2020 releases

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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Review: Lakewood by Megan Giddings

~ megs14malloy

LakewoodLakewood by Megan Giddings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lena’s Grandmother was the matron of their little family, helping to take care of both Lena, and Lena’s Mom, who suffers from a chronic illness. So, when Lena’s Grandma passes away, it leaves a big hole in that regard.

Soon it’s clear that the family has a lot of debt and practically no income. Lena must therefore do whatever she can to try to make ends meet for her and her Mom.

Even though she’s enrolled in college, Lena knows she needs to get high-paying work as soon as she can, which may mean putting her studies on hold for awhile. Unfortunately, the job market is depressing as heck and not offering her a lot of opportunities.

Starting to despair, Lena then learns about a chance to participate in some sort of medical or psychological experiment. She’s intrigued. After pursuing it, it seems almost too good to be true.

The downfall, she’ll have to move from home, to the remote town of Lakewood. Her Mom would be alone, which makes her most nervous of all, but arrangements can be made.

With her participation, Lena will get free housing and the pay is very high, more than she could ever make anywhere else given her current options. Additionally, free healthcare for both her and her Mom. She can’t pass that up.

She has to keep her participation 100% secret though. She needs to lie to family and friends. She even signs an NDA to that effect. Luckily, they’ve come up with a believable cover story for her.

The heart of the story follows Lena moving to Lakewood and taking part in the program. She’s recording everything that happens each day, at least what she can remember, writing it down in a letter format and then hiding it, for reasons I won’t go into here.

I liked the way Giddings chose to format Lena’s perspective. It felt very personal, the way she was recounting all that was happening. I felt like that friend receiving the letters.

I also found Lena to be a very empathetic character. She was so honest about everything, and as the Reader, you see this young person struggling, she’s got so much on her plate, and she’s willing to do anything to help her family. Including potentially putting herself at risk.

She’s smart, she’s tough, she’s someone you root for through thick and thin. Lakewood is full of mysteries and the experiments continually get stranger and more dangerous.

The other people who are participating all add their own levels of drama and intrigue to the story as well. The way this softly intensifies throughout is chef’s kiss. I would realize in various moments that I was feeling fear, but I had no idea why. It made for such a cool reading experience.

While it did have a bit of a slow start, I think the pay off was well worth sticking with it. I appreciated the spotlight it shined on medical experimentation and the racial injustices historically witnessed in such practices.

Side recommendation for the non-fiction book, Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present, that I feel could pair nicely with reading this one.

Overall, I think this is a stellar debut. It left me with a lot to think about. I loved the tone and mood of the writing, the topics explored, and Lena as a protagonist. I would recommend it to fans of When No One Is Watching and The Other Black Girl.

For me, it was the shadow organization feel that I really vibed with. The uneasiness of following Lena’s day-to-day existence in this strange place, with even stranger things happening to her, it was powerful. I’m looking forward to picking up more from Megan Giddings!

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Review: Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy

~ megs14malloy

Goodnight BeautifulGoodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bought a copy of Aimee Molloy’s Goodnight Beautiful immediately upon its release in 2020. I didn’t know much about it, except I had heard that it was in some way influenced by Stephen King’s Misery.

I had no idea how, or how much of an influence that played in the actual plot, there was just some chatter and I knew I needed it. Anything even mildly King-related, I need.

Of course, like many novels before her, she came into my house and was promptly stuffed onto a shelf, where she’s been waiting to be read for all these years.

Recently, I did a huge unhaul, I’m talking over a 100-books, and I still held on to this one. I was still so interested, and I made a promise to myself, this was the year.

I’m glad I picked it up now. I was wildly-entertained. Luckily, I have never managed to spoil the plot for myself, so was taken by surprise with numerous twists and turns.

The first big twist, I was jaw on the floor, literally. Like, WHAT?! It made me stop to reconsider everything I thought I was understanding about this story.

I love that type of twist. Clever misdirection is something I always appreciate. I also enjoyed the direction the story went in. I wasn’t sure if that’s what we were doing, but when I figured out it was, it was still quite pleasing to me.

I just thought this was very well executed and although it won’t go down in history as a new FAVORITE book of all time, I can still recommend it to anyone who enjoys a twisty, popcorn Thriller.

If you’re like me, and you’ve had this one sitting on your shelves for half a decade, now is the time, girlfriend, give it a whirl; a fun and fast-paced Summer Thriller.

I’m looking forward to reading more from Aimee Molloy!

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Review: Driving the Deep (Finder Chronicles #2) by Suzanne Palmer

~ megs14malloy

Driving the Deep (Finder Chronicles, #2)Driving the Deep by Suzanne Palmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Driving the Deep is the second novel in the Finder Chronicles by Suzanne Palmer. The first book in the series, Finder, was one of my most memorable Sci-Fi reads of 2019.

I adored Palmer’s writing style, her world-creation, the nail-biting action and the main character, Fergus Ferguson, a space repo man, was completely lovable and funny. I absolutely adored him.

In this book, we get to reunite with Fergus for another thrilling space caper.

Since the conclusion of Finder, Fergus has been recovering from those events whilst staying with his friends, the Shipmakers of Pluto, who are all well-known experts in the development of AI-spacecraft.

The downtime has given Fergus a lot of time to think about the life he left behind and with the encouragement of his friends, he decides it may finally be time to face his past. Fergus hasn’t been back to Earth since stealing his cousin’s motorcycle at the age of 15, and running away.

That theft, his first, has weighed on his conscious ever since. He finally feels ready and able to try to make amends, with the support of his friends, of course.

However, upon returning to the shipyard that houses the storage unit he left the motorcycle in all those years ago, he finds the motorcycle gone and priceless, stolen artwork in its place. What the heck?!

Before he can figure out just what happened in that storage unit, the shipyard is attacked and his friends go missing. He assumes, logically so, that they’ve been kidnapped for their scientific knowledge and expertise.

Fergus must now try to figure out the mystery of the missing bike, the stolen artwork and his missing friends. Proof that there truly is no rest for the weary.

Ahhhh, this was such a delight to read and exactly what I was in the mood for. I can’t believe it took me over 3-years to finally read this sequel.

I love Palmer’s writing and Fergus Ferguson is such a fun main character. He’s easy to root for and once you go on an adventure with him, you’ll never want to leave his side.

I need to keep the ball rolling now and pick up the 3rd-book soon. For me, this one was just as enjoyable, maybe even more so, than the 1st-book. I think the attachment I built up for Fergus over the course of the 1st-story, helped to propel this one even higher up the enjoyment ladder for me.

I also just really enjoyed the circumstances in this. Watching the relationships Fergus had built with his friends, even though it was hard for him to get close to people initially, and watching him let his walls down by returning to Earth; both of those things were just so satisfying.

I would recommend this to fans of the Murderbot Diaries. I think as far as action levels and enjoyable characters, they’re quite comparable.

Overall, this series is fast-paced and exciting, with characters you can get behind and will want to stay with for years to come. I can’t wait to read the next book.

My only disappointment with Driving the Deep is that it took me so long to get to it.

Even though I am years late to the party, thank you so much to the publisher, DAW, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a fantastic series!

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Review: The Other People by C.J. Tudor

~ megs14malloy

The Other PeopleThe Other People by C.J. Tudor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-star**

Recently I read a novel, In a Quiet Town, where the main character’s daughter goes missing, but no one seems to care, or really believe it, but her. In spite of it all, she would not give up. She was determined to find her daughter.

Reading that made me realize how much I tend to enjoy that trope. If it is done well, there’s something so compelling about a parent’s unflinching determination when it comes to helping their kid(s).

It got me thinking of other books that could possibly be similar. Luckily, my brain was working well enough that day that I remembered this backlist title from C.J. Tudor.

I’ve had this one on my shelves since it released in 2020 and I’m so glad that I made time for it. It was great. I found it to be wildly entertaining!

In this story we follow Gabe. Three years ago, Gabe’s family was torn apart by a tragedy. His wife and daughter gone in a heartbeat.

The thing is, on that horrific day, as Gabe was driving home from work, he swears he saw his daughter in the back of a very distinct car. He looked her right in her face. She even mouthed the word, ‘Daddy.’

He hasn’t seen her since and no one believes him. The world thinks his daughter is dead, but Gabe hasn’t given up. He spends his days and nights traveling up and down the motorway looking for that car.

Gabe’s search leads him to stumble upon a mysterious group called the Other People, hence the title. I found that aspect of the story quite intriguing.

We also follow a couple other perspectives, who originally, you’re not sure how they are connected. Watching the truth of that unfold adds a lot of intensity to this tale.

The tension builds quickly. Tudor wastes no time. At the start, you are with Gabe on the day he believes he see his daughter in the mysterious car. The way that scene was written, wow, it really got my pulse going.

From that moment on, I felt connected to Gabe. I felt like we had been through something together; bonded by a shared experience.

I also felt such empathy for him. There’s nothing worse than knowing something and having no one else believe you. That can be such a frustrating and helpless feeling.

Overall, I feel Tudor did a great job structuring this story for max impact. The way the reveals are done and the way all the different perspectives slot into place, A++.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a taut, cleverly-plotted Thriller. I am so glad that I made the time for this. It was great fun!

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The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

~ megs14malloy

The Year of the WitchingThe Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

In The Year of the Witching we follow a young woman, Immanuelle Moore, who lives in a Puritanical-feeling settlement known as Bethel.

Immanuelle is an outsider amongst the group. She is accepted for the most part, but no one is really warm and fuzzy towards her.

This stems back to Immanuelle’s mother, who had an affair with an outsider, a man of a different race, the result of which was Immanuelle’s birth.

Immanuelle’s Mom’s life had a tragic ending. Because of this, and the stigma attached to her very being, Immanuelle tries her best to just get along and fly under the radar. Unfortunately, no one can do that forever.

After a mishap leads Immanuelle to the forbidden Darkwood that surrounds the settlement, she encounters the spirits of powerful witches killed years before. These spirits gift Immanuelle the journal of her dead mother.

This may sound puzzling, but trust me, in the context of the rest of story, it flows nicely.

Intrigued by the journal, Immanuelle becomes focused on discovering the truth behind her mother’s life. The more she digs, however, the more she stands apart from the rest of her society. It becomes clear that the history of Bethel isn’t as clear-cut as the leaders try to make it.

The Year of the Witching is a very solid story.

While I didn’t personally find it to be as successful as House of Hunger, I still enjoyed the eerie atmosphere and dark, vivid imagery Henderson brought to the page.

The initial build-up was strong and captivating. I liked meeting Immanuelle and learning a bit about her family history and the beliefs/traditions of Bethel.

Some of the insights into Immanuelle’s Mom made me sad. I felt for Immanuelle. She definitely was not dealt an easy hand. Reading of her overcoming and finding her power within herself was definitely satisfying though.

I did find some of the action towards the end difficult to track. There were moments where I couldn’t picture anything that was happening.

Overall though, I did really enjoy this. It’s a powerful story with some interesting themes explored. Immanuelle was a sympathetic main character; easy to get behind.

I am hoping that Henderson does end up releasing a sequel to this. I know that was sort of up in the air for a while, but I would love to see more with these characters!

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Review: Kidnap on the California Comet (Adventures on Trains #2) by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman

~ megs14malloy

Kidnap on the California Comet (Adventures on Trains, #2)Kidnap on the California Comet by M.G. Leonard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

💙💛🧡💙💛🧡💙💛🧡💙💛🧡💙

Another train mystery solved!!

The 2nd-book of my new favorite Middle Grade series didn’t disappoint. It was everything I wanted and more!

After his memorable trip on The Highland Falcon with his Uncle Nat, Hal Beck, is ready embark on another adventure. His Uncle, a travel journalist, is set to travel on the famous California Comet from Chicago to California and it just so happens, the trip coincides with a school break for Hal.

More than happy to have his nephew along for another trip, the two pack their bags and set off for the U.S. together; it will be Hal’s first time.

At first, Hal is anxious about being homesick and out of place in a foreign country, but soon enough he has made new friends and finds himself embroiled in another mystery.

In the first book, we had a thief aboard the train. Someone stealing objects of value from various passengers. In this installment, as the title would suggest, we have a kidnapping of a very wealthy young passenger, but how?

The kidnapped girl resided in her father’s own private car and she had her own security guard. How did the kidnapper get past security?

Hal and his new friends, Mason and Hadley, are intrigued, but they also want to help. The girl could be in very serious danger. Together the trio work around the clock to try to solve the mystery.

This was such a fun read. As with the first book, I became completely invested in this story quite early on. In fact, the first night I picked it up, I had to force myself to put it down so I could get some sleep.

Who knew a Middle Grade Mystery Adventure series set on trains would be my new favorite thing in the world!?

The writing is great, the set-up and mystery are intriguing as heck and I love the characters. I also love the inclusion of Hal’s drawings; seeing the world through his eyes and how they help him to puzzle out the mysteries. It’s fantastic.

Also, I love Hal as a main character. He’s always kind, brave, creative and has a genuine curiosity about everything that is so fun to read.

I definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Middle Grade Mystery stories. It’s such a joy, pure entertainment.

I am super excited to continue on with the third book, which I will be starting very soon!

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Review: The Highland Falcon Thief (Adventures on Trains #1) by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman

~ megs14malloy

The Highland Falcon Thief (Adventures on Trains, #1)The Highland Falcon Thief by M.G. Leonard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

🚂💛🚂💛🚂💛🚂💛🚂💛🚂💛🚂

The Highland Falcon Thief is the first book in the Middle Grade Mystery series, Adventures on Trains, by writing duo, M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman.

I first heard of this series when Gavin, from How to Train Your Gavin on YouTube, mentioned it in a Book Haul video. I was instantly intrigued.

I’ve never traveled via Sleeper Train, but I’ve always wanted to do so. A bucket list item for me, for sure. Imagine how fun it would be traveling that way and having an actual mystery to solve while aboard!?

With these books, you get to experience that.

This story follows 11-year old, Hal Beck, whose Mom is getting ready to enter hospital to have a baby. His parents decide it would be best for Hal to have a getaway, while they are otherwise engaged with the birth of his little sister.

As luck would have it, Hal’s Uncle Nat, a travel writer specializing in trains, is about to board a four-day journey on the Highland Falcon, a royal train taking her last journey through the U.K. It’s perfect timing and the perfect opportunity for Hal to join him.

Hal begins the journey with some trepidation. He hasn’t spent a lot of time with his Uncle and is nervous about traveling just the two of them.

Also, he’s a little concerned about leaving his Mom as she enters the hospital. What if she needs him? He’s honestly the sweetest boy. In spite of his fears, he holds his head high and joins his Uncle for the memorable final journey of the Highland Falcon.

On board, it quickly becomes apparent that Hal is the youngest passenger. No other kids, no video games, no distractions. He’ll have plenty of time to focus on his art.

Then Hal spots her. A girl that shouldn’t be there; a stowaway. Who is she and what is she doing here?

The two become secret friends and when jewelry begins being stolen from passengers on the train, they make an adorable detective duo, as they investigate the crimes.

However, after the Prince and Princesses board the train and her famous necklace is stolen, around the same time the stowaway, Lenny’s, presence is discovered, all suspicion falls on the little girl.

Will they be able to find the real thief in time to save Lenny from serious repercussions?

Y’all, I loved this so much. We’re talking, all new favorite Middle Grade series for me.

Hal is a fantastic character. He has all of the characteristics one would look for in a young hero. He’s smart, loyal, kind, inquisitive, honest and super smart.

Hal is an artist. He does amazing drawings of his surroundings and his drawings actually help him to notice clues pertaining to the mystery. The book contains his drawings and I found the illustrations added a lot to the overall presentation of the story.

I looked forward to getting to the illustrations, so I could see exactly what Hal was seeing. It was especially fun when he was drawing the other passengers. I felt like you could glean a better impression of their character through that.

Additionally, I loved how Hal and his Uncle Nat’s relationship grew over the course of the story. While Hal was always respectful and a bit in awe of his Uncle, you could see as the story progressed how they learned to really trust and love one another.

I liked how his Uncle gave Hal the freedom to explore and enjoy the train on his own without hovering over him. That freedom gave Hal the confidence to interact with a lot of different people.

I also loved the mystery itself. Once the thefts began, I really started to notice how many suspicious characters were on this train. There were a lot of possibilities for whodunit.

Overall, this book was an absolute joy to read. The setting of the train was perfection and I loved the varied cast of interesting characters.

I definitely recommend this one to fans of Middle Grade stories, and Middle Grade Mysteries in particular. 10-out-of-10 recommend!!

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Review: Court of Lions (Mirage #2) by Somaiya Daud

~ megs14malloy

Court of Lions (Mirage, #2)Court of Lions by Somaiya Daud
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Court of Lions is the second book in Somaiya Daud’s Mirage duology. This is a YA-Science-Fiction story following an ordinary peasant girl, Amani, who ends up being selected to be the body double for the Princess of their ruthless society.

Giving me Amidala’s handmaiden vibes from the start…

I really enjoyed the first book and knew immediately I wanted to continue on with the sequel. The story itself took me by surprise. For some reason I was expecting more of a blend of SFF, but this is definitely solid in the SF-category.

I found it to be fast-paced, drama-filled and enjoyed the writing style a lot. I also liked the cultural influence Daud lovingly-channeled into the story. Those details made it feel more unique compared to other stories in this genre.

This second book picks up not long after the first. Amani is still getting pulled in two different directions. She continues to want to help the rebellion; to try to make their world a more just place.

On the other side, she has started to build a friendship, however tenuous, with Princess Maram. Amani doesn’t want to betray her, but how can she possibly get Maram to see things from her perspective? More importantly, could she ever get Maram to use her power for change?

There’s also interesting romantic developments in this installment. Maram’s arranged fiance, Idris, of course seems better suited to Amani, but how the heck is that going to work? Their difference in stations would never allow them to be together formally.

And an intriguing new character ends up catching the eye of the thus far frosty-hearted Maram. You could cut the tension with a knife.

One of my favorite aspects of this story though, was the character growth displayed in both main characters, but in Amani in particular.

Amani grew so much in confidence and in the strength of her convictions. She became a leader over the course of the story; the kind of person even powerful people like Princess Maram could turn to for guidance and thoughtful advice.

I felt like Amani, as well as Maram, both were able to grow into the people they were destined to be and a lot of that was because of their unpredictable friendship/alliance.

It definitely felt predictable as we headed towards the final stretch, but honestly, it’s the outcome I wanted. It was a satisfying conclusion and I thought Daud did a great job with the overall arc of the story.

I’m glad I wrapped up this duology and am looking forward to reading more from Daud in the future. I hope she continues in the Sci-Fi space.

I feel like she did an exceptional job bringing a new creative voice to that genre. It felt fresh and fun, but also contemplative and layered. Well done!

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Review: Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

~ megs14malloy

GrownGrown by Tiffany D. Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Enchanted Jones is a 17-year old high school student with dreams of becoming a singer. Even though Enchanted is one of five children and on her high school swim team, she often feels like an outsider, even when surrounded by people.

Enchanted and her family moved and she entered her school when she was a little older, so she doesn’t have the same well-established friend group that a lot of her peers have. She does have one very close friend, Gabby.

In fact, it’s Gabby who pushes Enchanted to audition for a singing competition show. Enchanted has to trick her Mom to get to the audition, but she pulls it off and gets her try-out. She can’t miss this opportunity.

Unfortunately, her nerves get the best of her in the moment and she doesn’t do as well as she had hoped. Even though she didn’t secure a spot in the competition, she did catch the eye of a very successful R&B artist, Korey Fields.

Things move very quickly from that point for Enchanted. Korey offers her free singing lessons, she’s invited to his studio and eventually to tour with him. It takes a lot to convince her parents this is a good thing for her, but after promises from the label, they agree to let her go.

Fast forward, Enchanted waking up covered in blood. Korey is dead. Enchanted has no memory of the night before. Police are knocking at the door. All signs point to Enchanted as the killer, but how could this possibly happen? What would have lead to this horrible conclusion?

This story was arranged and told so well by Jackson. You know at the very beginning the bloody scene I have described above. The rest of the book takes you back through the events leading up to Korey’s death.

I definitely had an idea of the difficult content contained in this book, but I completely underestimated how powerful it would be. Every time I read a Tiffany D. Jackson book I think, this one is her best work and Grown is no exception. I freaking loved this.

Jackson has such a talent for creating well-rounded, relatable, likable characters that you would fight for. Enchanted goes through it in this book and I felt like I was there with her.

Some of the scenes depicted in this novel are very hard to read. It’s emotional, horrifying and shocking to consider that these types of situations happen to young women and girls all the time. Behind closed doors, you never know what is really going on.

I enjoyed how Jackson included some mixed media of outsider’s reactions to Enchanted’s situation, from the very beginning, when her peers were first learning of her involvement with Korey, all the way through the exposure of the crime. Some of the ideas vented were fairly typical of what you would read online if a story like this actually broke.

It was a good reminder to check yourself before you make too many assumptions. I also feel like that added to the very real vibe of this story.

This was actually my last published Tiffany D. Jackson novel that I had left to read. I am so glad that I finally made the time for this one. I can’t believe I put it off for so long.

I actually Buddy Read this with my fabulous niece, Alyssa and we had a good time discussing it. There’s definitely a lot of food for thought within this story.

Jackson never holds back and this story benefited from that fact. I was moved by the Author’s Note, how Jackson mentioned that when she was teen, she too dated older men. You can tell that this was a topic that she truly felt was worthy of discussion.

And it is not just the age difference, of course, or Korey’s reprehensible treatment of Enchanted. It’s an entire system that allows this type of thing to happen and then doubts, judges and ultimately silences young women’s stories/voices.

I would definitely recommend this book. Best read with friends, as you’re definitely going to want to talk about it!!

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