.

The themes are still dark, but you get the sense that Alex has hit rock bottom and is pushing towards something better. She allows herself to hope, and this really softens how bleak everything gets. This really picks up right where the first book left off, and you don't have to wait long for more action.

The audiobook was mostly great, I just didn't enjoy the few chapters from the male narrator as much, and wish Lauren Fortgang could have read those as well.

Would recommend. Will continue to read.

Limelight is a compelling mystery to read under a cozy blanket with some tea.

Penny Green is tenacious, kind, and smart. She's easy to root for and stands out from other characters. I enjoyed following along with her as she figured things out.

This was an easy read. Simple to understand but with some action and twists to keep you engaged. It reminded me of all the Nancy Drew books I loved when I was younger, and I'd recommend it to readers who are looking for a similar feeling in a different setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for access to this book in exchange for honest feedback

3.5 rounded down.

With long-running series like this, you get a lot of info dumping about things that happened previously and it's particularly heavy at the start of this one.

There's plenty of new information here too. The plot was engaging, but it just felt a little rushed to me. I enjoyed reading it and I'll keep reading if they continue it. There are a lot of threads that haven't been tied up yet that I'm curious about.

This book has so much of what made the first one fun. Mystery, danger, adventure, ancient history, and some romance.

There's new POV chapters from two “new” characters. They add a lot of depth to Ellie and Adam's backstories and add dimension to the plot. Overall I enjoyed getting new perspectives although it did feel like we got less of Ellie and Adam because of it. The last book by necessity had a lot more interaction where they got to know each other, and I missed that connection. There are external circumstances keeping them more reserved with each other in this one.

This one is set in Egypt which makes everything feel fresh, but still leaves room for criticism on historians who loot and destroy the history of another culture for their enjoyment and wealth.

The history is approachable and explained well. The romance is a little light but very heartfelt. The adventure is grand and exciting. You get a lot of call backs to the first book, so while you technically COULD read this as a standalone, you would supremely be missing out.

I'd absolutely recommend this to people looking for a fun, closed door, paranormal-is romance full of puzzles, Egyptian tombs, and dynamic personalities. I will definitely be continuing the series.

Thank you to Crimson Fox Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in return for honest feedback.

(3.75 rounded up)

This was cute. Peppered with pop culture references from books and tv. The small town setting is charming and it was fun to guess at what was actually going on. There's a little bit of mystery to keep you intrigued.

With how the story is set up there are A LOT of side characters and it's kind of like you're getting a bunch of mini books into one, but this also made me feel like I'm missing some depth.

I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to others, but probably won't reread it again.

Time jumps always leave me feeling like I missed out on something, and this is no exception, but I still really enjoyed it.

It's nothing groundbreaking or new compared to the other books, but it's still a good time.

Two writers work together to make a terrible rom-com better and find themselves living a rom-com of their own.

This had some very likeable moments but didn't quite hit for me. It felt kind of like the rough draft of the script they were working on. Everyone seems like they could deeply benefit from some therapy. People say some absolutely terrible things to each other, some of which never really get addressed or apologized for.

The timeline jumps ahead in spots which isn't always an issue, but one jump covers multiple weeks of them living together and getting to know each other. I think I needed to see that to truly feel like I was rooting for this relationship.

I won't personally read this again but I would recommend it to a friend. There are some heartfelt depictions of grief and the reality of being a caretaker. There are cute moments where the caretaker gets to be taken care of for once. But there's also a lot of ugly words being exchanged between characters that pull this a little bit too far past bittersweet for me.

This novella does exactly what it needs to. It bridges Nevada's POV with Catalina's before the next book. The switch felt natural and the wedding setting meant all the family were still around and involved.

It was hard to keep all the names straight but that wasnt too important in the end. I enjoyed it and I'm excited to see what's next.

(3.75, rounded up) Romantasy filled with gods and magic, slow burn forbidden romance, prophecy and fate.

I mean it in the best way possible when I say this was a very readable fantasy romance. The Nordic setting feels fresh, the magic system was interesting, the tropes were hitting their marks for me. It was a good time. I'd say a 70/30 split of romance to fantasy.

That being said, it feels a bit shallow. Like we're just skimming the surface of everything. The world building was just enough to help me picture what was going on but overall feels a bit light. Pieces of Freya's backstory get dropped when it's convenient and are easily forgotten. The romance leans heavily on Bjorn's role as Freya's protector in a way that is satisfying to read, but also gets a bit repetitive. None of the twists surprised me, but that could just be that I read too much of this sort of thing.

I'm a sucker for fantasy involving a world where gods interfere with the lives of mortals and love a good slow burn/bodyguard/extra trope-y romance, so non of the flaws were deal breakers for me. With all the heavy 700+ page books coming out lately I really appreciated how quick of a read it was. I like it enough to reread it someday, would recommend it to others, and will probably pick up the next one.

Note: This is a personal rating. I'm sure this will be a five star book for someone else.

There's an author disclaimer at the start that this one is different in tone from her previous books and that is accurate. It still feels like an Ali Hazelwood book to me, but one aimed at a different audience than her earlier books. Reviews are going to be split. People who loved TLH and LT are probably going to be disappointed. People who read those but wanted something different will probably be pleased. If you really loved the STEM and slow burn aspects in previous books then you might need to adjust your expectations.

It deals with more serious subject matters and is less romcom/STEM focused. I wanted a bit more plot. I was more invested in the Harkness group and their take over than I was in Rue and Eli's relationship which is unfortunate because them hooking up feels like a solid 50% of the book. The chemistry between them just didn't click for me. I also had everything figured out fairly early on, so it was frustrating to have to wade through the different phases of Rue coming to terms with things.

There are a lot of things I really like about it. Overall it has a really great attitude about consent and boundaries. They're discussed often, without shame, and checked in with along the way. Rue specifically has some trauma that affects her day to day life and it's met with respect and understanding from all the characters that matter. There's a big theme of being loved exactly for who you are which is always nice. Rue and Eli are both charming in their own ways. Their banter is fun and I feel like we got to know them both decently.

I liked reading it and would still recommend it to others, I just don't think hookup-to-lovers is my genre. I won't be rereading this but will read more Ali Hazelwood in the future.

The disappearances of two children from the same summer camp, fourteen years apart, highlight the divide between the “Haves” and the “Have-Nots” and the trouble that arises when they collide.

This book is a fascinating puzzle of secrets, lies, and mystery. Everyone is suspicious, everyone is hiding something, and as I pieced together what was happening in all the timelines I found myself genuinely surprised by some of the twists. The pacing was great. The camp setting really anchors the different chapters so it never feels choppy when you jump back and forth. Every detail feels intentional. Clues are subtle until the moment they click into place. I never got bored and I loved trying to figure everything out.

It absolutely nails the expectant, nervous, newly-independent feeling of excitement of a kid away at summer camp. The kind of feeling where you have infinite possibilities ahead of you.

There are a lot of really interesting parallels between the different characters and timelines. The newfound independence of a kid going to summer camp for the first time vs a new bride thrust into a higher social class. The responsibility of taking care of someone else and the sacrifices you make to do so. The family you choose vs the family that is chosen for you. And particularly, the deep instinct of self-preservation that exists in every person regardless of their wealth and circumstances.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking for some summer camp nostalgia with a multi-layered mystery that plays out piece by piece. This book will appeal to a lot of different people, but I do think I had a different experience reading this as a mother than I would have before I had a child and it's the parts of the book around motherhood and the innocence of children that are going to stick with me long after.

This is a vividly written story about the roots that tie us to places and people, the holes they can leave when you sever them, and the true costs of meddling with magic. There are secrets and mystery, gossip and rumors, all set under the foreboding shadow of mountains whose magic can just as easily break you as fix you.
The tension underneath the plot rises steadily throughout the book. The more answers you get about the past the more you can see where things are headed in the future. I honestly didn't expect to be surprised by the end of it but I was. I was so sure for most of the book where things were going but there was just enough ambiguity that it left me curious and I'm glad I followed it through to the end.
I enjoyed this enough to recommend this to other readers but not so much that I think I would read it again. Unraveling what happened in the past was the most interesting part for me. I appreciated the focus on the deep love that can exist between friends and family. The romance aspect sort of fell flat. Carrie falling in love is a pretty key component of the plot but I didn't really sense the chemistry there at all. Matthieu as a character needs to be somewhat mysterious, but I think it goes too far in that he feels like a plot point instead of a fully rounded character. That combined with the multiple perspectives and the time jumps left me wanting a lot more from their relationship.
If you're interested in subtle magic, family drama, non linear timelines, and a bit of mystery then this would probably appeal to you.

This book was provided by NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager in exchange for honest feedback

More magic and more secrets.

It's a delight being back in this universe. New discoveries (big and small), familiar faces, and significantly more magic. The vibes of this one made me wish it was already fall. Spooky and mysterious plots set in a community Diana hasn't fully experienced but where she clearly belongs.

This one feels different than the first three. I flew through it but I wasn't obsessed. The stakes seemed a little lower to me and there's a heavier focus on discovery and learning. The driving force of the plot comes from uncovering secrets instead of outright danger. The vampires are more of background/set dressing than key components of the plot, but in return you get a lot more knowledge about different branches of magic and covens. It felt like it ended a bit abruptly and definitely did some heavy lifting for future plot points.

Despite that I loved it. It does a good job giving you a refresher on relevant plot points from the first few books, although there were a few references I didn't remember and I just did a complete reread. I'm surprised at the direction some of the character development took. The romance is not the focus in this one, you get a bit, but this is truly about Diana's journey learning more about herself as a witch and as a member of the Proctor family.

There's clearly more to come and I'm looking forward to it.

Format note: I had access to both the ebook and a hard copy and would definitely recommend a hard copy. There are small drawings throughout that are whimsically nestled into the text in the hard copy, but appear in an awkward amount of blank space in the ebook. Not a deal breaker but the hard copy formatting is a delight.

This is predominantly historical fiction focused on Marcus. You get a decent amount of new content with Diana and Matthew, some of Phoebe, but Marcus is at the core.

It was good, but I just wasn't that interested in Marcus's history. The pacing is also kind of odd. It's very slow and very choppy. It felt a lot like info dumping. It covers a huge amount of time and bounces between three different story lines, so I'm overall left with the feeling that we're just skimming the surface of everything.

Without the chapters from Diana's perspective I would have seriously considered skipping this one. The process of teaching someone to be a vampire is interesting but tedious, and watching grown characters I admire act like children wasn't for me.

Overall, still worth it to continue with some of the plots from the series but a VERY different vibe. You could probably get away with just reading the Phoebe and Diana chapters.