A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara

Title: A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer Author: Maxie Dara Series: S.C.Y.T.H.E. Mystery #1 Much thanks to Maxie Dara, Berkley, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. The title’s misleading; to call it a guide implies the MC has killer-catching experience, but it’s quite the opposite. She has no idea what she’s doing. It’s a bit of a slow burn because Kathy’s a very reluctant heroine, but once Conner …

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Review Roundup Autumn 2024 – Part 1

A quick little roundup of several smaller reviews I wrote in Autumn 2024. Beware of spoilers! Title: How to Help a Hungry Werewolf Author: Charlotte Stein Series: The Sanctuary for Supernatural Creatures #1 Much thanks to Charlotte Stein, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review. So funny and charming! I loved spending time with Cassie and Seth. However, I can believe some readers may find this kind …

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Fated by Sarah Ready

Title: Fated Author: Sarah Ready Series: Ghosted #3 Much thanks to Sarah Ready, Swift & Lewis Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review. I LOVED this book. I did not want to stop listening; I know that’s over used hype for most books these days (I can’t believe we’ve made “unputdownable” a word), but I honestly was loath to stop listening, to the point that I had headphones …

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Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by Laura Piper Lee

Title: Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair Author: Laura Piper Lee Series: n/a it’s okay to fuck up your kid Much thanks to Laura Piper Lee, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review. Hmm. Well, one thing I can say for sure is that conservatives probably won’t like this book much. It should have the subtitle “a WOKE novel.” Did you just cringe? Me too. Though, blanket disclaimer, I …

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Interview with Amanda Flower (Emily Dickinson Mystery Series)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Because I Could Not Stop for Death and I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died by Amanda Flower has her venturing into historical mysteries. These books have a unique portrayal of the famous American writer Emily Dickinson. Emily along with her maid, Willa, become sleuths and help to solve murders. But a bonus is having readers getting glimpses of how Emily thinks and what the culture of mid-19th century was like. Elise Cooper: …

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Simply the Best by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Title: Simply the Best Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips Series: Chicago Stars #10 rough start, better after 40% Much thanks to Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book has a rough start. I was so scared it was going to be a disaster and I’d have to give one of my favorite authors a bad review. But I feel it finished …

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A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

Title: A Fragile Enchantment Author: Allison Saft Series: n/a Thank you to Allison Saft, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was so meh. Retitle to: Everyone Wants What They Can’t (Or Think They Can’t) Have. That was the main theme. Neeve (that’s how the narrator pronounced it) wanted a better life for pretty much everyone, then wanted Kit. Kit wanted freedom, then Neeve. Sinclair wanted …

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Interview with Valerie Burns (Murder Is a Piece of Cake)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Murder Is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns is the second book in the Baker Street Cozy Mystery series. As with all her books, dogs play an important role and the characters are very well developed. The first book in the series, Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder, has Maddy Montgomery inheriting from her great Aunt Octavia the Baby Cakes Bakery and a 250-pound English Mastiff named Baby. The will stipulates Maddy must …

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Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller

Title: Hotel of Secrets Author: Diana Biller Series: n/a Loose ends but overall great Much thanks to Diana Biller, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a great book! I liked it better than Brightest Star in Paris. Just a few small issues with it: 1. It got long and could have been slimmed and trimmed (e.g., their sex scene was waaaay too long, I skipped …

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Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Title: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries Author: Heather Fawcett Series: Emily Wilde #1 A pleasant surprise Much thanks to Heather Fawcett, Random House/Del Rey, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This novel was a surprise to me. I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t Veronica Speedwell with faeries. That’s a pretty accurate pitch. Emily was a more socially awkward and reserved version of Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell. Framed …

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