Review: Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

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Under Loch and KeyUnder Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Keyanna MacKay was raised in the United States by her single-Scottish father. Her Dad was tight-lipped and didn’t share a lot about his past, family, or where he came from.

One of his final wishes before passing was for Key to bring him home, to the country he left decades before. Thus, with this wish weighing heavy on her heart, Key decides she must make it happen, no matter the cost.

Her only real info is the name of the area in Scotland he is from, as well as her estranged Grandmother’s name; a Grandmother she’s never met.

Even though she’s scared and it may blow up in her face, Key is still determined to find out where her Dad came from and return him there. Maybe it will help fill the void in her heart he’s left behind. Unmoored by his passing, this could be exactly what Key needs to help her move forward.

What she doesn’t expect is the run-in she has on her very first day with the handsome, Lachlan Greer, who stops Key from tumbling down the slippery rocks of a loch-side cliff.

Lachlan has answers of his own he’s searching for, and Key may be just that, the ‘key’ to finding them. That’ll only be possible though if the two can stop fighting long enough to work together.

The longer the pair spend together, the more buried secrets come to light and that’s when the real magic happens.

I’ve read a lot of cryptid-focused stories in my life, but certainly nothing like this. I’m in all new territory here and I had such a fun time taking it all in.

While I can recognize that this isn’t a perfect book, and for more experienced Romance Readers, maybe it’s not great, IDK. For me though, I gotta give props to Lana Ferguson for creating likable characters, a unique plot, as well as hard-hitting, emotional moments.

I loved both of the MCs, particularly Key and the journey she was on to find a sense of place after the passing of her father. That hit me hard and I respected the hell out of the risks she took in making that trip. It was a big deal.

I was also surprised and pleased by the direction the romance went in. I’m not sure if all of this author’s works are a bit fantastical like this one, but I’m definitely interested in picking up more. This was just so cute.

Admittedly, the steamy bits weren’t 100% to my tastes, but I was willing to overlook some moments that made me cringe due to all the moments that made me swoon. The banter between Key and Lachlan made it worth it.

I also liked that the author included a bit of a mystery that the two have to work together to solve. I thought that was a nice touch, instead of focusing solely on romance.

Additionally, I adored the setting and the side characters. The audiobook featured dual narration that was a perfect match for how I pictured Key and Lachlan. I absolutely recommend that format.

Overall, I found this to be a pleasant surprise. It’s much more than just a gorgeous cover.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m excited to pick up more from Lana Ferguson!

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Review: Beast of the North Woods (Monster Hunter #3) by Annelise Ryan

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Beast of the North Woods (Monster Hunter #3)Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

💚💛💛💚💛💛💚💛💛💚💛💛💚💛💛💚

Beast of the North Woods is the 3rd-installment to Annelise Ryan’s Monster Hunter Cozy Mystery series. These quirky stories successfully combine two of my favorite things: creepy vibes and cozy mysteries.

These books follow MC, Morgan Carter, a cryptozoologist and specialty bookstore owner, who along with her adorable dog, Newt, investigates cases that may be linked to potential cryptid activity.

In this story, Morgan agrees to help her long-time store employee, Rita, after her nephew is accused of murder. He claims he is just a witness, having stumbled across the mutilated body of a local fisherman in the woods.

He also claims he saw a creature of many local legends, a Hodag, leaving the scene. He accuses the creature of being responsible for the gruesome crime.

The thing is, although his town of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, embraces the idea of the Hodag, incorporating it into their community, it’s also widely believed to be a hoax.

Even though she doesn’t believe Hodags to be real either, Morgan agrees to travel with Rita to Rhinelander to try to get to the bottom of it and clear Rita’s nephew’s name.

Once there though, Morgan’s presence causes a stir with the townsfolk, and the deeper she digs, the more danger she seems to be in. If a Hodag didn’t kill the fisherman, and Rita’s nephew didn’t either, who did?

This series is a bit silly, NGL, but it’s also super-duper fun. I’ve grown so attached to this cast of characters, (I’m looking at you, Newt) and am definitely hoping for more installments. There’s so many other cryptids to explore.

I had never heard of a Hodag before, so actually had to look it up. I liked how the author chose to use a lesser known cryptid this time. In the 1st-book, we had a Loch Ness Monster-like lake creature, and the 2nd-book revolved around Bigfoot, so this one was a surprise.

I also really love Morgan as an MC. She’s smart, daring and most importantly, a great Dog Mom, always putting Newt’s needs first. I never have to worry about him while reading, because I know Morgan is keeping him as safe as possible.

This was a solid mystery, that got increasingly complex the more we learned. I also appreciated that we dappled a little more into Morgan’s past as well, so it felt well-rounded. I liked learning more about her.

As with many cozy mysteries, we do follow along with Morgan’s personal life as well. She’s in a budding relationship, and it’s very new, so they are exploring those boundaries within this book, which was nice to see.

There were some fun twists, although a few things seemed obvious and it took Morgan longer to figure out than I would’ve thought. Otherwise, it did get more complicated than I expected and took some surprising turns. I had fun going along for the ride.

I would recommend this series to any Cozy Mystery fans, but particularly those looking for something a little different in their Cozy. It’s one-of-a-kind.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to whatever comes next for Morgan and Newt.

Please don’t let this be the last!

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Review: You’re Dead to Me by Amy Christine Parker

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You're Dead to MeYou’re Dead to Me by Amy Christine Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️

Ruby Toller, a high school Senior, lives in Florida with her single-Mom and her Mom’s annoying boyfriend, Hunter. They reside at and run at a small Nature Park, that was passed down to Ruby’s Mom from her parents.

Ruby loves working at the Park, taking care of the animals. It’s her home and she plans to always be there. Unfortunately, demand for these types of attractions isn’t what it once was, and they struggle to stay afloat.

Thanks to a generous scholarship, Ruby is able to attend the very prestigious Oleander High School, a private school full of richy-rich teens.

Just because she attends though, doesn’t mean she fits in, or is accepted and Ruby has grown a bit of a chip on her shoulder. One thing she has been successful at though is her thriving anonymous-local gossip blog, ReputationKiller.

Ruby digs up dirt on the most elite families and community members and blasts them on her blog. Thus, aptly doing just as the blog title states, killing reputations.

When Ruby is outed as the force behind ReputationKiller, the whole town turns against her, except for her best friends, Anton and Xavier, and shockingly, an attractive rich boy named Alexander.

More of an outcast now than ever, Ruby feels isolated and like her life is out of control, but at least she has a life. Even that comes into question however, when Ruby starts being haunted by her own ghost.

That’s right, she’s being visited by her dead self, in a horrible state of decay, clad in a tattered prom dress.

It’s clear from the ghost’s appearance, she didn’t get that way due to natural causes. With the prom just days away, Ruby and her friends must figure out who is going to murder Ruby, and stop them, before it’s too late.

You’re Dead to Me was a super fun reading experience for me. I haven’t read a YA Horror-Thriller with such successful Supernatural aspects in a long time.

I found the story to be fast-paced and engaging, with some great Horror imagery. It kept me wanting more and guessing. There were some truly intense moments.

I also loved the way the Florida setting was used and the stark contrast between the Haves and Have-Nots within this community. It felt realistic.

It is super-dramatic, as you would expect from a Teen Scream, but all that drama was really well-executed in my opinion. It had me reaching for my popcorn, versus rolling my eyes, which is always a good sign.

I appreciated the way the author steadily built the intensity throughout. The stakes keep getting higher and higher as the days tick down until the prom.

I also liked the relationships between Ruby and her best friends, as well as her budding relationship with cute boy, Alexander. The friends supported each other very well, even through all the crazy things they go through in this book.

Ruby’s relationship with her Mom was rather complicated and I did like the exploration of that as well. Families are messy, you know?

Overall, I thought this was a super solid YA Horror-Thriller. If you love a Teen Scream, full of drama and danger, you should absolutely check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Content Warning: Animal death on page.


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Review: The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington

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The Blonde Dies FirstThe Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Devon and her brilliant twin sister, Drew, have drifted apart ever since Drew started attending a prestigious private school, as opposed to the public school Devon goes to.

Devon has made her peace with the fact that Drew is going to leave her behind. That’s why when Drew announces she’s graduating high school a year early, Devon’s not too surprised, but she still doesn’t feel great about it.

In an effort to spend some more time with Drew prior to her departure, Devon comes up with a plan: The Best Summer Ever. This includes a list of activities to do with their entire neighborhood friend group before summer ends.

One of the first items on the list is to attend a party thrown by one of the kids from Drew’s private school, Avery. Devon doesn’t really know anything about Drew’s school life, so she’s never met Avery before and she’s curious.

Thus, Devon, Drew and their other close friends, including Devon’s long-time crush, Yaya, head to Avery’s house for a night of fun. Truth be told, it’s a little uncomfortable at first, but they try to make the best of it.

Once the Ouija board comes out though, they realize it isn’t going to be quite the type of party they anticipated. Avery seems to be showing off. Drew calls it his typical party trick, but it makes Devon and the rest of the crew uncomfortable.

It’s after that night that The Best Summer Ever quickly devolves into the most Demonic Summer Ever. With a demon stalking them, seemingly following the rules of Horror, Devon and her friends must figure out how to defeat the beast before it kills them all.

The Blonde Dies First was an wildly-entertaining ride that kept me guessing throughout. It wasn’t perfect, but there is so much I appreciate about Wellington’s work.

While I feel that the Contemporary elements were the shining stars, it is still a very solid YA Horror story that I would recommend to YA Horror Readers.

As with Wellington’s previous novel, Their Vicious Games, I did really like the mix of the heavier contemporary topics with the dark horror action and intrigue.

There were so many jaw-dropping events in this book that I didn’t see coming and it absolutely had me guessing the whole way. I loved the friend group and how they banded together to try to figure out what was happening to them.

I also loved the way Wellington incorporated the classic rules of Horror that all Horror fans have embedded in their memories. I thought that was just such a fun little nod to the overall genre. It made me ridiculously happy to see it here.

The Contemporary elements were highly successful. The relationship between Drew and Devon was fantastic. Their friend group was lovable and believable. I also appreciated the discussion on the gentrification that was happening within their NYC neighborhood.

With this being said, I did think a lot of the scenes involving the demon, like one set at a hospital, were written very well and had great descriptions too. Also, I loved the various Horror elements incorporated like the Ouija board session, the demon itself, and the talk of horror cinema.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this. Wellington’s style definitely fits my tastes and I’m looking forward to whatever she releases next. I’ll be the first one in line.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a good one!

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Review: The Wishless Ones (Dark Ascension Series #3) by Hafsah Faizal

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The Dark Ascension Series: The Wishless OnesThe Dark Ascension Series: The Wishless Ones by Hafsah Faizal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Wishless Ones is the 3rd-offering in Disney’s Dark Ascension Series. If you are unfamiliar with this series, they can be read in any order, as they are each an independent story following a different cast of characters.

Much like the Twisted Tales series, this follows characters we all know and love. It just shines a light on different aspects of their lives that we may not know about.

As the title of this series alludes to, these are Villain Origin stories; a concept I absolutely adore.

This story in particular follows one of the greatest villains of all time, Jafar, Grand Vizier of Agrabah. This man would do anything for power, but I was definitely curious as to what pushed him to such extremes.

This starts when Jafar is around 10-years old. We’re also introduced to his little brother, Rohan, and his parents.

We then progress to a time when the boys are in their late teens. It was really interesting seeing Jafar in this family context. As a brother, he was protective and loving, but it’s true as the boys aged, they did grow apart due to miscommunications and misunderstandings.

Nevertheless, they were still very much a bonded pair, so when a fire takes everything from them, Jafar is forced to bring his brother along with him as he journeys to the House of Wisdom in the faraway kingdom of Maghriz.

Jafar has always dreamed of studying alchemy, and there’s no better place to do it than the House of Wisdom. When he discovers he’s been accepted, he’s elated. Although it didn’t go as smoothly as he would have wished, regardless he makes the long journey to his new life with Rohan in tow.

Maghriz holds more danger and intrigue than they could have banked on though. The Sultana ends up roping them into a grand deception and the rest spirals from there.

As far as this type of Disney series goes, I think this was a very well-crafted story. There’s no doubt that Hafsah Faizal is a talented writer and I definitely appreciated the quality of storytelling she brought to the page.

Honestly, I think I was expecting something a bit more drastic to be the cause of Jafar going full-blown villain. This seemed a little tame in regards to the cause. I mean, I get why he was angry, but such an extreme shift in his personality? I’m not quite sure I was sold on that.

My other minor grudge with this story would be Jafar’s little brother, Rohan.

I was here for Jafar, but we do get a 50/50-narrative split between Jafar and Rohan. Even though he is only 2-years younger than Jafar, his behavior would lead you to believe he was 10-years younger.

He was a whiner and started to get on my last nerve. IMO, he was holding Jafar back from the start and I don’t blame Jafar for going as far off the edge as he did, putting up with that guy all the time.

With this being said, everything else was entertaining and well-constructed. I feel like Faizal nailed the setting and I absolutely love that she chose to include Iago in such a prominent manner.

The relationship between Jafar and Iago was definitely one of my favorite aspects of this story. I could just picture the both of them, and loved it. That was really fun. Iago is so funny, and through this, I felt like I got to understand him as a character even more.

I also enjoyed the palace intrigue and the entire plot involving the Sultana. I wasn’t sure what to expect in that regard and I did enjoy the direction it took.

I’ve dappled in a lot of these different Disney series over the years and I’ve got to say, the quality of this one is quite high. I think for fans of Villain Origin stories, fans of Aladdin, or specifically fans of Jafar, this is a must. I would recommend it as excellent supplemental material.

If you aren’t any of those Readers listed above, you could probably skip this one, as I feel it is most suited to true fans of the above-listed things.

Thank you to the publisher, Disney Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m glad I picked this up. It was a good fit for my Winter mood!

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Review: The Secret of the Three Fates (Ruby Vaughn #2) by Jess Armstrong

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The Secret of the Three Fates (Ruby Vaughn, #2)The Secret of the Three Fates by Jess Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Secret of the Three Fates is the follow-up to the highly-engaging Gothic Mystery, The Curse of Penryth Hall, which I really enjoyed last year.

These books are part of the Ruby Vaughn series by Jess Armstrong. I’d so been looking forward to being back with Ruby on another spooky adventure. Happily, this was just as enticing as the first book!

This installment brings Ruby and her employer/housemate, Mr. Owen, to Manhurst Castle in the Scottish Borders. Ruby believes they’re there to acquire manuscripts for the bookshop, but quickly discovers that’s not the case.

In fact, it turns out they’re there to attend a seance to be held that very night. Mr. Owen, up to his old tricks again.

Desperate to contact his son, lost to the Great War, Mr. Owen hopes the seance could help him get his wish, but he doesn’t want to do it alone. Hence, Ruby’s unknowing presence.

The seance is hosted by three mediums, going by the name of The Three Fates. As any of us could have guessed, things do not go smoothly, nor as planned, and Mr. Owen’s secret past looks close to being exposed.

Shortly thereafter, Ruby discovers one of the Three Fates has been murdered and she and Mr. Owen are immediately dubbed the prime suspects.

In order the clear their names, Ruby begins her own investigation, enlisting the help of Ruan, the folk healer she befriended in the first book during her time in Cornwall. You know, the handsome one.

My favorite thing about the first book was the atmosphere and Armstrong succeeded again in building out a lush, gothic-feeling setting. I am also loving how attached I am becoming to this set of characters.

Yet again, the chemistry between Ruby and Ruan was so well done. I enjoy Ruby so much as a lead. She’s plucky, smart and a little hard-headed. Once she starts investigating something, she doesn’t let anything get in her way, no matter how dangerous.

It was fun getting to know more about Mr. Owen too. There was quite a bit revealed about his past in this one, and I feel like I have more of an appreciation for him now.

I feel like the seance scenes were also really well-imagined. Thinking of the popularity of occult practices like that during this time period is so fascinating to me. It must have felt completely surreal participating in something like that, when belief was so high.

I love that Armstrong used that practice within this mystery. It was compelling and felt time period appropriate. It also helped to give the mystery an overall unsettling air.

I’m already anxious for news on the next book. There has to be one. There’s no way this is it for these characters. I shall sit back, patiently, and wait. Any by that I mean, I’ll be chomping at the bit to get my hands on it…

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Historical Mysteries with heavy Gothic vibes. The settings, the characters and the mysteries themselves, are all so well developed. There’s a lot to praise about Armstrong’s work.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. I cannot wait to be reunited with Ruby and friends!!

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Review: The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

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The Business TripThe Business Trip by Jessie Garcia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Business Trip is a novel told in Parts. In Part I, we meet our two main women, Jasmine and Stephanie. It’s a tame start, considering the craziness that follows!

Jasmine and Stephanie are quite different and don’t know each other. That is until they end up in the same row on a flight. Stephanie is headed to a business conference and Jasmine is secretly-fleeing an abusive relationship.

After that fateful flight, their lives will be intricately entangled. Days later both women have vanished and both mentioned the same man, Trent, in text messages to friends and loved ones, shortly before they disappeared.

Who is Trent McCarthy, and how did he end up tied to both of these women?

I found this story to be intriguing from the very start. We’re introduced to a lot of characters, but I felt like the full-cast narration of the audio definitely helped to keep everyone straight. I highly recommend that format.

This is certainly a wild ride, and although I feel like this story sort of fell victim to the ‘one twist too many’ issue, I still feel like it was a really enjoyable experience overall.

It kept me guessing and took some turns that I was not in the least expecting. It’s full of unlikable characters, except for Stephanie and her neighbor/friend, Robert. I loved them.

The two men that are given the most time in this story, Glenn, Jasmine’s abusive partner, and the aforementioned, Trent, are both terrible, but in such a way that they almost feel like caricatures of what a bad guy is. That did irk me a little. It felt a touch lazy, TBH.

Even with that being said though, I still feel like the twists and turns were exciting enough to make this one worth rounding up my 3.5-star rating.

Garcia did a great job with the structure of this. I loved how all the Parts played off one another seamlessly to build out the full picture of what was actually going on here. That’s where I felt this story was the most successful.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The audio production was fantastic and lends itself well to the format of this story.

This is the first time I’ve read from Jessie Garcia, but I would absolutely be interested in reading more. This was fun!

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Review: The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

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The Three Lives of Cate KayThe Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

💖💛💚💖💛💚💖💛💚💖💛💚💖

The Three Lives of Cate Kay was a quick and enjoyable read. I particularly enjoyed the quality and tone of Fagan’s writing. It was easy and fast-paced.

While I wasn’t crazy about the arrangement of how the story was told, I still really appreciated the lovely character work.

I was drawn to this because of the synopsis. The idea of following a mysterious author, Cate Kay, and learning all about her life and success appealed to me. I would say Fagan def delivered in that regard.

Kay wasn’t quite the kind of mysterious I tend to vibe with though. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. This just didn’t pack the punch for me that I was hoping it would. It was nice, but also felt a little safe.

There’s a lot of different characters introduced over the course of this tale, and we get all of their various perspectives and the timeline varies as well. I’ll admit to at times needing to remind myself, who I was reading from at any particular time, and where they were in time.

I think as an audiobook, if it is done with full cast, like Daisy Jones, this could flow well and be quite impactful. Unfortunately, reading it with my eyeballs, it sometimes felt a little disjointed.

With all this being said though, I did really love Annie and Amanda’s relationship. I think that aspect of this book captivated me the most and kept me moving forward at a steady clip.

Further, I think for Literary Fiction fans this is going to be a big hit. It did remind me in certain structural ways of Daisy Jones and the Six, and I’m anticipating many, many comparisons to Evelyn Hugo. I’ve never read EH, so can’t comment in that regard personally.

I would recommend this though to anyone who enjoyed either of those books. I feel like for the right Reader at the right time, this book could be sheer perfection.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me a copy to read and review. Even though this is a little outside my comfort zone, I’m really glad I picked it up. It was a nice change of pace.

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Review: Darkly by Marisha Pessl

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DarklyDarkly by Marisha Pessl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙

In Darkly, Marisha Pessl introduces the Reader to the interestingly-mad world of an eccentric and infamous game designer, Louisiana Veda.

If you’ve read Pessl’s novel Night Film, you’re already aware of how well she can create an aura around a mysterious character. I’m looking at you, Cordova.

Our MC is a teenage girl, Dia Gannon, who submits an application for a coveted-internship with Veda’s gaming company, Darkly. Her application feels like a failure, so Dia is shocked when she discovers she’s been selected for one of the highly-competitive 7-positions.

Darkly, well-known for it’s darkly ((pun intended)) ingenious game designs, has laid dormant since its founder’s, Louisiana’s, bizarre death. The Darkly games that remain are so prized, they can go for millions at auction.

As the teens start their internships, more questions are revealed than answered. What even are these internships about, and why were these specific candidates selected?

The entire narrative turns into a puzzle, with Dia struggling to piece everything together. The stakes feel high, the atmosphere ripe with danger, but why?

It’s all part of the mystery of Darkly.

I enjoyed my time with Darkly. It’s a story I would consider reading again. I feel if my brain hadn’t been so fried by the holidays, I could’ve even enjoyed it even more.

There’s no denying Pessl’s insane-levels of creativity and I did enjoy the overall mysterious tone of this book. While I feel like my brain may have missed some of the finer details, I can still appreciate the level of attention that must of been required in Pessl’s execution of this story.

It’s not my favorite of her work, but a solid read nonetheless.

If you enjoy puzzle-driven stories, I feel you could love this. The characters are smart, driven and interesting. I loved the action, setting and the intrigue of Louisiana Veda definitely kept me turning the pages.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to seeing what other Readers think of Darkly and anticipate whatever Pessl writes next!

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Review: Alter Ego (Secret Identity #2) by Alex Segura

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Alter Ego (Secret Identity #2)Alter Ego by Alex Segura

**4.5-stars**

I adored Secret Identity when I read it back in 2022. It took me completely by surprise how invested I became in that story and the characters.

Literary Mysteries aren’t necessarily a go-to genre for me. I do enjoy them from time-to-time, but I found Segura’s noir-feeling writing style, as well as the back-drop of the comic book industry, absolutely enchanting.

Unsurprisingly, I was stoked to hear about this sequel, Alter Ego. I listened to the audiobook, as I did with Secret Identity, and cannot recommend that format enough for both.

It’s not just a reading. There are sound effects, and other enhancements, that make these books special productions indeed. Especially considering the comics aspect.

One big change is that this 2nd-book is set in the present day, whereas Secret Identity was set in the 1970s.

As you can imagine, the comic book industry has been through a lot of changes over that time period. I did slightly missed the backdrop of 70s-era NYC, NGL, but not enough to effect my overall rating.

Our MC is Annie Bustamante, who is a successful filmmaker, author and illustrator. She’s had many opportunities over her career, but perhaps the one that means the most is the one she has just been presented: the opportunity to bring back to life her longtime favorite superhero, the Lethal Lynx.

While Annie is excited about the possibility of delivering the Lethal Lynx to a whole-new generation of superhero enthusiasts, she’s not crazy about having to work with the people at Triumph Comics, including Bert Carlyle, whose father founded the company.

Fanning the flames of her uncomfortability, Annie begins receiving mysterious messages from an individual urging her to be careful, to trust no one.

All Annie’s alert bells are going off and the more she digs into the history of the Lethal Lynx, the more she believes she may not know the whole story. But what sorts of secrets could be hidden within the comic book industry, and what would someone do to keep them hidden forever?

This was so good. I didn’t love it quite to the same level as Secret Identity, but pretty darn close. I feel like some of my over-the-top joy with the first book was just how surprised I was by it. I knew more what to expect here.

IMO though, this is such an underrated series. The concept is wildly-creative and interesting. I love the backdrop of the comic book industry and the ways it explores the role of the creatives within that space.

I did love getting to know Annie in this story as well. She’s a single-mom, who is talented and successful, yet still struggles with some aspects in her life, just like any other person. I liked how real she felt.

I also appreciated how connected the novels felt. Even though they are separated by a fairly large span of time and follow different characters, the connections are there and I feel like they were so well done.

I loved being reminded of little things that had happened in the first book and coming across various people who I remembered. I hadn’t been expecting a sequel initially, so didn’t brush up on the first book prior to picking this up.

I didn’t need too though, as Segura’s execution was seamless transitioning between the two works. Even though this is its own, individual story, the influence from the first book was felt throughout and for me, provided great food for thought.

It was interesting to think about these kinds of art and intellectual property, and what happens to them over time. Who owns the rights and how they can be used. I feel like this may be an issue that is near and dear to Segura’s heart, as it was certainly explored with care.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was incredibly well done. I highly recommend this audio!!!

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