Tag: ARC books

All Good People Here + Review

All Good People Here By Ashley Flowers

All Good People Here Follows the story of reporter Margot Davies and her endless quest to solve a cold case that has haunted her for more than 20 years. When Margot was 6, her friend and pageant princess January was brutally murdered. Margot was never able to get over the trauma of January’s death, and during Margot’s time as a reporter she came across another case that was eerily similar to January’s but was never able to tie the two together.
Margot travels back to her hometown, the town where it started all those years ago to help her ailing uncle and while she is there ANOTHER murder happens that is ALL to familiar. Will Margot be able to crack this case?

Ashley Flowers is the co-host of the true crime podcast “Crime Junkies”, and this is her debut novel! I’m a huge Crime Junkie fan, I listen to it all the time! I love Ashley and Britt, so I was super pumped when I was approved for this arc, and I had really high expectations! Ashley is an incredible story teller, and this book is very well written.

This book is written in multiple points of view, going from Margot in present day to January’s mom Krissy. I like how Ashley tied the story together between the present and past. This story is a SLOW burn, and it points the finger at literally everyone, so trying to figure out who done it is pointless, which I LOVE. Throughout the book the reader is pointed very convincingly at almost everyone.

One of the things that took away from this book for me was the murdered pageant princess plot. It’s a story we are all too familiar with, and one we all wish we knew the answer to. I feel like that aspect didn’t add to this story, and I wonder if Ashley meant for the parallels to be so strong? To me, it was almost a tired re-telling of that infamous case. While we do find out who and what, the ending felt so rushed for me, and it left a lot of loose ends. One minute we are in a very tense scene with Margot, and the next, its over. It just fell flat for me in that sense.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It was very well written, and stellar for a debut novel. Thank you NetGalley & Random House for my copy of this thriller!

All Good People Here comes out on August 16, 2022

Pre-Order it HERE

Check out the early reviews HERE

Get to know the author HERE

Listen to the Crime Junkies podcast HERE

If you pick up this book, let’s talk about it! Happy reading, friends!

Advertisement

The Younger Wife + Review

Happy PUB day to Sally Hepworth and The Younger Wife! Thank you Netgalley & MacMillan Audio for my audiobook ARC! This was a good listen, and I really enjoyed it!

The younger wife is a gripping tale of family drama and secrets. This book follows Stephen Aston, an esteemed heart surgeon at the top of his career, his two daughters Rachel and Tully, and his new fiancé Heather. The problem? Stephen is still married. The other problem? Stephens wife Pam has advanced dementia.
When Stephen and his fiancé Heather announce their engagement over lunch, the very FIRST time the girls meet her, they are understandably shocked!
As this story unfolds so does Stephen, he’s secrets, and who he really is.

This story is well written with relatable characters who we really get to know throughout the book. This was my first Sally Hepworth book, and I really enjoyed it. Throughout the book the reader is left questioning a lot about what’s really going on, and if what we think is happening is actually happening! This book is written in 3 POV- Rachel, Tully and Heather which made it interesting but I think it would have added a creepy layer if we were to also have seen it through Stephens eyes. I was left questioning a lot about him, his actions and motives. I mean a lot of times sociopaths don’t need motives BUT I wanted it!

This was a solid book for me, the only thing that I really felt took away from the story was the epilogue. It didn’t really go anywhere.

Overall I liked it and I will definitely pick up more books by this author! If you like family drama and juicy secrets, this is the one you will want to pick up!

Get your copy of The You her Wife by Sally Hepworth HERE

If you’re interested in all things Sally Hepworth Check out her WEBSITE

Happy reading, friends!

Whispers

💀BOOK REVIEW💀

Stacey is the coolest aunt EVER hands-down!
When she organizes a trip for her two sisters and their kids to the happiest place on earth, none of them could have ever prepared for the nightmare that awaited them!

This debut thriller by Bonne Bartron is everything I never knew I needed! It was a perfect spooky season read, and although I’m not a gal that is easily creeped out, as a mom, this one did me in.
If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE a strong female protagonist, and this book has three soooooo-I was sold on the first chapter.
This book deals with subject matter that is SO RELEVANT RIGHT NOW and that is one of the things I absolutely loved about it. I like a good twisty mystery that feels relevant, fresh, and scary all the while delivering those twisty blows I live for! This book is a slow burn that I devoured happily-with the lights on, and definitely not before bed.
Without giving too much away because I really want y’all to read this book, I will say this- step aside Slenderman & Momo, Mr. Tasty Treats is here, and he’s coming for your babies. 💀

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

If I Disappear +Review

Eliza Jane Brazier's debut novel If I Disappear is a campy, culty delight! 

I live for the creep factor, the who-done-it mystery, where the fingers seem to point in every direction and you just can't for the life of you seem to figure any of it out. 

Sera is a lonely woman, a divorcee who has recently lost her baby, her husband, and is on the verge of losing her job and even her home when her favorite podcast host seems to have gone missing. 
Rachel is the host of a true-crime podcast called "Murder, she spoke." When Rachel suddenly stops airing episodes, Sera takes it upon herself to travel to Rachel's hometown to solve this mystery. At first Sera is unsure if Rachel is even missing, I mean, after all, she doesn't even really know this person, does she? 
Once she arrives at Rachel's family's summer dude ranch, she finds it in disrepair, not at all the idyllic ranch Rachel painted for her podcast listeners, and she quickly realizes something is amiss. there is a mystery to be solved here, a missing woman, and EVERYONE is a suspect!

This book is a slow burn, an unraveling of small clues. Just when I would have an AHA moment,  thinking I had it all figured out, I would be left with 12 more questions, and honestly, i'm not mad about that aspect of the story at all! 
The protagonist's personality wasn't developed enough for me to connect with her, and her personality fell flat for me. I feel like she was trying to be portrayed as strong and fearless but she felt very one dimensional. 
I was hoping to have an explosive ending after such a slow unraveling, but it wasn't that for me at all. So many loose ends needed to be tied up, leaving the reader with an open ending and even more questions, What happened to Rachel? What did Sera do? How did it end? I had Sopranos flashbacks all over again. 

Overall, this was a solid debut, it was a good book, and I can't wait to see what they do with the TV series!

If I Disappear will be out on January 26, 2021 (which happens to be my birthday, BTW!) So set a reminder, you’re not going to want to miss this one!

Thank you Berkley Publishing & Netgalley for my gifted copy of this book!

The Drowning Kind+Review



“Miracles are not without their price, my darling”

Jennifer McMahon has done it again, folks!


Another beautifully written timeless ghost story. I have grown to expect nothing less from McMahon, as every book I have read is better than the last, the next story more original, more chilling, and more real than the last!


Come sit, let me tell you a story. The story of Sparrow’s Crest, the beautiful, sprawling stone estate built in the Vermont countryside upon the healing waters of the Brandengurg Springs. The springs, said to be cursed, said to hold healing powers, and grant wishes. These springs hold a secret far more powerful than any one person can fathom.
This story is a brilliant, refreshing ghost story that I will not soon forget.
Beautifully written from two POV is the story of Jax, who has come home to Sparrow’s crest after her sister Lexie has drowned in the spring fed pool on the property of the estate- and the story of Ethel, her great-grandmother who’s husband built the home upon the rubble of the hotel that was once there.
Jax and Lexie have been estranged for many years, a strained relationship that all returns to those waters. That pool. That house.
McMahon take us on Jax’s mission to understand what happened to Lexie in her final days. Coming back to Sparrow’s Crest after so many years, finding it in shambles, papers upon papers all leading back to the springs; Lexie spends her time there trying to unravel the mystery of her sisters death.


I love McMahons timeless style of storytelling, and I can honestly say I was not prepared for this one. It hit me right in the gut, and held on until the very end. Food? Water? Sleep? Who needs those things? I found myself gripping my kindle underneath my covers in the middle of the night imagining the bumps, wet feet padding on my wood floor….my front door creaking open….One piece of advice? Don’t read this book in the dark.

Brilliant. I can NOT wait to share this book with everyone, and I can NOT wait to have a paperback copy in my greedy little hands.

Thank you Netgalley & scour Press Books for the advanced copy of my new favorite ghost story!

Netgalley

Professional Reader Reviews Published 10 Book Reviews

Happy Monday my bookish fam! Today I want to talk about how much I love Netgalley. Do you use Netgalley, Edelweiss, Booksirens, or any other platform to request ARC’s? I have used all listed above, and Netgalley is by far my favorite place to find new and exciting upcoming releases.

Netgalley helps authors and publishers promote their books by providing digital copies and audiobooks to to their community to request & review before they are published. They make it possible for avid readers like you and me to share their books with our audience, and help promote and share the books we love! And it’s all free!

Some of the things I love about Netgalley

BADGES- One of my favorite things about Netgalley is the badges that you can earn! I know, it might sound silly, but it gives me a sense of accomplishment when I earn a new badge, and I love showing them off on all of my social media outlets.

NETGALLEY INTERNATIONAL- Another thing that is really cool, is that not only can you request books from US publishers and authors, they allow you to request from international publishers/authors as well. One of my favorite places on the Netgalley site is the UK section. I LOVE British literature.

REMINDERS- One of the things I truly appreciate about Netgally is that they remind me whenever a book that I have reviewed has been published, and they also include links to post the review on the Barnes & Noble website, and Amazon. I have a tendency to forget about PUB days, so I love this a lot. Sometimes it’s the little things, am I right?

AUDIOBOOKS- Audiobooks are a fairly new addition to Netgalley. I love audiobooks, and I am so excited to use this feature. Although I always have my nose in a book, I am excited to be able to listen to the audiobooks I request whenever i’m not nose deep in my current read.

APP- I recently downloaded the Netgalley Shelf app for iOS, and It was a definite game changer for me. Now I can easily see the books on my shelf, and I don’t have to wait for that approval/denial email ding, I can just check the app. ALSO, another awesome app feature, is that you can download your digital books right onto your device from your app. You know, in case you dont have your kindle with you. They make it SO EASY!

FEEDBACK RATIO- One important thing I’m going to mention is the feedback ratio portion of your profile. While Netgalley is free, and you are free to request 1,000 titles if you feel the mood strike you, one thing you really have to pay attention to is your feedback ratio. The suggested feedback ratio is 80%. Basically the publishers want to know that they can depend on you for an honest meaningful review of the book they are planning on sending over. Reader reviews are the most important part of Netgalley in my opinion. Our reviews help the books we love be SEEN, shared and most importantly purchased on their book birthdays!

I really enjoy being able to recommend the books I love with my audience, and sharing in the hype when a really great book comes along! So friends, if you are an avid reader, and would love to get your hands on copies of some of your favorite author’s books before they are published, I HIGHLY recommend you give Netgalley a test-drive……and let me know what you think!

https://www.netgalley.com/

Happy reading, bookish fam!