audiobooks

Review: Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker

~ megs14malloy

Something I Keep UpstairsSomething I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Something I Keep Upstairs is set in the coastal New Hampshire town of Newcastle, and follows a story told by Billy Hasler.

He shares with the Reader the events that happened to him and his group of friends in the Summer he was 17, that would change the course of all of their lives.

That was the Summer before they were all supposed to head off to college, as most of us know an oft emotional and pivotal time in a young person’s life.

When his best friend, David Spivey, inherits his deceased Grandmother’s mysterious house on a nearby island, it seems the perfect spot for Summer shenanigans. As they start to spend time there with their friends though, it becomes clear that the island houses a dark past.

Things spiral out of control for the group. It becomes the stuff of nightmares, and it’s hard to trust what you’re hearing from Billy. This house is evil and it’s something that’s effected generations of people in Newcastle.

It doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon either. Will Billy be able to escape its hungry grasp unscathed, or will he suffer the same fate of many before him?

For my personal tastes, Something I Keep Upstairs wasn’t a super enjoyable reading experience. My attention frequently wavered and I probably only managed to retain 1/2 of it. Nevertheless, I have to give many extra points for Barker’s fluid writing style and wild-creativity.

While this had some strong attributes, like the atmosphere and inclusion of local history/lore, a few of the concepts weren’t to my tastes. I also felt it dragged on for way too long. Coming in at just shy of 500-pages, this story felt like a monster undertaking that struggled to get off the ground.

I did love the sort of confessional Coming of Age narrative style though. I think that was a great choice by the author, and perhaps if the ‘what’ of the island captured my attention a little more, I wouldn’t have minded the length as much.

Some of the extra points also go towards the many unexpected turns of the story, which I never saw coming. However, with this being said, I did find it difficult to track some of the side characters and past events/time shifts.

At the end of the day though, I think it was merely a mismatch for my tastes. I can appreciate the skill it took to create this story, but for me, it just wasn’t a hit.

With this being said, this is purely my personal opinion based upon my reading experience. Just because I wasn’t the biggest fan, doesn’t mean you wouldn’t love it. I strongly encourage anyone who thinks it sounds interesting to give it a go. It’s absolutely worth the shot!

Thank you to the publisher, Hampton Creek Press and Recorded Books, for providing me with copies to read and review. I def plan to check out more from this author!

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Review: Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

~ megs14malloy

Hemlock & SilverHemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I read…a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind, in the Publisher’s synopsis for this book, I felt like all my dreams were coming true.

Kingfisher gracing us with a Snow White reimagining, you know it’s bound to be amazing. Spoiler Alert: IT WAS!!!

This story features, Anja, a healer who specializes in poisons. Anja receives a summons from the King to assist with his daughter, Snow, who appears to be dying and they can’t figure out why.

Nothing seems to be helping. Anja is smart, creative and experiments frequently to create different antidotes. If anyone can save the young princess from some unknown threat, it’s gonna be her.

This is just the basic set-up for this story, because I don’t want to risk giving anything away. As with most of Kingfisher’s work, Anja ends up surrounding herself with an endearing cast of side characters, including a brooding guard and opinionated cat.

I can’t tell you how much I loved Anja. From the very start, she felt like someone I could relate to. I know this sounds silly, since this is a Fantasy story, but her narrative voice, the way she thought and related to the world around her, it’s so similar to myself.

I’ve actually felt that way about many of Kingfisher’s main characters, so perhaps the two of us just have very similar senses of humor.

Anja was also delivering solid intrepid scholar vibes, which was so fun and interesting to follow. She definitely is a bit out of her comfort zone traveling to the kingdom to help the king, but stays strong even though it’s intimidating and does what needs to be done.

The mystery behind what was happening to Snow was super compelling as well. As that unfolds, I loved how dark Kingfisher took it, and some of the imagery that was created was so darkly-beautiful.

The guard, Javier, when they started investigating Snow’s illness together, OMG, there were so many funny moments. The stellar narration of the audio def brought life to that humorous banter. I could picture it all like a movie.

Another thing worth mentioning is how well Kingfisher writes animals and animal companions. This is a common thread I’ve found in her works. They all have so much personality, like all of our real life animal companions.

You can tell she is an animal lover. I never worry about animals being killed or abused in her stories. Taking that worry away makes it a much cozier read for me.

Overall, I felt this was brilliant. Anja made this story special for me, and memorable. She’s easily my favorite protagonist of the year so far. I would lay down my life for her.

I’m such a huge Kingfisher stan, so I was expecting to love this, but I was actually surprised how swept up in the story I became. The audiobook had me hooked.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me a copy to read and review. I’m so happy to have another novel to add to my Favorites Shelf!!

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Review: The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols

~ megs14malloy

The Marigold Cottages Murder CollectiveThe Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

With a story as fun and cozy as this cover, The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective gave me everything I was hoping for and then some. I did not expect to love this as much as I did, but I was pulled in and held so tightly.

The audiobook is a fabulous way to go with this one, as the dual narration of Meg Price and Jim Meskimen helped fuse humor and heart even more so into the story.

The comp to The Thursday Murder Club in the publisher’s synopsis is definitely apt, but whereas with those books, the main characters are all mostly elderly, this story features more of a range of ages and backgrounds.

I feel like their differences, firstly, make them easier to remember, but also made the dynamics among them so heart-warming, interesting and funny.

I adore the Thursday Murder Club series, don’t get me wrong, but I actually think it took me less time to learn this cast of characters and to fall in love with them. Sophie, Mrs. B, Ocean, and all the others, are just so darn lovable.

The mystery was also super compelling and I loved watching them all bumbling around trying to figure it out. They all wanted to protect one another, often with calamitous results.

It’s got a real wacky found family vibe, and the Southern California setting was also an enjoyable backdrop. Overall, I think this is such a fun and carefree Cozy Mystery that I’m definitely hoping will turn into a much longer series.

Thank you so much to the publishers, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I had a fabulous time with this!!

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Review: Matchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell

~ megs14malloy

Matchmaking for PsychopathsMatchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alexandra works for a small, woman-owned matchmaking company, and her area of specialty is with clients who fall somewhere along the psychopathy scale.

Her clients aren’t the murdery-type of psychopaths, though, that we might all think of. At least she doesn’t think so. They actually tend to be quite successful individuals, who are just as deserving as love as the next person.

But what happens when the matchmaker is barely holding her own love-life together?

Alexandra thought she had found love for herself, but boy, was she wrong. A fact she discovered on her birthday, when her boyfriend, Noah, and best friend, Molly, revealed that they were now an item, leaving Alex out in the cold.

Alex has suddenly lost the two people she was closest too in the world, but as the old adage goes, there are more fish in the sea, both in the romance sea and the friendship sea.

Alex soon has a potential love interest, as well as a potential new best friend, but instead of stabilizing things for her, circumstances continue to spiral after her ex disappears, and she fears he’s been murdered on her behalf.

Much like Coryell’s previous novel, Love Letters to a Serial Killer, this story succeeds in pushing boundaries, and potentially Readers outside their comfort zones.

It’s a fun and edgy blend of Romance, Mystery and Horror, all rolled into one tidy little package. I enjoyed getting to know our MC, Alexandra. She certainly contains multitudes.

As the story unfolds, it’s hard not to try to figure out what is actually going on, but Coryell reveals things in such a way, that I found it close to impossible to guess. Sure, I had various theories throughout, but I was never confident, because there were so many darkly-delicious possibilities.

I found the concept of Alexandra’s job super interesting, and it was fun reading about various situations occurring in her workplace. Additionally, Alex has a fascinating history that definitely added its own level of intrigue to the story.

Overall, this out of the box, genre-blending, Romantic Suspense story, full of murder and mayhem, definitely kept me on my toes. I loved trying to guess what was actually going on. The characters were intriguing, and the plot, just wacky enough to deliver pure entertainment!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to picking up more from Tasha Coryell!!

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Review: The Perfect Divorce (Perfect #2) by Jeneva Rose

~ megs14malloy

The Perfect Divorce (Perfect, #2)The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Perfect Divorce is the sequel to Jeneva Rose’s 2020-release, The Perfect Marriage. I had never read that 1st-book, but ended up getting an audio-ARC of this one, which I couldn’t resist due to one of my all-time favorite narrators, Adam Lazarre-White, being part of the production.

It’s not often you see Duologies, or Trilogies, in the Thriller space, and I wasn’t 100% sure that I would need to read the 1st-book, but I’m so, so, so glad that I did.

I definitely feel like you need the background of The Perfect Marriage in order to be able to truly appreciate this one. Rose did so much character work in that 1st-book that’s imperative to have going into this one.

Also, if you’re wondering if this book is necessary though, perhaps it’s just a cash grab, and can’t hold up to the 1st-book, I would also put those thoughts to rest. Somehow, Rose made this even more twisted than the 1st.

This one is set 11-years after the events of the 1st-book, and MC, Sarah Morgan, has moved on. She’s remarried, she has a daughter and she’s ready to leave the past in the past, exactly where it belongs.

Unfortunately, yet again, Sarah finds herself deep in marital woes after her husband, Bob, is caught out in a one-night stand. Sarah wastes no time filing for divorce. She’s not putting up with any funny business anymore.

However, in the midst of this, DNA evidences surfaces that could also bring the horrible events of the past back into the spotlight. When the woman Bob cheated with disappears, it seems like history may be repeating itself, but how?

This audiobook is so great. I definitely recommend that format if you’re going to pick it up. The cast truly was able to bring all of the drama of this story to life.

Rose did a great job refreshing the Reader on what happened in that 1st-book as well, without making it feel repetitive. So even if it’s been a while since you read The Perfect Marriage, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble getting into this one and feeling like you have all the info.

I was impressed with how wild and dark this one got. I wasn’t sure if the same diabolical nature of the 1st-book could be repeated again, but it definitely was.

Thank you, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If you’re looking for a completely OTT-Popcorn Thriller Duology, look no further, the Perfect duology is it!!

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Review: Break Me Down by Anna Downes

~ megs14malloy

Break Me DownBreak Me Down by Anna Downes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

Break Me Down is a Macmillan Audio Original from popular Thriller author, Anna Downes. This is told via an exceptional full cast and features mixed media elements that work very well in the audio format.

The story follows a former child star, Georgia Lane, after she moves to L.A., determined to make a career comeback.

Georgia quickly learns, however, that behind the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles life lies a cutthroat entertainment industry not for the faint of heart, and her past success doesn’t promise anything in the now.

She meets a man named Henry, also an aspiring actor, who ends up inviting her to audit a class at the elite acting school he attends. The school’s head teacher soon takes a special interest in Georgia, and offers her a spot at The Studio.

Marianne’s teaching methods are very unconventional, but Georgia sees it as a potential path to unlocking her true potential. The deeper Georgia and Henry go with their involvement in The Studio, the further it pushes them apart.

Are Marianne’s bizarre teaching tactics actually helping her students, or is it actually her own perverse form of psychological warfare against them?

The content of Break Me Down was good, it was solid, though it didn’t contain anything Earth-shattering. Long-term, I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to recall of the story.

I do feel like watching Georgia fall deeper and deeper into The Studio was compelling, but yeah, not particularly mysterious, suspenseful, or thrilling. It was more interesting because it was so much of a train-wreck.

I also wasn’t crazy about Georgia and Henry’s relationship, so wasn’t connected with that aspect. It never felt like he had the right intentions to me. He was hard to read.

My enjoyment of the story itself is closer to a 3, or 3.5-star, however, I’m rounding up simply because the audio production was so good. The full cast, the various sound effects, it was really, really well done.

If you’re an audiobook fan, and enjoy things that have sort of a docuseries feel, such as Daisy Jones and the Six, this is absolutely worth the listen. Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for providing me for a copy to read and review!

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Review: The Perfect Marriage (Perfect #1) by Jeneva Rose

~ megs14malloy

The Perfect Marriage (Perfect, #1)The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

On paper, Sarah and Adam have the perfect marriage. The couple live in a beautiful home, and Sarah has an extremely successful career as a Defense Attorney in Washington, D.C., while Adam gets to pursue his passion in writing.

But in truth, Adam’s grown tired of Sarah’s focus on her career. She’s constantly working, and yeah, maybe he is even a little jealous of her success.

Adam begins to pursue another passion in the form of a young waitress named Kelly Summers. He uses their 2nd-home as a rendezvous point with his mistress, which is perfect because Sarah never goes there.

Adam’s other life gets suddenly exposed, however, when he is arrested for Kelly’s murder. The young woman was found murdered in the bed at the lover’s retreat, shortly after Adam was known to have been there.

Being the best in the business, there’s no one better to take on Adam’s defense than Sarah; conflicts of interest be damned. Even though he’s broken her heart, Sarah agrees to take on his case. He’s her husband and in spite of his betrayal, he still deserves the best defense. Doesn’t he?

The Perfect Marriage follows the deeply twisted lives of this power couple via both Sarah and Adam’s perspective. I loved the dual narration of the audiobook, and would recommend that format.

Initially, I wasn’t sure if I was going to round up to 4-stars, but after thinking about it for a couple of weeks, I really feel it deserves it. This was so fun. It’s so messy, but all the more engaging because of that. I seriously never knew what was going to come next

It’s true that the plot probably won’t be the most memorable long term, but Rose got so devious with it, I gotta give her love for that. There were so many twists, and although there’s not a ton of substance, it’s a hella good time.

I would recommend this for Readers who love fast-paced Domestic Thrillers, bordering on diabolical. Get your popcorn ready, cause you’re gonna want it!

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Review: Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan

~ megs14malloy

Their Monstrous HeartsTheir Monstrous Hearts by Yiğit Turhan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Going into Their Monstrous Hearts, I knew nothing about it. I was sold by the cover and just had to have it, because against sound advice, I do judge books by their covers.

I was therefore delighted when I discovered that the basic set-up of this novel is an inheritance story, one of my favorite tropes.

We’re following Riccardo, a down on his luck author, who is estranged from his family and about a millimeter above rock bottom. Just as he ponders how he is going to get his life back on track, and deliver his agent the pages they’re demanding, a mysterious stranger arrives to inform him that his Grandmother, Perihan, has passed away.

Riccardo thinks, what’s that got to do with me? I haven’t spoken to the woman for years. The stranger, maybe a solicitor of some sort, insists that he’ll want to make his way to Milan to learn more about what he’s been bequeathed.

Finally deciding he could use a change of scenery, Riccardo takes them up on the plane ticket, and it’s off to Milan he goes. Once there, his Grandmother’s estate house isn’t quite as opulent as he remembered, but it’s still better than the street corner he was 5-seconds away from sleeping on.

It’s decrepit and definitely giving off an ominous vibe. Curious about the state of his house, his Grandmother’s friends and everything else about the current situation he finds himself in, Riccardo starts poking around; as you do.

He discovers a notebook of his Grandmother’s writing. As he dives into it, it gets strange. Is this fact, or fiction? A confessional, or a woman’s imagination gone wild?

This is a strange story, NGL. It’s not going to be for everyone, as evidenced by the current overall rating, but I found myself captivated by the audiobook. First, the wonderful dual narration helped me to envision these characters perfectly.

Mentioning the dual narration makes me think, I should also mention, that not only do we get Riccardo’s perspective in the present, we also get all of his Grandmother Perihan’s writings, that unfold a story of the past.

The way this rolled out, there was something so intriguing about it to me. Perihan’s story, I wasn’t sure what to think at times as far as was it true, or was it something she was creating. Either way, I needed to know the truth.

If you’re a Reader who can see the grotesque in things that are too beautiful, this book might be for you. And if you know what I mean by that, you are the Reader for this book.

I know the rating at this moment looks intimidating, but there’s no way I’m gonna be the only Reader who is darkly intrigued by this story.

It is weird. There are some things I’ll admit I’m not sure if I’m understanding the way the author intended, but I really enjoyed the mystery, atmosphere and the more monstrous aspects of this storyline. In my opinion, this deserves some more attention.

Thank you to the publisher, MIRA and Harlequin Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I would absolutely recommend the audio if you are going to check this one out. As mentioned above, I feel the dual narrators brought this story to life!

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Review: Goosebumps — Night of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps #7) by R.L. Stine

~ megs14malloy

Night of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps, #7)Night of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Many know Slappy the dummy as one of the most iconic Goosebumps characters of all time. And while I have read other books with Slappy as an antagonist, I’ve no recollection of ever reading this, Night of the Living Dummy, Slappy’s first appearance.

Recently, I needed a quick, fun, not too mentally taxing, audiobook while doing things around the house and decided to pick this up. I’m glad I did, as it fit the bill nicely.

In this story we follow twins, Lindy and Kris, who find a discarded ventriloquist’s dummy. Lindy decides to save it, brings it home with them, and names it Slappy.

Kris, never wanting her sister to upstage her, needs to get a dummy of her own, which she names Mr. Wood. In classic Stine fashion, the sisters battle it out, performing with their dummies, but are the dummies battling too?

Something weird is going on. Disturbing things begin to happen when the dummies are around, and it soon becomes clear there’s an evil lurking in their house. Will the girls be able to band together and figure out what’s happening, or will the dummies force them apart forever?

In my humble opinion, this is definitely one of the stronger Goosebumps stories. At this point in the series, regardless of the direction his character goes in later stories and series spin-offs, Slappy does indeed feel menacing here.

While Stine always loves siblings fighting and having rivalries, I liked how the twins did eventually put their differences aside, and worked together.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this as one of the ‘must reads’ of the Goosebumps universe. I feel like it provides a solid foundation for Slappy’s character moving forward, and is also just a lot of fun!

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Review: Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings

~ megs14malloy

Well, ActuallyWell, Actually by Mazey Eddings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eva Kitt is the host of a sarcasm-heavy, internet-based chat show called Sausage Talk, where she interviews B-List celebs while noshing on hot dogs.

While she once dreamed of a serious career in journalism, that’s not how it worked out. She’s here now and she’s trying to do her best, even though it seems like the world may sometimes be against her career advancement.

Riley Cooper is the guy who broke her heart in college. Not just broke it, shattered it and danced on the pieces. He’s also a beloved social media personality, where he hosts a show on deconstructing toxic masculinity.

After a few too many cocktails, Eva watches one of his annoyingly-successful vids, and is disgusted he gets away with peddling lies. Thus, she makes her own scathing review of Riley’s work and character; as you do. She doesn’t have that many followers on her accounts. No one is going to see it, or take it seriously.

IT GOES VIRAL…and she said some things!!

Eva finds herself raked over the coals by her bosses, but then she’s given an opportunity to redeem herself. All she has to do is reach out to Riley and interview him on her show.

Eva would rather do anything, seriously ANYTHING, but that, but with her career on the line, she’s forced into the interview, where she finds Riley as handsome and devilishly-charming as before.

When he suggests that she allow him to take her on a series of six dates to make up for the past, all of which will be followed via social media, she begrudgingly accepts. It has nothing to do with him. She’s thinking of her career here…

As the dates progress, the two begin to relate to one another in unexpected ways. Did Eva have it wrong? Is the boy that broke her heart, suddenly the man that she needs to heal it?

Y’all, Mazey Eddings is a go-to Romance author for me, and this novel is the perfect example of why. I was immediately pulled in by the humor, banter and quick, yet thorough, character development.

The set-up is so fun. I enjoy stories involving celebrities of any kind, and Rylie was definitely giving off those celeb status vibes. I also loved the concept of the 6-dates for him to redeem himself to her. Each date was unique and helped to progress their relationship.

Eva was giving off major Bobbi Althoff vibes. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not, but it was seriously all I could think of. She did get a little frustrating at times, Riley was definitely the star of the show for me, but I did feel like Eva’s character showed some real growth over the course of the story.

I like how Eddings always has characters that are going through some fairly serious, and common, real-life issues. I like watching people work through challenges like that, and to see them open up and receive help from others in regards to those issues.

That’s life, right? It always gives the stories a bit more of a believable feel to me. No one is perfect, no one’s life is perfect, and I like the see the messy day-to-day things pulled through into my fiction. Maybe it helps me feel not so alone, IDK.

This is also super steamy. So we have the serious life stuff, but we also have some wild, toe-curling, giggling and swooning bedroom stuff. That’s a nice mix.

I would recommend this to any Romance Reader, particularly if you have read from Eddings in the past and enjoyed. There’s so much to love within this story.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. Eddings has crush another one! Well done!

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