ARC

Review: Found Object by Anne Frasier

~ megs14malloy

Found ObjectFound Object by Anne Frasier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Jupiter Bellarose is an investigative journalist whose last project ended in tragedy. She feels responsible for the way things turned out and struggles to move past it.

She spends some time in a mental health hospital during her recovery and upon her release, her boss, Bennett, suggests that she take a break from her life in Minneapolis. He further suggests that perhaps it would be a good time to go home to Savannah, visit her father and work on an easy story.

Jupiter has avoided Savannah for a long time. As a place, it holds a lot of dark memories for her. Her mother, Marie Nova, a world-famous actress was actually murdered there when Jupiter was a teenager.

Jupiter, unfortunately, along with her father, stumbled upon the very gruesome crime scene, including her mother’s decapitated head, shortly after the police did. It was a scene that continues to haunt her.

It’s a real testament to how shaken up she was by the last assignment that she actually agrees to go back. Her new project is a fluff piece regarding the Lumet family and their cosmetics empire, Luminescent.

Jupiter’s mother was once the face of Luminescent cosmetics, so Jupiter already has a bit of knowledge, including first-hand experiences, with the family. She can get this done.

In Savannah, Jupiter is hit in the face with her past. The sudden overflow of memories makes her curious. Some things about that tragic night long ago don’t add up.

Jupiter begins to do what she does best, she digs and she digs, coming ever closer to the answers she seeks. Will she be able to find the truth, or will she be taken out before she can? There’s only one way to find out…

Found Object definitely surprised me with its ability to draw me in. I wasn’t sure if I would end up liking this or not, truth be told, but oh my word, once I started, I couldn’t put it down.

Some aspects of it were a bit ridiculous, but I didn’t even care. I was so intrigued by the horrifying story of Jupiter’s mother. I had to know what the truth was.

Jupiter was a great main character. She was well fleshed out and I felt like over the course of the story, I really came to understand her. She had a complicated history and her personality definitely matched that.

There were also some great side characters, Ian, a local police officer, and Poppy, his sweet and smart little niece, definitely stick out in my mind.

For me, the mystery was fun. I love the examination of long ago cases and this one didn’t disappoint.

Additionally, I liked watching Jupiter go about her investigation. Being an investigative reporter, it made sense that she would be as resourceful as she was. Having Ian as a friend during her time in Savannah definitely helped as well.

This concluded in a place that definitely left it open for a continuation of Jupiter and Ian’s story. I would absolutely, one hundred percent, no doubt in my mind pick up a second book if one were published.

No pressure, Anne Frasier, but when can I get it?

Thank you so much to the publisher, Thomas Mercer, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I truly had fun with this story.

Found Object releases this Tuesday, October 18th!!!

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Review: The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco

~ megs14malloy

The SacrificeThe Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

When a film crew from the United States arrives on Kisapmata, a deserted island in the Philippines, they are ready to get to work. They need their new show to be a success and with the content they’re after, it should be.

For me it was easy to picture this crew and their motivations. I was thinking something around the lines of Discovery shows such as The Curse of Oak Island, or The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch. You know the type of show I mean.

The thing with Kisapmata island is that a God is reputed to live within the island. He goes by different names, some consider him a Death God, some call him the Dreamer, but he is said to have the ability to grant unknowable power in exchange for eight, very specific, sacrifices.

Because of this legend, locals avoid the island as much as they can. It’s uninhabited and while they do have knowledge and respect of it, they tend to give the God his space.

The crew does discover one local teen, Alon, said to have a special relationship with the island. They’re a bit of a caretaker, spending a lot of time there and even maybe communing with the God.

Considered an expert of all things Kisapmata, the film crew are delighted when Alon agrees to stay with them and be their guide during the show.

As they settle in and begin to set up, a giant sinkhole appears in the middle of their camp. In it, belying logic, is a giant balete tree with a mummified corpse wrapped amongst it creepy-as-heck branches.

It’s like the corpse has been feeding the tree for years, but who is it and more importantly, how the heck is this tree growing underground?

Thus begins the horror that is this little island. From there stuff escalates real quick. The crew needs to get their story, but is the payoff going to be worth it?

People start seeing things, visions of people long dead and it seems nowhere is safe. As a storm rages offshore, they lose communication and have no means of escape. Is anyone going to get off this island alive?

Y’all, y’all, y’all! First of all, this is the perfect time of year to pick up this book. This story has almost everything you need for a phenomenal reading experience.

We have detailed and fascinating legends. We have, basically a curse. We have a dynamic film crew with well-fleshed out characters. We have a nonbinary main character. We have inclement weather trapping our cast at a remote location. We have atmosphere for days. We have stunning, toe-curling horror imagery. We have scenes that will make you sleep with the lights on.

The tension builds very quickly and then continues to build. It’s claustrophobic, it’s a bit panic inducing, it’s scary.

I will say that the pace increases so much towards the end, that it almost got a bit too chaotic. I found it more difficult to track what was happening towards the end and challenging to picture in my mind all that was happening. Hence, it’s not quite a 5-star for me.

That is 100% personal taste though, for many people, whose minds possibly work more quickly than my own, this will be a 5-star experience.

I have only read one other Rin Chupeco, The Girl from the Well, and I was super-impressed with the eeriness of that story as well. Chupeco definitely has the gift for horror. I would consider this to be a more-modern, YA-South Pacific version of The Ruins.

The Sacrifice is super-chilling and will stick with me for a long time to come. Chupeco truly knows how to set a scene. I had so much fun with this. 10-out-of-10 recommend!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Now I need to go back and devour Chupeco’s backlist!!

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Review: Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch

~ megs14malloy

Spells for Lost ThingsSpells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Willow dreams of traveling the world. Her first big move would be a study aboard program in France for her entire Senior year, but her Mom puts a big kibosh on that idea before it even gets off the ground.

Feeling confused by her mother’s detached nature, Willow is further surprised when her Mom tells her they need to leave immediately to travel to Salem, Massachusetts, to settle the estate of an Aunt that Willow has never even heard of. Her mother had a sister!?

Yeah, Willow had no clue. Her Mom doesn’t talk a lot about her early life, but this is pushing it even for her.

Not really having an option in the matter, Willow goes along for the journey. In a way it’s what she wants, to travel. She’s intrigued by the quirky little town they discover and the people, even quirkier.

Mason has been in and out of the Boston foster care system for a while. Some placements have been okay, some have been bad, but his end goal has always remained the same. He needs to get back to his Mom. They belong together.

Mason was removed from his mother’s care because she is an addict, who has been unable to care for him. Now he is getting ready to go into a new placement. It’s a little different this time, as the woman, Emma, was once best friends with his Mom.

Emma lives with her husband and their four daughters in Salem, Massachusetts.

They’re both new in town, strangers to everyone, but when their paths randomly cross one night under the bright New England stars, it seems like Willow and Mason were fated to know one another.

The two become fast friends as he helps her try to solve a mystery involving her mother’s family. All the while she’s helping him with his own life without even realizing it.

Y’all, this book left me speechless. It’s definitely a slow burn, but man, did it creep up on me with a vengeance. The last few chapters held so many moments that brought tears to my eyes, choked me up, left me gasping with the beauty of it all.

I have read all of Jenna Evans Welch’s other novels and have enjoyed them all, giving both Love & Gelato and Love & Olives 5-stars, but this book has a power behind it that none of those had.

Those are great books, but this is a special book. It’s a heavy hitter that has the ability to open hearts and minds to perspectives that may not have been considered before. That’s some serious stuff.

Both Willow and Mason are on the cusp of adulthood and both have visions of what they want their futures to be like. Unfortunately, both of them are struggling with unresolved family issues that could put a serious damper on their abilities to thrive.

I loved how they came together at the right time and were able to both gain insight from one another that helped them with their own path.

Although their circumstances are completely different, I think they found unlikely allies with one another and that was something they both desperately needed.

In addition to the hard-hitting Contemporary story, I loved just the overall feel of this book. Due to the setting, which plays such a role in this story, it really has a great, cozy Autumn vibe.

If you are looking for an atmospheric Autumnal read, but maybe aren’t a fan of Horror, or spooky stories, this could be a great fit for you. You’ll want to grab a hot beverage, some tissues and a cozy sweater as you get swept away by this engaging tale of love, magic, family and friendship.

I definitely recommend it!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I cannot wait to see what Jenna Evans Welch gives us next!!

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Review: The Empress of Time (The Keeper of the Night #2) by Kylie Lee Baker

~ megs14malloy

The Empress of Time (The Keeper of Night, #2)The Empress of Time by Kylie Lee Baker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Empress of Time is the conclusion to Kylie Lee Baker’s The Keeper of the Night duology. This story follows Ren Scarborough, who is half-British Reaper, half-Japanese Shinigami.

In the first book, Ren and her half-brother, Neven, fled London for Japan, where Ren hoped to learn more about her mother and her Shinigami roots.

Once there, Ren was given a difficult quest by the Goddess of Death. She needed to find and eliminate three dangerous Yokai demons.

Along with her brother and a new friend, Hiro, Ren’s quest kept me glued to the pages. Death work is difficult business. It’s fast-paced with extremely high-stakes. Over the course of the first novel, I became easily attached to this group of characters.

Additionally, the first book had a fairly earth-shattering conclusion, so I have been anxiously awaiting this second installment.

In The Empress of Time, Ren has now been ruling the Japanese Underworld as the Goddess of Death for the past decade. She is no longer the same conflicted girl who fled the streets of London all those years ago.

Now Ren has received startling news that her past has come back to haunt her though. There are British Reapers approaching the shores of Japan. They’re here for Ren, for vengeance.

Ren seeks help and is again sent out on what seems to be an impossible quest. This time she must find and retrieve a magical sword said to have been missing for thousands of years.

With Hiro gone, Ren is joined this time around by the moon god Tsukuyomi, Hiro’s brother, on her mission. Together the two race throughout the country trying to find the object they seek before time runs out for Ren.

As mentioned above, I have been really excited to get this second book. It was just as intriguing as the first one. I was a little surprised by the huge time jump, however. I was sort of anticipating this would pick up right where the first book left off, but that wasn’t the case.

It did take me a little bit to come to terms with that.

As with the first book, Kylie Lee Baker really succeeds with the dark, beautiful imagery she is able to conjure up with this. And when I say dark, I mean it.

There’s a lot of death, mutilation, even the occasional consumption of body parts. It gets bloody, dangerous and gruesome, but we love to see that in a Fantasy.

I loved the inclusion of so many elements from Japanese folklore and myth. The world is well-constructed and worked really well over the course of this story.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this was how Baker kept the themes from the first book alive. For example, in the first book there’s a big focus on Ren’s heritage and her inner conflict over being half-British Reaper and half-Japanese Shinigami.

For Ren, she never felt like she belonged in London and she was in fact treated like an outsider by the other Reapers.

In this book, even though Ren has found a bit more peace with who she is, she still doesn’t feel like she has a true place she belongs. Particularly at the start of this.

So, bringing the Reapers to Japan and now having the Shinigami battle on her behalf, it was like the two sides of her being having an external conflict, instead of just the inner one from the first book. I am most likely explaining this terribly, but I found it really interesting.

This story was still about Ren searching for the place she truly belonged, but the playing field and the actors were so much larger in scope than in the first book. There has been a great evolution to Ren’s character, but she is still a character in deep need of finding greater meaning for herself.

With that in mind, I loved how this concluded. The final little section was the icing on the cake. A conclusion that seems fitting for the life that Ren lived.

I definitely recommend this to fans of Dark Fantasy, Japanese-Inspired Fantasy and classic quest tales. Kylie Lee Baker really knows how to wrap it up. This was a beautiful finale for this lush story.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Inkyard Press and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I had a lot of fun with this duology and definitely look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

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Review: Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto

~ megs14malloy

Well, That Was UnexpectedWell, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

💜🧡💛❤️💜🧡💛❤️💜🧡💛❤️💜🧡💛❤️💜🧡💛❤️💜

After Sharlot Citra’s mother walks in on her clumsily exploring her sexuality, her mother freaks out. Things are going to change around here!

After George Clooney Tanuwijaya’s father walks in on him clumsily exploring his sexuality, his father freaks out. Things are going to change around here!

For Sharlot, this change includes leaving her life in California behind, getting dragged onto an international flight, and flying to her mother’s native Indonesia where they will remain for the rest of the Summer.

For George, the change isn’t quite as shocking to the system. As a member of one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in Indonesia, George isn’t going anywhere, but he will have his family meddling a lot more into his social life.

Unbeknownst to both teens, Sharlot’s mom and George’s dad have begun quests to find appropriate romantic partners for their children. They cannot sit by and let their teens deviant behaviors progress any further.

Thus, they do what any good parent would do and they both begin cat-fishing potential love interests via social media.

And that’s how Sharlot and George ultimately end up on the most uncomfortable date ever, in one of the most beautiful coffee shops ever, struggling to live up to whatever ridiculous things their parents invented about them.

For example, Sharlot’s fake hobbies include cooking strong bone broth and hopefully one day being a good wife, while George’s hobbies include math and someday taking over the family empire.

As the teens are forced to continue the charade for a number of different reasons, they begin to get to know one other on their own terms.

Will they like what they find? And if so, how will they ever clear the air about the truth behind their meeting in the first place? What other terrible things could go wrong?!

With these two families, literally anything and everything.

Y’all, I loved this with my whole heart and soul. I was so invested in these characters. Sharlot and George have to be two of my favorite characters ever.

Well, That Was Unexpected got unexpectedly under my skin. While the humor kept me giggling throughout, certain emotional aspects got me deep in my feels. It was everything I wanted and more.

I knew going into this that Sutanto’s sense of humor meshes really well with my own. I love how realistically she writes her characters thoughts, which are always so darn on point and witty.

This story is told via alternating perspectives from Sharlot and George. It was so fun seeing both of their sides to this unbelievable situation they found themselves in. I also liked being able to see both of their thoughts involving the evolution of their feelings towards one another.

100% satisfying start-to-finish!!

This is definitely my favorite Romantic Comedy of the year and in fact, is one of my favorites ever.

I would fall on a sword for it. I would shout from a rooftop for it. I would fly to Jakarta to defend its honor…and might as well get some delicious coffee whilst I’m there… 😋☕️

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

I am a Jesse Q. Sutanto stan and this novel is the perfect example as to why. I can’t wait to pick up whatever she serves up next!!

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Review: Blackmail and Bibingka (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #3) by Mia P. Manansala

~ megs14malloy

Blackmail and Bibingka (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #3)Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

When her estranged cousin, Tita Rosie’s son, Ronnie, returns to town, Lila anticipates that trouble will be close behind. It’s shocking how right she is in that assessment.

Ronnie has purchased the local Shady Grove Winery along with a his best friends, Izzy and Pete, and some other investors, most notable being, Denise Sutton.

It literally feels like Ronnie has been back in Shady Grove for mere moments before the first body suspiciously drops.

Then the blackmail begins, stating that they know what Ronnie did in Florida and that he’s up to his old tricks again. The blackmailer threatens to bring evidence against him unless they are paid a large sum of money by Tita Rosie.

This threatening message coinciding with Ronnie now being suspected of murder does not shine a positive light on her cousin, but Lila feels like she has to do whatever she can to clear Ronnie’s name.

This requires Lila putting her mistrust of Ronnie behind her, at least temporarily, in order to help him. Family is complicated after all, but Lila feels obligated to help.

As Lila digs into Ronnie’s partners and investors, she discovers they’ve actually woven themselves quite a twisted web. The dynamics amongst them are all over the place.

Will Lila be able to figure out the who done it before it’s too late? And what if it actually is her cousin? How does this play out for her family?

Blackmail and Bibingka is the third installment of the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series. I had so much fun with the first two books in this series and this one was no different.

I have loved getting to know the Macapagal family over the course of these books. I was also stoked when Manansala mentioned in her Author’s Note at the conclusion of this, that we will be getting three more books in the series.

Personally, I never want them to end!

These books are full of food and family. If you aren’t hungry by the time you are done one these of books, you have no soul. I’m sort of kidding, but not really.

I love Lila as a character and her friend group. She has surrounded herself with a great group of women and I love how supportive they are of one another. We love to see those types of strong female friendships in our stories.

This book is marketed as taking place during Christmas time, but honestly, if it wasn’t for the food, I would have no clue this was supposed to be set during the holiday season.

It didn’t bother me as such, I only mention it because I know how strongly people feel about their holiday stories and I don’t want anyone to be disappointed.

Overall, I found this to be an engaging mystery. At times, I did get a little confused trying to keep track of all the bad actors Ronnie had surrounded himself with, but that totally could have been my headspace at the time of reading and not the story itself.

I think if you have enjoyed other books in this series, or if you enjoy Cozy Mysteries that incorporate a solid food element, you should definitely check this one out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m very excited to continue on with this series!!

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Review: Book of Knives by Lisa Haines

~ megs14malloy

Book of KnivesBook of Knives by Lise Haines
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

After the death of her husband, Nora finds a bit of comfort with the couple’s good friend, Paul. As time passes, Nora and Paul’s relationship continues to blossom.

Nora never expected to find love again, but she has and she isn’t going to let it slip from her grasp. Thus, she and Paul decide to get married.

The new couple lead a quiet, uneventful life together, until the day Paul gets a call from his estranged brother, Gabe. Paul doesn’t speak much about his early life, but Nora knows it wasn’t good.

Now it seems Paul’s elderly parents are in poor health and failing fast. Paul needs to go back to the family home, Hidden Lake Camp, a place he fled literally decades before, in order to help his brother out caring for their parents and refurbishing the property.

Nora, of course, agrees to go along with Paul and his teen-aged son, Leon, to the camp. It will be an adventure.

Unfortunately, as soon as they arrive, things get weird. Paul’s brother, his wife and their kids are already well established at the property and they are strange; really strange, especially the wife.

Gabe’s wife, Salish, has a collection of 13-knives passed down to her from her father. She’s slightly obsessed with the things, so as they start to mysteriously disappear one-by-one, it puts her in an absolute tail-spin.

Nora spends the majority of her time just trying to figure out Salish. Her wacky mood is beginning to have a negative impact on Nora’s own mental health. That’s when things really start feeling claustrophobic.

There’s a mystery afoot, or is there? It’s actually fairly unclear.

I’m sad to report that this super-slow burn, Adult Fiction story just wasn’t for me. I know there is an audience for it, but I shouldn’t have been part of it. Frankly, I should have walked out of the theater about a quarter of the way through.

I am a huge fan of weird and quirky stories, but they have to have some semblance of sense. I also need to actually care either about at least one of the characters, or about the general outcome.

Without putting too fine a point on it, I gave zero.

I know there are plenty of Readers out there that will enjoy this story. It just absolutely was not for me.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. Book of Knives releases tomorrow, Tuesday, October 4, 2022!

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Review: Lute by Jennifer Marie Thorne

~ megs14malloy

LuteLute by Jennifer Marie Thorne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

On the mysterious island of Lute, every seventh summer, seven people must die.

This doesn’t necessarily sound like somewhere I would want to move to, but after Nina meets her now husband, a native of Lute, that’s exactly what she does. She moves to the island and becomes Lady Treadway.

Lute is like a place locked in time. In fact, it’s difficult to determine time in general. For a while I thought this was a story set in the past, but as it progressed, maybe it is actually set in the future?

Regardless, the feel of the island itself and the mannerisms of the locals feels very old-fashioned. Nina seems, in her thoughts and actions, like a more modern lady who is now trying to mold herself into these more old-fashioned ideals.

Nina has never been on the island on a tithe day and as it approaches she becomes more and more aware of the harsh realities of The Day.

The locals believe that the deaths of the seven grant them luck and prosperity, as well as protection for the island from the outside world. Nina believes this is all superstitious nonsense, but is it?

I was excited for this book due to the comparisons to The Wicker Man and Final Destination. The Wicker Man comparison is definitely apt.

With this being said, maybe dark summer solstice tales just aren’t for me? I’ve never found one that has truly captivated me. Lute was good, the writing was strong, but I never felt connected with it enough to be gripped by the narrative.

Truth be told, I could have abandoned it at any point.

I found parts of it confusing and honestly, I wanted more dark atmosphere. Just because something is murky, as in confusing, does not necessarily mean it is a strong, dark, creepy atmosphere.

Overall though, I am happy I read this. It kept me entertained somewhat and I would be interested in picking up more from Jennifer Marie Thorne.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

While this didn’t quite knock it out of the park for me, I am sure that a lot of Readers will really enjoy this.

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Review: Wolf at the Door by Joel McKay

~ megs14malloy

Wolf at the DoorWolf at the Door by Joel McKay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ahhhh, Thanksgiving dinner. A tradition you may love or dread depending on the family you’re a part of.

Married, mother-of-two, Charlotte Deerborn, has vowed this is going to be a good Thanksgiving. She’s pulled out all the stops to present a fabulous day for family and friends.

Unfortunately, the other members of this spectacular dinner aren’t so gung-ho for it.

Just when the toxic dialogue, uncomfortable comments and bad behavior seem to be at their peak, just when the attendees think things can’t get much worse, they do and in a striking and unbelievable way.

Knock, knock, it’s a werewolf at your door and he wants his dinner too!!!

Is anyone going to get out of this damn dinner alive!? You’ll have to pick this one up to find out.

Seriously, y’all, I’m tickled pink. Wolf at the Door is a bloody great little creature feature. This one should be on everyone’s Spooky Season TBR!!

The set-up is fun. This group of characters is bleak. They don’t get along, you wonder why anyone even agreed to go to this dinner, but hey, that’s family.

I enjoyed how McKay didn’t shy away from the blood and violence of this Thanksgiving day night. It’s all on page for you to enjoy.

It gets claustrophobic as the characters are literally trapped inside a remote house waiting for either daylight to come, or their own tragic end.

I definitely recommend this one for Horror fans. If you love creature features that take it there, this one should scratch that itch nicely.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Birchwood Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had a lot of fun with this one!

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Review: One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke

~ megs14malloy

One of the GirlsOne of the Girls by Lucy Clarke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Bella wants only the best for her best friend Lexi’s Hen Do. It has to be one for the record books, as special as Lexi herself. That’s why she picks her girlfriend, Fen’s, Aunt’s villa on a remote Greek island as the destination.

The guest list is small, just Bella, Lexi, Fen, Robin, Bella and Lexi’s other closest friend from childhood, Eleanor, Lexi’s soon to be sister-in-law, and Ana, a new friend Lexi has made in her adult life.

Even though the setting is stunning, the property exceeding all expectations, the rest doesn’t turn out quite as Bella had anticipated.

Everyone seems a bit on edge, Bella’s not crazy about Lexi’s new friend, Ana. Who even is she anyway!?

Then there is the future sis-in-law, she’s awkward. Of course there’s tension with Robin. Bella and Robin have been estranged since that incident in high school. And why is Fen acting so remote?

Most unsettling for Bella though is Lexi herself. Who is this woman? Where is the party girl she used to know? The professional dancer who would hop from club to club imbibing in anything she could get her hands on well into the night?

But this story isn’t told just from Bella’s perspective. She just happens to be the person that I connected with the most; take from that what you will.

This story is told from all the ladies perspectives and my goodness, is there a lot racing through the minds of these women. The history, the self-doubt, the insecurities, the grudges, they run deep!!

Someone is not making it back from this weekend. You know that as you’re reading. This is not going to end well. But who and how and more importantly, why!?

One of the Girls took me by surprise. I loved this. It’s not perfect, no, but it resonated with me in so many different ways. I was absolutely captivated by these women.

I’m actually sorry I put off reading this for so long. It was a great fit for me as I enjoy a lot of drama, suspense and low-key girl squad vibes.

When I tell you the dramatic narrative left me unable to put this down, I am not exaggerating. I loved how this was formatted to slowly reveal the truth of all the relationships at play here. It’s complicated, but so is life.

I definitely would recommend this to any Reader who enjoys a lot of deep drama in their stories. We’re talking interpersonal relationships so mired, you wonder why the characters are even friends. Personally, I love that.

I also really enjoyed the conclusion to this. I loved the just desserts, if you will, and the way some of the storylines really came full circle. It gave me some real satisfaction at the end.

We love closure.

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

This was my first Lucy Clarke, but definitely will not be my last!

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