The story of a con-artist fake medium Gretchen who is paid to go and complete an exorcism for a farmer named Charlie on his land. Once there, 4 stars
The story of a con-artist fake medium Gretchen who is paid to go and complete an exorcism for a farmer named Charlie on his land. Once there, Charlie rejects Gretchen as a fraud, but a funny thing happens: Gretchen sees her first ghost. Everett is Charlie's distant relative and warns Gretchen that if Charlie sells and leaves the farm he will die and be stuck in the afterlife. So now, Gretchen has to save the farmer who hates her and think's she's full of it.
I picked up this book as it fits the bingo square for Diners, Drive Ins and Dives for the 2024 Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo challenge, and I am very glad I did. I never would have picked up this book otherwise and it was so good!! I loved the whole story with Everett the ghost and Gretchen's romance with Charlie which was slightly angsty and the perfect amount of sweet. As strong as the romance was with Charlie, I thought the friendship between Gretchen and Everett was the best part of the book. There was a really good amount of character development for all of the characters which I really appreciated as often that seems to be left out of romance. Also Mara Wilson was a great narrator, she really made the book and characters come to life....more
When Mercy's brother Gary shows up at her house incoherent and affected by magic, Mercy and Adam head to Montana to see if they can break the 4 stars
When Mercy's brother Gary shows up at her house incoherent and affected by magic, Mercy and Adam head to Montana to see if they can break the spell. There they find themselves trapped in a resort in the midst of a snowstorm with other guests of the lodge. But not everything is as it seems and Mercy and Adam must find a magical artifact before even worse things begin to happen.
Let me start this with I am being very kind with my 4 star rating. Any other author or series I probably would have rated much lower, but I absolutely love this series and Mercy. But this book really was not up to the standards of the other books in this series. It was very disjointed with bad pacing and took me a very long time to read. But it's like pizza, even when it's bad, it's good. And I'll always welcome more of these characters and this world into my life. I just hope the next installment in the series is more plot forward than this book. This book felt a lot like a side quest.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley. This did not affect my opinions, thoughts, rating, review. ...more
What would you do if you traveled through time, only to return years later with no explanation of why you left? Four years ago Rosalind tra 4.5 stars
What would you do if you traveled through time, only to return years later with no explanation of why you left? Four years ago Rosalind traveled from the 19th century to present day, leaving behind her beloved husband and infant son. Now, she has found a way back and yet she does not know how to explain her absence in a way that will be believed. Disguising herself as a governess, she returns to her husband and son (without them knowing it's her). But someone doesn't want Rosalind there and will do anything to keep her away.
Kelley Armstrong is a favorite of mine, and lately she seems to really love writing time travel books set in Victorian times (I don't mind, they are highly entertaining). This is the second in a series and can be read as a standalone, but I think it would be less confusing if one read A Stitch in Time first. I listened to the audiobook and found I didn't want to stop listening, I loved following along with Rosalind as she reacquainted herself with her family and how she navigated a very complicated situation. The mystery thrown in was a tad bit predictable but I enjoyed it all the same....more
Florence is the ghost writer for one of the most famous romance authors to present, but since a bad break up she’s been suffering from write 5 stars!
Florence is the ghost writer for one of the most famous romance authors to present, but since a bad break up she’s been suffering from writer’s block. When she gets word that a family member has passed away, she travels home to be with family. Florence and her dad share a similar ability: they can see and speak with the dead. After having been shunned by her community for it, she’s hesitant to return home. Once she is home, she encounters a ghost she wasn’t expecting: her book editor, who wasn’t dead when she left NYC…
I absolutely loved this book. Where some plot points predictable? Yes, but also it worked with the story really well so I am happy to overlook. I love books where the characters feel real (all of them, main and side) and this was one of those. I loved following along with Florence, her past and present and how everything meshed together. This book gave me Six Feet Under/The Sixth Sense vibes and a book from the 90’s called If Only It Were True (that I read when I was a teen). And also massive bonus points to the author for the Meet Joe Black reference in the book because it made me way too happy to hear.
A little bit cheesy, but in a way that works. I loved this love story with a hint of the supernatural, it was exactly what I needed to read during “spooky” season this year....more
In the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, Beatriz finds herself the daughter of a disgraced general and relying on the charity of 4 stars!
In the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, Beatriz finds herself the daughter of a disgraced general and relying on the charity of her relatives to survive. When Don Rodolfo offers to marry her, she takes it right away even with the rumors surrounding the death of his first wife. But when Beatriz arrives at Hacienda San Isidro she can tell right away there is something rotten inside the house. And that dark something in the house, doesn’t want her in it.
I really enjoyed this book which is funny because I almost quit when I began listening. But after an hour or two of the audiobook it took a turn for the better and I became enthralled by the story. It’s marketed as Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca and that’s pretty accurate, it’s less gory than Mexican Gothic (thank god because I am a wimp) and it’s similar to Rebecca but with more supernatural involved. The story was the perfect amount of creepy to listen to at the start of spooky season and I could still sleep at night so there’s a bonus.
I really liked the main character Beatriz, even though I think she made some stupid decisions (I understand why, but horror genre is filled with people making dumb choices) and I really loved the character of Andres, the priest who helps her. Both characters had great chemistry and motivations to drive the story and it all came together really well.
This is a book worth reading and I will be recommending it a lot....more
When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace must accept that he is dead. Wallace is brought to a place called Char 3.5 stars
When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace must accept that he is dead. Wallace is brought to a place called Charon’s Crossing where he meets the ferryman, Hugo, and his afterlife is changed forever. Wallace gets the opportunity to reflect on his life and the choices he’s made while helping the Reaper and the Ferryman with their work. But then Wallace is given a deadline on this little slice of afterlife, and he must decide what comes next.
TJ Klune is one of my all time favorite authors and I love watching his rise to success. So many of his previous romance novels are some of my favorites, but this book and the book before it (THITCS) fell flat for me. They’re both too long and the pacing too slow. There’s still a beautiful story and wonderfully written characters, but I was reading this book for over a month and it dragged. It honestly put me into a reading slump while reading it.
Overall I enjoyed this book, but it’s lacking the magic I come to expect from a Klune novel where I devour the book as fast as I can because I have to know what happens. That aspect was missing and it took away from my reading experience.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley ...more
The vampire Wulfe has been stalking Mercy, seemingly harmless, for months. But when Wulfe goes missing, the Tri-Cities Pack is blam 4.5 stars!
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The vampire Wulfe has been stalking Mercy, seemingly harmless, for months. But when Wulfe goes missing, the Tri-Cities Pack is blamed. The mistress of the local vampire seethe calls on Mercy and the Pack to find Wulfe or the alliance between them will be broken. The more Mercy and the Pack investigate, they realize that all the vampires in the local area have gone missing along with a few white witches.
The Mercy Thompson series has been one of my favorites for years and I love every single installment. This one took me longer to read but mostly because life got busy and I didn’t have much time for it. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all, but I do feel it was slower paced than the last book. Still, it has a good mystery, ghosts, fae, werewolves, witches and vampires so my urban fantasy cravings were satisfied.
I loved revisiting with characters that feel like family, I could easily get lost in this world that Briggs has created. I just wish I wasn’t caught up on this series and Alpha and Omega, I want to spend more time in this world! Maybe a reread is sooner in my future than I figured…
If you haven’t read this series yet, please do. You are missing out on something special!
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley. This did not influence my thoughts or feelings on this book. ...more
Wow, Riley Sager has really bombed with these last two releases. This is possibly one of the worst suspense novels I have read in a while.
Th 2 stars
Wow, Riley Sager has really bombed with these last two releases. This is possibly one of the worst suspense novels I have read in a while.
The House Across the Lake has the most interesting premise, a nosy neighbor who spies on her neighbors across the lake and thinks a husband has murdered his wife. But in reality, it was beyond boring and the twists were completely unbelievable and laughable. I found myself muttering “what the fuck” to myself while reading this book and not in a good way.
Not sure if Sager has lost his touch/giving into pressure and demand for more books, but this one and Survive the Night were not it. I’m mad I wasted a libro.fm credit on this one. I think I’ll never get that reading high like I did for Home Before Dark and Last Time I Lied ever again…
Side note: I thought the main character of the book was an old woman because that’s what the narrator of the audiobook sounds like. Imagine my surprise when halfway through I figured out she was 35. Publishers, can we not do this? It made things confusing for me as a reader since I didn’t have the physical copy of the book on hand. ...more
Shea Collins is a receptionist who also runs a true crime website called The Book of Cold Cases. One day a patient comes into the office where she worShea Collins is a receptionist who also runs a true crime website called The Book of Cold Cases. One day a patient comes into the office where she works and Shea knows she looks familiar, until she releases it’s Beth Greer, the woman acquitted of The Lady Killer murders in the 70’s. Shea asks Beth to interview her for the website, and to Shea’s shock, Beth agrees. They meet at Beth’s mansion which is like a time capsule from the 70’s, and Shea senses very quickly that something there isn’t right.
I absolutely loved The Sun Down Motel and Broken Girls by this author, so when this book released I used one of my credits on libro fm to get the audiobook right away. I’ve only ever listened to this authors books and I’m going to stick with that format because I’ve seen reviews say it works better in audio versus hard copy written format. This book had everything, a true crime blogger not knowing what she was getting into, a cold case with someone you don’t know is the murderer or not, interviews, interesting love interest and childhood trauma. There were some genuinely spooky parts to this book and I couldn’t listen to it at nighttime.
This was exactly what I wanted from this book and author and I’m already itching for her next one. I’ve officially found a new auto-buy author....more
This book is why I adore middle grade horror novels. Scary, but not enough to traumatize me for the rest of my life. A very well done, classic hauntinThis book is why I adore middle grade horror novels. Scary, but not enough to traumatize me for the rest of my life. A very well done, classic haunting story. Loved it!...more
If can say with 100% honesty, if these books had existed when I was a tween, I would have been obsessed with them!
I think this is a fa 3.5 – 4 stars!
If can say with 100% honesty, if these books had existed when I was a tween, I would have been obsessed with them!
I think this is a fantastic middle grade ghost hunter series with strong characters and excellent adventures the characters go on. I am reading from an adult perspective so for me it’s not perfect, but I know a lot of kids who would adore this series with their whole heart. I can’t wait for more books in the series to come (hopefully). ...more
Tunnel of Bones follows our favorite middle grade ghost hunter Cassidy Blake to a new city and country, Paris, France. While her parents are 4 stars
Tunnel of Bones follows our favorite middle grade ghost hunter Cassidy Blake to a new city and country, Paris, France. While her parents are filming their ghost show in the catacombs, Cassidy and her ghost friend Jacob accidentally awaken a poltergeist and find themselves way out of their league.
I read the first book of this series, City of Ghosts, in March 2020 when the covid19 pandemic hit the US and everyone was given the stay at home orders. I was so stressed out about the world in general, that I didn’t love my read through of that book but I think larger circumstances came into play with that one. Fast forward to over a year later and I picked up the audiobook version of the second book and I really enjoyed it. It makes me wonder if I need to give the first book another chance.
I really like this middle grade ghost/horror story series and I’m excited to read the next one. I’m also excited to recommend this series to any middle graders who visit my library for recommendations....more
I have a lot of different feelings about this book that I am having trouble sorting through. I'm going to hold off on a rating and a review for now. II have a lot of different feelings about this book that I am having trouble sorting through. I'm going to hold off on a rating and a review for now. I think I might need to read the next book whenever it comes out to process this one....more
It’s been days since I finished this book and I am still sitting here in awe of this book and this series. I don’t think anything I say will do this bIt’s been days since I finished this book and I am still sitting here in awe of this book and this series. I don’t think anything I say will do this book justice, but I am going to try.
Experiment in Terror is one of my all-time favorite series. I have never, ever, found anything else like it. And us fans of the books thought the author was done with the series years ago (and to be fair, she ended it perfectly back then!). We hoped and dreamed for more, but I am being completely honest when I say I truly never thought Halle would write more. Many horrible things came out of 2020, but to me a part of it was blessed because we got Dex and Perry back!!
Came Back Haunted is book ten in the Experiment in Terror series, so if you don’t want spoilers for the other books I recommend you stop reading this review, go buy all the other 9 books + novellas on Amazon, and read them all right now. They are beyond worth it. In this newest book, Dex and Perry have been living close to a normal life since the last book, Dust to Dust. Now married, they are happy working together and own a small business in Seattle. When they are approached by an accountant to enter a house and communicate with his dead wife, they are skeptical. But the money is too good to pass up. And once you open closed doors, it’s hard to get them shut again.
I absolutely loved this book. Ten books in and this series still gets better with every book. I loved being back with Dex and Perry on their adventures again. I felt like I was in step beside them as they got their bearings back and entered the world of ghosts and demons, a world the had avoided. I loved seeing Fat Rabbit, Ada, and even some surprise characters. Reading this book was like meeting up with old friends again and picking up where you left off.
There were some damn scary parts in this book for sure. Including one scene that I don’t want to spoil but I will say I will never see public facilities the same way ever again. Halle also ventured into subjects I was unsure about, including witchcraft. Despite not actually knowing much about witchcraft myself, I thought all of that was really well done in this book and didn’t seem far fetched or even crazy. I’m also verrryyy curious about two witches and their future in particular after this book.
I cannot express how grateful I am that we get the Experiment in Terror world back again, not just with one book but it looks like a bunch more!! It’s a dream come true, a dream I never even dared to hope would happen again. And it came true.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
------------------------------------ I loved it. I need to think for a bit before I write a review, because right now my review would just be unintelligible joyous screaming....more
Told in two timelines, The Broken Girls follows reporter Fiona as she investigates the discovery of a body unearthed during const Reread October 2023
Told in two timelines, The Broken Girls follows reporter Fiona as she investigates the discovery of a body unearthed during construction at Idlewild Hall. This is the same place where two decades earlier, Fiona's sister was found dead. The other timeline is four girls living at Idlewild Hall where an unlikely but beautiful friendship builds until one of them goes missing.
Simone St. James is one of my favorite "spooky" mystery authors. The pacing and tension building are done so well throughout the books with little reveals disbursed throughout. This is a book that hooks you at the beginning and while the pieces don't seem to work at first, they all fit together at the end.
Highly recommend the audio if you enjoy audiobooks.
------------------ 4.5 stars!
I don’t have much to say except this was SO GOOD and I am officially a Simone St. James fan! I wish she had a bigger mystery backlist because I very much want to binge all the books (but there aren’t any so I am sad about that).
Anyways, a haunting mystery about a boarding school and the horrible murder(s) that happened there. I will be recommending this book to my friends a lot!...more
Upgrading to five stars because I loved it upon the reread. I kept thinking how this book would make such a wonderful tv series i Reread October 2022
Upgrading to five stars because I loved it upon the reread. I kept thinking how this book would make such a wonderful tv series if it had the right creators behind it.
4.5 stars
I decided to listen to the audiobook of this without knowing the plot, and I ended up loving it! I kept finding tasks to do so I could listen to the audio while working instead of just listening on my commute. This is a mystery/horror novel and I liked both aspects of the story a lot. Not giving it a full 5 stars because I felt the middle was more compelling than the ending and a lot of things ended up being fairly predictable. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it like crazy....more
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