A Lesson in Vengeance by. Victoria Lee | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: A Lesson in Vengeance

Author: Victoria Lee

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 8/3/21

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Dark Academia, Mystery, Thriller, Witchcraft, LGBT+, Mental Health

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

For fans of Wilder Girls and Ninth House comes a dark, twisty, atmospheric thriller about a boarding school haunted by its history of witchcraft and two girls dangerously close to digging up the past.

Felicity Morrow is back at Dalloway School.

Perched in the Catskill mountains, the centuries-old, ivy-covered campus was home until the tragic death of her girlfriend. Now, after a year away, she’s returned to graduate. She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students—girls some say were witches. The Dalloway Five all died mysteriously, one after another, right on Godwin grounds.

Witchcraft is woven into Dalloway’s history. The school doesn’t talk about it, but the students do. In secret rooms and shadowy corners, girls convene. And before her girlfriend died, Felicity was drawn to the dark. She’s determined to leave that behind her now; all Felicity wants is to focus on her senior thesis and graduate. But it’s hard when Dalloway’s occult history is everywhere. And when the new girl won’t let her forget.

It’s Ellis Haley’s first year at Dalloway, and she’s already amassed a loyal following. A prodigy novelist at seventeen, Ellis is a so-called “method writer.” She’s eccentric and brilliant, and Felicity can’t shake the pull she feels to her. So when Ellis asks Felicity for help researching the Dalloway Five for her second book, Felicity can’t say no. Given her history with the arcane, Felicity is the perfect resource.

And when history begins to repeat itself, Felicity will have to face the darkness in Dalloway–and in herself.

The vibe in A Lesson in Vengeance is dark and it’s done so well. Our setting is Dalloway School which is a boarding school for girls but the school comes with a history of murder and witchcraft. The girls who come here are intellectuals, I mean I had to google some big words in this one. They talked like intellectuals, dressed like it, smoked like it too (Ellis did at least) and these are teenagers! How are they so sophisticated?

Felicity has a dark past at Dalloway, her ex-girlfriend, Alex, died there. Ellis Halley is a new student, a novelist at seventeen and the two girls become friends. Felicity is dealing with grief and guilt because of how Alex had died. She has seen a therapist and was on anti-depressants but being back at Dalloway is getting to her. Felicity feels like Alex is haunting her. She thinks that maybe her intense research into the witchcraft the Dalloway Five had practiced years ago lead to an evil presence on campus, that she herself is cursed when she delved too deep. But Ellis wants to prove to Felicity that magic isn’t real and the deaths of the Dalloway Five were straight-up murders instead. It helps that Ellis is a novelist and doing research to write a story about murder anyway – so the girls set out to replica certain events of the past. But these girls are not who we think they are. They play off one another so well – two mysterious, very intellectual girls, one with a hidden agenda, the other just trying to keep up.

There is blood, tarot and tea readings, secrets, history, research, books (so many books) and events that make you question everything.

The setting of Dalloway is so dreary and gloomy with fall turning into winter as shadows creep on this old campus. I really enjoyed it and this would make a wonderful book to read in the fall.

This book is twisty! I found myself surprised at some of the twist and turns and it made me read this book in one sitting. At one point the beginning reminded me of a female cast of Dead Poets Society. Felicity is an unreliable character dealing with her past with Alex, and it made me question a lot of things and even her sanity. Ellis is mysterious and we only know so much about her until the end where a lot of reveals take place.

Triggers: death, self-harm, killing of animal, drowning

I like how the story progresses, the twists and turns, but the ending was a little anti-climatic for me. It built up nicely but then it resolves quickly, like it was that easy for Felicity to fix everything yet we do learn why…which was another mind blowing moment – but I almost missed it. I caught it and re-read the passage a few times to make sure I wasn’t misreading but it was rushed.

The pacing was okay, the beginning is slow, and the ending is rushed. It’s supposed to be slow and atmospheric I guess because we are being immersed in the setting, we get lost in Felicity’s thoughts because she is lost in grief, guilt, obsessed with the witchcraft history and wondering if she is being haunted. There were times I wanted that part to speed up, I wanted to know was it murder or witchcraft? Both?

This one kept me interested from start to finish and I enjoyed it a lot despite some issues. I can’t say I read a lot of dark academia but this definitely opened me up to this genre and it’s aesthetic. The atmosphere and setting was well written and the twists were shocking and fantastic. Felicity and Ellis are two very smart girls, but in the end we figure out who was the more clever one, I suppose. If you like eerie settings, an unreliable narrator, twists and turns that make you question what you are reading, then you will enjoy this one.

📚 ~ Yolanda

House of Hollow by. Krystal Sutherland | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: House of Hollow

Author: Krysta Sutherland

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 4/6/21

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Magical Realism

Seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their throats.

Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris learns just how weird her life can get: horned men start shadowing her, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and ugly, impossible memories start to twist their way to the forefront of her mind.

As Iris retraces Grey’s last known footsteps and follows the increasingly bizarre trail of breadcrumbs she left behind, it becomes apparent that the only way to save her sister is to decipher the mystery of what happened to them as children.

The closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she comes to understanding that the answer is dark and dangerous – and that Grey has been keeping a terrible secret from her for years.

Now this was a very interesting story to read before bedtime! The closer I got to the end, the more horrified my face looked and my husband had to ask me what was wrong. 😅 I said the book was a little disturbing.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to get with this story but House of Hollow is dark, mysterious, eerie, filled with disturbing images of death smelling flowers and bugs coming out of bodies.

Iris Hollow and her sister’s Vivi and Grey are famous for an event that took place when they were children. They disappeared and reappeared a month later with a scar on their neck. Iris and Vivi have no recollection of what happened in that month they were gone, but Grey knows. Now they are older, and Grey has gone missing again – what happened to her, and what happened to them when they were children?

We get to know the infamous Grey as her sisters investigate clues about her life so they can find her. It is apparent these girls are close and love each other a lot. I loved how each girl was very different, they had their own style and personality. The mystery is about the disappearances – it’s one thing if people stayed missing but to reappear again with no recollection of what happened? That was suspicious. The other thing that I enjoyed was Tyler, Grey’s boyfriend who brings the humor to this dark tale.

There are many female empowerment themes in this story. It mentions the dangers of girls walking out after dark or finding themselves alone with a man and getting unwanted attention. Iris is the most docile of the sisters and afraid to use her power, whereas Grey will threaten and manipulate people to do her bidding.

I couldn’t put the book down and needed to know what was up with these Hollow sisters, even if horror is not my favorite genre to read. The clues they were finding about Grey really kept my attention and a few twists in the story shocked me. Thankfully I didn’t get any nightmares after reading this because the imagery was really good, even though if it’s something I didn’t really want to “see”. It reminded me a bit of The Hazel Wood.

Triggers: missing children, suicide, mental breakdown, violence, bugs (coming out of body parts), grief

It’s horror so the ending was shocking and disturbing but overall so fitting. It just made me sad because the grief was triggering and it made me angry to learned what really happened to these girls.

The ending is left open – so will there be a book two?

The imagery in this story is so good but again, this is horror so flowers and bugs coming out of bodies kind of images. 😝

This is the type horror I can read, because it had a bond between sisters that is powerful, a mystery that kept me on my toes and magical realism to keep things even more bizarre. It’s a dark fairytale that revolves around grief and asks the question what would one do to save the people that they love. For me, the story is heart-breaking on both sides of the situation. This one is perfect for those who like dark fairytales.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Small Favors by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: Small Favors

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 7/21/21

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Romance, Paranormal, Lite Horror, Historical Fantasy

Ellerie Downing lives in the quiet town of Amity Falls in the Blackspire Mountain range–five narrow peaks stretching into the sky like a grasping hand, bordered by a nearly impenetrable forest from which the early townsfolk fought off the devils in the woods. To this day, visitors are few and rare. But when a supply party goes missing, some worry that the monsters that once stalked the region have returned.

As fall turns to winter, more strange activities plague the town. They point to a tribe of devilish and mystical creatures who promise to fulfill the residents’ deepest desires, however grand and impossible, for just a small favor. But their true intentions are much more sinister, and Ellerie finds herself in a race against time before all of Amity Falls, her family, and the boy she loves go up in flames.

This book cover is so absolutely beautiful and oh so deceptive! I like that about it.
World Building ~ This author knows how to write books that are tinged with creepiness and loaded with suspicion. I suspected everyone, I couldn’t trust anyone – not even our main character, Ellerie! The story had me hooked with the setting, the tone, the silver eyes in the woods and I just imagined if I lived there, I’d die right away. Haha…of fear! The story is set in a historical atmosphere, during the time of settlers in America. People settled in a valley surrounded by pine trees and wilderness, they farm for their livelihood and live far from the city. They ride horses and make their own clothes, so you can imagine the kind of life they live.
Characters ~ Ellerie and her twin Sam are the eldest of four children but certain events come to pass in their village of Amity Falls and they are left without parents. It’s a hard life in Amity Falls but a good one. The neighbors are friendly and help each other out until mysterious deaths and incidents take place around the village. Then we see everyone get suspicious of one another and their tight community start to unwind. We meet a lot of characters in this book, but Ellerie is our main storyteller.
Plot ~ Ellerie and the townspeople need to survive the winter without a ration run because of the creatures in the woods. But they start turning on one another. What are these fast creatures with silver eyes in the woods? For most of the books I guessed they were werewolves, because what else could they be? But it was something else preying on the people of Amity Falls. It’s a mystery.

Triggers: Violence, blood

I was impatient with the lack of information we got about the creatures by the middle of the story but most of our information about the creatures in the woods come at the latter part of the book. The story builds slowly and then really picks up as the situation in Amity Falls gets worse but the ending feels a little bit rushed, like that’s it ~ the problem is neatly solved.
Creep factor ~ there is blood, gore, deformities, eyes play tricks on people, and what every horror novel needs, a doll.
There is a romance but one that left me suspicious of Ellerie’s love interest, Whitaker. So I wasn’t too invested because there were too many red flags.

Overall, I was on the edge reading this book as the mystery surrounded me like the wilderness and pines in Amity Falls. I love the beautiful writing, the atmospheric setting, the creepiness that edges into the story as tempers flare and blood flows in Amity Falls and everything seems…wrong. The ending was a little abrupt for me but this one is perfect for mystery, paranormal and suspense lovers.

🐝 ~ Yolanda

The Cousins | Book Review

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Title: The Cousins

Author: Karen M. McManus

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 330

Publication Date: 12/1/20

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Family, Thriller, Mystery, Young Adult, Romance

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each other, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised… and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family’s past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

This is a fun book and much needed after reading so much fantasy and romance lately. There is a little bit of romance in this one but this one is all about family and the secrets we keep.
I liked the three perspectives told by the cousins: Milly, Aubrey and Jonah. They had distinct voices – I love them all. They worked well as a team trying to figure out why their grandmother disinherited their parents and never had an interest to get to know her grandchildren.
The setting of an island on the east coast lends it that mystery feel. We know the Story family has money and the kids lived in privilege but what happened to make Mildred Story, the matriarch of the family cut her kids out of their life. Were they that awful? It’s Milly, Aubrey and Jonah’s job to find out and make amends but soon they are surrounded by Story lore, scandals and fame.
I was definitely engaged in this story from the moment I met the cousins because I liked learning about their parents and learning what happened. I loved the twist at the end.

I loved the three perspectives but I wish Allison’s perspective (Milly’s mom) came in just a bit earlier in the book. We get to know the kids and it builds up as we get to know who they are, their parents and personalities but once they get on the island it’s still a big mystery as to why their grandmother reached out in the first place. There’s a time period where they are getting settled in and nothing really happens except them working. Not even Grandma Mildred makes much of an appearance.
The ending is the big reveal where the dots are connected. But for the most part the story keeps it all a mystery.

This was a lot of fun to read and I loved how it kept me in the story by tossing some clues here and there, a little romance, revenge, parents acting badly, family secrets and then the big reveal. i enjoyed the characters and how Milly and Aubrey now have each other. Great read if you are into young adult mystery/thrillers.

📚 ~ Yolanda

To Whatever End | ARC Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: To What Ever End

Author: Lindsey Frydman

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 3/2/20

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary, Paranormal

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

What if with every person you met, after just one touch, you have a vision of the last time you’ll see each other? Ever. Normally, these visions are innocent—two friends just drifting apart, a random stranger that brushed past you then never crossed your path again.

But not today.

When I accidentally touch him, within only moments of our first meeting, I’m bombarded by visions of his death.

And from what I can see, I’m the reason he dies.

Now I just need to figure out why, and how to stop this from happening. Because not only am I to blame, but his very last words to me are…I love you.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from reading the synopsis but I was pleasantly surprised at how the mystery kept me engaged in the story. Quinn is cursed with visions when she touches someone. She can see how she and that person comes to an end, like her last memory with them. Quinn meets Griffin and her vision of him is not good so she tries to stay away, but that’s hard to do when they run into each other again.
Now that she has this vision, Quinn needs to decide to either stay away from him or maybe someone change the future. But can she change the future? Is Griffin worth it? She thinks so.
Not only does Quinn have to figure out how to change Griffin’s future, someone is harassing her and Griffin with threatening actions and notes. Is it something from Griffin’s past or Quinn’s?
The romance is instant, but I think it develops nicely where Quinn and Griffin get to know each other over dinner and coffee before things get serious.

Triggers: stalking, violence, grieving
Even though the mystery kept me engaged, you could pretty much connect the dots and see what was coming.
I’d like to know more about the curse. We know it’s in her family, her mom had it and her grandmother does too, but it seems they have it in different degrees? I didn’t really connect to any of the characters.

I think the premise of the story was interesting and kept me engaged with the added mystery and thriller aspect. I would have liked to know more about Quinn’s abilities and maybe not have the story be so predictable. I think there will be many readers that enjoy this paranormal romance mystery story.

💜 ~ Yolanda

ARC Review | A Forgotten Murder

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: A Forgotten Murder (A Medlar Mystery)

Author: Jude Deveraux

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: March 10, 2020

Categories: Murder Mystery

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

After solving two murder cases in their hometown of Lachlan, Florida, Sara Medlar, her niece Kate and their friend Jack need a change of scenery. Sara arranges for them to visit an old friend of hers in England. Upon arrival at Oxley Manor, a centuries-old estate that has been converted to a luxury hotel, Kate and Jack quickly realize that Sara is up to something. They learn that Sara has also invited a number of others to join them at Oxley.

When everyone assembles, Sara lets them know why they are there. Decades earlier, two people ran off together from Oxley and haven’t been heard from since—and Sara wants to solve the case. As the people who were there the night the two went missing, the guests find themselves cast in a live mystery-theater event.

In reenacting the events of that night, it becomes clear that everyone has something to hide and no one is safe, especially when the discovery of a body makes it clear that at least one of the people who disappeared was murdered.

Sara, Jack and Kate are once again at the heart of a mysterious case that only they are able to solve. But someone is willing to continue to kill to keep the truth about Oxley Manor buried, and none of the guests are safe.

Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

The mystery genre is not something I usually read unless someone asks me and this was the case for this book except, the author’s name is so well known to me, I agreed to read and review this. Jude Deveraux used to be one of my favorite romance writers in the 1990’s! She wrote historical romance back then and now contemporary books, which I have not read at all.

I have not read any other book in this series – I believe this is the third book in the Medlar Mystery series, but I will say this did pretty good as a standalone. There is a gathering at Oxley Manor, and Sara, Kate and Jack are there to figure out what happened in a missing persons case years ago. There are suspects galore, a dead body, and an old luxury manor. It’s a great recipe for a murder mystery.

Since I jumped into this series with the third book, I liked how there was enough background of the main characters: Sara, Kate and Jack without it feeling like an info dump. I didn’t feel lost because this really felt like a new mystery.
Kate and Jack have great chemistry. Here is when I did wish I read the previous books because I want to know how they met and got together. Jack is a wonderful, protective character. I like how he could get Puck to talk even though Puck has a reputation for being a recluse.
There are many suspects in this story but I like the twist at the end. I love a mystery where there is some old manor or house as the setting. It just sets the tone for the story and gives me CLUE vibes.

I don’t read many mysteries so it’s not like I can compare it to many I’ve read before but I really enjoyed the characters in this story.
It may have lost my attention a few times only because I wasn’t in the mood for a mystery (it’s rare that I am) so it’s not anything against the book, just a pure ME thing.

Overall, I enjoyed the characters and the setting of the story. If you like a good mystery, I think you will enjoy this one!

Book Review | House of Salt and Sorrows

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: House of Salt and Sorrows

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: Hardcover (owned)

Pages: 416

Categories: 12 Dancing Princesses Retelling, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Horror

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

In a Top Ten Tuesday topic about childhood favorites, I listed the Twelve Dancing Princesses as one of mine. House of Salt and Sorrows was exactly everything I wanted in a retelling of one of my favorite childhood stories.

But let me talk about the cover first! I got the OwlCrate version and it’s lovely. I love how the inside cover is black with a octopus and masquerade mask design in gray. It’s gorgeous. This totally spoke to the island girl in me with the tidepools and the tentacles on the cover.

Quick personal story: My dad had a boat when I was young, I mean it’s Hawaii so he loved to fish, many people do. He’d be out with our neighbor fishing in the early morning and he’d come back with so many kinds of fish, limu (seaweed), crab, and octopus. He sold some to our neighbors, gave some away to relatives and freeze the rest. One of the chores my sister and I had to do was help clean…everything. I hated cleaning octopus because some of them were huge and still alive and my dad would hold it as I would watch it wrap its large tentacles around his arm. Then my dad would show me its teeth, which looks like a little black whole. As a child I was so afraid it would eat my finger! 😩 So instead he let us clean the baby octopus, and we cleaned it with….SALT. I’ve come to respect octopus and love how beautiful they are, tasty to a lot of people, but they are just awesome, smart creatures. Slimy though. The octopus is the crest for the Thaumus family in this book – which I adore!

House of Salt and Sorrows was the perfect book to get me into the fall season with Halloween around the corner. I am a wimp and when this book went into creepy and horror territory, I vowed to only read it in the day time! Yes…I did start off reading it at night until a few scenes in the book gave me the spooky tingling feeling. 😅 And one sister’s name is Lenore?! A name I love because of Edgar Allan Poe. I LOVE IT. I am trash for Poe. This whole book was a vibe that I was looking for!

Annaleigh is one of twelve sisters, but four sisters have lost their lives, leaving her, Camille, the three Graces, and the triplets. These sisters are close and have a special bond which I love. I would want them to be my sisters! They live on an island surrounded by the sea. When someone dies they return them to the Sal, to the sea. I enjoyed learning about the rituals of the Salann Islands.

I wish this book had a map because the other parts of this world sound fascinating! The world building was intriguing with its own mythology, similar to Greek but except Poseidon ruling the seas, the god of the sea in House of Salt and Sorrows is named Pontus. We learn about a few other gods and goddesses in the book, but I want more. I want to learn about all the other parts of this world that was mentioned in this book: People of the Bones in the Cardanian Mountains, People of the Stars in Versia and so much more.

Now let’s talk about the mystery, just like in Twelve Dancing Princesses, Annaleigh’s father asks that someone uncover the truth about the princesses ruined slippers. I loved the mention of it and I loved the twist! I seriously thought I was losing my mind along with Annaleigh at one point, but the reveal at the end was good!

And the horror? One scene involving a bathtub scared me, which was why I decided to read it in the day time. Yes, I’m so weak! 🤣 Horror is not my favorite genre. But I could totally see this story as a horror movie! There were other scenes in the book that gave me even more nightmarish vibes but it’s so fun. Scary fun!

Of course, because there is a little bit of everything in this book, there is romance! It’s not one that the book centers on, but I loved it because it was a little shining light in Annaleigh’s life which up to that point was just mired in death, curses, nightmares and….madness. It was sweet!

This has to be one of my top favorite books this year! I really hope we get to visit this world again, even if it’s just to follow where the surviving sisters go. I want more mystery/horror/romance stories set in this world! Basically I want to read whatever this author writes next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a fantastic debut novel that surpassed my expectations. 😍

Book Review | Sadie

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Sadie

Author: Courtney Summers

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 311

Categories: Sexual Abuse, Drug Abuse, Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she’s left behind. And an ending you won’t be able to stop talking about.

Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.

Courtney Summers has written the breakout book of her career. Sadie is propulsive and harrowing and will keep you riveted until the last page.

Sadie is an important book. It is a story that cover tough subjects like child abuse, drug abuse, and murder. It broke my heart.

The way the book is written is really interesting because it starts off with a podcast. West McCray the show’s host is trying to find Sadie by following the trail she’s left behind. But time is not linear in this book, it starts off with the show, but when Sadie shows up in the story and we are following her, these are flash backs. They are trying to find her trail but I don’t know, with the ending…is it too late for Sadie? As West rushes to put the clues together, we learn the horrifying things that has happened to Sadie through her memories. Sadie’s journey made me feel so helpless.

I was engaged in the story right away but in all honesty, I started this book and put it down for a week because my out-of-state family was visiting and I didn’t want to read something sad. The beginning of the story gave me a feeling this would not end happily. ☹️ Sadie is a gritty character, a girl with a stutter who was already ostracized so much for that in her short life. She is a girl hurting so bad and she’s so empty – you just wish you could protect and help her. Sadie is also angry, resourceful and has a desire to hurt the man who’s hurt her and her sister. I was cheering her on, but oh was I scared for her.

Sadie has had it rough since birth – all stemming from her mom’s drug abuse. The only joy and love she had in life was for her little sister Mattie. And when Mattie’s life is taken, Sadie is more than devastated. What she uncovers on your journey to find her “father” is more sick and depraved men like him. Stories like these gut me and make me afraid for my own kids, there are some scary people out there, and it’s the ones you don’t suspect. For Sadie, all she wants is revenge and to find the man that hurt her. But everyone else back home is trying to find Sadie. Of course, she doesn’t know that. 💔

The only thing that bugged me about the story was the open ending – ugh…..I want to know what happened to Sadie. 😫😢 I have a feeling she died…did she die?! If you did read this already – what do you guys think about the ending? What are your theories? I know that part doesn’t matter, because the story was about the girls out there being preyed on – the ones who don’t, can’t, or won’t tell their story because they are dead, very afraid, or just too broken. But goodness, in the time I spent reading Sadie (and it’s a quick read), I felt like she was real and I had to know if she’s okay.

The story subject matter is not enjoyable, but it is real. We hear the stories, we see it in the news, we know people who have been been abused or abused drugs. The story is raw, suspenseful, heart-breaking and relevant. Read it if you can, but if you can’t, that’s okay too.

Book Review | In the Teeth of It: A Gingerbread Hag Mystery

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: In the Teeth of It (A Gingerbread Hag Mystery, Book 2)

Author: K.A. Miltimore

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 217

Categories: Paranormal, Supernatural, Mystery, Adult Fiction

It’s been two months since the fiery events of Burned to a Crisp, and it’s Christmas in Enumclaw. Hedy is back to hosting visitors in her waystation, while Mel and Darro are decking the halls and telling tales of Krampus in between batches of cannibal Gingerbread Men cookies—just another Christmas at The Gingerbread Hag bakery.

But the holiday spirit isn’t the only thing making its way through Enumclaw. Something definitely from the naughty list is attacking the local farms and the children are possessed with mischief. Hedy’s worries increase when the Concierge sends someone to investigate her house and possibly shut the waystation down for good.

Who’s been naughty, and who’s been nice? Not every gift under the tree is one she’ll want to open, but Hedy better hurry, before all of Enumclaw gets caught In the Teeth of It.

Here we are back at The Gingerbread Hag bakery, a fictional bakery that I want to visit in real life. Hedy is dealing with the aftermath of the events in book one, when Lyssa, a demi-goddess brought chaos to the small town of Enumclaw. Now it’s Christmas time and Hedy has new visitors staying at her waystation but the threat of Lyssa is still real, though no one knows where she is.

This story is a Christmas in July treat! Reading this book made me yearn for cooler weather, Christmas decorations, a cup of hot tea and maybe a sweet delight from The Gingerbread Hag bakery. 😋

In the Teeth of It, the second book of the The Gingerbread Hag Mystery series, introduces us to some new characters. The menagerie from book one makes an appearance as well, though it seemed a lot more brief this time around. I do wish we had more time with my favorite talking animals and ghost in this book, hopefully they are featured more in book three.

I love how this series takes place in a small town, but it’s filled with diverse characters of different ethnicities and supernatural powers. I really enjoyed the new characters, Yami – a kitsune (fox) and Raluca – a Moroi (vampire). I’ve always loved the Moroi and Strogoi legends so I really enjoyed Raluca’s character a lot.

Hedy is a great main character with her signature style: beehive hair and a 1960’s style wardrobe. She’s always a gracious host and storekeeper making friends wherever she goes. But this time around we also get a glimpse of Hedy’s past and I can’t wait to find out more of her time in New Orleans! It sounds intriguing! There was less havoc caused in this book compared to book one, but I think that was okay because it got me into such a cozy holiday mood.

Author, K.A. Miltimore always infuses her stories with the strange, different and interesting whether it comes to baked goods, supernatural creatures, mythology or legends. I look forward to the next book in the series. If you like quick reads and mystery stories with supernatural elements, then definitely give this series a try!

Get it here: Amazon

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About the Author of the book:

K. A. Miltimore is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest who has followed the advice of her 5th grade teacher, Miss Hammond, and become a writer. She loves mid-century fashion, 80s music and nachos (not necessarily in that order). With her husband and son, she loves exploring quirky local towns, and dreams of dragging them both to Iceland for a tour someday. Her tombstone will likely read “Always Creating”. In addition to writing, she enjoys making jewel spiders, looking for great Washington red wines, and re-watching the movies that she has forgotten over the years.

Arc Review: Heartwood Box

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Ann Aguirre

Format: eBook (NetGalley eArc)

Categories: Mystery, Time Travel, Paranormal, Romance

Pages: 336

Publication Date: July 9, 2019

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

In this tiny, terrifying town, the lost are never found. When Araceli Flores Harper is sent to live with her great-aunt Ottilie in her ramshackle Victorian home, the plan is simple. She’ll buckle down and get ready for college. Life won’t be exciting, but she’ll cope, right?

Wrong. From the start, things are very, very wrong. Her great-aunt still leaves food for the husband who went missing twenty years ago, and local businesses are plastered with MISSING posters. There are unexplained lights in the woods and a mysterious lab just beyond the city limits that the locals don’t talk about. Ever. When she starts receiving mysterious letters that seem to be coming from the past, she suspects someone of pranking her or trying to drive her out of her mind. To solve these riddles and bring the lost home again, Araceli must delve into a truly diabolical conspiracy, but some secrets fight to stay buried…

Thank you to MacMillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc.

Heartwood Box is a mystery story that builds slowly in the beginning and packs a punch at the end with an ending that is somewhat bizarre but it works. I thought it was creative and different. My reaction was more like, what?……🤔

While reading this book, I was wondering if this was a ghost story but some things didn’t add up especially when there are people going missing in this strange town. I mean if it was just haunted, why would people go missing? Also, this is the second book I’ve read this month with references to World War I! That’s pretty cool since most people are engrained in World War II history, so I like having the spotlight be on WWI.

I enjoyed the diversity represented with the characters. Araceli is a strong young lady who grew up abroad in Central and South America, so she’s seen a lot of things, especially with parents who are investigative reporters. But this town is something different and she has a challenging time figuring things out.

I thought the ending was a nice twist and a bit strange. But I still enjoyed it because the story is well written. It flowed nicely from a slow mystery, which took me a few days to get into and then it took a turn with full on action and time-travel in the last part of the book. Yes, it did that.

Overall, I like this book! It’s not usually the type of genre I read but it was a nice change of pace.

Get it here: Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost for you. Thanks!