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Review: Nanny Needed by Georgina Cross

~ megs14malloy ~ 1 Comment

Nanny NeededNanny Needed by Georgina Cross
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

When Sarah Larsen finds a job posting in the lobby of her building from a wealthy family looking for a nanny, she thinks it may be just the break she needs to get out of debt.

Sure, it says, special conditions apply, which is a little suspicious, but she’s never going to make headway in her bills with just her waitressing gig.

Applying for the job, she can hardly believe it when she makes it through to the interview stage.

Even more unbelievable is the family home, a penthouse on the Upper West Side. This is exactly what she needs and she gets it!

The Bird family is extremely wealthy and cherish their privacy, therefore, Sarah is required to sign an NDA, which she doesn’t think too much about.

The pay, the work hours, the minimal job requirements, it all seems a little too good to be true. And y’all know, if it seems that way, it’s because it is!

It doesn’t take long on the new job before Sarah realizes something is very off with the Birds. Very, very off.

Although the other members of staff aren’t completely willing to talk with her about the family, the little she is able to pick up indicates there have been a few nannies before her, the last one departing suddenly.

What happened to them? What would make them leave such a seemingly prestigious placement?

Nanny Needed is one wild ride. Getting to meet the Bird family was quite the jaw dropping experience. Oh wow, the secrets we keep.

Sarah got into it deep. I can’t believe how long she stayed into it, but there we go. Throughout it all, I was hooked, I’ll admit it, like a moth to a flame.

Rich people drama is a trope I love. While this was a bit far-fetched, it still kept me entertained. Particularly the second-half, which I read it one sitting.

I think if you are looking for a fun, fast-paced, Lifetime movie-type read, this would be a good one to pick up. Even though it most likely won’t be super memorable for me, it kept me engaged the entire time I was reading and that’s a great thing!

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

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Review: Gilded by Marissa Meyer

~ megs14malloy

GildedGilded by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gilded is the latest release from the ultimate Queen of Retellings, Marissa Meyer.

Pitched as a haunted retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, Gilded was one of my most anticipated 2021-releases. I preordered the heck out of this book and am so pleased that it now graces my shelves.

The narrative follows, Serilda, a miller’s daughter, who spends her days spinning tales for the children in her village. Her stories are wildly entertaining and full of untruths, even though to hear her tell them, you would think everything she says is possible.

Serilda is a truly gifted storyteller. Cursed years ago by the God of Lies, Serilda’s talent was bound to get her in over her head eventually.

When one of her stories draws the attention of the Erlking and his wild hunters, Serilda gets drawn beyond the veil into a world of ghouls, phantoms and other mythical creatures.

Based on her story, the Erlking demands that Serilda weave straw into gold for him, locking her in a tower, threatening her life if the task isn’t completed by morning.

After a mysterious boy appears in her tower room, Serilda discovers he has the exact magic she needs to save herself.

But who is he and what does he want with her? As the two get to know one another, their fates become intertwined in Serilda’s epic battle to free herself from the Erlking’s clutches.


As mentioned above, I had been really excited to get my hands on this book and it did not disappoint. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the audiobook from the publisher, Macmillan Audio. I decided to go with the audio version because of that and I am so glad that I did!

I previously listened to the entire Lunar Chronicles series on audio and had such a blast with it. To my sheer delight, I quickly discovered this audio is performed by the same fantastic narrator, Rebecca Soler!

She just has the perfect voice for Meyer’s stories. Whimsical and captivating, she breezes through Meyer’s whip-smart dialogue like she had written it herself.

In fact, that is one of my favorite aspects of Meyer’s writing; the dialogue. It is always so witty and fun, keeping me smiling even during the most intense scenes. Serilda’s perspective provided plenty of opportunity for Meyer to show off that comical style.

I actually read this entire story believing it to be a standalone novel. Surprise and elation, it is not!

This is actually the first in a duology, with the second book expected to be released next November. I cannot wait to find out the conclusion to Serilda’s story. I will definitely be rereading this one prior to that release.

If you have enjoyed previous works from Meyer, or just love a dark fairytale retelling, you absolutely need to pick this one up and give it a shot.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy of this to listen to and review. It’s an incredible story with some phenomenal narration to boot!

I cannot wait for the continuation of this story. 2022, here we come!!!

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Review: The Hidden by Melanie Golding

~ megs14malloy

The HiddenThe Hidden by Melanie Golding
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Hidden was one of my most anticipated Mysteries of the year. As you can see, it did not disappoint.

I absolutely loved Little Darlings by Melanie Golding when I read it back in 2019.

At the time, I thought that was a stand-alone novel. Because of that, I was absolutely elated when I discovered Golding was writing this new book also featuring DS Joanna Harper.

Harper’s character really drew me in during the investigation in Little Darlings, so I was psyched to get the opportunity to crack another case with her.

Called to the home of a seemingly-single man, Joanna initially believes it will be a homicide investigation, as the man was found bludgeoned to a pulp, unconscious in his bathtub, but it turns into much more than that.

Observing children’s toys and other evidence of a family, Joanna wonders where they could be.

Just prior to the man in the bathtub, in a small seaside town, the police are called after a little girl is found wandering alone down a beachside street.

After the stricken mother suddenly appears, she is briefly questioned and the officers involved believe it was an accident; the child slipped away, nothing more. The two are released.

Watching video footage of the abandoned toddler incident, Joanna is shocked to discovered she knows the alleged mother. It’s her estranged daughter, Ruby.

Are these two cases related? That’s what Joanna needs to find out, and if they are, what is Ruby doing with this little girl? It’s certainly not her child, is it?

I love Golding’s writing style. The way she sets up her stories with that captivating is it supernatural, is it not supernatural feel. I absolutely adore it.

In this story, there is a character who purports to be descended from the mythological selkies. I loved how that lore was woven into this story.

There were many different layers to the mystery and I was completely engaged the entire way through. As it all started to come together, my mind was spinning, how was it going to end!?

Golding did a great job of pulling it together, while also continuing to build intensity. Additionally, I loved having the opportunity to learn more about Joanna and her family. I hope this means this won’t be the last we see of her.

I did listen to the audiobook and I would highly recommend that. There is an element related to the selkie lore that required a bit of singing on the narrator’s part, and wow, what a great job she did!

It was haunting. I felt the narration style truly added to the story. I was hooked once I started listening.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I had such a great time reading this novel and will be keeping my fingers crossed that Golding delivers more DS Joanna Harper in the future!!!

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Review: Murder, She Wrote: Debonair in Death (Murder, She Wrote #54) by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran

~ megs14malloy

Murder, She Wrote: Debonair in DeathMurder, She Wrote: Debonair in Death by Jessica Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Murder, She Wrote: Debonair in Death is the 54th-installment of the beloved Murder, She Wrote Cozy Mystery series.

I was so excited when I learned that Terrie Farley Moran was going to be continuing writing this series. It seems to be a great fit.

She did a fantastic job with Murder, She Wrote: Killing in a Koi Pond, really capturing the spirit of Jessica and the feel of the earlier books.

With Debonair in Death we return to Jessica’s hometown of Cabot Cove. It was a true delight being back there with Jessica and her dynamic group of friends and neighbors.

While I love when Jessica travels, which she does a lot, it always feels good to go home.

The good vibes don’t last for long though after Nelson Panzell, a local art store owner and rumored womanizer, is murdered and a young nail tech at Jessica’s favorite salon, Coreen, is fingered as the number one suspect.

Jessica and her friend, Loretta, the salon’s owner and Coreen’s boss, know the meek girl would be completely incapable of killing Panzell, but how will they be able to convince Sheriff Metzger of that?

The two women pair up and luckily are able to secure a very capable attorney for Coreen. Then just as you would expect, Jessica begins a little investigation of her own.

She’s thrown for a bit of a loop, however, when an old acquaintance, Agent Michael Haggerty, a member of MI6, gets caught red-handed bumbling around the victim’s home. He claims to be on an important investigation of his own. Could the two issues possibly be related?

I love the feel of these stories. They’re so comfortable and nostalgic for me, as I’ve been reading them, quite literally, for most of my life.

After the passing of the original series author, Donald Bain, I was obviously concerned about the future of my favorite comfort read series. Now with Terrie Farley Moran at the helm, I can relax with confidence, knowing some quality content will be still be released.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am looking forward to more. Please keep ’em coming!!!

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Review: In the Company of Witches (Evenfall Witches B&B Mystery #1) by Auralee Wallace

~ megs14malloy

In the Company of Witches (Evenfall Witches B&B Mystery #1)In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

In the Company of Witches, the first book in Auralee Wallace’s new Evenfall Witches series, is the Practical Magic of Cozy Mysteries. A delightful series starter!!

After the tragic loss of her husband, Brynn Warren moves into the B&B owned by her Aunts, Nora and Izzy, ostensibly to help them run the place.

Warren women have been a staple of the small town of Evenfall for over four hundred years. Although there are whisperings of them being witches, the townsfolk don’t actually have any proof of that.

When a local woman, staying at the B&B while her home undergoes some renovations, is found dead, the Warren women are thrown for a loop.

Not only is it upsetting that Constance Graves died inside their home, but it seems Nora is now the authorities number one suspect. That’s right, they suspect foul play. Constance was murdered.

Further, you know those suspicions the townsfolk have about the Warrens? Yeah, they’re true.

Brynn is a witch of the dead, meaning she can commune with ghosts. In order to clear her Aunt’s name, she may need to contact Constance’s ghost and find out what really happened to her.

Unfortunately, since her husband passed, Brynn has had a really hard time using her powers. Thus, a bit of old fashioned investigation will have to be incorporated into her mission to help Nora.

Brynn discovers a whole host of family secrets and drama as she dives into Constance’s past in order to figure out who would have had the motive to kill her.

Y’all, this was a great start to an all new Cozy series. I really enjoyed getting to know Brynn, Nora, Izzy, Gideon and all the other citizens of Evenfall.

I find with Cozies, the longer the series goes on, the more attached you get to the characters and place. I have no doubt this series will be the same.

The next book, When the Crow’s Away, is expected to be published in April 2022. I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

If you love Cozy Mysteries, or Witchy stories, you absolutely should check this one out. Pure fun from beginning to end.

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Review: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

~ megs14malloy

The Love HypothesisThe Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The prologue to our action is an adorable Meet Cute in a bathroom in the research wing of a University.

Unfortunately, our smart and quirky protagonist, Olive, is having major issues with her contact lenses at the time and never gets a good look at the guy she’s talking with.

Regardless of her optical challenges, the interaction made an impact. In fact, it sort of helped her decide the course of her life. Her decision to pursue a Ph.D. was in a way spurred along by that encounter.

Three years later, Olive is now a Ph.D. candidate at that very University, living a perfectly normal single student lifestyle.

That is until her best friend, Ahn, falls for the guy Olive went on like two dates with. Olive seriously doesn’t care if Ahn goes for it. She doesn’t have feelings for that guy, but Ahn isn’t buying it.

Therefore, Olive does what any good friend would do and creates a fake dating relationship with the first man she can literally grab.

The man in question happens to be Adam Carlson, a young hotshot Professor with a surly reputation. What could go wrong?

Pursuing motivations of his own, Adam agrees to go along with Olive’s scheme. Logically, it is a win-win for both of them, but can they keep to the boundaries set-up at the beginning of their agreement?

I really had fun with this story. Olive was such a great main character. I grew quite attached to her over the course of the story and was rooting for her to achieve all her goals.

Additionally, I felt that the incorporation of a female main in STEM was such a refreshing set-up for a Contemporary Romance. The University setting, the research issues and politics, the hot professors, it was all so engaging!

The fake dating was actually quasi-plausible and I enjoyed watching the evolution of Olive and Adam’s relationship as they got themselves in deeper and deeper.

Adam is definitely a swoon-worthy male lead!

Overall, this is a memorable, science-is-sexy story and I want more from Ali Hazelwood; definitely one of my favorite Romance stories of the year, if not my very favorite.

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

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Review: Evil Thing (Villains #7) by Serena Valentino

~ megs14malloy

Evil Thing (Villains, #7)Evil Thing by Serena Valentino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Cruella DeVil, like many villains before her, is grossly misunderstood. In Evil Thing, Valentino does a great job building a backstory for one of my favorite villains.

Beginning when she is just a young child, Evil Thing explores the key relationships in Cruella’s life, particularly that with her Mama, Father and Anita.

Through the examination of these relationships, the Reader begins to understand how Cruella developed into the person we come to know through the original-101 Dalmatians animated film.

In fact, there is even a portion at the end that overlaps with the timeline from that original movie.

The narrative is told from Cruella’s perspective, as if she is recounting her life story. The narrator, Susanne Blakeslee, absolutely nailed Cruella’s voice and intonation. It was an incredible voice performance; highly recommend the audiobook.

Having read previous books in this series, I was actually surprised by the level of depth this one had. Pleasantly surprised.

Cruella’s story is a tragic one, full of disappointments, neglect and heartbreak. I felt for her, but I also wanted to shake her. She seemed to be blinded by love a lot of time; unable to see people for who they truly were, to her detriment.

Overall, this is an engaging and fast-paced story. If you are a Cruella fan, I definitely recommend checking this one out.

Also, please do listen to the audiobook if you have the opportunity. It really is a stellar Cruella performance.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really enjoyed my time with it!

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Review: Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

~ megs14malloy

Within These Wicked WallsWithin These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andromeda, known as Andi, is a debtera; essentially, an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. Raised by a man named Jember, who Andi considers to be her father, she was trained by one of the best.

Jember is well known for his exceptional abilities as a debtera, but he’s paid for them; left with chronic pain and disability after previous jobs.

Andi and Jember have a complicated relationship. No matter how much she seeks his love and acceptance, she never seems to get it.

Thus, she finds herself at the cusp of adulthood on her own. She needs to start making her own way. When she gets offered a position to cleanse the mysterious Rochester household of a crippling case of the Evil Eye, she accepts.

The Rochester home is her first big commission on her own and obviously, she’s anxious about it. It doesn’t help that Andi quickly realizes this is a massive job; with horrifying manifestations around every corner.

The master of the house, Magnus Rochester, is charming and endearing, but also a bit of a rascal. Andi feels an almost instant attraction to him. Frankly, it would be hard not to be.

She vows to herself to do everything she possibly can to help him, even if it means putting her own life at risk.

Within These Wicked Walls is a debut Fantasy from author, Lauren Blackwood. Described as an Ethiopian-inspired retelling of Jane Eyre, this novel delivered exactly what I was hoping for.

I really enjoyed this story. The atmosphere was fantastic, dripping with danger and dark gothic vibes. Andi was an incredible main character to follow; I felt like I could really get behind her.

Magnus, as well, was a delight to read. I wanted to help him as much as Andi did; he was in so much trouble when she came to him. The stakes were extremely high and time was of the essence.

Andi’s life had not been easy. All the poor thing wanted was someone to love her; to feel like she belonged to someone, somewhere. It actually broke my heart a wee bit.

In spite of everything, she had such a capacity to give love and I wanted that for her. With this being said, the relationship between Andi and Magnus does tread a bit into Instalove territory; so, if this is a problem for you, you’ve been forewarned.

I didn’t mind it. I thought their banter was adorable and I was rooting for them.

I did find some of the magic system, for example, how Andi was working her amulets in order to cleanse the Evil Eye, a little confusing. Also, there were moments when I felt the narrative dragged just a little, or scenes became repetitive.

For the most part, though, those tiny things really didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the story. This is an absolutely excellent debut.

It’s compelling from the start and the narrative solidly delivers what the synopsis promised. I definitely recommend this one for your Spooky Season TBR!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for providing me with copies to read and review.

I cannot wait to read more from Lauren Blackwood in the future. Exceptional debut!!!

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Review: Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn

~ megs14malloy

Flowers for the SeaFlowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

For me, this reading experience was very similar to my time spent with The Deep by Rivers Solomon.

My first reaction upon completion with both novellas was, what in the heck did I just read?

Followed shortly thereafter by thoughts such as, that was gorgeous writing, this is beautiful and important, and finally, I wish I had a better understanding of it.

Flowers for the Sea is Dark Fantasy novella centering around Iraxi, a headstrong, powerful woman trapped on a claustrophobic-feeling ark sailing the high seas.

For a good portion of the story she is struggling through the last moments of, what seems to be, an unwanted pregnancy.

Iraxi’s emotions take center stage as she works through anger, pain, revenge and motherhood. It’s a lot.

A story set at sea, with a sea creature aspect, this is an intriguing premise and the writing shows so much promise. I would love to read more from Zin E. Rocklyn; hopefully at some point in a longer format, so I can really settle into their style and ideas.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with an Audio-ARC to listen to and review. I am really happy I had the opportunity to check this one out. It was memorable!

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Review: Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

~ megs14malloy

Nothing But Blackened TeethNothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Nothing But Blackened Teeth has wormed into my mind and it won’t go away. I cannot stop thinking about it!

I finished this story early this morning and have slowly raised my rating incrementally as the day has worn on. I started at 3-stars, in 12-hours, I have rounded up to 4-stars. Who knows how high this could go!?

What could be better than a long-abandoned, reportedly-haunted, Heian-era mansion as a intimate destination wedding location?

For Nadia and Faiz, nothing. Nadia has always wanted to get married in a haunted mansion and after their friend, Phillip, buys them all first class tickets to Japan, now is their chance.

The group, made up of Nadia, Faiz, Cat, our narrator, Phillip and Lin, do not all get along. In fact, I wondered frequently why they were traveling together.

Nadia and Cat hate each other, as do Lin and pretty much everyone else, except for Cat. There is tension and messy history; it’s a whole thing. As if the haunted mansion wasn’t enough, the stress of their interactions raised my heart rate.

As this is an novella, it is pretty clear right from the start that the reportedly haunted mansion, is indeed quite haunted.

This story revolves around a Ohaguro Bettari, which translated, if I am informed correctly, actually means, nothing but blackened teeth. This is a type of Yokai that I have never come across before and I found it fascinating.

Additionally, I have really only ever read about Yokai in Japanese-inspired Fantasy stories, which of course, is generally Dark Fantasy, but reading about Yokai in the Horror genre was completely new for me. I loved that aspect.

The haunted house vibes and the way that was presented was so engaging. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. It was really well imagined.

I think my main issue with this story was the presentation; the writing style, or the narrative voice. I’m not sure which.

The writing seems so overdone. The use of ridiculously obscure vocabulary and nonstop, unnecessarily overwrought prose really rubbed me the wrong way while I was reading it.

The more I think about it though, I don’t think this was the author showing that they are the most intelligent person in the room, I think it is the personification of Cat’s character.

I could be interpreting this completely wrong, but I feel like Cat’s character, who doesn’t seem to like herself, had her intelligence as the one thing she could count out. Towards the end, as she was having one of her numerous fights with Nadia, she says how smart she is. I am smart, she exclaims.

Since the entire narrative is pretty much her inner monologue, I started to think about the story in that way, as that being her voice. Her way of seeing the world actually used those big words. That’s her crutch and it started to make sense that way.

After I had that realization, I became more forgiving about those aspects of the story that so heavily turned me off initially.

As this is a novella, there’s not a lot of build up and it did seem to end rather abruptly. As Horror novellas go, however, I would say this is a really strong one. It will definitely stick in my mind for along time to come.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would definitely be interested in picking up more from Cassandra Khaw!

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