Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hanna My rating: 2 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Where Darkness Blooms in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Trigger Warning: mention and referral to sexual assault/rape. The Gist I started reading Where Darkness Blooms at the beginning of my vacation and then wasn’t able to read anymore until I was on the plane back home. So, there was a good week and a half during which the book stayed unopened. I don’t like taking big breaks while reading a book. It takes me out of the…
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The Librarian Spy
The Librarian Spy: A Novel of World War II by Madeline Martin My rating: 1 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Librarian Spy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Truth be told, I have not heard about the activities described in the book during World War II, but it was highly interesting and I did learn something new here. How much is fiction and how much is based on true events? Did the characters really exist or are they just figures representing the many people who did this,…
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The Binding Room
The Binding Room by Nadine Matheson Thank you to the publisher, Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Binding Room in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist I made a big mistake. I read a sequel before reading the first part in a series. This is partly due because I didn’t do my research properly. And partly because I thought it wouldn’t be such a big deal if I skipped the first book. How wrong I was. It appears that I tend to get rather agitated and annoyed when something doesn’t make sense. Skipping an entire book that…
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Out of her Depth
Out of Her Depth by Lizzy Barber My rating: 1 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Out of Her Depth in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Alright, my allergy pill is about to kick in, so I’m going to feel a whole lot better in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean this review will magically get any more positive. At first, this story and the mood reminded me a little of Scorpionfish by Natalie Bakopoulos. But the more I read, the more annoyed I got with Out of Her…
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Point Last Seen
Point Last Seen by Christina Dodd My rating: 2 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, HQN, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Point Last Seen in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist I loved Dodd’s Wrong Alibi and was super excited to read Point Last Seen. I should note here that I have not read any of her other works, so I’m not as familiar with the scope of her writing and breadth of genres she covers. The Details Let’s start with the good. I loved the setting: small town on the Pacific coast; kind of isolated from everything…
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Good Husbands
Good Husbands: A Novel by Cate Ray My rating: 3 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Park Row, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Good Husbands in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist I began reading Good Husbands not knowing anything about it and was hooked by the time I had finished reading the dedication. Seems a little quick and impulsive, I know, but the start was very promising. If it had only stayed that way. Let me explain. Just a little trigger warning. The story deals with sexual assault, specifically rape, overdosing, alcoholism and dementia. The Details Three…
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On A Quiet Street
On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Graydon House, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of On A Quiet Street in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Oh, how I love Glass’ writing. I have to confess, though, that I had some difficulty getting through this book. It had nothing to do with the quality of the writing, but more so with the fact that there are a few triggers that kept sending me into bouts of panic and anxiety attacks. It is a shame, since I truly enjoyed the…
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Never Coming Home
Never Coming Home by Hannah Mary McKinnon My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, MIRA Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Never Coming Home in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist This is the third book I have read by McKinnon and even though they are all equally entertaining, Never Coming Home really blew it out of the park. Plainly stated, this is McKinnon’s best story yet. The Details Alright, we have an unreliable narrator, who is the only voice we hear throughout the entire story. Everything that is being said or done is seen through…
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Mrs. England
Mrs England by Stacey Halls My rating: 2 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Mrs. England in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Have you ever been so disappointed by a book that you didn’t even want to write the review, because you really did not want to think of it any longer? Yup, that’s me right now. I can’t be bothered. On top of that, the majority of the reviews for Mrs. England are rather positive. So, what’s going on? Do I just happen to be one of the few, who…
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The Lying Club
The Lying Club: A Novel by Annie Ward My rating: 2 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Park Row, for providing me with an ARC of The Lying Club in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Well, where shall I start with this one? It’s been a heck of a week, which isn’t anything new. Yet, it still makes for a rather grumpy mood and I’m wondering if that has influenced my perception of The Lying Club. Anyone, who has read at least a few reviews of mine, would know that I love murder mystery stories. Having to deal with a cold…
