Meg

I very much enjoyed this book. I enjoy reading celebrity memoirs but sometimes they make me roll my eyes. I feel as though Amy Poehler's book not only had humor but heart. I listened to this on Audible, mostly in my car, and would find myself laughing out loud and even sometimes tearing up. She is a great writer and listening to her read it in her own voice I think made me love it more than if I would have read the book. 100% suggest.

This locked room mystery that weaves the past and present was thoroughly entertaining.

Twenty years ago a tragedy that has been named The Memorial Day Massacre occurred which ended with a group of teens murdered. While someone was convicted for the crime there are still many questions and many things that do not quite add up. Amy Brewer was the only person that was there but got lucky after she left the party due to an argument and was unharmed. She's done her best to put the tragedy behind her. However, when she's invited for an interview by a reputable journalist that's doing a story on the murder she's ready to share her story. Amy and nine others connected to the crime head to a remote cabin and while there they realize there's more to their invitation there than an interview. People start dying and a storm leaves them stranded. Now they have to figure out how to get away and who is desperate enough to kill people to keep secrets about that night.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and the writing had my attention locked in. There's quite an array of different characters and the author did a great job of really making you experience each character. The annoying ones were really annoying, the rude ones I couldn't stand, and I was really rooting for the smart and kind seeming ones. The different characters and the way they interacted with each other didn't leave a dull moment in the book. Each character is suspicious of the others and also trying to cast suspicion away from themselves.

The location is perfect. It gives you enough of a foreboding without being completely shocked that anyone would choose to go to the location with people they don't know (though I still don't think I would). The weather adds the perfect touch that makes an already stressful situation downright terrifying. While I enjoyed the character, the setting, and the story as a whole I did find the ending a bit flat. There was something about it that just wasn't quite satisfying but I can't put my finger on it. I was still left with suspicions I guess.

Highly recommend this thriller!

This was a slow one but if you keep with it the ending is a good payoff.

After a fateful night when they were younger, twins Lenora and Cassie have relied on each other. Currently living in a cabin on a secluded campground they live a pretty peaceful existence; at least from the outside world. After the passing of the owner of their campground a new woman has bought it and moved in. Then a couple and their teenage daughter come to stay for the weekend and all three of the cabins are occupied. When the teen goes missing and is soon found dead the twins start to suspect everyone that was there at the campground. They even start to suspect that each other knows more than they are sharing. Their peaceful cabin is now riddled with danger and they must figure out what's going on before one or both of them are next.

This book is very slow. Luckily the writing is good and it makes reading it enjoyable. I found both sisters to be frustrating but overall good characters and learning about them made reading it enjoyable as well. However, about halfway through I became frustrated. The story is told from the perspective of both Cassie and Lenora and also a third perspective that isn't revealed until the end. For the first half of the book I was collecting more and more questions and was not getting any answers which is why I was getting frustrated. Luckily I kept with it and by the last quarter of the book I got most of the questions I needed answers to. And the answers I didn't get weren't that pressing to the story. The twist was exciting and made sense which also made the payoff worth it.

I recommend but I'd go into this knowing that it's a slow build.

After their horrific encounter at the Hearst Hotel the Ghost Gang now have over a million subscribers, a manager, and more opportunities. When they get invited to take a cruise on the Queen Anne, a ship with a bloodied past but is now a luxury cruise liner, the gang is excited to investigate and get a little vacation while they're at it. However, from the moment they step on the ship strange things start happening and they soon realize this is like no haunting they've experienced and they don't think they're equipped to handle it.

While this is a sequel to Horror Hotel it can be read as a standalone. Though, I do recommend reading Horror Hotel, not only because it's great but because it gives a lot of backstory to the characters and you'll understand a bit more of what they're going through in Cursed Cruise. I love is all of the characters - Emma, Kiki, Chase, and Chrissy are so lovable in their own way and I love the relationship they have with one another. Told from each of theirs perspective you get to really get to know each character and what motivates and scares them.

This is definitely YA! Getting to read from each 18 year olds perspective you also get to read how each character talks. So there is a lot of new slang (for example “sus” is used instead of suspicious). So there is no mistaken that these are young characters and this is a YA book. Which is completely fine, if at times a bit striking for this millennial. One thing I do love is that these characters aren't trying to act or be portrayed older than they are. Many YA characters always seem to act more adult or be put in more adult situations than many adults I know but these characters are portrayed as typical newly graduated from high school 18 year olds which is refreshing.

And, finally, the plot of this story. I LOVE a good haunted ship story and am always sad that there aren't more movies or books on the subject. The perspective of the ship was a nice touch. There were so many cliques throughout and it touched on many of the haunted ship tropes. I enjoyed how each character was having a different experience but there were also collective experiences that made it undeniable that the ship was haunted. And not only haunted but cursed which added an extra layer of mystery. Some of the descriptions are down right terrifying!

If you're looking for a fun (yet creepy), quick read I recommend this!

The Hollow Dead is the 4th book in the Graveyard series. After waking up with no memory and being chased through the woods by mysterious men Keira ends up in the small town of Blighty. There she finds shelter thanks to a pastor and after realizing she is now safe, she starts to make a home in Blighty all the while trying to piece together her past. Oh, and she also sees ghosts. She soon befriends Zoe and Mason and together they start trying to figure out who is hunting Keira and how her power works. As Keira learns about her ability to see ghosts she starts helping people, both dead and alive, with some unfinished business. We now know that the people responsible for hunting Keira are apart of a company called Artec that are doing some sinister things to the ghosts that end up in their cemeteries to produce energy and profit. The 4th book continues on the story where and we get to learn about Keira's past and watch the ever evolving relationships she's made along the way.

While I think this book is integral to the story it was my least favorite of the series. I thought that it felt both rushed and slow at the same time. I didn't connect with the characters I've come to love so much as I have with the past books. However, that is not saying that it isn't worth the read. After getting so invested in this story it felt so satisfying to finally get some answers and see how the relationships between Keira, Zoe, and Mason are growing and becoming even more meaningful. Also to see Keira's relationship with herself evolving is beautiful.

Finally, Daisy the cat will always be 5 stars! We also got to learn more about Daisy which I think may have been my favorite part.

I loved The Nightmare Man and this was a great second book from J.H. Market.

In a small town there is an infamous tunnel that always seems to have disaster and tragedy associated with it. It was collapsed in after a young boy, Sully Dupree, was injured and remains in a coma. We get introduced to some key members of the town that all have connections to Sully as well as some people that have never been to the town or even have met the boy but still have strong connections to him. As bizarre murders start happening and bodies are showing up at the tunnel and a brief moment where Sully wakes up with a warning members of the small town of Herrod's Reach start to learn that there are two worlds and the sleeping world is starting to come into the real world.

This book is very entertaining but does take some concentration to follow along. There are a lot of different story lines that are all intertwined but it takes some time before you see how. As someone with night terrors I've always found folklore around dreams intriguing and especially loved the use of it in this book. If you read The Nightmare Man you would have already gotten a taste of this world from J.H. Markert. This book is a standalone though and you don't have to have read The Nightmare Man to read this one but there are bits of the story that overlap and there is even a part where the setting and plot of The Nightmare Man is specifically talked about.

The way the book ended has me very hopeful that there is going to be a sequel where we'll get more answers. If there isn't then it's a disappointing ending but an entertaining read.

For those that are interested in the curious cases that have an endless amount of conspiracy theories and/or love outdoor sports this book is for you.

Four people go on a climbing expedition, all go missing, and then 3 are found dead. The 3 bodies that are found are in such condition that medical professionals and investigators are both baffled. After years there is still no explanation and the fourth person has not been found. These four people are unaware of their fate as they excitedly hike into the woods in the spring of 2019. Clay is a geology student who is working on his PhD. When he finds a cliff in the Kentucky woods that is untouched he knows it's the perfect location for his thesis. He gets together a fellow student, Sylvia, to be his research assistant, Dylan, an old friend that just got signed with a professional climbing company, and Luke, Dylan's boyfriend and belayer (which is basically the person that holds the rope at the bottom of the cliff for the climber for those like me that don't know climbing lingo). The trip starts out with everyone excited and eager and soon turns into a nightmare.

This was inspired by the Dyatlov Pass incident which is endlessly fascinating to me. Unlike the Dyatlov Pass incident while the professionals and the public in the book never learn what happened to these four people us as the readers get the full, terrifying account. I loved Jenny Kiefer's writing. I am not an outdoorsy sportsman person and have never been climbing indoors or outdoors so I'm completely unaware of any aspect of the sport. But I ended up not only knowing so much more about climbing that I did before starting the book I felt like I actually climbed a mountain. The descriptions are amazing that you can tell the author has climbing experience. While it was amazing (and a bit scary) reading about the climbing excursion this also meant that the other more sinister events of the book are very detailed as well. It was easy to feel like I was losing my mind while reading.

By the end of the book I felt like some parts were a little bit overdone in the sense they felt like they dragged on for too long. However, overall, it is a great story and a great read. Highly recommend.

This is my first S.A. Barnes novel and I am a fan.

In the unspecified future, space exploration is a huge money making endeavor and there are two corporations that basically own the market. ERS is a space base condition that can lead to disaster and is a death sentence for someone's career. There's a famous case that ended with the brutal murders of 29 people and since, it's something that nobody wants to be associated with. Dr. Ophelia Bray is a psychologist that specifically works in the study and prevention of ERS in those that work in the space exploration field. After Ophelia experiences a work-related tragedy she decides to take her expertise on site. She's assigned to a crew that also has had a tragedy among them and soon finds herself in space with a group of people that clearly don't trust her or want her there. As they get to the planet they will be exploring things start to get odd - the previous crew clearly made a hasty exit from the planet. Then a member of the crew is found dead in a gruesome way and things go from odd to a nightmare. The crew must work together to find out what is going on but when everyone has secrets it's hard to know who to trust - especially when you might not even be able to trust yourself.

This book has layers! Set in the future it immediately gets you acclimated to this futuristic world. Though it's futuristic there are a lot of parallels to present day so it's easy to connect to. Dr. Ophelia Bray is the FMC that has layers herself. As you get to know her background, family, and motivations you get more questions surrounding Ophelia. Not only has Ophelia experienced a tragedy, the team she is assigned to has as well. This has left the team on edge and even more reluctant to trust Ophelia since psychologists can end someone's career without even meaning to. Any mention of ERS or symptoms that could lead to ERS can easily put someone out of work in the space exploration field.

ERS itself is interesting. It reminds me of PTSD but stemming more from isolation instead of trauma. Which space would be pretty isolating I would think. How S.A. Barnes creates this whole mental illness into the book was so interesting and gave the book more tension. The motivation behind Ophelia's study of it is also so intriguing, though that's part of the mystery of Ophelia that you learn about as the book goes on. Every character is interesting; there are things that make you like them or hate them but every one of them had me wondering what they're hiding.

Overall the book is a great blending of sci-fi and horror. There's some body horror along with thriller vibes. Also, if you don't trust big corporations and those that run it this book won't make you feel hopeful for the future.

Darcy Coates is the queen of horror in my eyes. This is her first YA and I was so pleased that it was just as scary as many of her other books though it felt completely different than many of her books.

Abby Ward lives in a strange town where people randomly go missing regularly. Because of this the town doesn't stray out after dark and Abby, her sister, Hope, and her group of friends have strict rules that they follow. The group of friends are dedicated to getting out of the town and learning as much about the mysterious villain they call the Stitcher (as the victims will reappear stitched together wrong with red thread) so they don't become his (its?) next victim. But when Hope goes missing Abby is desperate to do everything she can to get her back and not have her be the Stitcher's next victim. With the help of her friends and a newcomer to the town she goes after her sister and uncovers just who (or what) the Stitcher is.

While this is such a dark and sad story in a dark and sad town I couldn't help but love the characters. The group of friends all have unique qualities and personalities and their relationships with each other are heart warming. The townspeople are well written and the villains are absolutely creepy. My favorite part is trying to piece together if this is supernatural or just the work of a serial killer. Without giving anything away I can say there are some downright terrifying scenes. Between the group digging into the town's history to the action packed scenes I was entertained throughout the whole thing.

Loved this book. It was a bit hard to get into at first due to the amount of historical references that I wasn't fully knowledgeable on but once I looked up the information and understood more the book took off. I like how it takes place in many different settings and loved the new characters that were introduced. If you a lover of history this book (this trilogy) is a must.

This book starts right out of the gate. There is no warm up to the group starting to realize something is off. Which I loved. Quite a lot of thrillers tend to build the scene and the characters before getting into the meaty part where the characters realize not all is what it may seem (which there is nothing wrong with that). However, I found it refreshing to get to the excitement ASAP. I also enjoyed the switch between the past and present. You can guess the twist of a lot of thrillers because they give you a lot of information that you can put together if you're a good sleuth. It was hard to put anything together with this book because you're learning what happened in the past as you're learning what is happening in the present. It's two story lines that unfold right next to each other from start to finish (just 10 years apart). Not only was the delivery of the twist satisfying but the twist itself was a good one.

Another reason for my five stars was Milla, the narrator. I really liked her, flaws and all. The awareness and growth she had over ten years was believable. The way she viewed and interacted with her friends was very human as well. Sometimes protagonists/narrators are either made too perfect or too imperfect to like, but she was a perfect mixture of both (for myself). The way Reynolds introduced and allowed us to get to know the other characters was also interesting. The good, the bad, and the ugly. You couldn't help but be suspicious of all of them in some way. Even the ones you wanted to love.





SPOILERS COMING UP. DO NOT READ FARTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS









The final thing that made me really love the book was the ending. And I think this could go either way. I'm a sucker for a happy ending. I really like Milla and Curtis. I like Brent too but I think the author did a good job at making the reader see that he's changed from the fun loving, sweet guy he was 10 years ago and also not allowing us to get to know him much present day. Where Milla and Curtis have a lot of time together and dialogue you start to feel a connection between the two and are really rooting for them (the same for past and present). So when it's revealed that Curtis and Milla were NOT the killer and also not the one harassing them currently, I was so relieved. I did love Brent, but I didn't feel too disappointed when his reveal came because I know past Brent and current Brent were two different people and this was the incident that caused the change. The author did a GREAT job at describing real life sexuality and relationships. Milla was straight, but also had a thing for Sastia that she didn't understand until well after she slept with her. She had relations with Brent but didn't want any more than a physical relationship and friendship (especially since she liked Curtis). Brent felt slighted and clingy to Milla (even though that's usually the girl's M.O.). These people and relationships weren't clean cut and put into compartments or stereotyped. And FINALLY Milla and Curtis get to be with each other felt like some poetic justice considering they were the two most innocent of the group, yet still had to deal with so much pain.

This book ended up being not quite what I expected. However, I still enjoyed it.

Julia is a case worker and her husband, Tyler, is a school teacher. They live in the city with their son and are struggling financially. They both love what they do but don't get paid much to do it. They start to have hope that their situation could change when they learn of the unfortunate death of Julia's Aunt Lilith and the inheritance that she left Julia. The beautiful estate Lilith owned with her two young foster children.
Julia and her family move into the beautiful home but it's not the picture perfect home she was hoping for. With Lilith's mysterious death, the two children missing, and the town full of nasty gossip, it hasn't been a very easy road for the family in this new home. While trying to settle in eerie things keep happening and their forced to consider that the house may be haunted. Which also leads them to question exactly how Lilith died and what happened to the children?

This book was definitely a very easy and entertaining read. I REALLY love horror -stories, books, movies - the creepier the better! So this book was very very mild for me. However, if you like a good ole ghost story with a twist this would be for you. Especially if you want to get into horror but only want to dip your toes, I'd suggest this to start out with! I will say don't go into it expecting a written masterpiece. The dialogue and writing is a bit slower but it just makes it easier to plow through.

This was such a different read than I was expected. It was a bit of whodunnit, a bit of dark fantasy, and a whole lot of death.

To start I will premise with I am from Baltimore. A lot of the themes and feelings related to the city the main character grapples with I can completely relate to. There was also a bit of nostalgia since I haven't lived in Baltimore since I was 14 years old.

I'll begin with Joey, the main character. She is hardened and she has attitude. She has the attitude of someone that has been screwed over one too many times. Her upbringing was hard, and her personality reflects it. She has a very deep seeded distrust for the police. So, when she picks up her friend's car that needs a tow and finds a body in the trunk she's none too thrilled about the attention from the police that brings her. And the attention it brings her friend after he cannot be found for questioning. The longer he's missing the more it's assumed he caused the person in the trunk's death. To everyone other than Joey. She believes wholeheartedly that her friend could never do such a thing. And when she goes finding answers she finds way more than she bargained for.

This is where things get a little crazy. The beginning starts off strong. We're introduced to the characters, the setting, and the mystery that surrounds Joey's friend Wayland, the body found, and the suspicious substance that was found with it. As she's digging, we start getting more into the fantasy part of the book. And then halfway through the book things start to really get weird. Which, I love weird. Except this was kind of confusing weird. When everything was said and done, I was left with more questions than answers. I did enjoy the premise and the ending, but I just wish some of the plot holes were tidied up a bit better. Most were left unanswered or answered so briefly you could almost miss it. There is one twist that I thought was clever but again was a bit confusing for a lot of the book.

The writing was also a bit difficult at times. Sometimes it would be sped up and get confusing. Almost as if it was rushed. Which I think may have had something to do with Joey's state of mind at times, but it was hard to tell.

Due to it being a bit confusing and some questions going unanswered or not being answered thoroughly enough I gave it a lower rating. However, overall, I felt the premise of this was very interested. If you like a book that's weird and dark, I suggest this one.

The twist in The Other Woman had me floored when I listened to Sandie Jones' previous novel. So when I got the chance to listen to the Guilt Trip I was very excited! Here's the good and the bad.

I'll start with the things I liked. I really like the main character, Rachel. I think Jones did a very good job at capturing what it's like to wrestle with inner demons and your past and how it can make the way you look at others a bit skewed. Especially in someone that is an honestly good person. The dynamics between the three couples were fun, put you on edge, and was even cringey at times (but in a good way). I did at times second guess my opinions of each character. If you are a fan of reality television or soap operas/dramas I think you'll enjoy this book.

Now for what I didn't care for. I felt this book is misleading. I went in thinking that it was more of thriller when I think it is more domestic drama/ contemporary fiction. There is a brief “who dunnit” and there is some thrill trying to figure out if someone is lying and if so, who. Overall, though, I felt like I enjoyed it more thinking it as NOT a domestic thriller. If I was to to look at this like a thriller more, I feel like I'd be more disappointed. I knew from the beginning some of the main “truths” about the characters. The twist was interesting and entertaining but overall not incredibly exciting and a bit underwhelming. I may be comparing this to the author's previous book The Other Woman which I found the twist very exciting and I did not see coming so I would in no way exclude this from your TBR. However, if you are a die hard Thriller fan and doesn't enjoy the more domestic books this may not be for you. If you are just get into thrillers this may be the perfect book for you because there are aspects of it that are thrilling.

Overall I enjoyed this book and was entertained. However, I did not feel it was a thriller. I also suggest going into this as blind as possible. I think that if I would have read the description before I'd have been a bit disappointed while listening. But I went in only knowing the author and her previous book so I think that helped me enjoy it more. The narrator for the audio was fun to listen to as well.

*Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, Macmillan Audio and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am very excited for the rest of the books in this trilogy. I thought this book was decent but it was definitely (hopefully) setting up for the series.

I love the concept of this book. The magic, the atmosphere, the people, and the plot are all unique. I enjoyed very much getting to know Tea and the circumstances that get her to become a powerful Bone Witch.....I THINK she becomes a powerful Bone Witch. You get snippets throughout this book showing Tea being strong and wielding a power that the world has never seen. The majority of the time the book is going through Tea's life after she learns that she has the magic of a Bone Witch. It's almost like an origin story - we just don't know what makes Tea such a legend yet. There are a FEW exciting parts, however, most of the book is pretty boring. They go over her lessons, the people she meets, the roles of the different people, the history, etc. Which is great, but it's a little dull when that is the WHOLE of the book.

My rating would have been less if this was a standalone. Overall, I think this book gave a lot of information that built this world and these characters and I am excited to get to the next two books!

Abby and Gretchen have been best friends ever since Gretchen was the only one to show up at Abby's birthday party in the 4th grade. Now in high school, they are still inseparable, but have slightly different priorities now. Going into their 10th grade year everything begins as usual. Until one night after a botched acid trip Gretchen starts acting different. She's not bathing, she's wearing the same clothes, her sweet demeanor is switched to a more aggressive one, and she seems to be pulling away and ignoring all of her friends. As Abby starts to really worry Gretchen shows up to school better than ever. Except, something is still not right. From there, Abby fights to get back her best friend, because it's clear to her that's not Gretchen.

I enjoyed this read so much. It was very entertaining and scary. I am a fan of anything scary, creepy, weird, or unexplained. So this was in my wheel house. I was born in the 90's but I have a LOVE for 80's movies (especially horror movies) and this was the best book for some 80's nostalgia (especially for music). I don't know how but Hendrix captured the angst and antics of a teenage girl quite well. There were moments when I thought “man, these kids are mean” but then remembered what it was like being in high school and how every little comment could be blown up into something bigger and worse than it is. In a book that is anything but sweet the love and friendship between Abby and Gretchen is hear warming. I listened to this on Audible and the narrator did a great job. All around, a very entertaining and creepy read. Highly recommend to those that love horror AND to those that love a good 80's teen drama.

This is one of the books that took me FOREVER to get to, and when I did I was kicking myself that I didn't get to it sooner. I'm a big fan of thrillers but horror is my first love. The Deadly Calling satisfied both. I would consider this a thriller, but there are some aspects that made it lean towards horror for me. I kind of went into this thinking of the tv crime dramas, but this was more like a fast paced Hollywood blockbuster.

Overall, I loved the ride. The characters are interesting, but this is definitely plot driven. Tim Langford will keep you turning the pages at a fast rate to see what happens next. I am very excited to read more from this author!

Another book which proves that Lindsay Currie is the queen of middle grade horror.

Hazel is an excellent detective to the chagrin of her parents. With hopes of one day starting a podcast she decides to follow her older brother, Den, to the creepy cemetery to hopefully get some content for her first episode. Shortly after her brother and his friends start their late night game of hide and seek something mysterious happens that sends everyone running except one - who ends up missing. With Den's best friend Everett missing, Hazel knows she must put her sleuthing skills to use to find him. Between Hazel, Den, and Hazel's best friend they're sure that there's something paranormal to Everett's disappearance and they must follow the clues to save him.

Lindsay's books are always filled with great characters that share a comraterie that will take you back to your middle school days (if you're so lucky). I think that's why kids and adults love her books - not only because they're filled with adventure and intense creepyness but because of how lovable every character is.

The journey to figure out the mystery is filled with some quick thinking on Hazel's part with the help of her brother and best friend. And the revelation of what is really happening in the graveyard is so heartbreaking but Currie does a great job of adding heart to it that it's also beautiful.

I highly recommend ALL of Lindsay's books and this one is no exception!

Well. Well. Well. This book was an interesting one! I felt like The Fast and the Furious was combined with Flatliners and Call Me By Your Name. And I mean this in all of the best ways. I felt that the haunts and scary bits in this book were almost second hand. I was so pulled in by the characters and their relationships with one another and the hunt for answers about Eddie's research and death that I would breeze through a scary part and have to go back because I felt like I didn't fully appreciate it. I'm all for the scares but when you add some interesting character building AND a budding romance I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT! The descriptions made me feel like I could feel what the main character was going through too.

There were a few things that didn't feel complete to me and some things that I wish Mandelo would have gone in more depth with. However, I felt that, overall, the story was great. Very entertaining! The subtle but visible issues that are highlighted was also something that I liked but wished there was more on them. I recommend this for fans of Horror, LGBTQIA+, and Thrillers. This was a Audio listen for me and LOVED the narrator.

TW:Violence, Death, Suicide, Racism, Homophobia, Drug & Alcohol use

*Thank you to Netgalley and McMillan Audio for the audio ARC for an honest review.

This was an interesting read but didn't quite hit the mark for me.

This book delves into some explanations of the science of the paranormal.

First, I should state that I have a huge interest in the paranormal. While I'm no expert there was nothing new to me in this book. However, the author's opinions and theories were interesting. But that is basically what it was - a book based on one man's theories and thoughts. Not to say he doesn't know his stuff or didn't state information from other sources but in a field that has no definitive science a lot of it is based on theories. Looking at this book as more of a think/opinions piece allowed me to enjoy it.

This book made my horror movie heart happy. The Descent is one of my favorite horror movies and this has the vibes. Throw in The Blair Witch Project (but better), Flatliners, and a good psychological thriller and that's the vibe it felt like to me.

Four girls have one thing in common. They are thrill seekers. After an accident that disperses the thrill seeking group they're in, Amalie finds a few members to do one last challenge. Take a trip to the Sublime - a lake that's supposed to help change something you want changed. The only thing is it's never been found, the legend surrounding it is a creepy one and the directions to it lead them to a cave system in the woods. With the four girls being basically strangers, they head on this journey with their own motives but as things get challenging those motives start to be questioned. And when only three girls emerge the mystery becomes what happened in the cave.

The way this book is laid out is so perfect. It's set up to mess with your mind a bit while keeping you flipping the pages to figure out what happened. Told from the perspective of Amalie and a detective at the scene when they emerge, it really sets the tone of making you second guess every conclusion you come to. I'm still questioning days after I've finished it. Highly recommend.

I'm not going to lie. I went from loving this book to hating this book pretty frequently. It started off with much of the content being over my head. Which actually made me really get into it since I love learning new things. I immediately liked the narrator and even liked the chapters that bounced to other characters' points of view. What I had the most issue with was how Diana seemed to go from being this strong woman to timid and love-stricken.

After I was finished with this book I realized I could hardly put it down. Even during the parts that made me roll my eyes. I also feel as though the points of the book that made me start to hate it were redeemed later. Looking back on it I realized that I completely loved it. The fact that I hated certain parts made me almost love it more because it made me need to keep going. Once I was finished I immediately had a need to read the next book in the series. And as far as I'm concerned that is what reading a good book is all about.

For those looking for some fantasy, history, love, and mystery I definitely recommend.


UPDATE from reread Jan. 2022: The above review still holds pretty true. However, since then, I have watched the tv series (about 3 times). And I must say I think I like the tv series better (I know, I know-that never happens). This book just has A LOT of unnecessary information, dialogue, and subplots. I get it for the world-building, but now that I am more familiar with the story I don't think it was necessary. I'm excited to read the next two books to see if my opinions have changed for those.

A creepy novel that includes a family secret, a family house that may be haunted, and twin girls that are at the center of it.

After his wife's sudden death Alfie is now left to raise his two twin girls on his own. While himself grieving his two daughters start having strange dreams and create a new imaginary friend. Though originally he believes it's part of their grief process he soon starts to wonder if there isn't something more sinister at play. Without knowing what else to do he asks Julia, his wife's twin sister and a psychiatrist, to help with his two daughters and their new behavior. But as the girls start getting more wrapped up with their new imaginary friend both Julia and Alfie start having strange things happen to them and soon have to confront their role in everything that is happening.

Both of the narrators are fantastic. The switch between Alfie's POV and Julia's POV was done very seamlessly. This was an interesting debut novel. The writing made me eager to learn what exactly is going on in the family home called Hart House. I knew there was much more to the story that would eventually be revealed. Unfortunately, the reveal left me a little underwhelmed. And the story goes at a pretty slow pace so that may have added in not being super intrigued as we learned more about the family and the house. While reading the book felt like a chore when I switched to listening to the audiobook it helped me get into it much more. The narrators did a wonderful job making the characters come to life.

I really enjoyed the writing as a whole and the narration but felt like the story needed more. I wanted to know more about certain aspects of the story and the people in it.

This book is described as for fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls and I can totally see that. There's a small town vibe to it reminiscent of Gilmore Girls and the messy lives of a family of witches like Practical Magic.

Sadie loves her magic - it's what makes her her. So the fact that she has a curse that if/when she experiences four heartbreaks she'll lose her magic she was fine leading a lonely life away from people that could cause her heartbreak. She's already had two and she's as guarded as can be. But when her first heartbreak and childhood sweetheart, Jake, moves back home and her second heartbreak, her estranged brother, also comes back home she has her walls up. Then her grandmother who raised her and her brother is diagnosed with cancer her world is turned upside down. As family secrets comes to light Sadie is doing everything in her power to maintain some semblance of control.

This book was both exciting and like being wrapped in a warm hug. I found the FMC, Sadie, to be kind of annoying and frustrating but I also loved her dearly. It made her character arc so much more satisfying. I did fall in love with every other character and I think my frustration with Sadie was not seeing herself the way the people around her saw her (for good or for bad).

The small town setting was also so perfect. And the magical aspects made the book.....magical for lack of a better word. There was some great buildup and foreshadowing that kept me intrigued through each chapter. And each chapter has some recipes that, along with the descriptions in the book, will make you hungry and want to curl up with a cup of tea. The ending was great and could be a satisfying ending to a standalone or open it up to have a sequel. I, for one, would be ecstatic for a sequel as I've fallen in love with these people and their town.

Highly recommend - perfect read for any season.

This book was magical! I couldn't stop reading it.

When Opal was younger she was endlessly fascinated by the mysterious Starling House that has a long history of creepy and interesting stories about it and it's inhabitants. She would dream about it often but when her mother dies tragically she can no longer live in fantasy. Presently, Opal lives in a motel in a dying town with her younger brother that she cares for. Opal is doing all she can to keep them afloat and to hopefully save enough money to get her brother out of the town. But when she gets a job offer to work in THE Starling House she knows that nothing good can come from this but decides to take the job anyway. With each work day that passes she starts to feel like Starling House is her home and gets more pulled in by the odd owner. However, strange and dangerous things also start to happen.

The writing of this book is so beautiful. Many parts of this book are not beautiful but instead ugly and heartbreaking but it's impossible to not invest in the characters, the town, and the house from Alix E. Harrow's writing. I very much enjoyed how there was a fairy tale mixed with some true crime lore surrounding this house. And the house is a character in itself.