Author: megs14malloy

Review: Games for Dead Girls by Jen Williams

~ megs14malloy

Games for Dead GirlsGames for Dead Girls by Jen Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Games for Dead Girls is the latest release from Jen Williams. This is the second novel I have read from Williams and unfortunately, I wasn’t crazy about either one.

In this story, we are following multiple timelines. One is a past perspective when two girls, Charlie and Emily, become friends in the small Seaside town of Hithechurch, England.

In an effort to try to rid Emily of her abusive father, the two girls perform a ritual to summon the spirit of a local legend, a girl killed by pirates, who Charlie dubs, Stitch Face Sue.

Even though they are unsuccessful, Emily becomes obsessed with the idea of Stitch Face Sue and of summoning her. When the two recruit another young girl into their friendship group, the end result is disastrous.

The new girl is killed and Emily and Charlie get caught trying to hide her body, after which they’re both sent to institutions for the remainder of their childhood.

Another perspective is Charlie in the present. Now an adult, Charlie has returned to Hithechurch under the guise of researching a book about the local folklore.

That’s not her only reason for being in town though. Emily has released a memoir regarding the incident that changed the course of their lives and she’s laying all the blame at Charlie’s feet.

Charlie is determined to find the evidence she needs to prove that what Emily is saying is false.

Then there is a third, more mysterious perspective, of a man in Hithechurch decades before Charlie and Emily meet.

Eventually, the three perspectives as one story starts to make sense. Unfortunately, for me, it lost some of the impact because it was such a slog getting to the conclusion.

In my opinion, I felt like the perspectives didn’t flow well, one into the other. It felt jarring to me and also a bit confusing keeping track of what was going on amongst the different times. I feel like nothing was memorable enough to stand out, so it made it more difficult to follow.

I liked the idea behind this, the legends of a small seaside town influencing some local kids to do terrible things. I like that premise. I also think the reason behind Charlie coming back to town was kind of fun and made sense as far as motivation for her current actions.

This reminded me a lot, a lot, a lot of The Dead Girls Club. I personally enjoyed this one a little more, because at least I never rolled my eyes at anything the MC was doing.

Unfortunately, neither one of them really delivered the dark atmosphere and engaging plot that I was hoping for.

At the end of the day, while I wasn’t crazy about this one, I can see that there is a good story in here, somewhere. Hence the 2.5-stars rounded up.

With this being said, this will probably be my last-go with this author. Just know, it’s not her, it’s me. I just don’t seem to be the right fit for her style of writing, but I know there are many Readers out there who will be.

After all, as I always say, there’s a Reader for every book and book for every Reader. If the synopsis sounds intriguing to you, absolutely give it a go. You could end up finding a new favorite book!

Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity to provide my feedback.

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Review: The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

~ megs14malloy

The Haunting of AlejandraThe Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Haunting of Alejandra is a slow burn. One which, I’ll be honest, initially, I wasn’t sure was going to be for me.

I am happy to say that this slow-burner is well-worth the wait. It ended up really grabbing me. It is such a powerful story; so much more than a pretty cover.

In this story we follow, Alejandra, wife, mother and homemaker. When we meet her, Alejandra is struggling. She feels trapped, like she has no control over her life. She feels judged by her husband, used by her children and overlooked by the rest of the world.

Alejandra has no close family for support either. She was adopted when she was just a baby, by a super-religious family, she has since broken ties with.

She has found and contacted her birth mother though and was starting to build a relationship with her. Unfortunately, due to her husband’s work, they had to move and now her bio-mom lives far away.

Alejandra is having visions. She is depressed, in a black hole she sees no way out of. It’s difficult to read at times. I could definitely see her side, but man, was it bleak.

This is a story of generational trauma as well, so even though Alejandra doesn’t know a lot about her ancestors, or their lives, we get to follow some of them through different historical perspectives.

I did enjoy this. Some of these perspectives were more interesting than others, but where they really succeeded was in shining a light on the similarities of these women’s lives.

No matter how far they were separated in time, they all struggled with the same issues. The largest being, lack of choice and a battle for personal autonomy.

The Horror elements in this stem from Alejandra’s haunting by a spirit appearing as La Llorona, the Mexican Folk Demon, seemingly attached to Alejandra’s family.

This is the first novel I have read by V. Castro and I was impressed with the level of Horror imagery brought to the page. Toe-curling in some sections, visceral and biting, it definitely made me cringe.

Additionally, I loved how tied the haunting was to Alejandra’s culture. As mentioned above, she didn’t know a ton about her heritage initially, but believe it or not, I felt like what happened to her inspired her to learn more; to be more in touch with that part of herself.

Overall, I am so glad that I stuck with this one. It was a little tough to get through at first, but Castro made it worth it. There was a plan behind it all and it paid off big time. This will stick in my mind for a long time.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am looking forward to reading more from this author!

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Review: The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway

~ megs14malloy

The Renaissance of Gwen HathawayThe Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

💙❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is a charming-YA Contemporary Romantic Comedy set at a Renaissance Faire.

If that description sounds even slightly alluring to you, you need to pick this up posthaste.

In this story we follow 17-year old, Maddie Hathaway, who has traveled and worked the Faire circuit with her parents her whole life. Maddie doesn’t attend regular school and has had only one really close friend.

A lot has changed over the last year for Maddie though. Her good friend and their family have left the circuit, so they are forced into long-distance friendship. The most devastating change though is that Maddie’s Mom has passed away, leaving her and her Dad to travel the circuit alone.

It’s understandably left a huge hole in their lives and while they are still close, they have a more difficult time connecting without Mom around.

When we meet Maddie, they are just getting to the final stop of the season, a place in Oklahoma that was her Mom’s favorite. This seems fitting as the one-year anniversary of her passing is going to happen while they are there.

Unfortunately, the property is under new management and a lot has changed.

Being back at this place and seeing the changes sends Maddie for a bit of loop. She is struggling and feels alone. Her Dad keeps himself busy with work and Faire friends, so it gives Maddie a lot of time to just be in her own head. Sometimes that is not a comfortable place to be.

Then we meet Arthur. A jovial and fun-loving bard, son to the new owners, who sets his sights on Maddie, christens her Gwen, as in Guinevere, and then refuses to leave her alone, no matter how much Maddie tries to shut him down.

We are talking the teen grumpy-sunshine set-up of my dreams. Once Arthur and Maddie meet, I was unable to look away. They are just so cute.

I loved how wholesome this story felt. I generally wouldn’t use that word, but I don’t know, it just seems to fit here. It was such a great examination of IRL-issues, while also bringing such warm humor and charm.

The setting of the Faire is so well done. I love how the Faire shapes the action. It’s not just stated as the backdrop to sell copies, it actually is an integral part of the story.

I feel like a lot of Readers will be able to connect with this one. As an exploration of grief and confidence issues, I can’t give it higher marks. I also liked the way Maddie’s character grew over the course of the story.

As Maddie was able to let down her walls, the world opened for her in such a positive way. I know this is a standalone, but I would love more of this story and these characters.

Maddie is at such an important point in her life, the end of high school, and I would love to see what choices she makes for herself in the future.

Initially, I gave this one 4.5-stars, but the more I have sat with the story, thought about it, talked about it, recommended it to people, the more in love with it I am.

I laughed, I cried, I became so invested in Maddie’s life and outcome; how could I not bump this up to 5-stars?

If you love witty banter and humor, paired with the honest exploration of real-world issues, you have to check this out; particularly if you a fan of Renaissance Faires. Additionally, I think this could be a great story for parents and teens to read together. I think it could open up some great dialogue.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

This is the first novel I have read from Ashley Shumacher and I am definitely excited to read more of their work in the future!

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Review: I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan

~ megs14malloy

I Know What You Did Last SummerI Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another nostalgic read from one of the pioneers in YA Thrillers, Lois Duncan!!

Originally published in 1973, Lois Duncan’s I Know What You Did Last Summer paved the way for all the YA Thrillers that have come after.

Most of us are familiar with the 1997-film adaptation starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Honestly, that was one of my go-to movies in the 90s and 2000s, yet I didn’t even know it was adapted from a book until a few years ago.

I bought a copy and have been meaning to read it forever…

Recently, I listened to the audiobook for another of Duncan’s novels, Killing Mr. Griffin, and I had so much fun with it. It was quick, nostalgic and drama-filled. I knew when I was done with that, it was finally time for me to read this one.

I decided to listen to the audiobook in this case as well. It was read by the same narrator and I liked his style.

After reading this, I gotta say, they did a great job with the adaptation. It closely followed the source material, yet with the right amount of modern twists, to make it believable and fun. I’m in love with the casting, perfection.

I am so happy that I finally took the time to read this one. I’m super into nostalgic reads right now, particularly those of the Horror and Thriller variety, so this was exactly what I was looking for.

If you are a fan of the movie, I definitely recommend you check this one out!!

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Review: Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson

~ megs14malloy

Before She Knew HimBefore She Knew Him by Peter Swanson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In Before She Knew Him our action kicks off with the meeting of two couples. Hen and Lloyd have moved to a new neighborhood outside of Boston. As they are settling in, they become friendly with their neighbors, Matthew and Mira.

At an evening get-together at Matthew and Mira’s house, Hen spots something on their customary tour of the house that jogs some negative memories. What seems like a standard, inoffensive sports trophy to others, is something much more in Hen’s mind.

The trophy is for fencing, a sport Matthew admits he doesn’t participate in. He got it at a yard sale, so he says. The fencing trophy reminds Hen of a boy from her old neighborhood who was murdered.

In fact, that boy went to the very same school that Matthew teaches at. Is there a connection? Hen knows a lot about that case and she definitely suspects that there is.

Unable to get the trophy and the dead boy out of her head, Hen returns to the house later to get another look at the trophy, but it’s gone. Thus begins this sensationally-plotted cat-and-mouse story, with twists at every turn.

I don’t want to say any more about the plot, because I wouldn’t want to spoil even the tiniest bit of this story.

I bought this when it was released in early-2019. That was the last time I read the synopsis, so I went into this with no preconceived notions about what this story was about. I loved how it unfolded. OMG, I was glued to this.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was fantastic. It felt like a perfect match to the characters and the story, bringing life to every chapter.

It had a modernized-Hitchcock vibe and I loved the use of multiple character perspectives to add depth and logic to the plot. It was fascinating getting both Hen’s and Matthew’s sides of what was going on simultaneously.

Their character’s musings and motivations worked so well in contrast to one another. It build-out the story in such an incredible way, IMO.

With each chapter, I felt the plot was progressed beautifully. There’s no wasted time, or words. You are steadily building towards the shocking conclusion.

I was so invested in this and did not see the ending coming. I loved how this one wrapped up, it really gave me a nice full-circle feeling. Overall, I was impressed with this, enjoyed it way more than I expected and I cannot wait to pick up more from this author!

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Review: Welcome to Dead House (Classic Goosebumps #1) by R.L. Stine

~ megs14malloy

Classic Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead HouseClassic Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead House by R.L. Stine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Welcome to Dead House is the first installment in R.L. Stine’s Classic Goosebumps series. Originally published in 1992, this story channels all the vibes of the series.

We follow brother and sister, Josh and Amanda, who are moving into a new home in the town of Dark Falls with their parents and the family dog.

From the start, the kids aren’t having a good time. The dog keeps fleeing in terror, Amanda is seeing people who aren’t there and Josh is just grumpy about the move in general.

Their parents think the dog’s and kids’ reactions, are just due to the disruption of their regular life. They’re in a new, strange place and the house is old, it’s gonna have some creaks and groans. They’ll get over it.

They try to settle in the best they can. Josh and Amanda are even able to befriend some local kids, who although a little odd, seem nice overall.

Even with others in the neighborhood accepting their arrival, the siblings can’t quite shake the feeling that something is off. There’s too many eerie things happening and yeah, the other kids are saying weird things and continue acting strangely. What gives?

It turns out, Dark Falls has a dark history with dark secrets, but will Josh and Amanda succumb to its dark aims?!

I have been feeling nostalgic lately for the Middle Grade and YA Horror of my younger years. When I saw that my library had the 2015-audio version of this book available yesterday, on a whim I decided to listen to it.

It was so fun and I easily listened to it in a couple hours.

There’s an overall feeling of menace in this story that legitimately gave me the creeps. I would think that some kids would be scared by this one, but in a fun way. It’s not gory, or overly descriptive in the Horror aspects, but still very compelling.

I would recommend this one to Readers of all ages. It has Stine’s goofy-brand of Dad humor sprinkled throughout. A few times I rolled my eyes, but often I laughed out loud.

Overall, I am super glad I gave this one a listen and plan to pick up more of the Classic Goosebumps series very soon!

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Review: The Gilded Ones (Deathless #1) by Namina Forna

~ megs14malloy

The Gilded Ones (Deathless, #1)The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

💚💛💙🤍💚💛💙🤍💚💛💙🤍💚💛💙🤍💚

The Gilded Ones follows 16-year old, Deka, a girl who has never felt like she belonged in her Northern community. She looks different than everyone else, due to her Mother’s Southern ancestry, but it’s more than that.

Deka also has elevated intuition that sets her apart. On the day of the blood ceremony, she is filled with fear and dread. Will her blood run red like it is supposed to?

If her blood runs red, she will finally be an accepted part of her community. If not, the end result could be deadly.

Unfortunately, luck is not on her side. Deka’s blood runs gold, the color of impurity and everyone sees. There is no hiding now. Subjected to torturous consequences after the ceremony, Deka feels helpless and more alone than ever.

At the height of her despair, a mysterious woman offers her the opportunity to change her life; to join an army of girls with gold blood, just like her.

She will be trained and ultimately will fight for the emperor with this group, the alaki. It’s an enticing offer and honestly, she has no choice. It’s not like she has other offers coming in. It’s this, or continued pain and torture…

Traveling to the walled city, Deka’s eyes are opened to a whole new world. There’s a lot to learn, but Deka feels up to the task. She’s encouraged by having others around her who may be considered her equals.

She begins to make friends and to understand more about her powers and history. As Deka grows in strength and confidence, the danger she faces grows as well, but not all is as it appears and Deka is determined to get to the truth.

I purchased this book when it was released and then never picked it up. I’m so glad that I finally took the time to read it. It is an incredible YA Fantasy story.

The reason I didn’t pick it up initially is because I was intimidated. It sounded complex and I was concerned that I wouldn’t understand the world, or magic system.

Now having experienced Forna’s skilled writing, those thoughts seem silly. I loved this world and it is complex, not going to lie about that, but it unfolds on the page in a stunning and accessible manner.

Deka is a character that you can easily empathize with from the start. The emotions she is feeling as she enters her blood-letting ceremony, it was so easy to feel that and subsequently, to feel for her. What she goes through in the aftermath of that ceremony, my word.

Forna does not pull punches. This story is violent and unapologetically-so, which I respect. Deka goes through so much and it really shapes her character, her strength and determination are hard-earned.

I loved how quickly the events in this book kick off. There’s not a ton of build-up, you’re dropped into Deka’s life and it’s off to the races from there.

The world is harsh, but so intriguing. Watching Deka and other strong women navigate the patriarchy was impressive. The political aspects of this were quite interesting as well. It’s more than magic and action, there’s plotting and planning; something I tend to enjoy.

The highlight of this story for me though was the relationships that Deka was able to develop. Her friend, Britta, is a fantastic character. She’s the perfect companion for Deka. Their love and support of one another was so pure.

There are many other things I loved about this, I could literally go on for paragraphs and paragraphs, but I won’t. I will say though, that Deathshrieks and White Hands are two of the most interesting things/characters that I have read about this year. Fascinating.

This story felt dangerous, intense and high-stakes, while also being emotional and gut-wrenching in its unflinching look at violence and the horrors of war/conflict zones. Two thumbs way up.

In summation, LOL, this book is BADASS!! I am so excited to continue on with the series. I am hoping to pick up the sequel next month!

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Review: Wonderland by Jennifer Hillier

~ megs14malloy

WonderlandWonderland by Jennifer Hillier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Jennifer Hillier’s tense and twisty amusement park-set Thriller, Wonderland, was first published in 2015. I’ve had this on my TBR for years, but just never picked it up.

Now, for the first time ever, it is being released in audio format via Macmillan Audio. After graciously being gifted a copy by the publisher, I excitedly read it and loved it!

This story follows Vanessa Castro, the new deputy police chief of Seaside, Washington, home to Wonderland. Vanessa is a lady with a past, that is clear, but all isn’t revealed to you right away. She’s a mystery unto herself.

Vanessa has moved to Seaside, along with her two children, after the death of her husband and a corresponding scandal at her old department. Vanessa is hoping for a fresh start and her older child, Ava, is almost excited to be working at Wonderland for the Summer.

Vanessa’s first day on the job kicks off with a bang, after the decomposing body of a homeless man, dubbed Homeless Harry, is discovered on the main causeway of the park just before opening.

Who is this man? It’s clear he didn’t die in the spot where he was discovered? Why would someone deposit his body there? What’s the message?

On the same day, prior to the body discovery, a disgruntled employee, a self-proclaimed free climber, scales the Wonder Wheel and photographs himself giving the middle finger in his Wonderland uniform.

He posts the image to his socials and it goes viral. After he posted, he disappeared. What is going on at Wonderland?

Homeless Harry and the Wonder Wheel Boy all in one day. Vanessa is left scratching her head and is about to get a quick lesson in how things work around Seaside.

Wonderland is by far the largest employer in the town. Not only that, it brings in huge amounts of money as a well-known and hugely popular tourist attraction.

Because of this, the powers that be at Wonderland hold quite a bit of sway within local politics and law enforcement. While Vanessa isn’t necessarily surprised by this, she is surprised by just how deep that river runs.

I loved Vanessa. She wasn’t perfect. She has a history, she has a dark past and it’s something that she struggles with at times throughout the novel. So, even though she has a successful career and is a great Mom, she can still have her own personal demons.

To me, that kind of character is so much more believable than the main characters who are perfect in every way, have it all, and just terrible things happen ‘around’ them, but not necessarily to them, or because of them.

Vanessa Castro is the type of character I would go to bat for. I think she was great at her job and did the best she could balancing her work and home life. For that, I give her props.

I also liked Vanessa’s daughter, Ava’s, role in the story. The dynamic between them, as well as what was going on in Ava’s private life added a lot of tension to the story.

Even though they have that mother-daughter relationship and lived together, there were still quite a few secrets between them. The transition to the new town wasn’t easy for Ava. At her age, I think she was 14, almost 15, that type of move will always be rough and I thought Hillier did a great job exploring that.

Ava’s work at the park was interesting as well. She ended up working in the Clown Museum and it sounded totally nuts. Definitely something I would have wanted to do at that age.

Overall, this is an engaging Mystery, with strong Police Procedural aspects and a ton of tension. I loved the pacing of the reveals as secrets come to light and I found the setting to be eerie and interesting. I couldn’t believe how quickly this drew me in.

Additionally, the audiobook is absolutely terrific. I cannot recommend it enough. The narration by Eunice Wong brought this story to life for me. I was transported while listening to it. A++ job!!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m so happy that I finally had the chance to read this one. It’s a great reminder of why I love Hillier’s work; so good!!

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Review: Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti

~ megs14malloy

Tell Me What Really HappenedTell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Five friends go into the woods, only four make it out alive. You may think you know this story, but I assure you, you’ve never heard it told like this!

In this story we’re following five high school friends, Nolan, Petra, Maylee, John and Abigail. It’s a sort of Breakfast Clubby set-up, with each character falling into a particular stereotypical role.

Maylee is the Queen Bee of the group, a wannabe influencer, snapping shots of herself whenever and wherever she can. It’s her idea to go on this ill-fated camping trip.

Petra is Maylee’s best friend, a smart girl, who tells it like it is. She’s the only person who doesn’t bow down to Maylee. Petra loves her, but she’s not going to be steamrolled by her.

The other campers include Nolan, Petra’s step-brother, an outcast with a penchant for cryptid lore, who always manages to say the wrong thing; Abigail, the poor girl-next-door, who isn’t really part of the group, and John, Maylee’s boyfriend, the jock with a heart of gold.

The trip begins with stress and ends very much the same way, x10. They’re at each other’s throats from the start and it’s clear that something is going to go wrong.

The shining star of this book is hands-down the format. Told strictly through police interviews, I was blown away by how much tension Sedoti was able to create with that.

Each chapter begins as a question asked by the investigators. The subsequent meat of the chapter is the various players answering that question.

Most interesting to me was how that initial question, at the header of each chapter, is the only question revealed, but you can feel the characters filling in subsequent questions.

I’m not quite sure how else to describe it. It’s definitely something you need to experience for yourself. I was super impressed with how clever this was.

Sedoti not only set the entire stage, but filled it in just by flawlessly placing answers to a few questions. It had to be perfectly arranged in order for it to flow well and make sense. I think she did a phenomenal job with that.

Overall, I found this to be a very fun read. It was grand how this unique format could create such a super quick and tense read. The characters drew me in. They felt believable and genuine in their distress.

It’s not a groundbreaking story as far as the plot goes. Sadly, I even sort of felt like the conclusion was a bit anti-climatic in comparison with the build-up. Nevertheless, this was still a very engaging reading experience and I would definitely recommend it to fans of YA Thrillers.

Thank you so much to the publisher, SOURCEBOOKS Fire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I was impressed with this and look forward to picking up more from this author!

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Review: The Plus One (A Brush with Love #3) by Mazey Eddings

~ megs14malloy

The Plus One (A Brush with Love, #3)The Plus One by Mazey Eddings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The Plus One is the newest installment in the A Brush with Love series by Mazey Eddings. This series consists of companion novels, set in Philadelphia, following a strong and supportive friendship group of women in their late-20s.

Each of the women we meet over the course of the series is incredibly-well fleshed out, with their own distinct strengths, weaknesses and personality quirks.

In this third book, it is Indira’s turn to take the leading role. We have met Indira in the previous two books, but it was nice to really get to know her through this story. I’ve always liked her, after this though, I love her.

This starts off horribly for Indira after she walks in on her live-in boyfriend, Chris, having a bit of a tug and cuddle with a stranger. It’s clearly not the first time.

Indira is horrified, she can’t believe her eyes, like really can’t believe her eyes. Is that peanut butter?! She’s ticked, she’s done, she wants out.

Quickly packing her things, including her adorable cat, Indira races over to her brother, Colin’s, house, heartbroken and distraught. Well, maybe not heartbroken per se, but definitely distraught.

Adding insult to injury, when she gets to Colin’s she discovers his best friend, Jude, is currently staying there as well. Ughhhh, life is unfair.

Of course he is. With Colin and his fiance’s wedding rapidly approaching, of course Jude would be there, it just couldn’t be worse timing for Indira. She can’t stand Jude. Even growing up, they were always at odds with one another.

Jude, a surgeon, has been traveling the world for the past few years working in the most dire circumstances, war-torn and impoverished communities; humanitarian crisis zones. Returning to the United States for Colin’s wedding, Jude is having a hard time adjusting.

He’s suffering from lack of sleep, paralyzing guilt and anxiety stemming from the things he has seen; the patients he has lost. The last thing he needs now is Indira.

While Indira is happy to have a place to go to escape Chris and his new lady friend, that doesn’t solve all her problems. Chris is friends with Colin and part of the wedding party.

With many pre-wedding events planned and the actual event itself looming on the horizon, she’s rattled with anxiety, how can she possibly face him?! It’s going to be awful.

Knowing of her predicament, Jude feels for Indira. He’s not heartless. Together they form a pact to fake date over the course of the wedding festivities. It will be great for both of them to have support during those events.

Indira has noticed something off about Jude since he’s been back. She’s hoping she’ll be able to provide some help for him if he begins to get overwhelmed.

As Indira and Jude spend more time together, it becomes clear that maybe their opinions of one-another have changed. It’s hard to deny the spark that fires between them. Will it last, or will it fizzle out once their need for fake dating is over?

Mazey Eddings is becoming quite the star in my eyes. My goodness, this series just keeps delivering the steam, the humor and all the feels!!

I loved both Indira and Jude. I also love how Eddings brings real-life issues to the page for her characters. No one is perfect in these stories. Everyone has something, sometimes multiple things, that they are working on, or through.

I was again impressed with how quickly Eddings is able to develop such flawed, sympathetic, witty and charming characters. It’s gripping right from start, mainly because you get sucked into the characters lives.

Jude’s story. in particular, I felt was incredibly well done. It was powerful, hard-hitting, eye-opening and honestly, quite serious. His PTSD was laid at your feet. It’s a heavy topic to tackle in an otherwise funny, romantic story.

I thought Eddings did a great job balancing the serious with the more light-hearted aspects. With this being said though, I did feel the tone of this one was a little different, heavier in a way, than the previous two.

It’s still fantastic, don’t get me wrong. I think part of it actually may stem from the relationship dynamic between our two mains. Jude and Indira have known each other a long time. They have an established relationship.

In the first two books, some of the fun and excitement came from two characters meeting, dating and falling in love. There’s always some underlying excitement in that process because it’s all new.

Here the exploration of the relationship was different because they came in with a history. That history did allow them to go deeper though, I felt, than the previous two couples. That’s not a bad thing, it just tackles romance from a different angle.

The humor, wit, steamy scenes and hilarious situations did not change though. Eddings knows how to shock, surprise and impress. I was completely absorbed in this story. Jude and Indira will always have a special place in my heart.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am in love with this series and cannot wait for the next book!

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