2023 releases

Review: Burn the Negative by Josh Winning

~ megs14malloy

Burn the NegativeBurn the Negative by Josh Winning
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Even though it had a promising start, sadly, Burn the Negative really let me down in the latter half of the story. I’m bummed about it, y’all. I wanted to love this.

Let’s discuss that initial set-up, shall we?

In the beginning we meet our MC, Laura, an entertainment journalist living in London. We are introduced to Laura as she is making her way to L.A. for a new assignment. She’ll be covering a modern remake of a 1990s Horror-Cult Classic movie called The Guest House.

It quickly becomes clear that there is a lot of mystery and dark lore revolving around the original movie and that Laura has first hand knowledge of that film.

As it turns out, Laura was a child actress who actually had the starring role in The Guest House. Since that time and the tragedies that struck many involved in the film-making, Laura has changed her identity and never let on to anyone who she truly is.

This includes her boss who sent her on this assignment.

Obviously, she’s concerned about returning to L.A. Having anything to do with this new remake, even in the slightest way, makes her nervous. It seems Laura’s doubts are for a reason too, as almost as soon as she is on the ground in L.A., strange things begin happening around her.

So far, so good. I’m a sucker for stories revolving around the filming of Horror movies, series or documentaries too. It also had a strong is it supernatural, is it not supernatural-feel to it that I tend to enjoy.

I was getting major Poltergeist vibes because of all the lore surrounding the making of that movie and the aftermath; the Poltergeist Curse, if you will.

Laura, as a character, was quite mysterious herself. I was interested in learning more about her, as she slowly unveiled the truth of her time with the film, the reasons her family left L.A., and her life since. She has a rather dry personality, but I wasn’t put off by it. She was fine.

There was a certain point though where I stopped enjoying the ride. More specifically, when I stopped feeling as much that it was inspired and started to feel more like it was falling into cliche territory.

I can name the point where the switch-flipped too. Without giving too much away, I will just say it had to do with a road trip, a gas station and the police.

After that point, I started to be more annoyed with the story than pleased by it. Particularly, the dialogue towards the end bordered on cringe and I’ll admit, I was happy when it wrapped up.

Overall, while there were aspects of this I enjoyed, it was too much of a mixed bag for me to give it a higher rating. The concept was fun, but the execution throughout didn’t stay consistent in my opinion.

With this being said, I know a ton of Readers are going to love this. If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, please give it a go. You could end up finding a new favorite!

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would be interested in checking out more of this author’s work.

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Review: At the End of Every Day by Arianna Reiche

~ megs14malloy

At the End of Every DayAt the End of Every Day by Arianna Reiche
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Well, I was warned. I should have listened.

After reading a couple not so promising reviews for this book, I was going to skip it. There are so many new releases crowding up shelves right now, a Reader has to be selective.

Ultimately, curiosity got to me. I had to know, what was it people weren’t connecting with. I had to find out for myself.

Indeed, now I know. Normally, I would start a review by giving you a brief synopsis of the overall story. I know when I read reviews, I look for certain buzzwords and scenarios that sound like the story could be a good fit for me.

Unfortunately, in this case, I don’t think I could give you even a 20-word description of what this book is actually about. In fact, I can’t even recall what the main character’s name is and I finished this about 2-hours ago.

It does follow a girl, who wears gloves all the time, who works at a theme park that is clearly, though unnamed, supposed to represent Disneyland.

An actress died on a park ride and I think I was supposed to care about that, it was mentioned numerous times, but I didn’t. I wasn’t given enough coherent info to care.

At the end of the day, for me, this book felt like it had no point. If there was a plot buried deep within here somewhere, I never stumbled across it. There were a lot of words, but none of them seemed to make sense in the order in which they were presented.

I don’t even know who to recommend this to. Maybe, based on the vibes, if you are one of the few people who enjoyed The Tenth Girl, you might enjoy this. Also, perhaps if you enjoyed the HBO-series, Westworld, you might like this.

That’s a stretch though. I never actually watched Westworld, besides the first episode I couldn’t make it through, so take this comparison with a grain of salt.

I would actually be interested in hearing this author talk about the intent and ideas behind this story. While it wouldn’t be likely to change my opinion on it, I would definitely be interested in hearing the inspiration, and honestly, the point.

With this being said, just because this book didn’t work for me, if you think it sounds interesting, you should absolutely give it a go.

I would never want my opinion to discourage anyone from picking a book up. After all, it’s just my opinion, and what the heck do I know anyway?

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me a copy to read and review.

Even though this didn’t work for me, I wish the author the best luck with its release!

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Review: The Hotel by Louise Mumford

~ megs14malloy

The HotelThe Hotel by Louise Mumford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

10-years ago, Bex and her best friend, Leo, were set to explore the remote and abandoned hotel, Ravencliffe, as a way to celebrate the end of school. Bex’s new boyfriend, Richard and his best friend, Oscar, end up weaseling their way into the trip as well.

Four went there, but only three returned. Leo was lost that day, from a high cliffside, never to be seen again.

Richard, an aspiring filmmaker, recorded their entire doomed exploration of the old property. The footage of that day has become a Horror Cult Classic; think The Blair Witch Project had it been real.

A decade later, the trio of survivors have drifted apart, living very different lives and each coping with the events of that fateful night in their own way.

As the ten-year anniversary approaches a documentary project is proposed wherein Richard, Oscar and Bex will meet up and return to the property, to face the demons of their past once and for all.

Our main character, Bex, has lived in isolation in London for many years. She’s cut herself off from everyone, haunted by the past. Leo was her best friend. She has so many unresolved feelings stemming from that night.

Even though she’s against it initially, Bex ultimately decides that returning to Ravencliffe may provide her with the opportunity to get answers about what happened to Leo. So, begrudgingly she agrees to take part in the project.

Bex, Richard and Oscar are reunited just prior to filming and return to the property from whence all their nightmares stem; along with a whole host of crew members for the documentary, of course.

The property seems just a malevolent as ever and incidents aplenty occur as they begin to film. Will Ravencliffe end up taking more lives?

While I did see one of the reveals coming a mile away, there was quite a bit about this book that I found compelling.

I loved how Mumford told this story mostly using just Bex as the narrative voice, but providing both present and past perspectives. I really enjoyed the present perspective, but was equally as interested in the past, which followed the characters from the time they planned the fateful trip, up through Leo’s disappearance.

It was a slow build initially, but I didn’t mind it. I loved Bex as a main character, even though I understand she probably won’t be every Readers cup of tea.

Personally, I love a main character who is flawed in some way, maybe haunted by their past and deals with it by isolation, self-sabotage, or self-medicating. I also always enjoy when these same characters decide they finally need answers and go back to their hometowns, or some other remote location, to investigate the past.

In this way, The Hotel was made for me.

I would say this continued the slow build until about the halfway mark and then events began to escalate more quickly. Regardless of the slow burn, I was never bored and disengaged from the narrative.

The atmosphere was incredible. I loved the remote, stark setting of the hotel, as well as its dark history. It had a solid is it supernatural, is it not supernatural-feel, which I enjoy. Give me all the dark, spooky things.

Overall, I thought this was a super-entertaining read. The plot elements kept me engaged and I loved the overriding tone and feel of the story. Even though it was slightly predictable in places, it was still a great time nevertheless. Well done by Mumford!

Thank you so much to the publisher, HQ, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to picking up more from this author!

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Review: She Started It by Sian Gilbert

~ megs14malloy

She Started ItShe Started It by Sian Gilbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

If one of your closest friends asked you to be her bridesmaid and then extended an invitation to an all-expenses paid trip to the Bahamas for the Hen Party, you would accept, right?

What if someone you were only slightly close friends with, but had grown apart over the years, did the same? You might accept, but think it was odd they were asking you, right?

Now what if someone who you weren’t close with and may not have always been kind to asked? Would you still say yes?

Personally, I would say, hell yes in the first instance, a kind, I’ll pass, for the second instance, and hide under a rock from the third, because that seems entirely off to me.

For Annabel, Esther, Tanya and Chloe, best friends since childhood, instance three becomes their reality when they are invited by Poppy Greer to attend her extravagant Hen Party in paradise.

The women are taken aback. They weren’t that close with Poppy. None of them have seen her in years, but it is a free trip to the Bahamas. They may not have been best friends with her before, but if she wants to take them on lavish vacations, they could always change that, right?

I mean, honestly, what’s the worst than could happen?

Traveling to the private island, the group are in good spirits. They’re meeting their hostess there and the trip is off to a jubilant start. They’re anxious to discover what Poppy is like after all these years. They couldn’t even find a picture of her on her socials.

Upon reaching the island they find a new and approved Poppy. She’s not the mousy-artist they remember, but a confident, beautiful woman. This could get interesting.

There’s no doubt that She Started It is a propulsive read. I’m always here for the drama and what better setting than a remote island in the Caribbean.

We get everyone’s perspective in this, including a past perspective via Poppy’s diary entries. There were times I felt it was hard to distinguish between the various women’s perspectives; they’re all quite similar, but I did start to get used to it as the story progressed.

Additionally, I could have done with a bit more intrigue. It all seemed fairly obvious quite quickly what was going on and I wish that initial suspense could have been drawn out longer.

With this being said, those are small nit-picky things and may not bother other Readers in the slightest. At the end of the day, this is an entertaining read and strong debut.

My recommendation: Grab your popcorn, grab a cocktail, sit back, relax and enjoy the shit-show!

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Review: Those We Drown by Amy Goldsmith

~ megs14malloy

Those We DrownThose We Drown by Amy Goldsmith
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

During the Summer months I love reading campy-feeling, trope-filled Horror and Thriller stories. I call them Summer Screams, Summer Scares or Summer Chillers.

I’m sure you get what I mean by that type of story. It’s a vibe. A bonus is a setting near, in, or around a body of water.

With this in mind, you can probably guess my excitement level when I first hear about Those We Drown. All I needed to read was the first sentence of the synopsis, an ocean-drenched, atmospheric horror debut, and I was sold.

Unfortunately, no matter how much I wanted to love and connect with this story, it didn’t work for me at all.

In this one we follow Liv, who is setting out with her somewhat estranged-best friend, Will, for a semester-at-sea aboard a luxury cruise ship, the Eos.

Liv is in attendance after being awarded a scholarship. She didn’t think much about that at first, but once she arrives at the ship, it’s clear that the other students in the program are all very, very wealthy. Of particular note are a trio of stunning influencers. Basically, the Plastics of the sea.

Liv feels self-conscious now about her scholarship. She feels like she stands out because of it; like everyone knows her financial situation and is talking about it.

At least she has Will though. He doesn’t care about such things. That is until they have a big blowout fight in front of everyone opening night. How embarrassing!

The next day, after several attempts to reach Will, Liv finds out he has taken ill and is now in quarantine. She tries desperately to get the powers-that-be to let her see him, but she gets shot down at every try.

From there we follow Liv as she tries to figure out what has really happened to Will. Is he actually sick, or is something more sinister going on?

After reading 400-pages of Liv, perhaps he is just hiding from her? Something to think about…

I actually feel very similarly to this as I did to They’re Watching You earlier this year. I could almost cut and paste that review, but I won’t.

This started out slow and in my opinion, stayed that way. It never took off. It went from nothing happening, to the MC floundering around repeating the same concerns over and over for 300-pages.

As a main character, I found Liv to be, honestly, really annoying. Her whole character was one note, desperation, but not in a way that made you feel desperate too. More in a way that you just wanted to get away from her.

Additionally, I am an atmosphere-girlie. You could give me nothing else, but if a book has a dark, eerie, ominous atmosphere, I am going to like it. I don’t need to like characters, I don’t need to believe your plot, but I need to have a strong atmosphere.

Sadly, I did not get what I was looking for here in that regard. They could have been anywhere. I never felt that eerie sort of vibe I wanted. It just wasn’t there.

Overall, the story felt very repetitive and I didn’t enjoy the direction the plot went, as far as the reveals and the truth behind the Eos. It didn’t hit like I expected.

With all of this being said, this is 100% my personal opinion. I am by no means the end-all, know-all of YA Horror novels. If this synopsis sounds intriguing to you, absolutely give it a go. Just because I didn’t enjoy it, doesn’t mean you won’t.

There’s a Reader for every book and a book for every Reader. If you do read it and love it, feel free to stop back by and let me know. I would love to hear your opinion!

Even though this one didn’t quite fit my tastes, I am glad I picked it up and I would consider reading future work from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I know a lot of Readers will have fun with this.

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Review: What Remains by Wendy Walker

~ megs14malloy

What RemainsWhat Remains by Wendy Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a violent incident in a department store, Detective Elise Sutton was hailed a hero in her community. The truth is though, Elise doesn’t feel like one.

She’s battling complicated and conflicting emotions about that day and the only person who seems to understand is the man she saved. A man she comes to know as Wade Austin. The two of them are now connected by the event.

Unfortunately for Elise, he’ll never let her go.

Elise quickly realizes she’s called a wolf to her door. This man is not who he says he is and soon he becomes an eminent threat to her and everyone she cares for.

Racing against the clock, Elise works to outsmart him and severe their tie before it’s too late. This guy has done his homework though and always seems two steps ahead.

Y,all! Wendy Walker has done it again. This was so gripping. The opening scene, oh my word, I was at the edge of my seat. 100% in it.

There were a lot of elements to this, like Wade’s interactions with Elise, that really got under my skin. The circumstances were playing off some of my own real-life fears. I always love when a narrative is actually able to raise my heart rate and that was certainly the case here.

I liked Elise as a main character. She was smart, resourceful and fiercely independent. I did get angry at her now and again for her secretiveness, but I understand her motivations for being that way.

I loved her partner, Rowan. I sort of wish we would get more Thrillers with them as a detective duo. I feel like there is more we could explore with them personally and since they specialize in cold cases, I am sure there is plenty of interesting mysteries for them to dig into.

Wishful thinking, I know. I’m sure this is a standalone, but this just gives you an idea of how much Walker sold me on this detective partnership.

In addition to the steady pace and tension throughout, the ending of this got nail-biting intense. I was at the edge of my seat, flying through the pages so fast, I think I saw sparks come from the end of my fingers.

I would absolutely recommend this to people who enjoy a taut, intense, well-plotted Thriller. I always enjoy Walker’s stories, but I think this is my favorite one yet!

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

I’m sure you can tell by this review, but I’ll say it one more time, I loved it!!

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Review: Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills

~ megs14malloy

Something Close to MagicSomething Close to Magic by Emma Mills
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Super cute, funny and comforting, reading Something Close to Magic feels like a warm hug. Mills has done well with her debut into the YA Cozy Fantasy space.

I’ve loved some of Emma Mills’ YA Contemporary stories and was so excited to see her explore YA Fantasy. Unsurprisingly, she was able to deliver her same heart-warming and humorous writing style to this tale.

In this story we follow 17-year old Aurelie, an overworked and underappreciated baker’s apprentice at Basil’s Bakery.

Nevertheless, Aurelie persists. She keeps her head down and does her work, trying not to attract the attention of the grouchy and miserable bakery owner.

Aurelie’s life is up-ended one day when a determined bounty hunter, Iliana, enters the bakery and asks Aurelie to assist her on a quest in the dangerous Underwood.

Iliana has Seeking Stones she would like Aurelie to use to help her to find a kidnapped Prince and she’s not taking no for an answer.

Seeking is a magical skill that Aurelie has, but it’s not one she utilizes often. Eventually though, Aurelie caves. Iliana is persuasive and as it turns out, she’s got some time off of work anyway, and oh yeah, thanks to her miserable boss, no place to stay during her break.

Might as well go on an adventure!

They set out on their quest, they make friends, they find the hapless Prince, aptly named Prince Hapless and charming hijinks and character growth ensues.

Mills nailed her transition to Fantasy. She delivered her signature witty banter, cutsey romance, cozy vibes, light magic, court intrigue and sweetly-charming characters.

The perfect potion for a fun story!

I would absolutely recommend this to Readers who have enjoyed Mills’ work in the past, or any Cozy Fantasy Readers in general, YA or Adult.

For example, if you loved My Lady Jane, A Far Wilder Magic, or Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, you should definitely check this one out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I adored my time with this story and really hope Mills continues on in this space.

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Review: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

~ megs14malloy

Love, TheoreticallyLove, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Queen of steamy-STEM is back and she’s brought with her a BIG man! Oh yeahhhh, you better believe it!

His name is Jack, he’s brillant and he’s the size of a refrigerator. His chest is so wide, that when our MC, Elsie, runs into him, black holes are brought to mind. And his hands!? Don’t even get me started on his hands!!

Listen. We all know Ms. Ali Hazelwood has a formula. She knows what works and she is sticking to it. Clearly, as I have read everything she has had published, I AM HERE FOR IT!!

Seriously, I am such a fangirl at this point, it’s embarrassing. I don’t think I have ever rated one of her books less than 4.5-stars. It’s a whole thing.

The setting of this one is Boston’s bustling academic corridor. We have Elsie, a theoretical physicist, who is currently working as an adjunct professor at multiple area colleges and universities.

Elsie is sweet and quirky and also, struggling financially. She has acquired a bit of an undercover second-job, where she works as a fake girlfriend. She has kept this part of her life completely secret, except from her best friend/roommate, as it could put her academic career in jeopardy.

Sure enough, she finds herself in a bit of a pickle when the grumpy older brother of her favorite client turns up on the hiring committee of her latest job interview. It’s MIT. She wants this.

Jack Smith, an annoyingly attractive experimental physicist believes Elsie is a librarian dating his brother, so needless to say he’s a little shocked to find out who she really is.

Confusion ensues on both parts. What to do, what to do?!

It’s Ali Hazelwood, y’all! You know what’s about to go down in this story. Sparks, steam and all out nerdy romance bliss.

I loved these characters. Again. Always. Hazelwood creates such charming, lovable characters. They have issues, they’re not perfect and they’re so relatable because of that.

Jack is an absolute cinnamon roll. I loved how thoughtful and open he was. His feelings for Elsie were pretty clear, although she was a bit more bumbling, I did actually really adore her. The chemistry between the two was fantastic.

I feel like we do wait a bit longer for the steam to set in with this story than with previous Hazelwood books, but boy, oh boy, was it ever worth the wait!!!

I loved this. It’s that simple. I will continue to pick up every single thing that Hazelwood writes. I would love to see an archaeologist thrown in the mix at some point, but that could be my own personal kink…

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

As expected, this was steamy, swoon-worthy, witty, perfection. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what Hazelwood comes up with next!!

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Review: A Cornish Seaside Murder (Nosey Parker #6) by Fiona Leitch

~ megs14malloy

A Cornish Seaside Murder (A Nosey Parker Cozy Mystery, #6)A Cornish Seaside Murder by Fiona Leitch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

💕💚💕💚💕💚💕💚💕💚💕💚💕

A Cornish Seaside Murder is the 6th-installment of the Nosey Parker Mystery series by Fiona Leitch. This is the 4th-book in this series that I have read and I have been enjoying my time with these mysteries so much.

These books follow Jodie Parker, who resigned from the Metropolitan Police in London after a close call and returned to her native village of Penstowan in Cornwall with her teen daughter, Daisy, and their Pomeranian, Germaine.

Jodie created her own catering company and it is taking off. With the help of Daisy, her Mom and other friends, she’s created quite the little team.

Recently though, after assisting her beau, DCI Nathan Withers, on a couple of cases, Jodie has been brought onto the Penstowan Police force as a DS. That is the capacity she is working in throughout this mystery.

It’s tough, trying to juggle the catering with the DS position, as well as being a single Mom. We see Jodie grapple a bit with finding balance in this story.

The mystery involves the local fishing community and sees one man dead, as well as a college-aged man beaten to the point of being in a coma. It appears that the beaten man was actually tortured, like someone was trying to get information out of him.

What is the connection between these two men and what led them to this outcome?

All this excitement is happening amidst the annual Mermaid Festival, so the town is packed. Jodie and Nathan need to solve this one quick before it has the chance to escalate, possibly harming innocent observers.

As always, I had so much fun with this. I love the cast of characters Leitch has created in the charming village of Penstowan. Additionally, I’ve enjoyed watching Jodie try to navigate her new life back home.

There’s been some adjustments, but she has a lot of support and I’m so happy with the progress her business and relationships have made.

I will say, I found this one to be a bit more serious in tone than previous installments. I think just because of the nature of the crimes involved. It didn’t have quite the same level of silliness that I enjoyed before, but I still had fun with it.

I am curious to see if there are going to be more books in the series. I certainly hope so. The ending of this, it’s hard to tell. It could go either way. This could be the end, but fingers crossed Leitch has more in store for us. I’d be so excited to get my hands on a book #7!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, One More Chapter, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I would absolutely recommend this series to any Cozy Mystery Lover!

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Review: Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould

~ megs14malloy

Where Echoes DieWhere Echoes Die by Courtney Gould
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

After their mother’s death, 17-year old, Beck, and her 15-year old sister, Riley, are supposed to go live with their Dad and his new partner in Texas. Before they go, Beck has something she needs to do.

Concocting a story of staying with a friend and her Grandmother for a bit of a vacation, Beck and Riley are free to take some time and travel where they want. Beck’s plan is to go to the town of Backravel, Arizona, to find some answers about her Mom’s mysterious final months of life.

Their Mom was an investigative reporter who became obsessed with Backravel. She traveled there frequently. At times it felt like she was choosing Backravel over them.

Beck is determined to find out why.

As they arrive in Backravel, it’s clear that something is up with this town. The people are strange and treating them even more strangely. They’re strongly urged not to take their car to town and there’s no cemeteries or churches.

The girls settle in to their rented trailer, a place where their Mom had stayed previously, and Beck digs into her investigation. She’s keeping her true goals from her sister, so in a way is continuing in the path of her Mom before her.

The town has a charismatic leader, Ricky, who runs a treatment center everyone seems to attend. Beck sets her sights on getting to the bottom of this center, these treatments and Ricky himself.

Beck befriends Ricky’s daughter, Avery, and gains a lot of new information that way. In the meantime, she also ends up falling for Avery and confiding in her in unexpected ways.

This was an interesting story. I liked the set-up and the vibe of this creepy little town. The concept made me think of a few other things. For example, it reminded me of A History of Wild Places, mostly because of the remote town that felt like a cult, or commune. I did like the mystery of that.

Also, the treatments that were talked about that Ricky performs for the citizens, it made me think of Scientology, like auditing that is performed on members. I was super interested in figuring out what was happening there.

Eventually though, I started to get bored with it and then it went in a direction that I just didn’t really care for; the twists. Put another way, while I enjoyed the mystery, I didn’t enjoy what the answer ended up being.

However, that is 100% a personal taste issue. Gould’s writing is great. The sense of place and, as I mentioned, overall mystery were well done. I did really enjoy The Dead and the Dark by this author, so I think this is just a case of this one not really matching my preferences as far as tropes go.

I did listen to the audiobook and would recommend that as a format choice. The narration is excellent. I felt it fit the tone of the story very well.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m glad I had the chance to read this one and will definitely be continuing to pick up Gould’s work!

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