book review

Review: The Widows’ Guide to Murder (The Widows’ Detective Club #1) by Amanda Ashby

~ megs14malloy

The Widows’ Guide to Murder (The Widows’ Detective Club, #1)The Widows’ Guide to Murder by Amanda Ashby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After the death of her beloved husband, Ginny Cole, is left with no choice but to start over. She’s heartbroken and misses him dearly, but it cannot be changed.

What is going to change is Ginny’s life. She decides to move to the village of Little Shaw for her fresh start, and she needs to get a job. She’s happy, though also nervous, when she ends up securing a position as a librarian’s assistant.

She’s never worked at a library before, but she loves to read and it seems like it could be a fun and fulfilling job. Her unlikable new boss, Louisa, is startlingly rude, but Ginny just supposes that’s something she will have to get used to.

At least the volunteers seem lovely, and she imagines she’ll fit in with time. Her hopes of an easy transition are nixed though, when on her second-day on the job she discovers a dead body in the library. Now Ginny finds herself thrust head-first into local scandals and secrets.

She ends up being approached and befriended by a small group of local widows, feisty and full of fun, the lot of them, who take Ginny under their wing and start to include her in their activities.

Of course, their current activity is getting to the bottom of this murder mystery. One of the widows, her daughter, Alyson, is currently the prime suspect. The women know she’s not guilty, meaning the killer is still out there, and they plan to find them.

This is such a strong start to a new Cozy Mystery series. This main character, Ginny, is definitely one I could picture myself enjoying for many books to come. Bonus points: in this book, she adopts an adorably-cheeky black cat that she names, Edgar. He’s so cute!

I loved the friend group that Ginny gets brought into as well. They all know what it’s like to be in her shoes, and I think she found strength in their friendship. It was incredibly healing for Ginny and she really needed that.

Ginny’s character arc was very well done. Watching her coming into her own, I’m definitely looking forward to more of that as the series continues.

There’s also a teenage volunteer, Connor, who I hope is a recurring character in the series. I feel like he and Ginny could end up having a sort of grandparent/child relationship and it’s so sweet to read about.

I enjoyed how Ginny is new to town, so you get to learn all about the townsfolk at the same time she does. It makes it feel really natural. I also appreciated how logical Ginny is in such a realistic way. She doesn’t have OTT-powers of deductive reasoning like some sleuths.

While I had a few issues at the conclusion, overall, I adored this. The library, the cat, the hilarious group of widows; well played, Amanda Ashby. I’m looking forward to more!!

I would definitely recommend this to Cozy Mystery fans who love small town settings and slightly older protagonists. Full of humor and heart, this one shouldn’t be missed.

Thank you so much, Storm Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the next book soon!

View all my reviews

Review: We Were Warned by Chelsea Ichaso

~ megs14malloy

We Were WarnedWe Were Warned by Chelsea Ichaso
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everyone knows the legend of Fairpoint Village, an abandoned beach resort. 25-years ago, a murder closed the place down and soon the ruins will be demolished for good.

Eden has heard the lore about Fairpoint all her life. They say anyone who sets foot there will be cursed to die, and that has happened a couple of times over the years, when students daring to explore the ruins where killed.

Before the scheduled demo can take place, an overnight party is planned for the ruins. Eden reluctantly attends to assist her friend, Henry, with doing some filming.

She’s nervous about going, more because of the other kids that will be there as opposed to the lore of the ruins. Since Eden’s Dad ditched town after taking part in a little white-collar crime, she’s sort of been a social pariah.

Most concerning to her is being anywhere near her ex-best friend, Caleb. They were so close as kids, but since Freshman year, Caleb has barely given her the time of day.

Unfortunately, the party night takes a horrifying turn and now more kids are dying. Is it the haunting of the ruins, or something much closer to home, that is now stalking these teens and trying to take them out one-by-one?

The 1st-book I read from this author, They’re Watching You, was only 2-stars for me and I was hesitant to pick up anything from Ichaso after that. However, when I read the synopsis for this one, I knew I had to give it a shot.

I’m so happy to report that We Were Warned ended up being a a very solid 4-star read for me. I can’t even tell you how excited I was to be gripped by this one from the start.

It kept me entertained and guessing throughout. I thought the pace was great and I loved the character dynamics. There was a lot of drama, both with the kids and their parents, and I’m always down for that.

My favorite aspects were the mysterious lore of this town and watching Eden have to work together with a group of kids who didn’t necessarily start out as her friends.

I thought Ichaso did a wonderful job with the characters, particularly with Eden and Caleb. Their relationship was complicated from the start, and I felt like all of their interactions felt realistic. The way that relationship changed throughout the book, also made sense and felt organic.

Additionally, I really enjoyed Eden’s growth as a character. The way she started to come out of her shell and started to assert herself more with her peers as she gained confidence.

I did enjoy the conclusion as well, although certain aspects started to get a little muddled towards the end. Overall, I thought it was very well-executed.

Thank you, Tantor Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would highly recommend the audio format. The narration by Jennifer Jill Araya was fantastic!

View all my reviews

Review: Rise and Divine (The Witches of Thistle Grove #5) by Lana Harper

~ megs14malloy

Rise and Divine (The Witches of Thistle Grove, #5)Rise and Divine by Lana Harper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Rise and Divine is the 5th-book in The Witches of Thistle Grove series. This is an Adult Romance series all set in the quaint town of Thistle Grove, where witch families can live and pursue their various passions and gifts.

For those unfamiliar with the series, the books are all companion novels. They take place in the same small town, following the same timeline, but each book focuses on different main characters.

In this installment, we’re following Dasha Avramov and Ivy Thorn. For those familiar with this series, you’ll definitely recognize these names, and if you’re not, it doesn’t matter, you can still read this book and enjoy the story.

Dasha is a special kind of witch. She’s what’s known as a devil eater, which means she has a very rare ability that allows her to banish demons and traverse the veil. It’s also on of the most dangerous affinities.

Since the loss of her parents, Dasha finds herself, in her grief, more and more curious about what lies beyond the veil; in a very unhealthy way.

She’s also been isolating herself from family, friends and as much as she can, the rest of the community. All that’s about to change though, when she is forced to work with her old flame, Ivy Thorn, to plan an upcoming local festival.

The tension is high between the two, but it’s obvious a spark is still smoldering. Their work forces them into contact, but that work on the festival starts to pale in comparison to the teamwork needed to defeat the otherworldly force suddenly focused on their town.

Through these treacherous circumstances, the two women start to open up to one another, and trust another once again, but will it be enough to make this second-chance romance a success?

I’m going to be brutally honest for a minute; wild, I know. I haven’t been blown away by any of the books in this series. Sometimes, I wonder why I am continuing with it at all.

They’ve all been a bit mediocre for me, but with this being said, every time I see a new one announced, I get excited to see what characters it will follow and what the basic plot will be. Also, the cover art. I always love it.

So, at the end of the day, while I wouldn’t say this is necessarily a series that will blow your hair back, there’s still something so cozy and relaxing about returning to Thistle Grove. Each book brings something new and examines romantic relationships in a different way.

I liked the second-chance romance element. To me, it seemed unlikely Dasha would be able to give Ivy what she needs in the long run, but I’ll let you read it and decide for yourself whether or not that’s true.

I did really enjoy the darker elements in this one. The threat to the town felt real. I liked how brave the women were in taking that on; particularly, Dasha.

Yeah, if there’s another book, I’m game. I like this town. I think it is fun to see where each new book is going to go. Do I think they’re the most memorable romances in the world? No, but also, I’m still here for what they are.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always appreciate it!

View all my reviews

Review: Mystery Royale by Kaitlyn Cavalancia

~ megs14malloy

Mystery RoyaleMystery Royale by Kaitlyn Cavalancia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Mystery Royale is a game. More specifically, an inheritance game for the large estate of Xavier Stoutmire, a wealthy and powerful magician without a direct heir.

Of course everyone in the Stoutmire Family had assumed that Xavier would end up leaving his vast fortune and captivating powers to his youngest nephew. However, tricky old Uncle Xavier had something else in mind.

The invitations are sent, but not just to those within the Stoutmire family eligible to receive the inheritance, but also to two outsiders: Mullory Prudence and Mateo Cruz.

These two seem to be completely random strangers. They’re the wild cards of the whole affair.

The goal of the game is simple. To be the first to solve the mystery. What mystery, you may ask? Well, who killed Xavier Stoutmire, of course.

Mystery Royale was definitely a lot of fun. This is like if The Inheritance Games was set around the LeStrange Family from Harry Potter, instead of the boring-ole, non-magical Hawthorne Family.

I enjoyed Cavalancia’s writing. It was fluid and kept my attention, however, I did feel at times it was hard to track whose perspective you were in at any given moment. Nevertheless, I loved the mystery and set-up behind it all.

I think ride-or-die fans of The Inheritance Games may feel this is a bit of a rip off, but for us folks who enjoyed that series, but didn’t necessarily shout from the rooftops about its glory, this can still be an entertaining romp.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories involving magical games, with riddles and puzzles aplenty. The setting of this is also fabulous, the private enchanted mansion. What’s not to love about that?

The audiobook had fantastic narration, and although that’s not an option here on Goodreads yet, it’s definitely available, because I listened to it. I would absolutely chose that format if you have access to it.

Thank you to the publisher, Disney Audiobooks, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from this author!

View all my reviews

Review: Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce

~ megs14malloy

Something in the Walls: A NovelSomething in the Walls: A Novel by Daisy Pearce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Mina has been educated to be a child psychologist, but she lacks real world experience. Unfortunately, this makes it challenging for her to secure a position in the field.

It’s one of those odd circumstances, where people only want to hire individuals with experience, but how are you to get experience if no one will hire you?

Thus, Mina is stuck, just spinning her wheels. That is until Mina is suddenly presented with an unusual opportunity while attending her local bereavement group, where she goes to help process her grief from her brother’s death.

She meets another member, Sam Hunter, who happens to be a journalist and he asks for her assistance with a story he’s currently working on.

In the remote village of Banathel, 13-year old, Alice Webber, lives with her family. After unsettling behavioral changes, Alice reveals that a witch is haunting her, causing various disturbing occurrences.

Sam and Mina travel to Banathel to stay with the Webber family, to see if they can get to the bottom of what is going on with Alice. Sam is hoping for the scoop of a lifetime, while Mina is hoping to help Alice, whilst also gaining the experience she so desperately needs.

I loved the way this story was set-up. I had listened to 47% of the audiobook before I even came up for air. I was absolutely engrossed.

The narrator was a perfect match to our MC, Mina, and I felt like she succeeded in bringing the story to life. From the start, this loosely reminded me of The Wonder, but much creepier and more atmospheric.

I just felt like Something in the Walls was so good. It’s chilling and gripping. I raced through it, needing answers. The various scenes and things going on in Banathel, it got under my skin; genuinely creepy AF at times.

While it wrapped up too quickly for my tastes, after the reveal, I still think it was so hella good. It was intriguing and horrifying in a very human way. I also loved Mina and Sam working together, digging into the history of Banathel.

Overall, this story had me absolutely hooked throughout. It had all the things I need to love a story and I appreciated the author’s ability to write some truly chilling horror imagery.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I am so stoked to read more from the author in the future!

View all my reviews

Review: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

~ megs14malloy

Chain-Gang All-StarsChain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up*

Honestly, I had never ever heard of Chain-Gang All-Stars until early this year when I was watching numerous BookTuber’s ‘Best Books of 2024’ videos.

This novel popped up on numerous lists and each person who spoke about it talked with such passion, and it sounded genuinely like something I would be interested in. My interest was piqued.

I ended out checking out the audiobook from my library and cannot recommend that format enough. The narrative structure is a little unconventional, and I felt the various narrators helped me to keep everything straight.

So, if you are unaware of what this book is, it’s basically a near-future dystopian novel that examines the U.S. Corrections System in a wildly-creative way. Think that old show American Gladiators from the late 80s/early 90s, but all the competitors are prisoners.

They’re broadcast on live television. There’s different seasons, battles, teammates, fandoms, merch and they also travel around putting on shows; it’s a whole industry. An absolute money-maker for those at the top.

You are given the perspectives of various prisoners, of course, but you also get perspectives of others connected to the system — people at the top of the organization, viewers, protestors against the abuse in the system, people whose loved ones have been in the system, etc.

I thought this was a smart way to tell the story. Each perspective brings a new level of knowledge to the Reader about the system. I liked learning about it that way.

I also appreciated how the author set-up a space where the Reader could think for themselves about all these different aspects involved in our Justice and Correctional systems, versus hand-feeding opinions. That’s how you get people to really ruminate on a concept or idea.

Overall, Chain-Gang All-Stars is an incredibly powerful book. Equal parts heart-breaking, thought-provoking and eye-opening. It’s not one to be missed.

This is the epitome of showing-not-telling, and I felt like, even though at times, I felt the transitions between perspectives a bit jarring, I still wouldn’t really change anything. It’s done with such thought and creativity.

I highly recommend this one to any Reader who wants some high-quality substance to chew on. My Literary Fiction friends should be adding this to their TBRs with haste.

View all my reviews

Review: Murder at the Loch (Ally McKinley Mystery #2) by Dee MacDonald

~ megs14malloy

Murder at the Loch (An Ally McKinley Mystery #2)Murder at the Loch by Dee MacDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder at the Loch is the 2nd-book in the Ally McKinley Mystery series, which just so happens to be one of my new favorite Cozy Mystery series.

These books, set in the Scottish Highlands, follow recent-retiree, Ally McKinley, who fell in love with the village of Locharran while on a holiday. Shortly thereafter, she purchased the old malthouse to transform it into a B&B.

After a reno, the B&B is open and doing good business. Ally has adjusted to life quite well in Locharran; even taking in a sweet Labrador puppy, Flora. It’s quite a change of pace for her in comparison to her old life in Edinburgh.

The mystery in this installment kicks off when Ally and Flora are taking a walk and they discover a mysterious woman, dead and floating in the Loch.

In the aftermath of the tragic find, the village is buzzing. Who was this mystery woman and how did she end up in their peaceful corner of the countryside? Dead.

That’s not the only buzz though, Hamish Sinclair, the local earl, is newly engaged and his soon-to-be wife, Elena, and her sister, have just arrived from out of town.

The feathers get further flustered when it becomes common knowledge that not only is the earl’s bride-to-be decades younger than him, she’s not even Scottish!

The townsfolk don’t need to worry about Elena for long though, as she is found poisoned the morning after their controversial wedding.

With two deaths to investigate, the local police seem overwhelmed and suspect everyone, including Ally herself.

Determined to clear her name and get to the bottom of what’s going on in Locharran, Ally, along with her new beau, start their own investigation.

Murder at the Loch entertained me from the very first pages. I was so happy to be returning to this beautiful landscape and quaint village lifestyle.

This is such a fantastic Cozy series. The setting is perfection and I’m loving getting to know the cast of characters, particularly Ally, who is just such a likable protagonist.

I love how quickly MacDonald starts these mysteries. It gives you so much time to really dig deep and try to get to the bottom of what’s going on.

I enjoyed the dual cases and how the deaths of these two women really amped up the drama and danger. The town was, rightly so, concerned that a very serious killer was in their mix. It could be anyone and anyone could be next.

I had a lot of different suspects over the course of the story and I loved being along for the ride as all the puzzle pieces eventually fell into place.

As expected, I have become even more attached to this cast of characters, Ally and Flora, in particular, and I’m super excited to continue on with this series.

I would highly recommend this series to any Cozy Mystery fan, particularly if you enjoy stories with small town vibes and that follow slightly older protagonists.

I would also urge you to start with the 1st-book, as I feel like that initial development and set-up is important for Ally’s character and the continuation of the series. Both are fantastic and I know you’ll fly through them and be just like me, anticipating more!!

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I have been in such a Cozy mood lately and this was exactly what I needed and wanted when I picked it up.

I’m not sure what the plans are for this series, but I am hoping to be picking them up for years to come.

View all my reviews

Review: You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

~ megs14malloy

You Are Fatally InvitedYou Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

**1.5-stars rounded up**

You Are Fatally Invited features a classic-Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None, set-up. Usually, an easy win for me.

Additionally, it’s set on a island off the coast of Maine. As an island resident myself, and having grown-up on the coast of Maine, both of these things should also have been wins.

What else? Oh, yes. The story also features a full cast of characters who are writers. Also a thing that I love, following author characters, getting insights on their processes.

However, even with all of these incredible items being ticked off my personal checklist, this didn’t work for me. It makes me sad, but I have to be honest about my experience.

From the very start, the writing style had me off-kilter. It just didn’t mesh with me. There was one character whose perspective was 2nd-person, and that’s not typically something I enjoy.

Every time I got to that character’s perspective it would jar me out of the story. Some people may assume that it’s the fact that this whole cast is unlikable, but I assure you, that’s not it. I love a cast of unlikable characters.

There were many times when I contemplated DNFing, but I felt like the least I could do was make it all the way through to the end. I owed it that, and it could have come around for me. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

It’s pretty rare for me to actively-dislike a book the whole way through. I can almost always find some aspects to point out that I can compliment.

Unfortunately, I actively-disliked this throughout. I switched to the audiobook at around 35% to see if that would help. For a minute, I thought it would. Sadly, that notion disappeared as quickly as a free pizza in a workplace lunchroom.

I had been so excited for it too, based upon the points listed above, but it just wasn’t the right story for me. We hated each other. I’m sure this book hated my eye-rolling, huffing-and-puffing ass very much by the end as well. I’m glad we can now go our separate ways.

To me, it felt like the author was more in love with their own words than the plot, or the characters, of this story. I’m not saying this is true, it’s just what reading this story made me feel. It’s the taste I walked away with.

With this being said, I want to be CLEAR, this is just my PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with this book. If you look at the current reviews, I am in the minority opinion on this one.

I would urge absolutely every Reader who is captivated by the synopsis, to go ahead and give this book a shot. It’s certainly worth a read and you can come to your own conclusion on it.

Also, I have pointed out in many of my other reviews, I never write an author off after one try. Even though this exact story wasn’t quite to my liking, I would totally be down to picking up this author’s next work.

Thank you, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it very much and I know that this novel is going to find a wide audience who loves it!

View all my reviews

Review: Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura

~ megs14malloy

Temple of SwoonTemple of Swoon by Jo Segura
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

🧡💜💚🧡💜💚🧡💜💚🧡💜💚🧡

Dr. Miriam Jacobs is on the most important mission of her life, to find Cidade da Lua, the Lost City of the Moon, in the Amazon rainforest. It’s her first chance to lead an expedition and prove herself as a serious archaeologist.

Rafael Monfils is a journalist who has joined the expedition, with the hopes of chronicling their search for the lost city, or at least that’s what they think he’s doing.

In truth, Rafael is on a mission of his own, and that’s to stop the team from ever setting eyes on Cidade da Lua, thus protecting his mother’s legacy. All he needs to do is keep them off the correct path.

Once Rafa meets Dr. Jacobs though, he has a really hard time staying focused on his task. The more he gets to know her, the more he wants her to succeed. What’s a guy to do?

As they get further into the jungle, it becomes clear they aren’t the only ones searching for the Lost City. Soon, Rafa’s mixed feelings and Dr. Jacobs’s imposter syndrome are going to be the least of their worries.

Temple of Swoon was lightyears beyond Segura’s 1st-book, Raiders of the Lost Heart, for me, to which this is a companion novel. I enjoyed these main characters, Rafa and Miri, soooo much more, though I still had some slight issues with it.

Nevertheless, I am very happy I picked it up and am glad I took another chance on this author. If there’s another companion novel, I’m def game.

It’s funny, one of the things that I disliked the most about the Raiders of the Lost Heart was the female main character, Dr. Corrie Mejía. Going into this I thought, it’s fine, this one follows different people, you won’t have to deal with her.

While that may be true, at the start of this book, as we’re meeting our new female lead, Miri, we learn she is sort of a mentee of Corrie in the archaeological space, and Corrie handpicks her for this position.

At the start, Miri goes on and on about how drop-dead, off-the-charts, hot Corrie is. No other woman ever has, or ever will, compare to her. ((puke)) That was one of the things that drove me nuts about the 1st-book, and here it was, rearing it’s ugly head yet again!!

Luckily though, that trend did sort of peter out as the story went along. I did like how quickly this kicked off as far as Miri and Rafa’s meet cute. I liked their chemistry from the start and enjoyed watching their relationship grow.

The way this author writes sex scenes are not at all to my tastes, they’re definitely more ewww than awww for me, but what I did appreciate here was the genuine conversations that Miri and Rafa had.

I liked the more serious sides of the story a lot. We delved into Miri’s insecurities, as well as Rafa’s family stuff and I felt that was very well developed.

Overall, I enjoyed this so much more and am really glad that I gave this author another shot. I feel like if her work keeps progressing we could have a real win with the next book. I’m looking forward to it!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me a copy to read and review. I enjoyed this romantic adventure!

View all my reviews

Review: Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney

~ megs14malloy

Take Me HomeTake Me Home by Melanie Sweeney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Take Me Home follows Hazel and Ash. Ash has been in love with Hazel since high school when she was dating his best friend, but of course, he’s never told her that.

Even years later, Hazel acts like Ash only exists to annoy her. He works at her favorite coffee shop, where he’s constantly battling her for her favorite chair. Just why?

With the holidays approaching, Hazel gets a summons from her father to return home to their small-town of Lockett Prairie, Texas, to attend his wedding.

Hazel hasn’t been back there since she fled for college. It’s the last thing she wants to do, and even though she and her Dad aren’t that close, she feels obligated.

Coincidentally, at the same time, Ash needs to get home as soon as possible to deal with a pressing family issue. Of course, his junker car breaks down just prior to him wanting to leave and he doesn’t have the funds to repair it.

Watching him struggle trying to figure out a way home, Hazel eventually succumbs and offers to give him a ride, but there will be rules.

I’m not gonna tell you the rules, just know the stage is set for a wonderfully-adorable road trip, which includes cute car banter, inclement weather, strange diner experiences and a B&B stay with only one bed.

All this is just the start though. Once they hit Lockett Prairie, the gloves come off, and these frenemies begin to rely on each other for a lot more than an impromptu ride home.

Y’all, I can’t believe how much I enjoyed this. It was so unexpected. I mean, I shouldn’t say it that way, I thought I would enjoy it, but like, I loved this.

It pulled me in so quickly. I read it in less than 24-hours, absolutely flying through it, just eating it up. Both Ash and Hazel brought so much to the story. I loved watching them really get to know one another.

This book does feature a lot of my favorite tropes, so that def worked in my favor. The road trip, the witty banter, the forced proximity, frenemies to lovers; it had it all.

My only small gripe would be how much these characters went through emotionally in such a small frame of time. We’re talking mere days. That felt a little unbelievable to me, but that was such a minor thing, it didn’t impact my overall experience too much.

Also, with this being said, I did truly appreciate how the author balanced all the difficult real world family issues, with the cuter romantic bits. I felt that was well executed.

One small side note, even though this is categorized as Adult, I would point out that it is more specific to call in New Adult. I feel like that’s an important distinction to make, because some Adult Readers may feel like this reads a little young, even though the characters are technically adults.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I need more Melanie Sweeney in my life!!!

View all my reviews