book review

Review: Carving Shadows into Gold (Forging Silver into Stars #2) by Brigid Kemmerer

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Carving Shadows into Gold (Forging Silver into Stars #2)Carving Shadows into Gold by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Carving Shadows into Gold is the 2nd-book in Brigid Kemmerer’s Forging Silver into Stars series. If you’re unaware, this is a companion to Kemmerer’s popular Cursebreakers series, which began with A Curse So Dark and Lonely.

This immersive YA-Fantasy world started off as a loose reimagining of Beauty and the Beast, but oh baby, has it come a long way since then!

I really enjoyed my time with the entire Cursebreakers trilogy, but I gotta say, I feel like these books in the Forging Silver into Stars series feel much more substantial and mature.

Personally, I feel like it’s Kemmerer’s writing. It just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Every time I pick up a book by her, I’m instantly reminded what an insane talent she is.

For example, picking this up, I was concerned I wouldn’t remember enough from the 1st-book, because it had been months and months since I had read it. I shouldn’t have worried. I was immediately invested and it felt as if I had never left. I remembered everything.

As with the 1st-book, we are following Jax, Tycho and Callyn. In this one however, the three are sort of thrust into different parts of the kingdom, all set on different paths. Though apart, their connections to one another feel as strong as ever.

As dangerous events begin to strike the kingdom with increasing frequency, our cast is forced to make difficult choices fighting for their lives and the ones they love.

The debate over the use of magic gets put to the ultimate test as war looms forever closer.

I have been anxiously awaiting this continuation and it was everything I wanted it to be. I’m so pleased with everything that unfolded over the course of this 2nd-book.

I love this world and these three main characters. I’m truly attached to them and was surprised how easily I found myself completely re-immersed in this story. I feel like I’m a part of this world when I’m reading it.

I already cannot wait for whatever Kemmerer has in store for us next. It feels like everything is coming to a head. I’m scared and excited and all the other emotions.

While you can certainly read this series on its own, I would recommend reading Cursebreakers prior to picking this up. This is written in such a way that you wouldn’t feel lost without that background, but it definitely adds to the experience if you have read that trilogy.

Thank you to the publisher, Bloomsbury YA, for providing me with a copy to read and review. You know where to find me when the third book drops!!!

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Review: Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

~ megs14malloy

Beautiful UglyBeautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Did I just read my favorite book of 2025?

I’m gagged, I’m gobsmacked, I’m elated. I had so much fun reading this. I highly recommend the audiobook, fabulously narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton.

It’s like Feeney wrote this with me in mind.

The very start of this novel gripped me so hard I could barely breath. That’s how you start a story. I can’t remember if it was a Prologue, or just the first chapter, but I was immediately hooked.

This story follows author, Grady Green, who we meet when he is on the cusp of receiving some excellent news for his career. His wife, Abby, is running late for dinner and he is anxious for her to return home, so they can hear the news together and celebrate.

They end up on the phone on her drive home, and while speaking, she comes across a person laying in the road. He tells her to keep driving, but she insists on stopping. He hears her get out of the car, with him still on the line, but never hears anything from her again…

Picking up a year later, Grady is an absolute mess. He can’t sleep, he can’t concentrate, and he certainly can’t write.

There are so many unanswered questions. Abby’s car was found, all of her belongings still there, but she was just gone without a trace.

Worried about his state of mind, his agent, Kitty, who was Abby’s Godmother, offers Grady an escape. The use of her cabin, a verifiable Writer’s Retreat, on the remote Scottish island of Amberley.

By remote, we’re talking only a handful of people live on this island year-round. Grady is willing to try anything, he needs to get his mind straight, so along with his lovable Labrador, Colombo, he sets off for Amberley.

From the very start, things do not go as planned. Once there, even he is shocked by the remoteness. It’s a bit like traveling back in time. The atmosphere, the solitude, the quiet, it ends up getting under his skin and into his mind.

Complicating matters further, he keeps seeing a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife? How can this be? Is it just the island playing tricks with his mind, or is Abby alive and well on Amberley?

Beautiful Ugly has everything I love. I was beyond immersed. I barely remembered the synopsis by the time I picked it up and I loved the directions Feeney took this one.

Not to mention, the ending left me with that exquisite little evil grin on my face that I love so much at the end of any Thriller story. It was brilliantly-executed.

I’m an Atmosphere Girlie, first-and-foremost and the atmosphere in this is off-the-charts.

The island itself was so interesting. We get to meet quite a few of the regular residents and they had me scratching my head. It’s an odd group of people.

There were aspects that reminded me a bit of Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s Hex, just in regards to the overall mystery of this little community. In fact, this did feel like she was toeing the line into Horror territory on more than one occasion with the haunting descriptions of this location.

As an island resident myself, I feel like Feeney truly nailed the island vibes, from the troubles with getting a ferry to and from, to the isolation over the off-season months.

The mystery and suspense of the story also kept me guessing and kept me wanting more. I read this so quickly, because I needed to know the truth of what was going on.

I know some Readers are not going to like the truth behind the mystery, but for me, I felt it was really fun and I’m happy with how it all turned out.

I would absolutely recommend this story to any Mystery-Thriller Reader, particularly if you’ve enjoyed other works by Feeney. I feel like it’s a must-read for 2025. I loved it.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I consider Feeney to be an absolute Queen of Suspense, and she didn’t disappoint here!

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Review: Guilt and Ginataan (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #5) by Mia P. Manansala

~ megs14malloy

Guilt and Ginataan (A Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, #5)Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Guilt and Ginataan is the 5th-installment of Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries by Mia P. Manansala. This is a Culinary Cozy series, which I have enjoyed since the very start.

This series follows Lila Macapagal and is set in the small town of Shady Palms. It is full of food, fun and family. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Lila, her quirky family and loyal friends over the course of these 5-books.

This mystery takes place during the annual Shady Palms Corn Festival, which is a big money-maker for local small businesses. Lila and the Brew-Ha Cafe crew are participating and looking forward to being a part of all the festivities.

Their festive spirits are quickly cut short however, after someone is murdered in the corn maze, and Lila’s best friend, and business partner, Adeena, found with a knife, ends up as the number one suspect.

Lila knows that Adeena could never hurt someone, let alone kill them, and she won’t rest until she’s able to clear her friend’s name and discover the identity of the real killer.

This is a solid mystery. I was so happy to be back with Lila, her sweet dachshund, and her friends. For me though, this lost a bit of the fun cozy-feel that I had relished so much in the earlier installments.

I’m not sure if it is just me, maybe the original magic is gone for me somewhat, or if it is actually written differently, but major portions of this felt so forced, particularly the dialogue. It kept knocking me out of the story.

It didn’t feel like the warm hug I had felt from the earlier books. Perhaps it’s because Lila’s family doesn’t play as big of a role in this one as they have in the earlier installments, this is more friendship-focused, and maybe I missed the warmth of the family connections.

With this being said, I did still find it entertaining and I do still love the characters. I’m not sure what the plans are for this series, but let me be clear, if there is a 6th-book, I will definitely be picking it up. Unfortunately, though, this is my least favorite of the series thus far.

I would recommend this series to Readers who love food, cooking, or Culinary Mysteries. There’s always quite a bit of food talk, including mouth-watering descriptions and there are always recipes included at the end; a nice touch.

As the series develops, and you learn more about each of the characters and watch their relationships grow and blossom, it would be hard not to fall in love with them. Shady Pines is one of those towns, though quaint and cozy, there always seems to be some nefarious things going down.

I love this type of mystery as a way to break up my darker reads, and Mia P. Manansala has firmly implanted herself on my auto-read author list.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am excited to hear if there are going to be further books in this series. I’m all in, if so!

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Review: But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

~ megs14malloy

But Not Too BoldBut Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

But Not Too Bold is so odd, and so beautiful and so compelling. It’s oddly, beautifully-compelling.

I am almost at a loss for words. It felt at times like I didn’t understand it, but I did, at the same time. The themes, the descriptions, the gorgeous characterizations, it felt instinctual, though I can’t necessarily explain it coherently.

In fact, this is much less of a coherent narrative style than I tend to enjoy, but I fell in love with the writing instantly, so just decided to roll with it and I’m so glad I did!

But Not Too Bold is a Queer Fantasy Horror novella, of which I shall say nothing of the plot. It’s only 112-pages and well-worth the read.

The synopsis lays out everything you need to know going in, but even with that, I feel you’ll still be surprised at the depths to which this story will take you. It felt like falling down a dark, whimsical, dangerous rabbit hole, from which there’s no escape.

I loved the main character, Dália. There was something so relatable about her. I was also surprised at how intrigued I was by the mystery that Dália is trying to solve.

More than that, I was shocked by the emotional impact this little story has. How is it possible to pack this much punch into such a small space?

Somehow, Pueyo succeeded in doing just that. The conclusion was gorgeous. My only small gripes would be that there were a couple of details I felt weren’t adequately fleshed out, and also, I wish this were a little longer.

Overall though, I am so pleased with this. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fantasy Horror, or stories that feel like modern folklore. Also, a bonus if you are looking for Queer, or female-centered dark fiction.

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Review: The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman

~ megs14malloy

The Meadowbrook MurdersThe Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amy and Sarah are best friends, just entering their Senior year at the prestigious Meadowbrook Academy, a private boarding school set in a tiny Connecticut town.

It’s the week prior to the official school start, but the Seniors have all returned to campus. It’s expected to be a great year filled with parties, laughs and their last bit of teenage freedom before becoming adults.

All hopes of that are shattered however, when Sarah and her boyfriend, Ryan, are brutally murdered in Sarah and Amy’s dorm suite. Shockingly, Amy slept through it. She didn’t hear a thing, but she does discover the bodies the next day.

She tells the police she was the only other person in their suite that night, even though that’s not quite true. Everyone on campus and in the surrounding community is shocked, and they look at Amy now with suspicion.

Liz is also a Senior at Meadowbrook. She’s a scholarship kid, who writes for the school newspaper. Honestly, her entire life revolves around the paper. She’s dead-set on becoming a successful journalist someday and her time at Meadowbrook is the first step on that path.

Meadowbrook can open doors for her. She doesn’t come from a wealthy or powerful family, like the majority of the other kids, and she hasn’t always fit in.

Liz breaks the story of the murder. It’s too juicy to pass up and this could help her land the scholarship she needs for college. She’s determined to crack this case.

Liz and Amy have never been friends, but they’re thrust together when the school assigns Amy to be Liz’s new roommate. Clearly, Amy can’t return to her regular suite, it’s a crime scene and tainted by the trauma.

Nonetheless, Amy is none to happy to be forced to room with the random girl digging around into her best friend’s murder; exposing it to the world.

After a bit, with Amy still high on everyone’s suspect list, she decides she needs to figure this out as well, and Liz may be her best chance to get to the bottom of it.

Two worlds merge as the girls eventually thaw a bit of the ice wall between them and start to share information. Some truly fun and engaging amateur sleuthing follows.

I flew through The Meadowbrook Murders in one straight shot. I had quite an enjoyable little Saturday reading this.

As YA Thrillers go, Jessica Goodman is one of my favorite authors, and you can definitely tell this is one of her books. If you’ve read from Goodman before, you know what to expect going into this, and you won’t be disappointed.

We all know I love a private school setting and murder mysteries set a private school are my cake. I enjoyed Liz’s character arc most of all. She was one determined cookie.

I also appreciate how well Goodman frames these ‘haves v. haves not’, or ‘locals v. outsiders’ situations. This is a theme I have noticed in some of her other works, and as a person who lives in a resort community, I can relate to a lot of those dynamics and it feels very genuine to me.

Although I enjoyed Liz’s perspective a little more, Amy’s perspective added so much drama and backstory as far as the mystery into Sarah’s death went. I did grow to like Amy more as the story went on and I’m glad that Goodman wrote this using the dual perspective.

I found the who a little obvious, but the why and how, I was way far off from. Overall, I thought this was highly-entertaining and I would recommend it to any YA Mystery-Thriller fans out there.

Particularly if you’ve enjoyed Goodman’s work in the past, or if you enjoy books from Kara Thomas or Alexa Donne. Also, a must for fans of private school stories.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The Meadowbrook Murders will be available this coming Tuesday, February 4, 2025!!

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Review: The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco (The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco #1) by Michelle Chouinard

~ megs14malloy

The Serial Killer Guide to San FranciscoThe Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Capri Sanzio owns and operates a tour company in her native San Francisco. These aren’t your normal run-of-the-mill tourist tours, however. Capri’s tours are focused on the serial killers of their great city.

San Francisco is rich in history, and unsurprisingly, like many big cities, some of it has been violent and bloody.

Capri has been interested in serial killers since she was a child and discovered that her own Grandfather, William Sanzio, was the convicted serial killer known as Overkill Bill.

Even though she was naturally curious about her Grandfather, her Dad refused to talk about him or his alleged crimes, so she grew up riddled with questions and those never really went away. As an adult, she transformed that unusual interest into a profitable business.

Although she’s always believed her Grandfather was innocent, Capri never dedicated any time into really researching his case.

When she suddenly needs additional money to help pay for her daughter’s grad school program though, and a copycat killer has reopened interest in Overkill Bill, Capri figures now may be the time. She could write a book, chronicling the research process via podcast, thus making cash and exonerating her Grandfather at the same time.

Before she even has the chance to get her plan off the ground though, the police discover the copycat’s latest victim, Sylvia, Capri’s mother-in-law, and the reason why Capri suddenly needed money for her daughter’s schooling.

Sylvia had been paying, but recently announced she was cutting them off. Jarringly, Capri finds herself as the main suspect. Now it’s not just about clearing her Grandfather’s name, it’s about clearing herself.

I had a blast reading The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco. I seriously need to reevaluate some of my life choices.

Why the heck did I wait so long to pick this up?

This was so cute. I loved the audiobook narration, which perfectly matched Capri’s personality. I’m stoked this is the start of a series. It’s certainly one I plan to continue with. I’m definitely down for solving more cases with Capri.

This has such a great setting and overriding premise. I would strongly recommend it for fans of the Finlay Donovan series, as it has a similar tone. It’s Cozy and modern, with great humor and a lovable cast of characters.

While this mystery hit close to home for Capri, the possibilities are endless for the other cases she could solve. I’m hoping that this will be one of those long-running Cozy series, where I just become more and more attached to the characters as we go along.

The synopsis for the 2nd-book, A Tour to Die For, has already been released and it sounds quite Rear Window. Say less, am I right? I’m so ready!!

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m happy to be on board with another great Mystery series!

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Re-Reading a Classic: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

~ megs14malloy

The HobbitThe Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️

We sang a lot of songs and spun many a riddle. Alas, another adventure through Middle Earth comes to an end.

Picking this up, I couldn’t recall 100% if I had read it before. After reading the first two chapters though, I definitely believe I have; most likely as a tween.

I had fun revisiting Bilbo’s life and adventures. Some of the aspects were very familiar, while others, not so much. I’m happy I reread it via audio, because the narration by Rob Inglis was so perfect for this story.

He has such a classic storyteller voice. It was easy to get swept up and away into everything that was going on, and there is A LOT going on.

The assignment of Bilbo as a burglar was funny, because that was definitely not a position he ever saw himself falling into. He had certainly never had an adventure like this before and I liked watching him grow and change during his time with the Dwarves and Gandalf.

I will say, for me personally, this doesn’t hit quite like the main LOTR trilogy. This one is a bit choppy, and my word, the songs. Why must we have so many songs?

Actually, the audiobook, the songs were so off-key it was absolutely hilarious. I did feel bad for my dog though, who was forced to listen to this on a 5-hour road trip. He must have been thinking, what the fluff are we listening too?

The story itself, after the opening bits, which I thought were grand, does get a little clunky as our traveling group is going about their mission.

It also felt like a lot of the major events were just sort of glossed over. Nevertheless, it’s a classic for a reason. It’s a wonderful story and a great intro to this world. I’m looking forward to rereading the full LOTR trilogy this year!

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Review: Vampire Breath (Classic Goosebumps #21) by R.L. Stine

~ megs14malloy

Vampire Breath (Classic Goosebumps, #21)Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Vampire Breath is the 21st-book in the Classics Goosebumps Reprint series; it was #49 in the original Goosebumps series.

I received the entire Reprint series for Christmas a couple of years ago and have been slowly revisiting these classic tales. They’re just so silly and nostalgic. I love picking them up every once and while as a palate cleanser.

In this story we meet Freddy and Cara. They’re around 12-years old, I think, and best friends. Their friendship-style is a bit combative, they are always rough-housing and trying to one-up each other with how tough they are.

For those of you who have read many Goosebumps books, this will not surprise you, as it’s something that Stine includes quite a bit. If you are newer to these stories, you may possibly read this and be like, wait, these two are friends? They seem more like enemies?

There’s not a lot of kind, supportive, non-contentious relationships to be found in the Goosebumps world. Nevertheless, to me, this is old hat, so I grew use to their combativeness fairly quickly.

On one particular day, they’re playing together in Freddy’s basement, and while rather aggressively wrestling around, they end up knocking over a piece of furniture, revealing a secret door behind it.

Unable to stifle their curiosity, they end up going through the door to explore. They stumble into a mysterious chamber where they find a bottle labeled, Vampire Breath.

Like the proverbial pandora’s box, when they crack that bottle open, a whole host of unexpected and problematic events begin happening to them. Will either Freddy, or Cara, make it through this Saturday unscathed?

I read this one in just under 2-hours. I was on a ferry to the mainland for an appointment and it was a great way to pass my very early morning travels.

It doesn’t require a lot of brain power, but I did find it engaging enough to keep me interested. It had a typical Stein ending, IYKYK, but nonetheless, an entertaining tale. We love a vampire story in this house!

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Review: Ladykiller by Katherine Wood

~ megs14malloy

LadykillerLadykiller by Katherine Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gia and Abby, childhood best friends, have grown estranged slowly over the past 12-years, since the tragedy that occurred in Greece when they were both 18-years old.

After the tragic events of that summer, Abby threw herself into her studies, while Gia, a wealthy heiress without Abby’s common-woman concerns, writes a salacious memoir chronicling what had happened.

All these years later, Gia is back in Greece with her new husband. She’s at their family property prepping it for sale after her father’s death. She and her brother, Benny, have been forced to downsize their lifestyles a bit and the Greek property needs to go.

In spite of how heartbreaking losing the property will be, life must go on. With Gia’s birthday approaching in September, she reaches out to Abby and Benny and asks them to join her at a luxury Swedish resort to see the Northern Lights.

It’s something they had discussed when they were younger and always wanted to do. Now is the time. Even though she’s a little hesitant at first, Abby accepts Gia’s invitation.

The day of her flight though, Abby receives a cryptic email that gets her hackles up. It’s not exactly the vibe she was looking for heading into her first vacation in a while. Nevertheless, she proceeds and she’s looking forward to being reunited with her friends.

Once she meets Benny, and gets to the resort though, Gia isn’t there. After days of odd messages from her and placed calls that go unanswered, Benny and Abby get worried enough to travel to Greece and check on her.

Arriving at the family estate, they find it deserted. Gia has disappeared. The only clue, a manuscript she’s left behind detailing the events leading up to her disappearance.

Through shifting perspectives between Abby’s present and Gia’s manuscript, Katherine Wood creates a fast-paced and engaging story of domestic suspense.

I love messy rich people drama, so this definitely scratched that itch, and it did successfully keep me guessing throughout. I found all the details and character interactions just so intriguing.

Additionally, I loved the setting on the beautiful coast of Greece and how the author used Gia’s manuscript as a way of piecing together the story. I thought that was very fun, because what is truth and what is fiction? The lines are often blurry, aren’t they?


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Overall, I was impressed with how Wood pulled this all together. I thought it was very clever and well-plotted. I would recommend this to anyone who loves rich people drama, a luxury setting, or popcorn thrillers.

Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am really looking forward to picking up more from this author!

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Review: The Last Room on the Left by Lean Konen

~ megs14malloy

The Last Room on the LeftThe Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Recently, Kerry’s life has been falling apart. She’s completely lost control. Her marriage, career and friendships are in shambles, but her drinking is stronger than ever.

With a deadline looming, Kerry knows she needs a change if she’s ever going to finish her book. Thus, she ends up accepting the position as an off-season Caretaker at a refurbished motel in a remote area of the Catskills.

Arriving at the motel, wholly-unprepared, I might add, for her assignment, Kerry immediately feels something is off. The motel is supposed to be abandoned, but someone’s stuff is littered throughout her room.

Feeling unsettled, but not quite sure what to do about it, Kerry tries to ignore the red flags blowing all around her. With a blizzard bearing down on the motel as well, she’s essentially trapped at the motel.

Circumstances go from bad to disastrous once Kerry notices a lifeless hand poking out of a snowbank. She thinks she may have found the owner of all those belongings, but who is it, and how did they end up dead and buried?

The Last Room on the Left had its moments. At times, it had me intrigued enough to think that it could turn out to be a 4-star read. By the end though, it just felt lackluster, predictable, and don’t even get me started on Kerry.

Additionally, I wish that it hadn’t been the comp to The Shining that sold this one to me, because it’s absolutely NOTHING like The Shining.

It’s funny, the more I think about this one, the less enthused I feel about it. I wanted so much more of an atmosphere and eerie/claustrophobic vibe, of which I got none.

Additionally, it left me with unanswered questions. Were there plot holes, or does my brain just not want to think about this one anymore?

From the very start I was annoyed by Kerry. Stupid mistake, after stupid mistake, had me feeling like, whatever happens to this woman, she deserves it.

I know that sounds awful. It’s a terrible thought, but you have to understand, I was compelled to feel that way because of the ridiculous stream of choices. Nevertheless, Kerry wasn’t the only character, LUCKILY, and I did end up enjoying the others.

As mentioned above, this did have moments and when I was in it, I was in it. I also felt it entertaining to try to figure out what the heck was actually going on. While certain portions felt quite predictable, others def took me by surprise.

I think perhaps the downfall of this was that I felt it was pitched to me a certain way, so my expectations were high, and focused in a particular direction, and when I didn’t get that, I was disappointed.

I don’t believe the comp phrase, a feminist take on The Shining, is being used anymore, at least I’m not seeing it in the current synopsis, and for that I’m grateful. I wouldn’t want others to go down the same route that I did with this one.

With all this being said, and with apologies for my grumpiness, I do believe I’m a minority opinion on this one, so if it sounds intriguing to you, please do pick it up.

There’s a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book. Sadly, this just wasn’t the best fit for me. In spite of that, I do very much want to thank the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I have enjoyed Leah Konen’s work in the past, and look forward to picking up future releases. This slight disappointment certainly isn’t enough to stop me!

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