audiobooks

Review: Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle

~ megs14malloy

Fabulous BodiesFabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fabulous Bodies follows Poppy Stringer, a fashion influencer, who also happens to peddle in dead bodies at night. Hey, it’s hard to make a living in this economy. Don’t judge.

Poppy receives a call one night that prompts her to retrieve the body of one of her heroes, recently deceased rockstar and queer icon, Eddie Michaels.

She heads to the Medical Examiner’s office, where she’ll finagle access to his corpse, and then get him out of there. It’s all routine for Poppy. That is, until Eddie wakes up.

What follows is a Supernatural Adventure romp through one bloody night in Palm Springs. Poppy is along for the ride, whether she wants to be or not, and Eddie certainly has some surprises for her.

Fabulous Bodies was fabulously-creative, as I’ve come to expect all Chuck Tingle books to be. It’s an odd story, a bit chaotic and surprisingly thoughtful in its character work. I loved the journey Poppy had emotionally.

She was forced to come to a lot of important realizations about her life and relationships. We love that for her. Personal growth, yayee! All with the backdrop of trying to defeat a murderous and undead former idol of hers; NBD.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Mara Wilson, and I felt like Mara’s voice was perfect as Poppy. It truly felt like I was just listening to her tell this crazy story about one f*ed up night. I would highly recommend that format.

I also liked how wacky and graphic Tingle made this. It’s campy and unhinged, but also written very well. It reminded me in some ways of books such as Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison, and My Ex, the Antichrist by Craig DiLouie, both of which I enjoyed.

The commentary that Tingle included on fame and influence, were also well done. It’s light, but there, apt social commentary for our times. I appreciate Tingle allowing Readers the space to think for themselves, and in a story this wild, there’s plenty of food for thought.

At this same time though, you can just have fun with. I had a lot of fun listening to it. It’s certainly unpredictable. While I’m not sure how long the details will stick with me, in the moment it was pure entertainment.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio for providing me with copies to read and review. I always look forward to Tingle’s newest releases as you never really know what you’re going to get. We love a surprise!

View all my reviews

Review: Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson

~ megs14malloy

Without a ClueWithout a Clue by Melissa Ferguson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

Without a Clue is a light and funny Romantic Cozy Mystery from Melissa Ferguson. I’ve never read from Ferguson before, so I didn’t know what to expect going in.

I was initially drawn to this because of the cover, and then was hooked by the fact that it’s set on a Book Cruise, like what do you mean? A Book Cruise!? I needed to know more.

This story follows Pip Dupont, a Personal Assistant for a very famous Mystery author, Hugh Griffin. Hugh and six of his author friends, each from a different genre, make up a writing group known as The Fabulous Seven.

Pip organizes a Book Cruise, where the Fabulous Seven will be the guests of honor, a bit of a writing retreat for them, and then the rest of the cruise guests are fans, who want an opportunity to meet these beloved authors.

Hence, the Book Cruise is born.

Pip plays the role of frazzled assistant well, because that’s exactly what she is. With hundreds of devoted Readers, and seven headstrong authors to keep track of, it’s a lot.

Pip never expected the disaster that occurs on the second-day though, when Hugh is found murdered.

Cruising in the midst of the Atlantic ocean, with no help close at hand, and a cruise security force that’s clearly inept, it’s up to Pip to figure out who the culprit is. Their Book Cruise has suddenly turned into a Murder Mystery cruise.

Aided by her friend, and crush, Nash, a successful author of Western novels, Pip digs in deep, questioning the others and trying to navigate the complex relationships and sensitive egos of the authors, all with a killer on board.

This is a really cute Cozy Mystery. It went in a direction I hadn’t expected, and I did really enjoy the Book Cruise setting and the cast of characters. The various authors brought humor and fun, and Pip was a great MC to follow.

My reading experience was definitely enhanced by the fabulous narration of Karissa Vacker, one of my all-time favorite narrators. I would definitely recommend the audiobook if you’re going to pick this up.

I would say even for a Cozy Mystery, this is very low stakes, so it’s perfect for weekend or vacation reading, when your mind just wants something light.

I liked having the romantic tension between Pip and Nash as well. I don’t tend to mix Romance with my Cozies, but it worked here. Nash was a fun love interest and I felt like the relationship felt very natural, as they’d known each other for a while due to the Fabulous Seven.

While this won’t standout as a long-term favorite, I didn’t need it to be. It gave me exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up, and I can only praise it for that.

Thank you to the publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was very enjoyable and I would be interested in picking up more from Melissa Ferguson!

View all my reviews

Review: You Won’t Forget Me by Mazey Eddings

~ megs14malloy

You Won't Forget Me: A NovelYou Won’t Forget Me: A Novel by Mazey Eddings
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

You Won’t Forget Me follows Cubby Clark and her band as they start to breakout on the world stage.

Part of the buzz around the band, and Cubby in particular, is driven by the success of their ex-bandmate, Connor, who has recently began his own solo career.

Cubby and Connor were in a relationship for years, and after they broke up and he left to do his own thing, he sort of threw her under the bus, using their private moments for lyric inspiration and worse.

The things he’s said haven’t painted Cubby in the best light, and she finds all of the scrutiny and speculation super embarrassing. Nevertheless, he’s getting attention from it, and seemingly to Connor, that’s all that matters.

Cubby and the rest of the band try their best to just ignore Connor and do their own thing. They have a unique sound and they eventually are able to gain some traction.

We follow the band after they get the opportunity to travel to the U.S. to perform on a Summer Tour. In the midst of that, Cubby and BFF, Darcy’s relationship starts to heat up. The close proximity and emotions of the road have left them both with unavoidable feelings.

Will they be able to overcome the obstacles in their way, or would walking away be the easier path?

Y’all, I’m bummed out that this only ended up being a 2-star read for me. I really like Mazey Eddings, and reading the Author’s Note, you can tell that this was a personal and challenging story for Eddings to write. I have to be honest though, and I really didn’t enjoy it.

I was bored, annoyed, and I just wanted it to be over. The only part that worked for me was the bands Tour. Even then though, some of the interactions amongst them felt cringey.

I’ve enjoyed many of Eddings books in the past, but this one just didn’t work for my tastes. I was looking for fun banter and swoony romance, and that’s not what I got, unfortunately. IMO, there’s nothing cute or fun about this, as the cover would suggest.

Additionally, to me the romance between Cubby and Darcy felt forced and desperate. I feel like both girls need to do a lot of work on themselves before they can possibly be in a healthy relationship.

With all of this being said, this is just my opinion and as far as the content goes, breaks down to personal taste. If you think it sounds interesting, absolutely give it a go. It could end up working for you.

Even though this one didn’t work out for me, I still plan to pick up whatever Eddings releases next. I’ve read four of her other novels and really enjoyed them all, so I’m guessing this is just a one off for me.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copies to read and review. The audiobook was well narrated, and if you’re going to pick it up, I would recommend that format.

View all my reviews

Review: Night Shoot by David Sodergren

~ megs14malloy

Night ShootNight Shoot by David Sodergren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Night Shoot was independently published back in 2019, and I’ve owned a paperback copy ever since. For some reason unknown to man, I’ve yet to pick it up though.

When I saw that Tantor, aka. RB Media, was releasing an audio copy, it’s first time in audiobook format, I was elated. It was finally time to pick up this stunning Horror novel that’s been haunting my shelves for almost a decade.

In this story, we follow a group of student filmmakers trying to complete a project for Uni. The setting of the film will be the remote Crawford Manor estate, which is owned by the Uncle of one of the students.

They’re given rules at the start. Certain places within the home that are off limits and a strict directive to depart by 8 p.m., but after their lead actress quits, throwing off their schedule, they feel like they’ve accomplished nothing by the time they’re supposed to be wrapping up. Nevertheless, they do leave the premises; for now.

After leaving, the group has a deep chat and decides an impromptu night shoot is a must if they’re to have any hope of completing the project. Thus, they proceed to break back into the property to continue filming. Who in the crowd thinks that’s a smart decision?

As one would imagine, things start going to pot pretty quickly. It’s clear they’re not alone within the Manor, but they could never imagine how brutal and twisted their night would become.

Y’all, this was so fun. It’s like the ghastly Horror movies of my youth. I loved how Sodergren channeled all those f*ed up vibes here. This felt like a film brought to life on the page. I could picture everything, it had all the classic stereotypical characters and compelling set-up.

I thought the audiobook was great as well. The narrator successfully brought great energy to the characters as the intensity continued to build. It got fairly disgusting towards the end, NGL. My toes are still curling. I had a blast!

This is not for the weak-stomached, anyone unaccustomed to gore, or anyone wanting to try Horror for the first time. Maybe you want to dip your toes into that Horror pool, but trust me, Sodergren is looking to shove you in the deep end.

For anyone who loves Horror films though, particularly those released in the 70s and 80s, this is a must read. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported back to your younger days. The days of copious blood, guts and final girls.

Thank you so much to the publisher of the new audiobook, Tantor Media, for providing me with a copy to listen to. This was great and I can’t wait to read more from D. Sodergren!

View all my reviews

Review: Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards

~ megs14malloy

Miss Winter in the Library with a KnifeMiss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife is a Mystery novel written with the idea that you, the Reader, will be an active participant in the solving of said Mystery.

They’ve even included a Clue Index, where you can double check the clues included to see which ones you may have missed, or which ones you got right.

And dang it, I wish I had read a hard copy in the way the author intended. I think it would have made it more fun if I could’ve actually played along. I have an e-ARC, and the mixed media elements didn’t quite work out in my ARC copy, so I ended up listening to the audiobook.

Let’s be clear, I listen to a ton of audiobooks, and have solved a lot of mysteries via audio, but for this one, IDK, I just really wish I had the hard copy in my hands, because I have a feeling there are a lot of visual elements in here that were lost to me because of the format I chose.

This is a bit of a closed-circle mystery that follows 6 individuals involved in the world of Crime Fiction, who get invited to play a murder mystery game over the Christmas holiday by an entity know as the Midwinter Trust.

They travel to this vast property owned by the Trust, where they’ll all be lodging for the duration of the game. We also meet 6 members of the Trust, who are involved in the execution of the game. They’re there to make sure the game goes off without a hitch.

As generally happens, and to my absolute delight, inclement weather ensues cutting those staying at the Trust property off from the adjacent north Yorkshire village.

When someone actually ends up dead, all bets are off. The cast of suspects is small, limited to those on the property, but will someone will be able to solve the whodunit before anyone else loses their life?

Even though I griped earlier about wanting a hard copy, the story itself was still engaging. The audiobook narration was great for my tastes and I thought the overall set-up and premise were fun.

I enjoyed how Edwards incorporated classic Mystery tropes, but the story did go in a direction I wasn’t crazy about. Nevertheless, I would recommend it to Mystery Readers who like to suss out the truth behind the murder.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Edwards is a prolific author and I would love to try out more novels from him. I’m not sure where to start, so if you have any thoughts, leave them below!

View all my reviews

Review: One of Us by Dan Chaon

~ megs14malloy

One of UsOne of Us by Dan Chaon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Hot on the heels of reading, and enjoying, Liar’s Dice, a Coming of Age story set in 1970s Brazil, last week, I decided I was having a Coming of Age moment and decided to pick up another. I’ve had One of Us on my radar for a long time because of the author, Dan Chaon, and felt like now was the time to finally give it a go.

This is a Literary Horror-Coming of Age story, set in 1915-U.S., following orphaned twins, Bolt and Eleanor. After their mother dies, the twins are taken in by a con-man, who claims to be their long-lost Uncle Charlie.

The twins have a special connection and an ability to read each other’s minds. To shysters like ole’ Uncle Charlie, the twins abilities, particularly at this time, could easily be exploited and end up being quite valuable. But Uncle Charlie isn’t just a shyster, he’s also a violent man.

After a late-night poker game, where one of his rages ends in murder, Eleanor and Bolt decide it’s time to move on. They need to run away as fast as they can.

They end up on an orphan train and then at an auction, where they’re ultimately scooped up by an apparent savior, Mr. Jengling, founder of the Emporium of Wonders, which is a traveling sideshow, a popular form of entertainment during this time period.

They travel by train across the country, performing in different locations, and we follow the twins as they settle into their new life. We learn a lot about the other members of the show as well, and Chaon did a great job of incorporating their many different stories, bringing humanity to the story in an oddly-beautiful way.

It’s the first time Eleanor and Bolt have really been a part of something like this, but as Bolt falls deeper and deeper into the found family of the Emporium, Eleanor finds herself growing farther away.

With Uncle Charlie on their trail, the twins are suddenly in more danger than ever. Will they be able to evade his capture, and protect their new family in the process?

This was a really interesting story. I’ve definitely never read a Coming of Age story quite like this before. I did find the time period and the idea of this traveling sideshow very compelling, but emotionally, I never really felt like I was able to connect with Eleanor and Bolt’s story.

I’m not sure why that is, necessarily. The writing was great, very fluid and it did have solid pacing. I think that maybe it was just my head space at the moment.

I definitely can appreciate what the author did here, giving a space where the misfits can get their time in the spotlight and I would recommend it for Historical Fiction fans. Particularly, those who may like something a little darker, or surreal in their stories.

Thank you to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m definitely interested in picking up more from Dan Chaon in the future. This was good.

View all my reviews

Review: Too Close to Home by Seraphina Nova Glass

~ megs14malloy

Too Close to HomeToo Close to Home by Seraphina Nova Glass
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Too Close to Home is set in the affluent lakefront community of Clover Lakes. And like many communities of this type, people seem to care a lot about everyone else’s business, and trust when I say, I do too. I’m here for it.

I love a juicy and twisted neighborhood drama, so I was all aboard in the beginning. We follow multiple-POVs and the drama kicks off at the annual Labor Day party, when a car explodes and someone is killed.

We follow three women directly tied to the individual who is killed, and through them we learn how the community, in general, is responding in the aftermath of the incident. It seems so out of the ordinary for Clover Lakes. This isn’t the kind of place where stuff like that happens.

But other strange things are happening in the community too, bomb threats at the school, and people who are supposed to be dead being spotted in a crowd, to name a couple of examples.

When a Clover Lakes resident goes missing shortly thereafter, the community is motivated and they pull together to search. Secrets are bound to be uncovered and it leaves some residents quaking in their heels.

I’m a huge Seraphina Nova Glass fan and love picking up her latest works. While this wasn’t my favorite from her, it’s still fast-paced, twisty and interesting.

I rated this one in comparison to her other novels that I’ve read. This is the 7th I’ve read from her, and I actually think content-wise, it’s my least favorite. It’s still good, don’t get me wrong, I just enjoyed her other stories more.

This did feel a little different in tone for me, very action-based, versus more psychological. I respect her continuing to bring different ideas to the table though, and this is a good story, just not a perfect fit for my taste.

There’s a lot of drama in this one for all three women, but it ultimately ended up going in a direction I wasn’t crazy about. I wanted neighborhood drama, not all the other stuff we ended up getting.

There was also a character, I won’t say who, that just made a series of ridiculous choices. I’m all for making mistakes and doing stupid stuff in fiction, it’s a great way to progress a story, but in this case, it didn’t make sense at all.

She ended up getting deeper than was ever necessary into the weeds and she just kept doing it over and over and over. It bordered on the ridiculous, that’s for sure. I think her entire perspective could have been done differently and still kept intensity and mystery.

At the end of the day though, this is strictly personal taste and I’m no expert, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Even though this wasn’t my favorite of her works, I still love Seraphina Nova Glass, and will continue to pick up every book she releases.

I would highly recommend the audiobook if you’re planning to pick this one up. It is voiced by three of my favorite narrators, Karissa Vacker, Brittany Pressley and Rebecca Lowman, so you can’t go wrong with that. They definitely succeeded in bringing the story to life.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Park Row and Harlequin Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This was entertaining and I can’t wait to see what SNG is going to come up with next!

View all my reviews

Review: The Cove by Claire Rose

~ megs14malloy

The CoveThe Cove by Claire Rose
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

The Cove is a YA Horror-Thriller that follows 17-year old, Lindsay Weinburg. Lindsay’s parents, though able to provide for her everything she needs, are pretty absent from her life. Because of that, Lindsay acts out quite a bit.

After she gets kicked out from yet another expensive prep school, her parents are fed up. Without consulting Lindsay at all, they ship her off to remote Marbury, Maine, to stay with her estranged Uncle Levi.

When she arrives at her Uncle’s farmhouse though, he’s gone, leaving the farm in the control of his evangelical wife, Irene, who Lindsay has never met.

Another fun fact Lindsay learns upon arrival is that Irene runs a reform camp for troubled teens at the farm, and there’s four other teens currently in residence. They must follow very strict rules, and perform laborious tasks during the day. It’s exhausting, isolating, and definitely not the lifestyle Lindsay is used to.

When Lindsay meets Phin and Cass, twins who live on a nearby island, she’s intrigued by them right away. After she convinces the other teens at the farm to sneak out for a party, everything changes. They wake in their beds the next day, clutching sea shells and with zero recollection of how they got back home.

One of the camp members is missing and Lindsay and the other teens realize something is very wrong. They need to figure out what happened at The Cove, before anyone else falls victim to its mysterious pull.

This was fine for me. I wasn’t really that intrigued by what was happening, unfortunately, so my attention waxed and waned. I found Lindsay’s perspective super grating, so we got off on a wrong foot almost immediately.

The way her narrative voice was written just didn’t work for me that well. Instead of feeling like I was with her as she was relaying the events of everything happening to her, I felt more like I was just getting a laundry list of her judgements of everywhere and everyone around her.

I feel like the author did succeed in setting up a mysterious culty-vibe with the setting. It felt a little disjointed though, in the later half, as everything was coming to a head.

The writing style and pace weren’t as fluid as I tend to enjoy, and some of the more supernatural elements felt under-baked, IMO. I do think for Younger Readers looking to be exposed more to Horror Thrillers, this could work very well. More experienced Readers of the genre, whether YA or not, may feel like they’ve seen this done better elsewhere.

I will say that I did enjoy the audiobook narration by Jesse Vilinsky. Vilinsky’s delivery was believable as Lindsay and it did keep me relatively dialed in. I would recommend that format if you’re going to pick this one up.

At the end of the day, my thoughts on this one just boil down to personal taste. I know there’s a good story in here, the execution just didn’t work for me personally.

Like I always say, however, just because this didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. If the content sounds interesting to you, give it a go. You could end up finding a new favorite.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Though this one didn’t quite knock my socks off, I wouldn’t be opposed to picking up more from this author.

She’s definitely someone I will keep my eye on in the future!

View all my reviews

Review: Headlights by C.J. Leede

~ megs14malloy

HeadlightsHeadlights by C.J. Leede
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Headlights is an exciting blend of Horror and Crime Fiction that is both thrilling and horrifying. Set in Colorado, this story is sure to creep under your skin until its profound, and admittedly, head-scratching conclusion.

On what should be his last day as a Special Agent with the FBI, Danny Stansfield, gets an unexpected call that it’s happening again. This news forces Danny to return to Denver, a city he fled 4-years previously.

It’s difficult to describe the string of cases that this book features. They’re clearly all related, but he’s never gotten satisfactory answers as to the who and why. Basically, seemingly innocent people are found wandering wearing the skins of victims they have butchered.

These skin-wearers have no recollection how they ended up where they are, or how they could’ve done what they’ve done. It doesn’t make sense. The most disturbing detail, besides the skin suit of course, is that each is found with a strand of a stranger’s hair tied around their tongues.

These individuals have never even met the people that have been murdered, whose skins have been torn from their bodies. What are the connections, and if he couldn’t figure it out before, how can Danny solve these mysteries now?

In this latest case though, there seems to be a twist, a person left who may hold the answers he seeks. Danny is determined to find out.

The deeper he’s pulled back into the cycle of death and depravity, the more Danny is forced to face the demons of his past. Aspects of his traumatic childhood are popping up all around him in a truly haunting fashion.

Will Danny be able to piece it all together, before he, or someone he loves, ends up as the killer’s next victim?

Every time I pick up a C.J. Leede book, I feel like I’m getting a new peek into her breadth as an author. I think for me, as far as tone and set-up, Headlights has been my favorite.

I actually rated American Rapture slightly higher, with 4.5-stars, but reflecting on it now, I feel that had more to do with the emotions I was having after reading the Author’s Note at the end. That gutted me.

Overall though, this one is definitely the closest match to my reading tastes.

The audiobook, narrated by Andrew Eiden, fits the narrative so well. Eiden’s narration has a bit of an old Detective Noir feel to it, that I felt paired so well with Danny’s perspective. It brought the Crime aspect to the forefront, yet carried through nicely into the Horror as well.

I would recommend the audiobook format, should it be available to you. It helped pull me into the story from the very start, as I was so entranced by Eiden’s delivery.

In addition to Eiden’s delivery, Danny has such a compelling backstory as well. I loved piecing that all together over the course of the book. You could tell from the start that he is truly haunted by his childhood, and I liked how Leede chose to reveal all that entails to the Reader.

There was certainly plenty to unpack. There was a lot of sensory things that would trigger memories for him, which made me really empathize with him, as I think that’s something we can all sort of relate to in one way or another.

It was more than just places he had been, there was also a lot of music, or other media involved, and certain smells, just things that would immediately take him back to when he was a kid. It was all very interesting.

Additionally, there’s connections to one of my favorite novels of all time. I was quite surprised when those details started popping up, and I wasn’t sure if I was reading too much into it, seeing connections that didn’t exist, but before long, it’s clear you’re supposed to be picking up on those.

I can imagine some Readers getting to those moments, or hearing about them, and feeling this is Copy Cat, but IMO it felt more true to life that that, if that makes sense.

To me, it was that this character had found an inspiration in, or an explanation in, this novel and I feel like that’s something a lot of us have experienced before. The cool part about this, was that the novel in question, is a real novel, and it’s a popular one, to say the least.

I will say that towards the end, the direction it went, it left me with some questions. Now that’s necessarily a bad thing, I don’t mind things left open-ended, or anything like that, I just feel like in this case, it actually got a little rushed and maybe slightly confusing.

I do plan to get a hard copy for my collection though, and would love to read it again, so perhaps on reread, I’ll be able to piece together more of the bigger picture concepts.

At the end of the day, I had a great time with this. I would recommend it to any Horror Reader, but also to Readers of Dark Crime Fiction, such as The Chestnut Man, The Echo Man, Come With Me, or Bone White.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’ll pick up anything written by C.J. Leede.

Keep ’em coming!

View all my reviews

Review: Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox

~ megs14malloy

Party of LiarsParty of Liars by Kelsey Cox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Party of Liars is just my kind of Thriller/Domestic Suspense. This story follows multiple perspectives over the course of the narrative and I loved watching all of the connections and dirty laundry be exposed.

I do love a ‘Rich People Behaving Badly’ type of story and I would argue this definitely falls into that category. The story revolves around Sophie Matthews’ Sweet 16 Birthday Party, at her Dad’s lavish estate in Texas.

Sophie’s parents, Ethan and Kim are divorced, and Ethan has remarried a much younger woman named Dani. The couple now have their own infant daughter, Charlotte. Kim is somewhat disgruntled about the way Ethan has chosen to move on, as you can imagine.

All of their friends are in attendance, in addition to Sophie’s friends. Drinks are flowing, the music is pumping, and things heat up quickly.

The party ends in a death, with the who and why revealed very late in the story. I loved the build-up and was sitting like a patron in a theater, totally entranced as all the juicy details came to light.

Orlaith the superstitious Irish nanny turned out to be my favorite character. She was hired to help with Charlotte and I loved how insightful her perspective felt.

She wasn’t really a part of this world, like all of the other characters involved, so it felt like her perspective was giving us a pretty clear outline of all that was going on. People never seemed to notice her, or take her seriously, which allowed her to observe a lot.

At the same time, there was something almost fantastical-feeling about her position there. She reminded me a bit of a fairy godmother. I just loved that she was included.

I really enjoyed the full cast audio and would recommend that as a format for taking in the story. Having the different narrators for the varying perspectives helped to keep everything straight, and helped bring the action to life.

I’ve never read from Kelsey Cox before, but I’m looking forward to more!

View all my reviews