Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield My rating: 1 of 5 stars I think this was one of the most anticipated books of 2019 for me and what a let down it turned out to be. I waited months for this story to become available at my local library; that’s how in demand it is. When I finally held it in my hands all I could think was “tis mine now!” and I took it with me on my trip to the UK. That’s right. I lugged a book halfway across the world on top of buying a whole bunch of books on my trip for research purposes. And…
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Lipstick Voodoo (Kincaid Strange, #2)
Lipstick Voodoo by Kristi Charish My rating: 2 of 5 stars I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I had trouble reading this one. It was very difficult to get into the story, I think partially because I read The Voodoo Killings (part 1 of the series) almost a year and a half ago and the second part picks up right where the first one left off. I couldn’t remember the details of how it ended, and I kept getting distracted by trying to piece together what little I still knew. A lot of characters carried over from the first…
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Edinburgh Dusk (Ian Hamilton Mysteries #2)
Edinburgh Dusk by Carole Lawrence My rating: 5 of 5 stars I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.Detective Inspector Hamilton is back. I was very excited to have been approved to read an ARC of this and promptly decided to put my schoolwork on hold until I had finished reading it, which only took about two days. Once you start this story, you won’t stop until the last page.DI Hamilton is just as introverted and unsociable as ever. Always quick with a cheeky remark and ready to solve another case. I was glad the story also included most of the…
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The Cheerleaders
The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas My rating: 5 of 5 stars I don’t know how I came to know about this story, but I immediately put a hold on it at the library and couldn’t wait to read it. I finished it in 2 days.Truth be told, regardless of what the synopsis promised the reader, I was still expecting a tongue-in-cheek, high-school serial killer sort of story like Scream Queens, which it certainly was not.The characters, with their secret agendas and equally suspicious motivations, were well thought out and created. The main character, with her own share of emotional turmoil and hardship, was highly intriguing to follow on her path…
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Witch: A Doyle Witch Cozy Mystery
Witch: A Doyle Witch Cozy Mystery by Kirsten Weiss My rating: 1 of 5 stars I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the author in exchange for an honest review.A few months ago I read another of the author’s books called Deja Moo part of the A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series and it turned out it wasn’t really my cup of tea. Naturally, I was a bit hesitant reading another of the author’s stories. Sadly, my intuition wasn’t wrong. Before I continue, I have to say that this is the first book in The Witches of Doyle series I have read.The characters seemed overdrawn and even exaggerated.…
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Girl at the Grave
Girl at the Grave by Teri Bailey Black My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was given this ARC by the publisher in return for an honest review.I have to start out by saying I couldn’t read this story during my commute, because I got so invested in it that one time I only made it home through sheer muscle memory. At one point I found myself on a bus and only hoped it went to my destination.What a journey this story was! If I remember correctly, one of my favourite authors wrote a review on Girl at the Grave and I immediately had to read it. I was so…
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To Catch A Witch
To Catch a Witch by Heather Blake My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was given this ARC by the publisher in return for an honest review.Heather Blake is back and I am beyond excited! Well, I don’t know if she ever left, but it felt like an eternity since the last Wishcraft story and I am very glad I got to read her newest book during the blistering heat in the middle of summer.I am absolutely not joking. The welcomed break from the heat and humidity even if only imagined was bliss. The author’s skill at describing the beautiful scenery that has been the backdrop of this wonderful cozy…
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Deja Moo (Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum #3)
Deja Moo by Kirsten Weiss My rating: 2 of 5 stars I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the author in exchange for an honest review.Before I begin this review, I should admit that I have not read the first or second part of this murder mystery series, therefore all of my impressions have been formed only by this third installment.I found there were too many characters to keep track of to make for an interesting story. The main character felt slightly too confident and distant to allow for the reader to make a connection with her.My greatest obstacle with this story was the amount of detail it…
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Yesternight by Cat Winters
Yesternight by Cat WintersMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I missed the publication of Winters’ latest book and did not purchase it until the Valentine’s Day weekend, after my husband insisted on getting it for me as quickly as possible. Just like with all of Winters’ book, I could have read it in one sitting.I truly enjoy Winters’ decision to write each book in a different time period and this story, set in the 1920’s was just as engaging as all of her previous stories. The paranormal aspect had me turning page after page as the story unfolded.The main character was a well crafted multidimensional young woman, stuck between the…
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The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters
The Cure for Dreaming by Cat WintersMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I never judge a book by its cover. I don’t care, if there is a pretty picture on the front cover, trying to allude to the contents of the story or if it is just wrapped in brown paper. But something struck me when I looked at this book the first time. I had to read it without even perusing the synopsis. It was a strange and enticing feeling being drawn to a book with such intensity. This strange and enticing feeling continued throughout the entire reading of the story. It was dark, sad, infuriating and powerful.Being an…
