Review: Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell

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Boys with Sharp TeethBoys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After her beloved cousin, Sam, is found dead in a shallow creek on the campus of Huntsworth Academy, Marin James vows to get revenge. She knows his death was not an accident, and better than that, she knows who is responsible.

Adrian Hargraves and Henry Wu, two untouchable rich boys, who are among the most socially elite in the school had befriended Sam, and pulled him into their toxic world.

Marin is determined to find the truth of what happened to Sam. She ends up infiltrating Huntsworth as a totally new person: Jamie Vain. She’s after one thing, revenge.

From the very start, this novel gave me HEAVY Foul Is Fair vibes. Everything from the set-up, to the strong focus on getting revenge, and the narrative voice, all reminded me of that book, which I loved.

I listened to the audio and thought the narrator did a great job with the initial tone; it was morose, and felt heavy and serious. However, as it continued, I couldn’t help but feel that it was too one-note, which started to get old.

I feel like the further I read, the more it started to lose me. It was a progression of disinterest.

The first half was really strong, I did love the set-up and how mysterious it all felt, but the closer it got to the end, the more it went off the rails for me.

I will say, I do feel this is categorized well as Dark Academia. Over the years, it seems a lot of books get called that, but only loosely fall into that category. This does have all the necessary components of a solid Dark Academia, even though the execution fell a little short, IMO.

I enjoyed the philosophical concepts that were incorporated into the story. I liked how much of a personal battle the MC was having with her own mission and place in this story.

That aspect was really well done. I think if you enjoy this sort of dark tone, paired with a more cerebral storyline, you’ll like this one a lot. Sadly, for me, the ending just left me lost. IDK what the heck happened.

Nevertheless, I am glad that I picked this one up. I would definitely read more from this author in the future, and I know a lot of Readers are going to enjoy this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Roaring Brook Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I really appreciate it!!

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Review: The Cut by C.J. Dotson

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The CutThe Cut by C.J. Dotson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

After fleeing an abusive relationship, Sadie Miles, with her toddler, Izzy, in tow, ends up at the L’Arpin Hotel, a historic property on the edge of Lake Eerie.

She’s not there for rest and relaxation though, she’s there for a job. When she’s offered a position as a housekeeper, which includes a free room at the hotel, she jumps at the offer. She’s beyond desperate.

We follow Sadie as she tries to navigate her new circumstance, having to do things that make her uncomfortable, such as leaving Izzy alone with an elderly woman she just met, so that she can get her work done.

It’s not just those necessary actions that are making her uncomfortable though, there’s a lot around the hotel that is odd; including, but not limited to, the people.

Individuals go missing, and there’s definitely something in the water, or the pipes, or food. The higher-ups seem to be covering-up, but what? And what about the man from the power plant, always yelling and carrying on, like she’s done something to him. What is going on here?

Sadie, like many great Horror characters before her, isn’t willing to let any of this stuff go. She’s determined to figure out the truth behind the hotel, even if she needs to put herself in peril in order to do so.

I had fun with this one. The Cut has a great set-up, and it did succeed at keeping me guessing and compelled to move forward with the unsettling narrative.

It reminded me of one of those Creature Feature movies from the late-70s/mid-80s, that had like ants that had grown to the size of houses and ate entire towns.

Were they super logical? No. Did they keep you entertained on a rainy Saturday afternoon? Absolutely. This is the vibe I got and I’m not complaining about it.

This is solid B-Horror, and don’t take that as an insult, because it’s not. I love B-Horror. It’s pure entertainment, that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It tells a story, gives you thrills, chills, and keeps you at the edge of your seat.

I will say, Sadie’s daughter, Izzy, drove me absolutely nuts. I would have enjoyed this even more if she hadn’t been in it. I know that seems mean, but it is what it is.

Overall, though, this was a fun ride. It had some issues, but at the end of the day, I didn’t really care. I actually Buddy Read this and it was a fun one to try to guess what was really happening. Which by the way, I was no where near guessing.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copies to read and review. I highly recommend the audio format if you have it available to you. The narration was a great fit for the tone of the story!

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Review: Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

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Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy MysteryMurder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

My initial thoughts upon first hearing the concept for this book were as follows:

I cannot even believe this is a thing. It’s like all my dreams have come true. No one is a bigger GG-fan than me!! To have the Girls all together to solve a Cozy Mystery?!

What the heck could be better!?

I put off reading it for as long as I could, wanting to read it just prior to the publication date, April 15, 2025. In my eyes, it couldn’t come soon enough.

And I’ll tell you what, I did really enjoy it. Was it perfect? No, but it didn’t need to be. I feel like a lot of Cozy Mystery series get better as they go, as they find their rhythm and as Readers become more attached to the characters.

While I don’t think it’s possible for me to be more attached to Sophia, Blanche, Dorothy and Rose than I already am, I do think if the series continues, I will grow to love the format and mystery of the novels more and more.

In this story, we have two things happening. Rose is preparing to host a wedding for her cousin, Nettie, and her beau, Jason, wherein an inheritance clause makes it necessary for the wedding to contain many St. Olafian traditions, so that is a focus of a lot of the action.

Additionally, we have a dead body found on the premises where the wedding is to take place, and due to circumstances I won’t get into, Dorothy is considered a lead suspect.

Because of all of this, the Girls are trying to clear Dorothy’s name, while also giving Nettie the wedding of her dreams. It’s a lot for a weekend!

By the end of the 1st-chapter, I was already impressed by the way the author captured each of the Girls’ personalities and mannerisms; minus Sophia using a cane, which I am still scratching my head about.

It was so easy for me to read, picturing all of their intonations and comedic deliveries. It was just incredibly enjoyable for me as a super fan.

Overall, I found it to be a super cute, very fun, and nostalgic read for me. I felt like all four women, Dorothy, Rose, Sophia and Blanche, were executed with grace, and in a way that would make any fan of the show happy.

At times I would have preferred the mystery to be a bit more front-and-center, in comparison to the drama circling Nettie’s wedding. Nevertheless, it was still a great read!

I’m actually not sure if this is slated to be a series, or not, but I’m really hoping for more. There’s so many more opportunities for mysteries. Miami is a busy place and these Girls are always getting into some sort of sticky situation.

I would recommend this to any Golden Girls fan. I don’t think it would hit the same for people who haven’t watched the show, but I could be wrong. As a Cozy Mystery, it was still solid, regardless of who the characters are.

Thank you so much for the ARC, Hyperion Avenue. This was a hugely-anticipated release for me, and I’m honored to have received a copy early.

Thank you, thank you!

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Review: Letter Slot (Shivers Collection #5) by Owen King

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Letter Slot (The Shivers Collection, #5)Letter Slot by Owen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Letter Slot is a great Horror short story. This is the 2nd-Shivers Collection release that I have picked up and I enjoyed it just as much as the 1st, Jackknife.

This is the 1st-time I’ve read from Owen King, and I can definitely see the family resemblance. This guy knows how to tell a COMPELLING story. I was hooked from the start!

This story follows Blake, a teenage boy, who lives with his single-mom. They’ve been struggling and Blake’s Mom’s health has suffered because of stress and an accident she had at their rental property.

Nothing seems to be going right for them, and Blake just wants it to be better, particularly for his Mom, who does so much. He hates seeing her in pain.

As part of a school assignment, he ends up pouring out all these thoughts and emotions into a letter, and putting that letter through a mail slot of an abandoned show house.

He’s floored when he receives a response with an offer to help make all of their problems disappear. All he has to do is give his new pal a name; a name of someone he hates.

Blake is left with a real Faustian dilemma on his hands. He’d do anything for his Mom, but what will it cost him?

I really enjoyed how this story played out. The way it was told, it was beautifully-plotted for such a short story. I was completely sucked in and invested in the moral dilemma.

I feel like King did an exceptional job creating an unsettling atmosphere, even when you didn’t know exactly what was getting under your skin. It was a whole vibe; very well done.

Thank you to Brillance Publishing for providing me with a copy to read and review. Grover Gardner’s narration in the audiobook was perfect for this story.

I highly recommend that format!

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Review: The Thorns by Dawn Kurtagich

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The ThornsThe Thorns by Dawn Kurtagich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Thorns follows our MC, Bethany, through both Past and Present perspectives. Present Bethany is a successful author, wife, and a bit of a recluse.

Bethany is the author of a popular series, who is now struggling to write the final book, in which her beloved protagonist, Sally, is slated to be killed. She just can’t seem to get it right, causing her a lot of inner turmoil.

Past Bethany has been shipped off to a remote boarding school by her mother. Feeling abandoned and alone, Bethany befriends a fellow classmate, Stacey, who she comes to idolize, shall we say, to an unhealthy degree.

In the Present, Bethany is thrown for a loop when she receives an email from Stacey out of the blue. You can tell they haven’t been a part of each other’s lives for quite some time, but why? What happened?

The Past clues us in to their complicated friendship, taking us through the various uncomfortable circumstances they got themselves into while at school together. Eventually, Past and Present merge revealing the truth behind Bethany and Stacey’s relationship.

This is a tough on for me, because I Love Dawn Kurtagich’s writing and daring imagination. The Thorns has a solid ominous feel to it, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but it also had its issues that sadly brought down my rating.

For me, it’s one of those stories where a lot is happening, but simultaneously, it feels like nothing is happening. I was constantly waiting for something big to be revealed, and then when it was, I had predicted it from very early on and it didn’t end up being as satisfying as I would’ve hoped.

It also felt too drawn out and I didn’t enjoy the 2nd-person narration style of the Present perspective. Nevertheless, Kurtagich gets full marks for her creativity and follow-through on ideas, and this is still a good book, which just happened to fall a little flat for me.

I was hoping for a deeper connection and to be more compelled by the narrative than I was. The middle portions felt quite General Fiction as opposed to the dark-intrigue that I was expecting.

With all this being said, I know so many Readers are going to love this. The back-and-forth does build up some anticipation, and I feel like the topics explored are strong and well-executed.

Thank you to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from Kurtagich!

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Review: Splinter Effect (Splinter Effect #1) by Andrew Ludington

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Splinter Effect: A NovelSplinter Effect: A Novel by Andrew Ludington
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Splinter Effect is a Time Travel Thriller that features heavy historical aspects. I found it to be a unique read, that definitely improved for me in the 2nd-half of the book.

While it started slowly and was a bit heavy-handed in the historical politics, there were definitely some fun twists towards the end that hooked me back in.

In this story, we follow Rabbit Ward, a Smithsonian Archaeologist tasked with traveling through time in order to rescue precious artifacts before they are lost to history.

Even though Rabbit is quite successful in his career, there was an epic screw-up decades ago that included the loss of his mentee, Aaron, and it has haunted him ever since. They were after a special menorah during that mission, and recently evidence has surfaced that the menorah has now been located in another time and place.

Rabbit sets out again to try to recover it, mistakenly thinking this time, it won’t be quite as difficult. However, from the moment he arrives in the past, things go wrong.

Apparently, there are others, contemporary competitors, of his searching for the same artifact. One in particular, Helen, becomes a real thorn in his side.

In addition to this though, the time and place they’re in, 6th-Century Constantinople, is on the brink of revolution. It’s a dangerous place for anyone to be, and Rabbit and Helen find themselves thrust right into the middle of it all.

I listened to the audiobook and am glad that I did. The narrator, Roger Wayne, had a film noir quality to his voice, which I feel worked very well for this story. I would recommend that format if you’re going to pick it up.

I think as a start to a series, this is strong. I have a feeling the longer the series goes on, the better it is going to get, as the Reader becomes more attached to the MC, and also gains a better understanding of the time travel system.

The concepts did take a minute to get used to, as it is sort of a fresh take on time travel, and one I did thoroughly enjoy.

For me though, it did lean a little too heavily into the politics and societal happenings of the time that Rabbit traveled back to. I felt that brought the pace of the story down, which detracted from the high-stakes mission Rabbit was on by sucking some intensity out of it.

As mentioned above, there were some great twists towards the end though that I definitely didn’t see coming. One in particular, helped to completely reinvest me into the story, which was starting to lose me.

I would be interested in continuing on with the series. I think my decision will most likely be made after I read the synopsis for the 2nd-book; if the mission sounds intriguing enough to me, I will continue.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I do enjoy checking out different styles of Time Travel stories, and this one was fascinating. Even though I had some few issues with it, I still think the author did a great job in developing the plot, settings and characters.

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Review: Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes

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Cold EternityCold Eternity by S.A. Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cold Eternity is the latest release from S.A. Barnes, author of Dead Silence and Ghost Station. I always look forward to Barnes new books and this one did not disappoint.

This is another Space Horror novel and features a compelling protagonist, Halley, who after taking a remote assignment on an abandoned space barge, discovers there’s more danger in the job than she could’ve ever anticipated.

In the very beginning, this was giving me light-Artemis vibes. I think mostly because Halley, the way we meet her and the things she was thinking about at that time, were reminiscent of Jazz, the MC in Artemis.

You can tell that Halley is girl with a complicated past, who is trying her best to stay clear of it. I liked how the author filled that in for us over time, and I truly became attached to Halley and her well-being over the course of the story.

She takes the job on Elysian Fields, a giant space barge housing a now defunct cryo program, thinking the remoteness and isolation will help her to avoid the things she’s trying to avoid. Unfortunately, life on the floating crypt isn’t as harmless as she thought it would be.

Constant disturbing noises, and mysterious moving figures, haunt Halley’s days and nights. She finds it impossible to sleep, impossible to rest her nerve-rattled brain.

Karl, the only other human worker aboard, is just as puzzling as everything else about the Elysian Fields. Halley’s thoughts race and ramble as she tries to make sense of her new surroundings. It’s during this time that the Reader may begin to question how well they can rely on their narrator.

Learning about the Elysium Fields, its past, Halley’s connection to it and its present iteration was so compelling. Barnes does the horrors of future tech so well, and this story is absolutely terrifying if you think about it for too long…

S.A. Barnes has really made a name for herself in the SF-Horror space. She does such an incredible job creating an ominous atmosphere in each one of her stories, as well as well-developed main characters.

I feel like some Readers may avoid, or be intimidated by SciFi stories, as they feel like they may be too science-heavy, or too high-concept, for them to understand, or be pulled in by. And while I can understand that inclination with many SF-books, I would urge you, if this is you, to give S.A. Barnes’s work a try.

She makes her stories accessible to all types of Readers, whether you are a big-SF fan or not, I think you’ll easily be pulled in by her work and find it enjoyable.

This story, in particular, is well within our range of current understanding as tech rapidly progresses around us every day. I could absolutely picture a world where a situation like this becomes a reality.

Stories of futuristic tech always get under my skin. I just find it genuinely frightening to think about. All the ways such developments could go wildly wrong. Reading about it, in fun works of fiction like this, provide me with a safe place to explore such concepts, and honestly, it does help lessen some anxiety around these topics for me.

That may sound silly, but it is one of the reasons I so enjoy this type of story, and S.A. Barnes is my absolute go-to author for gripping, realistic, futuristic SF-Horror.

This had a lot of unsettling moments, with a great creepy atmosphere throughout. Towards the end it did have some moments where it started to feel a little muddled for me, but overall, it was a great reading experience.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’ll be anticipating whatever Barnes releases next!!!

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Review: Witness 8 (Eddie Flynn #8) by Steve Cavanagh

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Witness 8 (Eddie Flynn, #8)Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Witness 8 is the 8th-installment in Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series, but the 1st-book I’ve read in the series. There’s nothing like starting at the end. LOL

I’m so excited that I already have 2-other books from the series on hand, because I’ll definitely want to be picking them up as soon as possible. This was captivating and a thoroughly-intriguing mystery!!

If you aren’t familiar with the series, as I wasn’t, it does indeed follow Eddie Flynn, a criminal defense attorney, as well as his team, as they investigate, work and defend various cases in and around New York City.

In this novel, they’re representing John Jackson, a wealthy man from the Upper East Side, who has been accused of shooting one of his neighbors. Jackson’s DNA was on the gun, which was also found in his home.

It seems like a hopeless case, but Eddie is confident Jackson is innocent and he fully intends to clear his name.

Also involved in the case is the girl who actually witnessed the crime, Ruby, who works as a maid in the upper-class neighborhood. Unfortunately, she’s anxious to use her knowledge for her own benefit, not the benefit of the police, and certainly not to the benefit of the Jacksons.

There were some other side-plots that were a little less compelling for me, but nevertheless, they made the book stacked with content to keep the Reader entertained.

I have a feeling, one of the side-plots in this, which revolves around Eddie, would be more intriguing to Readers who have read the series from the start, as they would be more attached to him emotionally.

With this being said, I enjoyed the entire thing, though I was a little less invested when it was exploring topics outside of the main murder case.

I immediately vibed with Cavanagh’s writing and he wasted no time kicking off this story, which I appreciated. It pulled me in from the very first pages.

It’s not an uplifting story, to say the least, I felt bad for many of the characters and what was happening to them, but it is a gripping story nonetheless.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m really looking forward to reading the backlist books in this series!

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Review: Jackknife (The Shivers Collection #1) by Joe Hill

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Jackknife (The Shivers Collection, #1)Jackknife by Joe Hill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jackknife is a captivating short story from one of my faves, Joe Hill. This is a part of the Amazon Shivers Collection, which features works from some of the best Horror and Dark Fiction authors currently in the biz.

After seeing the author list contributing to this collection, I knew it was one that I could not possibly miss. This is the first I’ve picked up and can’t wait for more!

This story features a University Professor on the brink of losing everything after being caught up in a scandal, but through it all he discovers his deep will to live.

It also has a terrifying tree and a touch of vigilante justice.

Joe Hill’s writing never fails to capture my attention, and more importantly keep it. Once I started this one, I had to see it through. I wanted to know where exactly we were going with this unsettling concept.

As short stories go, I feel like this is well executed. It gave me what I was hoping for, and as mentioned above, I’m excited to continue on with the collection.

Thank you, Brilliance Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would recommend this to fans of Horror Short Fiction, and of course to fans of Joe Hill!

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Review: What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

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What the Woods TookWhat the Woods Took by Courtney Gould
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What the Woods Took follows a group of troubled teens during their time in a wilderness therapy program.

This set-up has been popping-up quite a bit in various iterations over the past few years, but for me, this is the best I’ve seen it executed. I was fully-engrossed in this story.

Devin is our MC. We meet her when she is awakened one night by two strange men in her room; essentially kidnapping her into a program known as Revive.

She finds herself shoved into a van and driven deep into the woods of Idaho. She meets a group of equally confused teens and it’s at that point, she discovers the true depth of the unsettling situation she finds herself in.

There are two counselors/guides for the program, and the other teens include Ollie, Aidan, Hannah and Sheridan. They’re told they will be hiking for 50-days.

Each teen is coming from vastly different circumstances, of which we learn over the course of the story. They’re each battling their own inner demons, but what they’ll face in the woods will be unlike anything they’ve ever battled before.

I went into this one not knowing a lot about it. I’ve read two previous novels from Gould, and enjoyed them, but this one is definitely my favorite of her work.

I was captivated from the start. It kicks off immediately and drops us into the heart of the action. I really appreciated the character work that Gould displayed here.

It wasn’t just Devin that you got to know well, all of the characters were fully fleshed out. IMO, for Younger Readers, or Teens, picking this up, everyone should be able to find an aspect to this story that will resonate with them.

There was a real cathartic feel about these teens experiences in the program initially. As mentioned above, they were all struggling with some serious issues, and had been acting out in their home life as a way to deal to it.

The more time they spent together, under the uncomfortable conditions, the more they began to open up to one another. There was some serious growth.

Then the crazy stuff starts to happen. There’s something strange in the woods and the pace really picks up after all of that starts to be exposed.

I thought Gould paced this perfectly. I enjoyed how the strangeness unfolded. It felt hypnotic and darkly-enticing. I needed to know what the heck was going to happen here. How were these teens actually going to survive this?

It was eerie and intense. I was rooting for these characters, even the ones that drove me batty at first. The growth they displayed and the horrifying situation they were in, made me root for them all by the end.

I would recommend this to YA Horror, or YA Survival Thriller, Readers. I feel like the character work and atmosphere are reason enough to pick it up, but if you need more, add in a convincing sapphic romance. Additionally, I would recommend the audiobook for the engaging narration.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to whatever Gould releases next!

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