Review: The Worst Is Yet to Come by Trish Lundy

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The Worst Is Yet to ComeThe Worst Is Yet to Come by Trish Lundy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Worst Is Yet to Come is a YA Thriller that follows a girl named Rose, who on graduation night is attacked after a party, as is her best friend, Kennedy.

Left for dead, Rose is picked up off the side of the road by high school quarterback, Jake. Kennedy, who was discovered barely alive, was later pronounced dead at a local healthcare facility. Rose can hardly believe this is real life. Who would want to kill her and Kennedy?

Not trusting the local authorities, Rose starts her own investigation, teaming up with Jake, in order to do so. Though they make unlikely allies, Rose and Jake grow close quickly and soon feel like old friends.

They discover that 17-years prior, another girl lost her life in the same way in the same place. Is this some sort of odd coincidence, or is the killer back for more? How could these cases possibly be related after so much time has passed?

This was good. It’s an interesting mystery, and I enjoyed Rose as an MC. She was a bit of an outsider in her community, and suspicions were even on her in relation to Kennedy’s death, yet she didn’t shy away. She was determined to find out who had attacked them that night and why. She wanted justice for her friend.

The direction the mystery went in wasn’t really to my taste, but I know a lot of Readers are going to have fun with it. We also get a past perspective of a guy named Brian, who helps to fill in the truth of what happened with the death of the other girl all those years ago.

Generally, I do enjoy when a story has both past and present mysteries, but something about this one just felt odd. I can’t really explain it, but Brian’s perspective mixed with Rose’s just didn’t flow well for me. I think maybe I would have enjoyed it more had Brian’s perspective not been included.

I also found it challenging at times to keep track of the various side characters. No one felt as distinct to me as Rose and Jake. With all of this being said though, I did really enjoy this author’s previous novel, The One That Got Away with Murder, so I think this is just a case of the content not necessarily being to my taste.

Overall, it was a fast-paced story that did have an intriguing mystery. Additionally, the audiobook was well done with a trio of narrators bringing depth to the story. I would recommend that format if you’re going to check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher, Henry Hold and Co., and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I hope this review doesn’t sound too doom and gloom, I don’t mean it to. This is a solid YA Thriller and I am looking forward to more from this author.

**I could also be in a mood, because I wrote a much better review right before this, but my computer crashed and it was lost. Therefore, I’m a bit grumpier this time through. Keep that in mind and take my salty attitude with just that, a grain of salt.**

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Review: Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

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Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat ShelterAgnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

I’m a Horror girl. I like dark fiction. Murder, mayhem, supernatural elements, unsettling atmospheres, those are my go-tos. Every once in a while though, a girl needs a palate cleanser, something a bit lighter or more whimsical.

Heather Fawcett is an author I’ve had success with in the past when I’m looking for that kind of read. I really enjoyed her Emily Wilde series, though I haven’t read the 4th-book yet. When I first saw this book, I knew I wanted to read it. I was loving the vibes the cover was giving off, even without reading the synopsis.

In this story we follow Agnes Aubert, who is the manager of a cat rescue charity. She runs a tight ship, being detail-oriented and focused solely on matching cats with their furever homes.

After a magical attack in their Montreal neighborhood, the original shelter is left severely damaged, leaving Agnes with no other choice but to find a new location for the shelter and all the cats. We follow her as she goes about securing that location, and it’s once the location is found that the true action of the story kicks off.

The past tenant at the location left abruptly under slightly suspicious circumstances, but Agnes can’t concern herself with all that. The rental market is tough, and she needs to get these cats someplace safe with Winter setting in. It doesn’t take her long to realize the location may have actually be available for good reason.

After a series of bizarre occurrences the true landlord of the space is revealed: Havelock Renard, an infamous magician who Agnes has heard terrible things about. Nevertheless, Agnes is forced to team up with Havelock when an even more dangerous magician comes lurking about.

This was cute. As mentioned, it’s not a typical read for me, but I did get invested in Agnes and the shelter. I loved how involved the various cats were, and how Fawcett imbued them all with their own personalities. Anyone who has ever had their own animal companion knows how distinct their personalities can be, so that made this extra fun.

I also liked the intrigue surrounding Havelock and everything that was going on with him. He’s not unlike Wendell Bambleby from the Emily Wilde books in many ways. I liked the dynamic between him and Agnes as well. They played well off one another.

Historic Montreal as a setting was also refreshing and appreciated. The deep French cultural influence was well displayed and I felt it to be lush and easy to imagine. I haven’t read anything even close to this vibe in a very long time, and it was a pleasant change of pace for me.

I would definitely recommend this for fans of Cozy Fantasy stories, as well as Cat Lovers. You’ll certainly get your full fictional feline experience with this story.

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m glad I took a chance on this one. It was delightful!

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Review: Man of My Dreams by Olivia Worley

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Man of My DreamsMan of My Dreams by Olivia Worley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Man of My Dreams is so gripping that I actually read the entire book in a day; something I haven’t done in a while. Once I started, I was so intrigued and couldn’t put it down.

I love Olivia Worley. She’s so underrated in the Thriller space, IMO. Both her YA and Adult novels are captivating, fast-paced and suspenseful.

This story follows Ivy, a bestselling Romance author who lives in NYC. She has a history of being somewhat unlucky in love even though she writes about if for a living. The dating scene in NYC can be rough. That’s why she isn’t expecting the Meet Cute moment that brings her face-to-face with the man of her dreams.

In fact, he’s so much so the man of her dreams that it’s a little unsettling. Ivy is currently working on a book, and this man is the exact man from her story. Same name, Liam, same accent, British, same profession, architect; what in the heck is going on?

There’s an instant attraction between the two and a whirlwind relationship ensues. Could Ivy have finally found her dream man, or is this all a little too good to be true?

The Meet Cute that kicks off the action of this story happens very quickly, and it was because of that, I was instantly pulled in. How was it possible this guy was exactly like Ivy’s character? I had to know, because there’s no way that would just happen, right?

I loved that Worley didn’t waste any time and then she just continued to build the suspense throughout. I love this concept of fictional characters or places suddenly becoming reality. It is something I have read before, but never quite like this. Instead of feeling whimsical, this felt ominous and that’s the kind of vibes I live for.

Worley did a great job of blending the Thriller and Romance genres in this story. I thought it was done so well. I don’t read a lot of Romantic Thrillers, but if there were more like this, I think I definitely would.

The Romance never overshadowed the fact that this was a Thriller, and I appreciated that. I would recommend this to any Thriller Reader, or Reader of Domestic Suspense. It’s just a lot of fun, pure entertainment, perfect for someone looking to escape regular life for a while.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I love Olivia Worley so much, and am excited about whatever she writes next!!!

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Review: The Stitch Witches by Krissie Williams

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The Stitch WitchesThe Stitch Witches by Krissie Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Stitch Witches is a Historical Horror novella set in the early-1700s, a few decades after the Salem Witch Trials. The setting of the story is a small village called Promise Land in Massachusetts, a Puritan community.

The action of the story focuses on a series of grisly murders that suddenly plague the tiny village. While most of us would assume a madman is at large, many in the community believe something more devilish could be at play.

We follow a couple different women, from very different positions within in the community, though they’re inexorably linked. Orphelia’s family is of high status, and Settie is enslaved by their family.

It’s a bit murder mystery, a bit paranormal suspense, and it’s steeped in atmosphere and history. I could feel the cold, dark and sense of uncertainty wafting off the pages. It made me want to turn my lights on. Not because I was scared, but because it was so easy to envision what life was like in this village, and I wanted no part of it.

The Stitch Witches is a great novella. It has a solid plot with a lush, creepy atmosphere. Williams really delivered me to the Puritan times in Massachusetts, and if that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will.

You can feel the level of research and care that went into this story. It does transport you as the Reader, and Williams should definitely be proud of that.

It’s certainly not a time period I would want to live in, or even visit. In fact, imagining it makes me uncomfortable. Also, this has nothing to do with the story, but probably one of my favorite covers of the year. It’s so gorgeous. Can I get this cross-stitch sampler for my wall, please. I love it.

Overall, I found this quite entertaining and I am really glad that I picked it up in Autumn. The perfect time to read it, IMO. Thank you so much the publisher, Quill & Crow Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to reading more from this author!

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Review: The House Built on Alligator Bones by Sophia Huneycutt

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The House Built on Alligator BonesThe House Built on Alligator Bones by Sophia Huneycutt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

When she was growing up in Georgia, it was just Dartrine Beaumont and her Mom. Her father was never a part of her life, and her Mom didn’t have any family left. At least that’s what her Mom told her.

After her Mom’s sudden passing, Dart comes across a letter, hidden by her Mom prior to her death, that appears to be from Dart’s Grandmother, a Grandmother she was led to believe was dead. How could this be, and why would her Mom keep her family a secret?

Dart has so many questions, but of course her Mom isn’t there to answer any of them. Dart needs answers. She honestly can’t live without them. Thus, she ends up replying to the letter. She doesn’t know what her Mom’s beef was with her family, but she’s gonna find out.

After she makes contact, Dart is invited to visit her Grandmother’s stately Gilded Age mansion, Greer House, on Amelia Island on the Florida Coast.

As it turns out, even though she and her Mom have struggled for years, her Mom actually comes from a very wealthy family. Their fortune was built in an unusual way, an alligator farm that is now one of the largest in the U.S.

Oddly enough, Dart seems to have unexpectedly arrived just in time to stake a claim at an inheritance: the farm and all that goes with it. This wasn’t her intention. She honestly knew nothing about the farm, or Greer House.

She didn’t even know her Grandmother existed, but now that she does, it’s an intriguing prospect. It’s not going to be as easy as stepping onto the scene though. Her Grandmother already has an heir selected and is hostile to Dart’s presence. It’s clear Dart is going to have to gain her Grandmother’s approval, but that won’t be easy.

We follow Dart as she meets her extended family for the first time, learns their history, and tries to navigate the dangerous world of the farm, and Greer House itself.

I was excited for The House Built on Alligator Bones mainly because it was pitched as a Southern Gothic, and I fell in love with this gorgeous cover. I actually didn’t realize it was a debut novel for this author, and holy heck, it’s a great debut.

It checked off all the boxes I look for in regards to being a Southern Gothic novel. The sense of place at Greer House was very well done, as well as the inclusion of a dark history for the property and some deeply-held family secrets. These elements really set the tone for the entire novel, and I was in hook, line and sinker.

Dart was an interesting MC as well. She lived such an isolated life prior to traveling to Greer House, and we got to learn why that was and a bit more about her relationship with her Mom. I felt for her and enjoyed going on this journey of growth and self-discovery along with her.

The alligator farming aspect was tough to read at times. I would caution Readers sensitive to animal topics that this is a true farm, not an alligator farm that has visitors that learn about alligators and get to hold the babies. This is them harvesting the skins for fashion products.

As someone who is sensitive to these topics, I would say this might not be a good fit for everyone. However, with this in mind, I do think the author has done her research, and I feel like she’s done a good job of challenging some of the practices that occur here at the Greer family farm.

It’s clear she takes this topic very seriously, and is aware that it’s a difficult topic for many, but farming is a reality and she does put it all on display here. The good, the bad and the very, very ugly.

It did drag a little for me in some places. If I’m being honest, I think it could have been cut down a bit, but yeah, overall a great story with well-developed characters and an intriguing, unique premise.

I would recommend this to people who love a Southern Gothic novel, or intense family dramas. Huneycutt is a great writer and she can definitely deliver the drama.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m excited to read more from this author. It’ll be interesting to see if she remains in this same Southern Gothic lane. I certainly hope so!

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Review: One of Us Is Already Dead by E.L. Chen

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One of Us Is Already DeadOne of Us Is Already Dead by E.L. Chen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Josie Wu was in college, she went along with some friends as they snuck into an abandoned home to film a found footage horror movie. There were four of them when the project began, but by the end, only three remained.

Surprising everyone, the film became a huge success, rocketing the filmmaker, Josie’s crush, Sean Maher, to stardom. For a while, Josie was along for the ride, but when the unconventional Final Girl didn’t fit the image Hollywood wanted, she faded from the limelight, returning to the more acceptable life her parents wanted for her.

Twenty-five years later, Josie finds herself recently divorced, sharing custody of her daughter and struggling to make ends meet. Her days are monotonous and stressful, and not a lot of people appreciate her; including herself.

She kept her starring role in The Bleeker House Tapes a secret from everyone in her life, besides her parents and her ex-husband. Even her daughter doesn’t realize her cult status as a Final Girl. It’s something she keeps firmly locked in the past, but in her most vulnerable moments, she misses the girl she was then.

When she receives a call from Sean that he’s planning to shoot a reunion documentary for the film’s anniversary and he wants her to be part of it, she initially declines. Preferring to keep the past in the past.

However, the money that’s offered could be life-changing for Josie. It could definitely help her get back on her feet and provide some stability for her and her daughter. And if she’s being honest, a reunion with Sean could be exciting.

She ends up accepting Sean’s offer to return to Bleeker House. As the reunion, which does include other cast and crew, kicks off, the truth of the path rises to the surface, and perhaps Bleeker House isn’t done with them yet.

This was fun. I blasted through it in a day. It brought me back to when The Blair Witch Project sort of changed the landscape with its impeccable found footage format. That movie took the world by storm, with rumors flying about the actual fate of the cast. I went to the theaters to see it 3x.

But what would it have been like to be a cast member, and where would you be now, over 25-years later? In a way, that’s what this story sets out to explore. I did have some slight issues with the MC, but other than that, I found this really engaging.

One of the aspects I enjoyed the most was slowly learning the truth about the original filming. Chen doesn’t give it to you all at once, you have to work for it, and I loved watching the puzzle pieces fall into place.

Even though I found Josie to be a bit grating, I did appreciate the journey she went on in this book. For me, her negative self talk and woe-is-me attitude was exhausting, but I’m sure it will hit a little differently for every Reader.

Being a year older than this character, the way she thought about herself as ancient and washed up, all I could think was, girl, snap out of it. Hit the gym, go out with some girlfriends, flirt with a guy or gal. You would have thought she was 98-years old with the way she thought about herself. Nope, 47.

Besides her being one of the biggest Debbie Downers on the planet, she did have her moments and I was happy to see her gain a bit of self-confidence over the course of the story, and also was able to let go of some things from the past.

We love that for her, don’t we?

This is the second novel I’ve read from Chen, and I do really appreciate the nods she gives to the genre of Horror; the classics and staples that got many of us through some hard times. I also like that her Horror has substance, but can still be fun. She balances it very well.

Thank you to the publisher, Run For It, for providing me with a copy to read and review. You had me at ‘found footage’ and I really enjoyed this story. I’m looking forward to whatever Chen releases next!

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Review: Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen

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Please Enjoy Your StayPlease Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Please Enjoy Your Stay follows Mia, who lost her beloved cousin, Tristan, quite tragically when they were both teens. She was the last one to see him alive, and that night has been seared in her brain ever since.

Tristan was murdered at an infamous castle in the Austrian Alps, and young Mia’s testimony helped to put the accused murderer behind bars. Now, many years later, the murderer is appealing his conviction and a popular True Crime podcast has started covering the case.

Mia’s Aunt Iris, Tristan’s Mom, is a famous author, who also focused on True Crime. In fact, that’s why they were in Austria at the time of his death. She was researching the history of the family whose castle they were staying at.

Because of Iris’s interest and focus on violent crimes, there were many who thought she played a hand in Tristan’s death. Was it possibly done to create content for the ultimate True Crime novel?

Mia knows her Aunt had nothing to do with her cousin’s death. The thought is preposterous, but this podcast is stirring the pot and bringing old suspicions to the surface. In an effort to protect her Aunt, Mia returns to Austria.

The castle that they were staying at is now being refurbished and is soon reopening its doors as a luxury hotel. Mia secures a job as a nanny for the new owner, and infiltrates the castle under that guise as she tries to find evidence to clear her Aunt’s name once and for all.

It’s bizarre for Mia to be back at the castle, and she’s just hoping not to be recognized by anyone who may have known her when she was young. She takes to being a nanny fairly well, but it’s not long before some creepy things start happening around the castle, including a disappearance.

When sinister new evidence emerges regarding her cousin’s death, Mia realizes she may actually have ratted out the wrong man. If that’s the case though, that means the real killer is still at large, and Mia may be in more danger now than ever.

I really enjoyed this story. It did its job. I was intrigued and entertained. I loved the setting of the Austrian castle and the overriding mystery was compelling. I feel the author plotted out the reveals very well, keeping me on my toes.

This is the first I’ve read from Goedjen, but I’m looking forward to more. This had a bit of that is it paranormal, is it not paranormal vibe that I tend to enjoy in this kind of Thriller and I was stoked to see that.

It was reminiscent of the works of Simone St. James, or Jennifer McMahon, so if you enjoy their works, you may really enjoy this as well.

I also like the back-and-forth that we got between Mia in the present timeline, and the past timeline of the events leading up to the death of her cousin. As the mystery of the past began to fill out, the dangers of the present became even more evident. The stakes were high.

I really enjoyed Mia as a main character as well. I felt for her. She had been through so much, and it was a lot to face by herself and try to figure out. She was doing it for her Aunt, but in a way, she was also just doing it for herself. I feel like she really needed some closure for the events of the night that Tristan died, and I was just hoping she wouldn’t be too devastated by whatever she found.

I thought the author did a great job of using the setting to increase the tension. The isolation of the castle and it’s dark history definitely added a lot to the story, it also contributed to Mia’s paranoia. It was hard to tell if anyone could be trusted and she even began to question her own memories.

I would definitely recommend this to Thriller Readers who like atmospheric stories told via the past and present. The Austrian setting was refreshing and the creepy castle vibes are top notch. This was really fun.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from this author. I hope she writes more novels along this same line in the future.

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Review: Death Under the Hammer (The Stamford Mysteries #4) by E.C. Bateman

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Death Under the HammerDeath Under the Hammer by E.C. Bateman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Death Under the Hammer is the 4th-installment in E.C. Bateman’s The Stamford Mysteries series. These Cozy Mysteries follow Felicia Grant, who has returned to her home village of Stamford to help her Dad run their family-owned Auction House after her Dad has a health scare.

At this point, Felicia has been back in the village a while, and is well acclimated to her new life there. Granted, a lot has happened since her return, including a few murders, which she always seems to find herself involved in solving.

Part of Felicia’s job is providing valuations to clients looking to unload some possessions. At the start of the novel, Felicia goes to the home of some elderly clients in order to appraise some items that they’re hoping to sell at auction.

It’s quite the lot, and since the clients are older and have mobility issues, Felicia gets on with it, while the clients wait in another room sat by a cozy fireplace. Upon completion, Felicia goes to say goodbye and finds her clients dead, stabbed to death exactly where she left them.

Felicia is understandably horrified. This happened while she was in the house. She thought they were the only three people there, but clearly not. Making matters worse, Felicia is now considered the number one suspect for the crimes.

No stranger to a random homicide investigation, Felicia teams up with her best friend, Cassie, to try to discover the real killer before its too late. The hub of their investigation is the insular neighborhood the murdered couple lived in, and boy oh boy, do these neighbors have drama.

This was another fun installment. I did find the mystery quite intriguing. The set-up was great, and the fact that Felicia was right there when it happened, just a few rooms away while the murder was taking place, helped to increase the stakes. It was a head-scratcher. How and why, were questions I continually asked myself while reading.

As usual the story was also replete with the small village vibes that I adore. Felicia, Cassie and all the rest, feel like old friends at this point. I look forward to whatever is next.

I will say, we didn’t get as much of Felicia’s family in this one, particularly her ex-husband and son, so I hope they play a larger role in the next mystery. I almost missed them in this one. I did love the bits with Felicia’s Dad though, and the exploration of their somewhat complicated relationship.

Again in this installment, we also have Pettifer and Jess, two local officers involved in the investigation as well. It was nice to have them back. I do enjoy both of them, and we did learn a bit more about Jess in this one.

I think we’ll be getting another book in the series, but I’m not sure how many more are planned. Regardless, I’ll be here for every one. I would definitely recommend this series to other Cozy Mystery fans, particularly if you enjoy small village vibes and quirky characters.

Thank you to the publisher, Cliffhanger, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to whatever is next for Felicia and friends!

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Review: Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

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Play NicePlay Nice by Rachel Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Rachel Harrison. She’s easily one of my favorite authors. From her stories, the sense of humor she includes and her MC’s characterizations, I’m confident we would be besties if we ever met IRL.

I’ve been lucky enough to read all of her releases early and actually did receive this as ARC. It’s my favorite cover of hers and I was so excited for it, but then I sat on it for a year. I have an e-copy, a hard copy and the audiobook, yet I never read it until now, over 13-months later.

This novel even includes some of my favorite things: a haunted possessed house, complicated family dynamics and an MC returning to their childhood home after a long time away, being forced to face their past and perhaps solve a long-standing mystery of some sort.

Harrison was checking all the boxes for me. It was like a gimme I was gonna love this, yet I let her grow stale and dusty on my shelves like a real jerk. I admit it. Contrary to the optics, I don’t have all my sh*t together, something the MC in this book, Clio Barnes, can certainly relate with.

How fitting…

Clio lives a glamorous life as a stylist and fashion influencer in NYC, but she harbors a dark secret. Clio’s family went through a lot of drama when she was young. After her parents divorce, they lived in a possessed house, at least that was her mother’s assertion and it shattered their family.

Ultimately, Clio, along with her two older sisters, ended up being removed from their mother’s care in favor of their father, and they remained estranged from her moving forward. Even though no one believed her, Clio’s Mom, Alex, was insistent that what she experienced in that house was real; it was possessed.

She even wrote a book about it, one Clio never read.

After Alex’s untimely death, the possessed house now passes to Clio and her sisters. Her sisters want nothing to do with it. In fact, they won’t even return for the funeral, but Clio decides it can be a new project. House flipping is great content and she’s not about to pass it up.

We follow Clio as she moves into a house she barely remembers and is forced to face all that happened there. She ends up discovering a tattered copy of her Mom’s book, with annotations specifically for her.

Left in the house to her own devices, reading her Mom’s words, memories start to resurface, and Clio begins to believe that her Mom may have been right. Something malevolent is living in this house and it begins to make its presence known.

I loved this. I became so invested very quickly. Personally, I found Clio relatable. Yeah, she could be a bit off-putting at times, but I fully believe that was simply defense mechanisms she’d built up due to everything that had happened to her in her early life.

Her journey in this house, and the things she discovered, were not easy, so she was definitely dealing with a lot. I loved how even when she was discovering uncomfortable things, she didn’t back off. She could have. She could have left well enough alone, but she was driven to find the truth no matter the cost and I respected the hell out of that.

There was a lot of messy family drama and I live for that kind of thing in my fiction. If written well, I just find it so engrossing and can be absolutely swept away, as I was here.

I also love how Harrison packed this full of some difficult topics, but she also brought enough humor and action that it never felt bogged down, or depressing. That’s something I always love about her books. The content is rich, but the stories somehow always manage to still be fun. It’s a challenging thing to balance, but Harrison does it so well.

I’m so happy that I finally picked this up. I’ve never waited this long to read a Rachel Harrison release, and I assure you, I’ll never do it again. I loved this so much. My heart is full. It’s a fantastic novel.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Rachel Harrison is a gem. I’m a fangirl for life!!

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Review: Murder on Charity Lane (Marigold Cottages Murders #2) by Jo Nichols

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Murder on Charity Lane: A Marigold Cottages MysteryMurder on Charity Lane: A Marigold Cottages Mystery by Jo Nichols
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder on Charity Lane is the 2nd-book in the Marigold Cottage Murders series by Jo Nichols. The 1st-book, The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective, took me completely by surprise when I read it in August of 2025.

I love a Cozy Mystery, so it shouldn’t have come as that much of a surprise, but for me, it was the level of attachment that I developed to the cast of characters that really surprised me. They’re such an odd group, but so endearing. and the way Nichols developed them all, they felt like old friends by the end of that book.

Starting this latest installment, even though it had been over a year since I finished that 1st-book, it honestly felt like being reunited with that friend group. I was instantly right back in it with them.

This one starts up months after the conclusion of the last book, and things have been pretty quiet at the Marigold Cottages. Mrs. B, the dynamic leader of this group and owner of the Cottages, invites a young woman, CJ, who she knows from the local YMCA, to move into a vacant cottage.

CJ is an assistant for a local millionaire philanthropist, and it is around her that our new mystery revolves.

At a dinner party hosted at his house, CJ’s employer takes a vicious tumble down the stairs and dies. His much younger wife insists that she saw CJ push him.

Well, this couldn’t possibly be true! Just ask Mrs. B. CJ is much too nice of a girl to do something like that, and she loved her employer like he was her own father.

But if CJ didn’t kill him, who did? And with CJ as the number one suspect for local law enforcement, it looks like it’s time for the Marigold Cottages Murder Collective to reconvene and try to find the identity of the real killer.

This was another fun mystery. Nichols is great at plotting her mysteries, keeping the Reader invested and engaged. The group of characters has such a fun dynamic. It’s super enjoyable following along as they investigate. Each person brings their own strengths and weaknesses to the table, and it’s fun watching them help each other out.

I have no clue what the plan is for this series, like how many books it’s slated to be, but I will be here for each and every one. I feel like in the Cozy space it’s very unique to have such a mixed group of characters. They’re all so different, as far as ages, backgrounds, etc., that it makes it extra interesting.

The found family vibes are off the charts, so if you’re someone who loves that type of element included in your stories, you should definitely check this out. Also, I highly recommend the audiobook, which is so well narrated by Meg Price and Jim Meskimen. I was sad when it was over.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and reviw. I’m really hoping this series continues on for a long, long time. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

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