Author: megs14malloy

Review: The Design of Us by Sajni Patel

~ megs14malloy

The Design of UsThe Design of Us by Sajni Patel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

The Design of Us is an Adult Contemporary story following Bhanu and Sunny, coworkers in the tech field, who frankly, drive each other batty in the workplace.

Bhanu, needing a break from work, where she is currently up for a big promotion, travels to Hawaii to visit her sister for a bit. Sunny, not needing a break from work, but needing to attend the wedding of two of his best friends, ends up traveling to Hawaii as well at the very same time.

As luck would have it, they end up at the very same resort, one which happens to be overbooked due to an Iron Man competition happening that weekend and a malfunctioning booking system. Whoopsie.

After Bhanu rescues Sunny from a highly-uncomfortable confrontation with his ex-girlfriend, another wedding attendee, the two begin to relate to each other like never before. It’s actually an enjoyable conversation.

When Bhanu hears that Sunny is currently without a place to stay, a victim of the overbooking fiasco, she offers him lodging in her suite. We have forced proximity, y’all!!! One of my favorite tropes.

During the rescue mentioned-above, Bhanu told the hyper-ex that she was Sunny’s girlfriend. Potentially a regrettable proclamation, involving a whole host of complications, but it was the only thing Bhanu could think of at the time to make the other woman go away.

Now she and Sunny must continue the ruse in order for him to save face and not cause unnecessary drama for the bride and groom. He doesn’t wanna be that guy. We have fake dating! Another of my favorite tropes!!

With this in mind, it may surprise you to hear that I almost DNFed this one at the start. Bhanu and I did not get off on the right foot. At 14% into the audiobook, I made the following status update:

1st impressions: Female MC, Bhanu, is insufferable.
I’ll keep reading for the Hawaiian setting and the Male MC, Sunny, but secretly I am already hoping he doesn’t end up with Bhanu.

Looking back on that now, that seems very harsh. I’m not even sure what it was about her that rubbed me the wrong the way, but yeah, I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this as much as I did.

But I did definitely come around on Bhanu when she helped Sunny out of the jam with his ex. She was so helpful and kind to him, even when she could have just walked away, or given him an even more difficult time about it all.

The synopsis does describe her as being Sunshine to his Grump, but I never felt that. IMO, this wasn’t really a Grumpy-Sunshine pairing at all. They both had their moments where they could have been either/or.

Regardless, by the mid-way point, I was fully hooked into the story. I loved the incorporation of both of the MCs families, and also all of the wedding-related activities. I definitely ended up rooting for these two to end up together, and they did face some real challenges getting there.

Overall, I ended up really enjoying this. I thought it was a great fake dating set-up and I loved the wedding aspect, as well as the tropical Hawaiian setting.

Thank you, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m anxious to read more from Sajni Patel!!

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Review: Death on the Island by Eliza Reid

~ megs14malloy

Death on the IslandDeath on the Island by Eliza Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Death on the Island, we follow an eclectic group of characters who come together in a tiny island community off the coast of Iceland for a diplomatic event.

We have the mayor of the town, an Ambassador from Canada and his wife, a local high-profile chef, an artist with ties to the island, and others. They all come together for a special dinner to open up their talks and hopefully create good spirits amongst the group.

It’s supposed to be a joyous occasion, and it does seem to start out that way. That is until one of the guests ends up dead of unknown causes, but what everyone quickly assumes to be poison consumption.

Making matters worse, a brutal storm is bearing down on them. It’s clear no one is going to be leaving the island. All the better to catch a killer, but in the meantime, doesn’t that mean they’re trapped with one?

I had a blast reading Death on the Island. I went into it with zero expectations. I hadn’t heard of this author, or any buzz for the book, but the title screamed, READ ME!!!

I’m so glad I made the time for it. I was completely engaged from the start. It actually turns out this is the author’s debut novel, and I’m so excited for more.

I appreciated how quickly Reid gets us into the action. I was drawn into the story so fast. I liked that we were following political figures, such as ambassadors and mayors. I haven’t read one like that in a while, so it was a nice change of pace.

I enjoyed how the author formatted the story as well. You get the reveal of the death, and then you go back in time and track through the events leading up to that death. It was done in a countdown-style that I feel added a level of tension to it that might not have been there otherwise.

Learning about this cast of characters, as well as their relationships to one another and potential motivations for why someone would take out anyone at this dinner party, was very entertaining. There was certainly plenty of drama to oh-and-ah over.

With this being said, I’ll admit there’s a lot of moving parts and it was a little hard to track in the beginning. For a minute, I started to feel overwhelmed, but I tried to just relax into it, not worry too much about the details, and to just let Reid do her thing.

Ultimately, Reid pulled it off. This had me so invested, I had no longstanding issues tracking the various characters, or their interpersonal dramas.

Overall, I loved the atmospheric-island setting, which was done so well in my humble island-dweller opinion. I also really enjoyed the use of an inclement weather element to help build out that tense atmosphere, as well as the interesting cast of characters.

It was so gripping trying to solve this murder mystery, my head was all over the place. I did Buddy Read it with a friend, and definitely recommend that. It was so fun trying to guess the killer together, and their reasons behind it.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me a copy to read and review.

I loved how this kept me guessing, and I’m looking forward to more from Eliza Reid!!!

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Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl #1) by Matt Dinniman

~ megs14malloy ~ 2 Comments

Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

💛❤️🖤💛❤️🖤💛❤️🖤💛❤️🖤💛

Dungeon Crawler Carl is the 1st-installment to Matt Dinniman’s epic Lit RPG series of the same name, which is currently taking the world by storm.

I picked this up for a Book Club discussion earlier this month and I’m so glad that I did. I’m absolutely obsessed with this book, have bought the next four, and cannot wait to continue on this journey with Carl and Princess Donut!

In this story, we follow Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s spoiled cat, Donut, as the world is destroyed by an alien race, and all survivors are conscripted into an intergalactically-televised reality competition show, Dungeon Crawler World

There are 18-dangerous levels in this subterranean labyrinth that Carl and Donut are going to have to navigate if they want to have any hope of survival. Trust me when I say, it’s not going to be easy.

Within the first 20-pages of this book, Dinniman had me absolutely hooked. The writing and plot are both so unique and entertaining, I never knew what to expect next. It truly kept me on my toes from start to finish.

I have heard a lot of people saying how fabulous the audiobook is, and I wish I could have had that format, but nevertheless, I found my hard copy super engaging as well.

After they enter the dungeon, Carl’s ex-girlfriend’s cat, Donut, who he was bravely rescuing from a tree at the time the action kicks off, gains the ability to talk, and she was born to entertain. You’d be hard pressed to read this and not fall in love with Donut.

Carl, as well though, is such a compelling main character. I adore him. He’s such a good human, and his whole development, everything he does and says, felt so genuine and believable to me.

It’s hard to say how you would react if put into this bizarre circumstance, but I think based on what we come of know of Carl’s training and life experiences, his reactions and ability to adjust to the nature of the dungeon makes sense.

Overall, this is an incredible start to a series. As much fun as it is, there is a lot of deeper themes and plot lines that I am anxious to explore more in future installments.

If you haven’t picked this up yet, and think it sounds at all interesting, I highly encourage you to give it a try. For me, this is sure to be one of my most memorable reads of 2025!!

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Review: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde #3) by Heather Fawcett

~ megs14malloy

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is the 3rd-installment in Heather Fawcett’s Adult Cozy Fantasy series titled after the main character, Emily Wilde.

This low stakes, light romance, enchantingly-atmospheric series, follows Emily Wilde, a Cambridge University Professor, who specializes in the study of faeries. Over the course of the three books, we’ve been traveling along with her to various locations as she does research for her work.

It’s not quite as simple as all of that, but that is the basic gist, and maybe it’s enough to get you intrigued if you haven’t started this series yet.

Truth be told, Cozy Fantasy isn’t a subgenre of Fantasy I tend gravitate toward, and when I do, I haven’t had a ton of success with it. However, there’s something about this world that Fawcett has created that keeps me coming back.

Yeah, most likely it’s Emily’s dog, Shadow…

In this installment, Emily and her fiance, Wendall, are diving deep into the realm of faerie in a powerful new way. Even though the realm is full of scholarly treasures for Emily, it’s also full of dangers for them both.

Soon they find themselves battling a terrible curse on the land, and the entire realm is at risk. It’s going to take all of Emily’s knowledge to save them, but is she up to the task?

I thought this was fun, though I didn’t find it quite as engaging as the earlier installments. I think for me, I preferred the travels and dramas in real world locations versus the faerie realm.

I also feel like I may have enjoyed Emily and Wendall’s relationship earlier on, when there was more of a ‘will they, won’t they’ vibe to it, but it does only make sense for that relationship to grow and evolve. I get it, I get it.

It’s just not quite as enticing to me, personally.

Nevertheless, this is still a great read. It’s entertaining, it’s well-developed and cute, cute, cute. I would definitely recommend fans of the earlier books continue on.

Further if there is another book, which I feel like there will be, I’ll definitely be picking it up. It did make me a little sad to see Shadow getting older, as I have my own elderly large breed dog at home, but I know Fawcett is going to continue to handle his aging with care.

I love Emily, Wendall and Shadow. This series has my heart.

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Review: Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey

~ megs14malloy

Serial Killer GamesSerial Killer Games by Kate Posey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Debut novel!? Are you kidding me, Kate Posey!?

I am in love with this novel. It felt completely unique, heartfelt and macabre, all at the same time, and happened to be a sensational fit for my tastes.

I went through every emotion over the course of this story, predicting I would cry, and I certainly did. I mean, just a little, but still, that’s a big deal for me.

This story follows Dolores dela Cruz and Jake Ripper, who meet in a fairly common place, the office. Jake is there as a temp, but makes an impression on Dolores, in that she thinks he’s sus as heck.

With his odd behavior and distrustful good looks, she’s pretty sure he’s a serial killer. In a way, she has a right to be suspicious, because Jake has definitely taken a special interest in her. Her F-all-the-way off, combative attitude is incredibly intriguing for Jake.

When their mutual interest in one another blossoms into a dark flirtation, both parties are left with a lot of questions. Is this love, or something much more sinister?

For the first 40% of this novel, I had no clue where it was going. I wasn’t sure how much was going to be Romance, how much Mystery, or Thriller. I know now, and there’s no way I’m spoiling it for you.

I feel like this is so smartly-constructed. It snuck up on me, completely capturing my heart and attention. For me, Posey took this in an unexpected direction, and I appreciated all the different levels she delivered with this narrative.

I know this won’t be for every oen. Marketed as Romance, I feel like there’s an expectation recently for A LOT of steam and this doesn’t have it. There’s a little, but not to the level many might desire. I think that lack may make certain Readers walk away feeling unfulfilled.

For my personal tastes, and maybe you’re the same, that actually works in its favor. There’s so much more time for character development. I much prefer pining, ‘will they won’t they’, and slow burn vibes of characters actually living life, and getting to know each other in a real way.

Unpopular opinion, I know.

I also feel this was the perfect fit for me in regards to the macabre nature of these MCs. I got them. The way their minds work. It’s no secret, Horror is my favorite genre. I could see my own inner dialogue displayed in both MC’s perspectives. It was so fun and refreshing to see.

I wouldn’t call this a Dark Romance though, because it’s really not. It’s not psychopaths pushing limits, it’s two people struggling to be seen and understood in a world that doesn’t necessarily make it easy for them to fit.

I would highly recommend this to Readers like me; who prefer Dark Fiction, but like to add in a Romance, or Contemporary story, every once in while, maybe to feel something different, or to switch things up.

Overall, I really enjoyed how the author developed this story with such care. You think you are getting one thing, and then as it evolves, it’s just so compelling.

It’s also much, much deeper than I anticipated, but not in an irritating, ooey-gooey way that generally annoys the piss out of me. It was just so enjoyable.

I felt like I was actually in it with these characters. I felt everything they were feeling, for better or worse, and the plot was just enthralling to me.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to read more from Kate Posey.

I feel like we’re gonna have a long and beautiful friendship.

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Review: The Long Walk by Stephen King, (pseudonym) Richard Bachman

~ megs14malloy

The Long WalkThe Long Walk by Richard Bachman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Long Walk is a Dystopian novel by Stephen King, originally published in December of 1978, under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman.

Eventually, it was included in the bind-up of The Bachman Books, along with Rage, Roadwork and The Running Man.

I read this book as a Tween, but have not visited it since. Recently, I have begun reading King’s works from the beginning, in the order they were originally published according to his website.

This project will mostly be rereads for me, but I NEVER get tired of revisiting King’s stories. I feel like each time I read them, depending on where I am in my life, it becomes a whole new experience. Also, the more versed you are in the Kingverse, the more connections you begin to see.

In this story we are following 16-year old, Maine native, Ray Garraty, who has been chosen to participate in the annual Long Walk, along with 99-other teen boys.

The boys start the Walk in Northern Maine, and must maintain a steady pace of 4-mph, or risk being eliminated, not just from the Walk, but from life. They are walking straight through, no rest stops, no pee breaks, no sleep, until only one remains; the winner.

The winner is awarded the big prize, said to be anything he wants for the rest of his life. In this dystopian world, that’s a hell of a good offer, one these boys are willing to risk their lives to attain.

This quick little story sure manages to pack a punch. The commentary and character work are a masterclass in how to pull your audience in and make them feel invested. Even though it was only Garraty’s perspective that we were given, I felt such empathy for so many of these characters.

The Long Walk feels like a precursor to more recent stories, such as The Hunger Games, inspiring many other works of fiction. I actually discovered after I started my reread there’s going to be an adaptation released later this year.

I’m very excited, though nervous, to check that out.

I loved how this slowly developed and the psychological depths it went into. These waters run dark and deep. I was eating it up. I’m so glad I finally reread this one.

I would recommend this to anyone who hasn’t read it yet, or to anyone who enjoys a Dystopian story. This is gripping and powerful; a timeless tale of human endurance.

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Review: Horror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know About the Movies You’re Too Scared to Watch by Emily C. Hughes

~ megs14malloy

Horror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know about the Films You're Too Scared to WatchHorror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know about the Films You’re Too Scared to Watch by Emily C. Hughes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a ton of fun. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the Horror genre. Whether you’re a long-time fan, or someone just dipping your toes into the Horror pool, there’s so much to learn and enjoy here.

It does spoil every movie it discusses by telling you exactly what happens, but that’s the point. The premise behind the book is that it’s written for people who are too scared to watch Horror movies, but don’t want to miss out on all the great cultural significance happening in those works.

I had watched all the movies discussed, so it wasn’t an issue for me, but I felt it was worth mentioning. Also, I feel like it’s formatted in such a way that if it gets to a movie you don’t want spoiled for you, you can easily skip that chapter and return to it after you’ve watched.

Horror is my favorite genre and I do enjoy checking out nonfiction on the topic of its creation, history and nuances. I appreciated the humor the author had with this. It made it so engaging and quick to get through.

I also loved how each chapter covered an influential movie, and at the end of that chapter, the author would give a few book recs for people who either enjoyed the movie, or enjoy the types of themes and tropes explored within the movie.

Overall, this is a great reference guide and resource for people who want to know more about the complex and oft misunderstood genre of Horror.

Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Audio, for providing me a copy to read and review. The audio narration was fantastic and made me feel like I was sitting with narrator having a chat. A fun way to pass the weekend for Horror junkies!

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Review: Nestlings by Nat Cassidy

~ megs14malloy

NestlingsNestlings by Nat Cassidy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Recently, life hasn’t been easy on Ana and Reid. A complicated birth with their first child, a daughter, Charlie, left Ana paralyzed, bitter and struggling to adjust.

When their number gets pulled in a housing lottery, and they have the opportunity to move into the Deptford, a prestigious, historic NYC-apartment building, they can hardly believe their luck. This could be their fresh start.

A chance to start anew, and with a fabulous address to boot.

Despite some reservations, they decide to accept the apartment and put their best efforts into their new beginning. Soon after they move in though, we all know where this is going, strange things start happening.

They notice peculiar behavior with some residents and staff, as well as some mysterious little bite marks on Charlie. Well, I say they, but it truth, it’s mostly Ana picking up on all the oddities. She’s housebound after all, while Reid still gets to go to work and leave the building regularly.

Ana’s unease grows as the days go by, and the tension in their marriage increases. Is Ana just being paranoid, or is something really go on there?

Reid has his own relationship with the building and its residents, and he’s not sure he’s buying what Ana is selling. Will the building be the downfall of their relationship? And who is paying attention to Charlie?

Though I didn’t connect with this one quite in the same way that I did When the Wolf Comes Home, I was still invested and curious to see how far Cassidy was going to take the unsettling apartment building trope.

Spoiler Alert: All the way!

I loved that part of the story. The creepy atmosphere was on point. I also like the claustrophobic feel of being in Ana’s perspective, though that was the only thing I enjoyed about her perspective. Sorry.

Personally, for almost the entire story, I wished we were just getting Reid’s perspective, along with the various Interludes, because I found Ana to be so incredibly grating. Every time I was in her perspective, I just wanted to be out of it.

With this being said, in the Author’s Note at the end, Cassidy did provide an explanation for the purpose behind some personality choices. I’m glad he covered that, and I respect his decision to write it that way, though not gonna lie, it did sort of deplete my enjoyment level a bit.

Overall, small nit-picks aside, this is another GREAT story from Cassidy. The Publisher’s comp to Rosemary’s Baby meets Salem’s Lot is apt, though the Rosemary’s Baby inspiration felt the heavier of the two for me. Highly recommend for fans of that story, or stories like that.

Also, I definitely recommend the audiobook, which was fabulously narrated and succeeded in pulling me in and engaging me with the story from the start.

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

Even though it’s taken me years to get to it, it was worth the wait. I’m excited to continue reading Cassidy’s work. He’s incredibly-talented, never failing to create well-developed characters, unsettling atmosphere and a compelling, fast-moving plot.

This novel is a great example of all of those things!

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Review: We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough

~ megs14malloy

We Live Here Now: A NovelWe Live Here Now: A Novel by Sarah Pinborough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

After a cliffwalk accident puts her in a coma and almost kills her, Emily, is ready for the new start her husband, Freddie, suggests. The couple move from London to a beautiful Dartmoor country house called Larkin Lodge.

Set in a remote area, by the stark natural presence of the Moors, this property is steeped in gothic vibes. Emily, still recovering both mentally and physically from her accident, is intrigued, and a little frightened by the imposing home.

As they settle in, Freddie is away from home for the majority of the week, still working in London. He’s put in for a transfer, but it hasn’t happened yet, so it’s back-and-forth for him until that becomes official.

This leaves Emily alone, with a lot of time on her hands, and she begins to notice things: creaking floorboards, books falling from the shelves, and what she can only determine is a mysterious presence in the 3rd-floor bedroom.

Unfortunately, these disturbing occurrences only seem to happen when Emily is alone. When she tells her husband about her fears, he blames them all on her accident. Claiming she is just experiencing post-sepsis hallucinations.

Emily doesn’t know what to think. She knows that’s a potential symptom for people recovering from sepsis, but the feelings never leave her. It feels so real and scary in the moment. She begins to resent Freddie for not listening to her and brushing off her concerns.

Meanwhile, Emily is more determined than ever to get to the truth behind Larkin Lodge. She can feel that something terrible has happened there, that something is off, but what?

I had so much fun with this book. I know it won’t necessarily be for everyone, but for me, it was excellent entertainment. I was in this with Emily and everything that was happening to her at Larkin Lodge. I also liked to get ticked at Freddie right along with her. It was like we were friends.

This story is mainly told through Emily and Freddie’s perspectives, but there are also a few other narrative inclusions which I really enjoyed.

Incidentally, the audiobook does feature dual narration and I highly recommend that format. The narrators absolutely hooked me into the story. They were so believable as Emily and Freddie. It was almost like I could feel the tension growing between them.

I loved the atmosphere and that we were really dealing with a pretty morally grey cast of characters; my fave. I also loved the dynamics explored within Emily and Freddie’s marriage, as well as within their friend group.

There were scenes, as Emily is first experiencing odd things at the house, that gave me chills. I loved the clues she ended up following in order to figure out what was going on.

I also feel like it was a really cool concept going on and I loved the conclusion. It left me with that evil grin on my face that I love to have at the end of a story like this. I feel this was well-executed by Pinborough.

Was it perfect? No, but it didn’t need to be. It was so fun and engaging. I was sucked completely in and finished it in a 24-hour period; during the work week! That’s no small feat.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m so glad I picked this up and look forward to more from Pinborough!

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Review: The Night Birds by Christopher Golden

~ megs14malloy

The Night BirdsThe Night Birds by Christopher Golden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dark, creepy and hella atmospheric, The Night Birds is a wildly-entertaining ride of nail-biting intensity. Christopher Golden does this type of Folk Horror so well, IMO.

Maybe you’re like me, and though you appreciate the majesty and beauty of birds, they also creep you the heck out? If so, you should read this. Picturing myself in the shoes of some of these characters gave me absolute chills.

This story is set in Galvaston, Texas, and mainly revolves around a group of characters researching the Christabel, a 19th century freighter that lies half-sunken in waters shadowed by eerie mangroves and other wildlife.

With a vicious storm bearing down, most of the small crew abandon the Christabel, choosing to stay on dry land while they wait it out. Charlie Book, their leader, however, chooses to stay on board as usual. The ship has weathered many storms. It’s not going anywhere.

When he arrives on the docks after dinner, preparing to head back out to the Christabel, he’s shocked by the sudden appearance of his ex-girlfriend, Ruby. She’s begging him for help and protection, and she’s not alone.

With her is a mysterious woman, Mae, as well as an infant. They’re bedraggled and clearly on the run, but from what?

Even though he has big reservations about the situation, Book can’t refuse Ruby. If she’s in danger, he wants to help. Thus, he shuttles them all out to the Christabel.

Meanwhile, with the coming storm, something else seems to be coming, lurking in the dark and stormy night. Using shadows as cover and hiding a ravenous evil.

As forces close in on the Christabel, Book’s team senses that something is amiss and they try desperately to get back to the ship to help their friend. Little do they know, the storm is the least of their problems now.

I became invested in this story so quickly. I love Christopher Golden in general, and feel really comfortable with his writing style. It has such a classic Horror feel for me, and I love how he takes care to set a scene and pulls the Reader into his character’s lives.

He creates characters you want to succeed; to be okay, to live. I was rooting for Book and Ruby, as well as the side characters, Luisa, Gerald and Alan, the entire way through.

This would honestly make a great movie; good versus evil battling it out amongst the mangroves. I was on the edge of my seat and horrified as it unfolded. It was non-stop punches the entire second-half.

Some of it did get a little difficult to track as the action and intensity built up, but that could just be because of the speed at which I was reading it. I was so desperate to find out how this was going to conclude, I was flying through.

This is a witchy story, which is alluded to in the synopsis, as well as mentioned in the genre tags, but I just want to be clear, this is dark stuff; ancient stuff. The imagery involved, it’s heavy and excellent to read if you love Horror.

Overall, I had a great time with this. It’s so fun and addictive. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the atmosphere and characters, as well as the horror imagery throughout.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to see what Golden releases next!!!

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