2024 releases

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 Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap

~ megs14malloy

The ResurrectionistThe Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Resurrectionist is set in Edinburgh in 1828.

We’re following James Willoughby, who left a somewhat posh lifestyle in Oxford behind in order to pursue the study of surgery in Edinburgh, a city known to be a trendsetter in medical advancements.

The regular University isn’t enough though. He wants to be able to work with human cadavers, for which he’ll need to enroll in a private surgeon’s school, the cost of which is sadly out of his price range.

Nevertheless, James is determined, and ready to strike any sort of a deal he can to become a student. Aneurin MacKinnon, a handsome young dissectionist, offers him the opportunity, but it comes at a cost, and James will have to work for it in ways he never could have imagined.

In short, this wasn’t at all what I expected, but I still ended up really enjoying it. I expected Horror, but got more of a straight-up historical fiction story, heavy with interpersonal drama. Nevertheless, I was sucked in.

Admittedly, Historical Fiction isn’t a genre I gravitate towards, but the rich gothic vibes of this definitely saved it for me. I was impressed.

James was a little naive, but that made him endearing. He was also determined and not afraid to put in the work. I was rooting for him to get everything he wanted, in spite of the world fighting against him in many different ways.

I also loved Aneurin, or Nye, who plays a big part in the story. He added a bit of dark intrigue. There were moments I couldn’t quite figure him out, but enjoyed trying.

Overall, this succeeded in grabbing my attention, and although it’s not something I would necessarily reach for if I had known more about it, I’m glad that I did pick it up.

Thank you to the publisher, Kensington Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to checking out more from this author!

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Review: Xmas Break by J.E. Rowney

~ megs14malloy

Xmas BreakXmas Break by J.E. Rowney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Xmas Break is a fast-paced Horror Thriller novella set on Christmas Eve. The first thing that attracted me to this was the cover. I couldn’t resist it and after reading the synopsis, I was even more stoked.

Who doesn’t love a little holiday-themed Horror/Thriller?

This story revolves around sisters, Isla and Clara, who have been estranged since their mother’s death and subsequent inheritance fallout.

It’s been years since the two have spoken, when Isla suddenly receives an invitation from Clara to join her and her partner, Greg, for the Christmas holiday at their luxury mountain retreat. After discussing it with her husband, James, Isla reluctantly accepts the invitation.

They travel to the house on a snowy winter night, and it is indeed just as luxurious as promised. Unbelievable really. And there’s her perfect sister, with her perfect husband and her perfect decorations…

But something seems off. Her sister is acting strangely, but Greg even more so. Isla and James are growing increasingly uncomfortable. They try to have a nice dinner, but things feel forced.

Nevertheless, Isla is giving it her best effort. She is, and temps do start to thaw, a little. At least on the inside. Outside the storm rages on, and wouldn’t you know it, the power goes out.

The stakes continue to escalate as the night goes on, and soon it becomes clear that these sisters are going to have to put the past behind them if they want to survive to see another Christmas Day.

While stylistically, Xmas Break may not be the strongest book ever written, it’s still wildly-entertaining. This puts the Popcorn Thriller seamlessly into the Christmas holiday, and I’m here for it. Also, I did end up appreciating the more thematic messaging towards the end.

I would say this is completely OTT, so if you aren’t down for that type of Thriller, I would steer clear of this one. For those looking for a fast, fun ride, with ridiculous action and mostly unlikable characters, it’s a must read for you next holiday-themed TBR.

Thank you to the publisher, BooksGoSocial, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I read this in a few hours, and had a lot of fun with it.

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Review: Where the Library Hides (Secrets of the Nile #2) by Isabel Ibañez

~ megs14malloy

Where the Library Hides (Secrets of the Nile, #2)Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Where the Library Hides is the 2nd-book in the Secrets of the Nile series by Isabel Ibañez. I really enjoyed the 1st-book, What the River Knows, when I read it a couple of years ago and had been looking forward to returning to these characters.

If you aren’t aware, these books follow Inez Olivera, who travels from her native-Argentina to Egypt, in the 1st-book, to try to decipher what happened to her parents, who had both disappeared while exploring there.

After all the events of the 1st-book, this sequel picks up with Inez trying to sort out her life, which has been turned upside-down by her Egyptian excursion.

This follows her relationship with her beau, as it grows, changes and goes through various iterations. Sadly, the drama and upheaval isn’t quite over for Inez yet.

This was an entertaining story. I’m glad I continued on with Inez’s story, even though I didn’t find this quite as captivating as I did What the River Knows. I feel like there was something a bit more magical and unknown about that 1st-story, that kept me slightly more engaged.

Additionally, I didn’t feel the Egyptian setting was as much a focus in this one, and I loved that aspect of the 1st-book, so missed that feel. This is full of action and drama though, so I was still pretty invested, it just felt different in tone.

Nevertheless, I’m glad I made time for it, and highly recommend the audiobook for the fabulous dual narration. It did succeed in bringing these characters to life.

Inez is a sympathetic character, and you can’t help but feel for her and all she goes through over the course of these 2-books. All she wants is a family to be a part of, and to be loved, and her bio-family, spoiler alert, is absolute trash.

I did enjoy going on this journey with her, and although this mentions this is the conclusion, I could totally see there being a 3rd-book. I still feel like we have more to mature through with Inez.

I would actually really love to see her story continue. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the 1st-book, I would just caution that it does feel a little different. Nevertheless, it’s still a fun adventure and absolutely worth picking up.

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Review: The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb

~ megs14malloy

The Hollywood AssistantThe Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After a tough break-up, Cassidy Foster, ends up accepting a new job halfway across the country, via her well-connected best friend, Lexie.

Cassidy moves from her native-Texas to California to take a position as a personal assistant for a wannabe actress, Marisol, and her director husband, Nate Sterling. The glitzy couple welcomes Cassidy into their home with open arms, and she’s quickly taken up into their tumultuous lives.

It’s an amazing gig. Cassidy just needs to help them with various tasks a few hours a day and she’s going to be pulling in more money than at her last thankless job.

The more she gets to know the couple though, the more cracks she begins to see. Perhaps they aren’t so perfect after all, and even though it’s Marisol she’s really meant to be assisting, it’s Nate she’s finding herself most drawn to.

He begins asking her to read scripts for him, and seems quite pleased with her work. Then he starts asking for other things, and their relationship develops.

It’s clear to her now that they aren’t the perfect couple. When one of them ends up dead however, Cassidy becomes the authorities perfect suspect.

How is she going to convince them of her innocence when all signs are pointing to her? Granted, she hasn’t made the best choices in this whole thing, but she isn’t guilty, right?

Maybe Cassidy is not as a reliable of a narrator as you’ve been led to believe…

I’m a May Cobb stan, an enthusiast, if you will. I always look forward to her new books and offer forth no apologies for that. This was such a fun Summer Thriller, IMO. It gave me Summer vibes the whole way through, even though I have no clue in what time period it was actually set.

The L.A. setting, the glamorous food, drink and wardrobes, as well as the ritzy Hollywood couple with poolside hijinks, makes this absolutely scream Summer.

It’s full of obsession, deception, lies and OTT-drama, and I was here for every single freaking second of it. I will pick up anything Cobb writes, because we like what we like.

I love how risque this was. Cassidy’s position within this new job quickly becomes uncomfortable, but in such a fun way. Nate and Marisol were so hard to figure out. I wasn’t sure what was truth and what was lies.

I felt like she was being manipulated, but it was difficult to tell by who. That def kept me invested. Both Nate and Marisol seemed so sincere in their interactions with Cassidy. I thought all of that was very well composed by Cobb.

I know this type of twisted OTT-Domestic Drama isn’t for everyone, especially for Readers anticipating more thrills, but for me, Cobb’s stories always seem to hit.

I don’t watch any Reality TV, but I have a feeling that I’m getting the same dopamine rush that viewers who love those shows are getting when I read one of Cobb’s books. They’re just pure entertainment, and so far from my own life it’s not even funny, but it is.

As far as the ending, I saw what was happening way before our MC, but I felt like that made sense. Also, it added to the intensity. I was like yelling at my audiobook like you would during a great Slasher Movie, ‘look behind youuuu…’

Overall, I had a blast reading this. I was fully invested throughout and loved the various twists and scandalous drama along the way.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to WHATEVER high octane drama Cobb comes up with next!!

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Review: The Chamber by Will Dean

~ megs14malloy

The ChamberThe Chamber by Will Dean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Chamber follows six deep sea divers as they head out on a new assignment in the North Sea, where they’ll be working for the next month. The world of saturation diving is small, and unsurprisingly, the team has worked together before.

Thus, they’ve built up a certain level of trust and camaraderie amongst them. The dynamics feel like a family. We’re told the story via the perspective of Ellen, a rare woman worker in a mostly male industry.

Everything seems to be going as planned, until one of the team is found dead in his bunk. The remaining crew members are shook. How did he die? What are they supposed to do with his body?

With four days of decompression required before they can open the hatch back to the regular world, they need to watch each other’s back. What if he didn’t die of natural causes? What if one of them did it?

They could be trapped in the smallest, most panic-inducing living quarters, with an actual killer? This isn’t good.

A short-time later, when another diver is discovered unresponsive in much the same way, everyone puts their guard up. It’s becoming increasingly possible that these events aren’t a natural occurrence.

As suspicions run rampant, and tensions rise, everyone wonders, who is going to make it out of this dive alive?

While this sounds like an electrifying set-up, and it did keep me guessing, there was something about it that I didn’t quite vibe with. I’ve been thinking about it, and I think maybe it had to do with the delivery of Ellen’s perspective. I found it a bit choppy and hard to connect with.

I’ve had this book since it’s release, but finally decided to make time for it after recently watching the Netflix documentary, Titan: The OceanGate Disaster. I’ve always been interested in these types of deep sea diving careers, and this was definitely a fun read after watching that unsettling doc.

I feel like Dean captured the details of the saturation divers’ challenges and lifestyle, as well as the setting of the hyperbaric chamber, really well. In fact, those details on the profession itself, and the environment the divers were in, was my favorite aspects of this book.

It’s also a very quick read. I listened to the entire audiobook on a Saturday while doing my housework. I was entertained, but I didn’t find it truly gripping.

I wasn’t at the edge of my seat, but honestly, that’s okay. Not every book is going to blow your hair back. This is still a fun Locked Room Mystery, with a unique concept. I just wish I could have connected a little more with the writing style, and the way Ellen’s perspective was delivered.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend this if you enjoy Locked Room Mysteries, and very much so if you are interested in deep sea diving, and the aspects of a career in that field. I feel that was a success here.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really enjoy Will Dean’s creativity and willingness to take some risks with his stories. I’m looking forward to more!

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Review: The Bitter End by Alexa Donne

~ megs14malloy

The Bitter EndThe Bitter End by Alexa Donne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoy the way Alexa Donne writes a YA Mystery-Thriller. Her novel, Pretty Dead Queens, is one of my favorites of all-time. It was like she wrote it for me.

When I was first learning about this release, everything about it was working in its favor; the cover, the title and this incredible synopsis opener:

When a winter storm traps eight teens in a remote ski cabin, they find themselves stranded with a killer…

Happy to report, this gave me exactly what I was looking for!

The Bitter End is such a fun Teen Scream Thriller. We follow a group of high school students, who go on a school trip, and end up stranded in a posh Colorado ski chalet.

As bodies start dropping one-by-one, and a blizzard has cut them off from outside contact, the remaining teens need to figure out who the killer is before it’s too late.

This is a classic set-up and I loved it developed in Donne’s capable hands. The characters are so messy and full of drama; it got intense. I was getting all the tea and drinking it up. These kids were bitter and a bit twisted.

Alexa Donne has really found her lane with this type of juicy, drama-filled Teen Thrill-Ride and I hope she keeps them coming. I will be first in line to get my hands on any future releases, that’s for sure.

I highly recommend this if you love YA Mystery-Thrillers, particularly if you enjoy inclement weather stories, or whodunits. The execution of this is great. It’s claustrophic and a bit frantic. I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to the publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to see what Donne comes up with next!

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Review: The Design of Us by Sajni Patel

~ megs14malloy

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

**3.5-stars rounded up **

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~ megs14malloy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Review: Coup de Grace by Sofia Ajram

~ megs14malloy

Coup de GrâceCoup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Coup de Grace introduces us to Vicken in the hours before he plans to end his life by throwing himself into the Saint Lawrence River near his home.

While on the subway that day, he ends up having an intimate encounter with another passenger. Afterwards, through Vicken’s thoughts, we see maybe his plan isn’t as solidified as he once believed. Maybe there is hope for him yet.

He ends up riding the subway to the end of the line and when he steps off, he finds himself in an empty, unfamiliar part of the station. Though he searches and searches, he’s unable to find his way out, or even back to where he started.

We follow along as he explores this new concrete prison, trying to make sense of how and why this is happening.

Let me be clear, this isn’t a fun read. I was fascinated by the concept and wanted to see how Ajram translated it to the page. It is compelling in a very morose sort of way, but considering the topics explored, that shouldn’t be surprising.

I appreciate so much the beautiful writing, and the way that Ajram put to words the thoughts and feelings of someone battling depression in such a believable way. I’m sure a lot of Readers will be able to connect with the visceral feel of that.

I did love the unsettling, claustrophobic atmosphere, as well and the depiction of being trapped in a stark, grey, barren concrete labyrinth. It got under my skin.

I found the symbolism of that, it kept describing the grey of the concrete and made me think, you know, what is the brain, but grey matter. Here we had an individual held captive by their brain and this concrete prison, essentially, was the perfect representation of that.

While I can appreciate how much work and thought went into this novella, I do rate books based upon my personal reading experience with them, and for me, this was a good experience, not great.

One of the aspects that didn’t quite work for me was the fever dream quality. That’s something I tend to not enjoy as much as I would a more standard narrative format.

That is 100% personal choice though, and I do feel like the author made the right choice for the story they were trying to tell, and that’s CERTAINLY more important than pleasing me, or anyone else.

With this being said, I would recommend this for Readers who enjoy Weird Fiction, who think the concept sounds intriguing, or who enjoy more thoughtful, not necessarily happy, reads.

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