Review: It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest

~ megs14malloy

It Was Her House FirstIt Was Her House First by Cherie Priest
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

‘I suppose we get the ghosts we get,
not necessarily the ones we want.’

After Ronnie Mitchell receives an inheritance due to the tragic passing of a family member, she purchases a rundown mansion in West Seattle. With anxiety high and in need of distraction, this could be just the project she needs.

Ronnie has some carpentry experience, so feels like she’ll be able to tackle anything the house throws at her. Unfortunately, what she knows nothing about is the bloody, violent history of this particular house.

Will that come back to bite her, or can she handle that too?

It Was Her House First was a captivating read, even though somehow it wasn’t at all what I expected. I enjoyed it though very much. It reminded me a bit of The September House, so I would recommend it for fans of that book. It’s not quite as graphic, but still manages to give those vibes.

I loved our present perspective MC, Ronnie. I connected with her way of thinking and it made it extra enjoyable. She has a bit of a wry, honest sense of humor, always just laying it out there for the Reader. I loved that.

We also get different perspectives that help to fill us in on the history of the house. These perspectives are all tied to it’s heartbreaking history, and unsurprisingly, they’re still very much connected to the house and the present situation Ronnie finds herself in.

There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the house itself and the longer that Ronnie is there, the more interested she becomes in filling in that history knowledge for herself.

I appreciated Ronnie’s strength and determination when it came to the house. Unsettling things begin happening fairly quickly after she takes ownership, but she never shies away. If anything, she leans in, going further than I think a lot of people would.

She felt very brave to me. Sometimes to a level where you questioned her choices, but nevertheless, she had a goal and she was sticking to it, come hell or high water.

Overall, I feel like this one is an interesting twist on a standard haunted house tale. I enjoyed the interactions of all the various players involved in the drama, and feel like Priest pulled off a lot with this one.

Even though it is a haunted house story, it has a bit of a cozier feel. As mentioned above, I would recommend it to Readers who enjoyed The September House, but also to fans of Rachel Harrison and T. Kingfisher’s Adult Horror.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from Cherie Priest!

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Review: The Stitchers (Fright Watch #1) by Lorien Lawrence

~ megs14malloy

The Stitchers (Fright Watch, #1)The Stitchers by Lorien Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Stitchers is the 1st-installment to Lorien Lawrence’s Spooky Middle Grade trilogy, Fright Watch. I have owed this book for close to 5-years, and am now kicking myself for waiting this long to pick it up.

I absolutely adored this story. Lawrence was able to pull me in and get me completely invested from the very beginning. I loved the MC, Quinn, and her friend/neighbor, Mike.

They made quite the dynamic duo.

Quinn and Mike both live on Goodie Lane. They’re both on the school track team and most days, go running together early in the mornings before school.

On these early morning runs, they frequently observe odd and slightly disturbing behavior from their neighbors; all elderly folks, they’ve dubbed The Oldies, who’ve lived on the street for as long as anyone can remember.

This behavior isn’t really anything new, as Quinn’s Dad, who fairly recently passed away, was a police officer and even he found their neighbors suspicious.

Why don’t they ever seem to age?

After her father passes, Quinn becomes even more focused on getting to the bottom of whatever is going on with the The Oldies. Mike seems like the perfect Robin to her Batman, and he’s more than willing to help out.

The neighbors seem to be on to them though, aware of the kids digging around. Are Quinn and Mike in real danger, or are they just letting their imaginations get away from them?

As things start to heat up on Goodie Lane, their situation escalates quickly. Quinn and Mike desperately search for answers, but will it be too little, too late?

This is such a great Middle Grade Horror novel. I loved how quickly it kicks off and how likable our main characters are.

The mystery of the story is puzzling and it gets top marks for the eerie atmosphere. There were some seriously creepy moments and I loved watching all the action play out.

The Oldies, as a group, are super creepy antagonists. Some of the interactions that Quinn and Mike had with them gave me literal chills. I was fearful in those moments for the characters I had come to love.

I also really appreciated the, shall we say, Beauty Horror, included in this one. Lawrence has some serious Horror chops, don’t let the Middle Grade categorization fool you. This is a good one and read under the right circumstances, it’ll get under your skin.

I loved this so much that I immediately started this 2nd-book after finishing it. And that’s saying something, because I’m terrible at committing to series.

I would recommend this one to any Reader who enjoys Spooky Middle Grade, but honestly, I would recommend this one to any Horror Reader in general. I definitely think this has something to offer individuals of all ages.

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Review: The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols

~ megs14malloy

The Marigold Cottages Murder CollectiveThe Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

With a story as fun and cozy as this cover, The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective gave me everything I was hoping for and then some. I did not expect to love this as much as I did, but I was pulled in and held so tightly.

The audiobook is a fabulous way to go with this one, as the dual narration of Meg Price and Jim Meskimen helped fuse humor and heart even more so into the story.

The comp to The Thursday Murder Club in the publisher’s synopsis is definitely apt, but whereas with those books, the main characters are all mostly elderly, this story features more of a range of ages and backgrounds.

I feel like their differences, firstly, make them easier to remember, but also made the dynamics among them so heart-warming, interesting and funny.

I adore the Thursday Murder Club series, don’t get me wrong, but I actually think it took me less time to learn this cast of characters and to fall in love with them. Sophie, Mrs. B, Ocean, and all the others, are just so darn lovable.

The mystery was also super compelling and I loved watching them all bumbling around trying to figure it out. They all wanted to protect one another, often with calamitous results.

It’s got a real wacky found family vibe, and the Southern California setting was also an enjoyable backdrop. Overall, I think this is such a fun and carefree Cozy Mystery that I’m definitely hoping will turn into a much longer series.

Thank you so much to the publishers, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I had a fabulous time with this!!

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Review: Mayhem at a Halloween Wedding (Halloween Bookshop Mystery #2) by Emmeline Duncan

~ megs14malloy

Mayhem at a Halloween Wedding (Halloween Bookshop Mystery, #2)Mayhem at a Halloween Wedding by Emmeline Duncan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mayhem at a Halloween Wedding is the 2nd-installment in Emmeline Duncan’s Cozy Halloween Bookshop Mystery series.

These books are set in the quaint town of Elyan Hollow, Oregon, where it’s Halloween 365-days a year. Our protagonist is Bailey Briggs, who has taken over her family’s well-loved local bookstore, Lazy Bones Books.

In this 2nd-book, Bailey’s college friend, Raven, has planned a Halloween-themed wedding for herself and her partner, and there’s no better place to pull off her signature spooky style than Elyan Hollow.

Bailey is committed to the hilt, both with being a bridesmaid in Raven’s wedding, and assisting with the prep for Elyan Hollow’s annual Halloween festival. She needs everything to go smoothly if she wants to save her sanity.

Sadly, it does not.

Fellow bridesmaids, Ivy and Harmony, who also happens to be the sister of the bride, are both absolute nightmares. Demanding and rude, these girls are pushing Bailey and her best friend, Colby, to their limits.

When Ivy is found dead mid-bachelorette party, as the women are attending the Halloween parade, Colby is immediately considered a suspect. The two had been witnessed in a few heated arguments prior to the murder.

Bailey knows that there is no way Colby would actually kill someone, but now she needs to prove it.

I had a lot of fun with this latest installment to the Halloween Bookshop Series. I love the small town vibes of this series, and the MC, Bailey, as well as her canine companion, Jack, are really growing on me.

It would be hard to beat a setting of a town where it’s always Halloween. That’s like literally my aesthetic. I read this one so quickly, in under 24-hours, because I was hooked into the wedding party drama.

It was honestly the most judgmental and negativity-fueled wedding weekend I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve been to a lot. Even I was getting stressed. I’m not sure how any of these women survived.

Ivy and Harmony were the pits, but they weren’t the only ones sus as heck. I loved trying to guess who had taken Ivy out, and whether or not it had been related to the wedding. I had no clue how anyone could have pulled it off.

The Halloween costumes everywhere added another layer to the confusion at the time the crime was committed, and I liked that unusual aspect.

Additionally, I do just want to note, IMHO, this 2nd-installment shows a lot of improvement over the 1st-book in writing and the mystery plotting itself. The 1st-book was good for me, but I did have some issues with it.

This one, I really didn’t have any issues. I was completely invested in the mystery and also, am enjoying the trajectory of Bailey’s character arc. I truly hope there’s another book. I’d love to see more of these mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher, Kensington Cozies, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would recommend this to any Cozy Mystery Reader who loves a small town atmosphere, as well Halloween!!

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Review: She Didn’t Stand a Chance by Stacie Grey

~ megs14malloy

She Didn't Stand a ChanceShe Didn’t Stand a Chance by Stacie Grey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Gertie gets notification that she’s being summoned to her recently-deceased, estranged father’s luxurious desert property for the reading of his Will, she’s not exactly elated.

She hasn’t seen her four half-siblings since she was just a toddler, and has absolutely nothing in common with them. Nevertheless, she’s curious and decides to go, in spite of how awkward it’s bound to get.

Once at the property, her assumptions are confirmed. Her half-siblings treat her like gutter trash blown in off the streets. They stick her in the cluttered and neglected pool house, with no air con, or any other conveniences.

Gertie receives more warmth from the property’s staff than her own family, made worse when it’s revealed she’s set to inherit a large portion of the estate. A larger portion than anyone would have expected; especially Gertie.

Gertie has so many questions, including how did their father die? The more she asks about that, the clearer it becomes that he might not have died of natural causes.

When a member of the household staff is killed a few days later, Gertie’s confident that something nefarious is going on inside this house of glass. Will she be able to get to the bottom of it, or will she fall prey to the killer in their midst?

She Didn’t Stand a Chance pulled me in very quickly. I love an inheritance story, and this one gets to the nitty-gritty of the inheritance pretty early on.

I also really enjoyed Gertie as a main character. She’s plucky, resourceful and was very active in digging into the events surrounding her father’s death. It would have been very easy for her to just go there, sit quietly, take what was hers and move on, but she didn’t.

Though Gertie’s perspective is the only one we get in the present timeline, Grey did include some very fun mixed media aspects that helped to move the plot along. Additionally, we get little snippets of what was going on within the family just prior to their Dad’s death.

The siblings, Maryann, Brian, Liam and Jennifer, were all absolutely terrible. It was fun watching their ridiculously-petty antics. They were working hard to intimidate Gertie, but she’s made of stronger stuff than that.

There were some interesting side characters as well. My favorites being Mrs. Phan, the long-time property manager, and Eddie, the chef. The staff def had strong feelings about the family and I enjoyed getting their thoughts.

I did feel this dragged out a little towards the end, but overall, I found it to be an intriguing mystery. I had a lot of fun trying to figure out what had happened to the Dad and I definitely had moments where I was scared for our MC.

I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys a tense and dramatic inheritance story. The mystery was engaging and many of the characters were a lot of fun to hate.

I also truly enjoyed the desert setting, which added so much to the general feel of the story.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from Stacie Grey!

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Review: Matchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell

~ megs14malloy

Matchmaking for PsychopathsMatchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alexandra works for a small, woman-owned matchmaking company, and her area of specialty is with clients who fall somewhere along the psychopathy scale.

Her clients aren’t the murdery-type of psychopaths, though, that we might all think of. At least she doesn’t think so. They actually tend to be quite successful individuals, who are just as deserving as love as the next person.

But what happens when the matchmaker is barely holding her own love-life together?

Alexandra thought she had found love for herself, but boy, was she wrong. A fact she discovered on her birthday, when her boyfriend, Noah, and best friend, Molly, revealed that they were now an item, leaving Alex out in the cold.

Alex has suddenly lost the two people she was closest too in the world, but as the old adage goes, there are more fish in the sea, both in the romance sea and the friendship sea.

Alex soon has a potential love interest, as well as a potential new best friend, but instead of stabilizing things for her, circumstances continue to spiral after her ex disappears, and she fears he’s been murdered on her behalf.

Much like Coryell’s previous novel, Love Letters to a Serial Killer, this story succeeds in pushing boundaries, and potentially Readers outside their comfort zones.

It’s a fun and edgy blend of Romance, Mystery and Horror, all rolled into one tidy little package. I enjoyed getting to know our MC, Alexandra. She certainly contains multitudes.

As the story unfolds, it’s hard not to try to figure out what is actually going on, but Coryell reveals things in such a way, that I found it close to impossible to guess. Sure, I had various theories throughout, but I was never confident, because there were so many darkly-delicious possibilities.

I found the concept of Alexandra’s job super interesting, and it was fun reading about various situations occurring in her workplace. Additionally, Alex has a fascinating history that definitely added its own level of intrigue to the story.

Overall, this out of the box, genre-blending, Romantic Suspense story, full of murder and mayhem, definitely kept me on my toes. I loved trying to guess what was actually going on. The characters were intriguing, and the plot, just wacky enough to deliver pure entertainment!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to picking up more from Tasha Coryell!!

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Review: Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews

~ megs14malloy

Don't Let the Forest InDon’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Andrew and his twin sister, Dove, return to the prestigious Wickwood Academy for another school year, it’s clear they’re hoping to leave some sort of tragic event in the past. It’s a new year, and a new chance for a fresh start.

As the days unfold, Dove begins being cold and stand-offish to Andrew. Because of this, Andrew comes to rely even more on his handsome and rakish best friend, Thomas.

Andrew and Thomas. Their relationship is deep, full of complicated emotion and captivated me from the start.

Thomas is like that mysterious, creative, rich bad-boy that most of us find intriguing AF, and Andrew def isn’t immune to those charms, even if it feels slightly dangerous.

This story follows that relationship as it develops, and also Andrew’s own mental health as it begins to spiral. We learn about their pasts at school, and more about both of their complicated family situations.

There’s a real blending of fact and fiction. It’s lyrical and dark and beautiful in a truly heartbreaking way. My favorite aspect was the Dark Fairytale style that Drews brought to it to examine some heavier topics.

I actually picked this up for a book club, and I started it the day before the discussion was scheduled. I got through it so quickly, as I couldn’t put it down once I started. There’s an underlying sense of dread that I felt so compelling. I needed to know the truth.

I really enjoyed the writing, and while I really, really liked it, I don’t think it was as impactful for me as it’s been for many other Readers.

It seems to be one of those books that if you pick it up at the right time for you, it could be everything. It reminded me so, so much of The Wicker King, and I’m wondering maybe if I hadn’t read that one first, if I would have enjoyed this more?

Either way, this is an excellent novel and I’m excited to read more from C.G. Drews!!

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Review: The Perfect Divorce (Perfect #2) by Jeneva Rose

~ megs14malloy

The Perfect Divorce (Perfect, #2)The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Perfect Divorce is the sequel to Jeneva Rose’s 2020-release, The Perfect Marriage. I had never read that 1st-book, but ended up getting an audio-ARC of this one, which I couldn’t resist due to one of my all-time favorite narrators, Adam Lazarre-White, being part of the production.

It’s not often you see Duologies, or Trilogies, in the Thriller space, and I wasn’t 100% sure that I would need to read the 1st-book, but I’m so, so, so glad that I did.

I definitely feel like you need the background of The Perfect Marriage in order to be able to truly appreciate this one. Rose did so much character work in that 1st-book that’s imperative to have going into this one.

Also, if you’re wondering if this book is necessary though, perhaps it’s just a cash grab, and can’t hold up to the 1st-book, I would also put those thoughts to rest. Somehow, Rose made this even more twisted than the 1st.

This one is set 11-years after the events of the 1st-book, and MC, Sarah Morgan, has moved on. She’s remarried, she has a daughter and she’s ready to leave the past in the past, exactly where it belongs.

Unfortunately, yet again, Sarah finds herself deep in marital woes after her husband, Bob, is caught out in a one-night stand. Sarah wastes no time filing for divorce. She’s not putting up with any funny business anymore.

However, in the midst of this, DNA evidences surfaces that could also bring the horrible events of the past back into the spotlight. When the woman Bob cheated with disappears, it seems like history may be repeating itself, but how?

This audiobook is so great. I definitely recommend that format if you’re going to pick it up. The cast truly was able to bring all of the drama of this story to life.

Rose did a great job refreshing the Reader on what happened in that 1st-book as well, without making it feel repetitive. So even if it’s been a while since you read The Perfect Marriage, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble getting into this one and feeling like you have all the info.

I was impressed with how wild and dark this one got. I wasn’t sure if the same diabolical nature of the 1st-book could be repeated again, but it definitely was.

Thank you, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If you’re looking for a completely OTT-Popcorn Thriller Duology, look no further, the Perfect duology is it!!

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Review: Break Me Down by Anna Downes

~ megs14malloy

Break Me DownBreak Me Down by Anna Downes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

Break Me Down is a Macmillan Audio Original from popular Thriller author, Anna Downes. This is told via an exceptional full cast and features mixed media elements that work very well in the audio format.

The story follows a former child star, Georgia Lane, after she moves to L.A., determined to make a career comeback.

Georgia quickly learns, however, that behind the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles life lies a cutthroat entertainment industry not for the faint of heart, and her past success doesn’t promise anything in the now.

She meets a man named Henry, also an aspiring actor, who ends up inviting her to audit a class at the elite acting school he attends. The school’s head teacher soon takes a special interest in Georgia, and offers her a spot at The Studio.

Marianne’s teaching methods are very unconventional, but Georgia sees it as a potential path to unlocking her true potential. The deeper Georgia and Henry go with their involvement in The Studio, the further it pushes them apart.

Are Marianne’s bizarre teaching tactics actually helping her students, or is it actually her own perverse form of psychological warfare against them?

The content of Break Me Down was good, it was solid, though it didn’t contain anything Earth-shattering. Long-term, I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to recall of the story.

I do feel like watching Georgia fall deeper and deeper into The Studio was compelling, but yeah, not particularly mysterious, suspenseful, or thrilling. It was more interesting because it was so much of a train-wreck.

I also wasn’t crazy about Georgia and Henry’s relationship, so wasn’t connected with that aspect. It never felt like he had the right intentions to me. He was hard to read.

My enjoyment of the story itself is closer to a 3, or 3.5-star, however, I’m rounding up simply because the audio production was so good. The full cast, the various sound effects, it was really, really well done.

If you’re an audiobook fan, and enjoy things that have sort of a docuseries feel, such as Daisy Jones and the Six, this is absolutely worth the listen. Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for providing me for a copy to read and review!

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Review: The Perfect Marriage (Perfect #1) by Jeneva Rose

~ megs14malloy

The Perfect Marriage (Perfect, #1)The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

On paper, Sarah and Adam have the perfect marriage. The couple live in a beautiful home, and Sarah has an extremely successful career as a Defense Attorney in Washington, D.C., while Adam gets to pursue his passion in writing.

But in truth, Adam’s grown tired of Sarah’s focus on her career. She’s constantly working, and yeah, maybe he is even a little jealous of her success.

Adam begins to pursue another passion in the form of a young waitress named Kelly Summers. He uses their 2nd-home as a rendezvous point with his mistress, which is perfect because Sarah never goes there.

Adam’s other life gets suddenly exposed, however, when he is arrested for Kelly’s murder. The young woman was found murdered in the bed at the lover’s retreat, shortly after Adam was known to have been there.

Being the best in the business, there’s no one better to take on Adam’s defense than Sarah; conflicts of interest be damned. Even though he’s broken her heart, Sarah agrees to take on his case. He’s her husband and in spite of his betrayal, he still deserves the best defense. Doesn’t he?

The Perfect Marriage follows the deeply twisted lives of this power couple via both Sarah and Adam’s perspective. I loved the dual narration of the audiobook, and would recommend that format.

Initially, I wasn’t sure if I was going to round up to 4-stars, but after thinking about it for a couple of weeks, I really feel it deserves it. This was so fun. It’s so messy, but all the more engaging because of that. I seriously never knew what was going to come next

It’s true that the plot probably won’t be the most memorable long term, but Rose got so devious with it, I gotta give her love for that. There were so many twists, and although there’s not a ton of substance, it’s a hella good time.

I would recommend this for Readers who love fast-paced Domestic Thrillers, bordering on diabolical. Get your popcorn ready, cause you’re gonna want it!

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