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Review: Ten Years Gone by Wendy Walker

~ megs14malloy

Ten Years GoneTen Years Gone by Wendy Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ten Years Gone is the story of Clare and Griffin.

When they were teens they fell madly in love with one another. It’s the classic boy meets girl story, where the boy is from the wrong side of the tracks.

They risk a lot to be with one another, but the relationship doesn’t last as long as they would’ve hoped. Unfortunately, it ends abruptly with Griffin being incarcerated for murder.

After he’s locked up, Griffin refuses to remain in contact with Clare. It’s not that he doesn’t still care for her, he just doesn’t want her wasting her life on him. She’s hurt, but she’s also young and resilient. She does move on, but you never forget your first love. We all know that.

Ten years later, Griffin is finally being released. He doesn’t know what to expect from life on the outside and he could never have expected what happens to him. Newly released, he’s abducted, and he barely escapes with his life.

He finds himself on the run, hiding from who, he doesn’t know, but he needs to figure out the truth about the past if he has any chance of surviving for the future.

Clare is startled when she hears the news of Griffin’s release. She days away from her own wedding, but she’s never forgotten Griffin. When she starts getting cryptic text messages bringing up the past, she decides it’s time to figure out the truth of that night.

Alternating between the past and present, Walker did an amazing job weaving together this tense and exciting Thriller. I had so much fun with it. It’s definitely a Popcorn Thriller, juicy and enticing, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the Reader engaged.

There were so many times that I thought I knew the answer to it all, and while I was picking up on little things, it was much more complex than I originally anticipated. Walker was bringing the layers and I was sat.

I liked the sort of star crossed lovers aspect that Walker created here as well. Boy from the wrong side of the tracks, rich good girl dating outside her parents’ comfort zone, and the night that changed it all.

It was almost a bit too romantic for me, in regards to the way the characters thought about one another, but I think a lot of Readers will eat that aspect up.

Walker is such a great writer. There’s a fantastic flow and pace in all of her books, and this one is no exception. They’re just highly readable and so gripping. Once I started this, it was all I could think about. I just wanted to keep going.

It wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t need it to be. It was fun. It was entertaining and I had a blast learning the truth at the heart of Clare and Griffin’s story.

I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced and drama-filled Popcorn Thriller. Bonus points if you enjoy a little romance with your thrills!

Thank you to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This book doesn’t release until 2027, but I couldn’t wait.

I love Wendy Walker!

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Review: Swipe Bite by Alexandra Vasti

~ megs14malloy

Swipe BiteSwipe Bite by Alexandra Vasti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Swipe Bite follows badass corporate heiress, Sophronia Vega, who is also a vampire. As the heir to HemoCorp Industries, Sophronia takes her work responsibilites seriously and wants the business to continue to grow and be successful.

Most recently, she has led the charge on the creation of Stokr, a dating app that pairs vamps with the right humans that they won’t accidentally eat. Thus far the launch of the app has been wildly successful, that is until the glitch occurs.

When Stokr’s matching technology goes haywire, and vamps start literally draining the life out of their dates, Sophronia’s well-honed career starts going up in flames.

In order to solve the problem, Sophronia calls on Casey Amato, the human software engineer who lead the team that programmed Stokr. Casey’s confident the Stokr failure was no normal glitch. He’s insistent that it’s sabotague.

Further, Casey believes the sabotague has come from the inside, a fact Sophronia doesn’t want to believe. Has someone in Sophronia’s inner circle actually betrayed her?

In order to save the app, and its users, Sophronia and Casey must team up to fix Stokr and weed out the rat, but long hours working together leads to a burning attraction.

Can the two stay focused enough to succeed, or will they end up giving in to a temptation that could be deadly?

While this wasn’t a perfect read for me, I did end up having fun with it. There were a few little quirks that drove me batty, such as nicknames, and the way they swapped Abraham for God a million times, but I think the story itself was fun and I liked getting to know the main characters.

You may be like, Abraham for God, what do you mean?? The vampire characters would say it, like instead of ‘oh my god’ or ‘good god’, they would say, ‘oh my Abraham’, or ‘good Abraham’. It really got me in the sexy scenes though, her just shouting ‘Abraham’. I’m like, who’s Abraham? I thought his name was Casey.

I think it had something to do with Bram Stoker. There were definitely references to him, and in this world he was a vampire, so I don’t know. I guess he was their version of God, but it just felt very forced and would take me out of the story every time it came up, which was a lot.

Besides that though, I thought the plot was fun and I did end up growing to love both Sophronia and Casey. I also liked how much the business and the behind-the-scenes on the app were incorporated into the story.

It looks like this is going to be a series, and the series title is Corporate Bloodsuckers, which is such a fun concept to me. As someone who is interested in business, I do tend to enjoy when an author includes those details.

This was definitely a case of the further I got into the story, the more I enjoyed it. As Sophronia and Casey start to develop their relationship, I found myself becoming quite invested. I also loved the mystery behind what actually happened to the Stokr app.

The ending was fun and left off in a great place for the continuation of the series. I’m looking forward to whatever comes next. It sounds like it’s going to be intense.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I wasn’t sure about this in the beginning, but I’m really glad I stuck with it.

A light and entertaining read, perfect for Fall Romance!

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Review: The Man in the Watch Still Visits Me at Night by Joshua Chaplinsky

~ megs14malloy

The Man in the Watch Still Visits Me at NightThe Man in the Watch Still Visits Me at Night by Joshua Chaplinsky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Man in the Watch Still Visits Me at Night is a Surreal Horror novel that kept my brains whirring like the inside of a watch; one in desperate need of service.

I was instantly attracted to this novel based on the title. The title alone is creepy to me. What do you mean the man in the watch is visiting you at night? That doesn’t sound healthy.

This story follows three women, Jenna, Nancy and Mrs. Vogel, but they’re not the only perspectives we get to read from. This is a story centering on some very heavy topics, such as abuse and neglect.

The majority of it is set at the Vogel House, which is your typical haunted house at the edge of town, or is it? The Vogel House is a character unto itself. With the perspectives constantly shifting, the Readers sense of time can become muddled quickly. I felt uneasy. It was great!

I could see this being described as a fever dream, but too me, it’s not really. I don’t tend to enjoy fever dream narratives, because I hate not knowing what’s going on.

In this story, whichever perspective I was in, whether it was Jenna, or Mrs. Vogel, or Brian, etc., I always could understand what was happening to them, and what they were experiencing and feeling. To me, where the dream-like quality comes from is the time portion.

It was unsettling in such a compelling way. I was never frustrated with it, or wanting to give up. I just had to know how all of these perspectives were connected.

Chaplinsky’s writing is incredible. It’s so not the type of Horror writing I tend to gravitate towards, but oh man, he captured my attention and never let up.

I had to use my whole brain, the whole time. I was so invested. I think I know what happened, but do I really?

It’s heavy. It’s a mindf*ck of a book. It’s a 5-star.

Thank you to the publisher, CLASH Books for providing me with a copy to read and review. Sometimes stepping outside of your comfort zone is a beautiful thing, and this is one of those times.

I’m looking forward to more from Joshua Chaplinsky!

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Review: Nobody Panic! by C.J. Vick

~ megs14malloy

Nobody Panic!Nobody Panic! by C.J. Vick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

In the Summer of 1986, moths inundated the town of Somerville, and Janet was strong-armed by her BFF Maggie into joining the PTA. Two wild occurrences.

Janet has an overriding misfit reputation that’s plagued her since high school, but Maggie’s support and good humor is enough to drag her out of the house for one night. With her slightly melted deviled eggs in tow, the ladies make their way to the meeting.

Unfortunately, most of the other members are just as awful as Janet remembers, and she clearly sticks out like a sore thumb. What’s also noticeable is the absence of Sue, the best bundt cake maker known to man.

The next day, Sue’s body is discovered, the first in what becomes a series of missing housewives. The official story isn’t adding up. Janet’s encyclopedic knowledge of true crime assures her of that.

When Maggie is the next to go missing, Janet is convinced something malevolent is sweeping through Somerville.

Pairing up with two other misfit moms, and the coroner’s apprentice, who had a big ole’ crush on Janet in high school, Janet starts investigating and what she uncovers goes way deeper than Sue’s murder, and a few missing PTA members.

It appears Somerville has been harboring a dark secret spanning back generations. In order to stop this plague on the town, it appears that Janet will need to confront the demons in her own home first. If she fails, she risks losing herself and all she loves forever to the darkness.

After reading the synopsis for Nobody Panic!, I knew this was a story I wanted to pick up right away. It sounded pure 80s, like one of the fun chaotic and campy Horror stories that I was raised on, and it didn’t disappoint.

This is such a fun read. It’s campy in all the right ways. It’s almost innocent in a way, Janet’s personality and the way the drama unfolds, it so pure and good.

The plot was dripping with 80s-nostalgia and Satanic Panic. Vick definitely delivered all the vibes I was hoping for when I went into it.

The only very slight critique I would give is that in the later half, when action really began to pick up, it was hard for me to stay focused, or really picture in my mind, all of what was going on. It had moments where it was almost too chaotic, if that makes sense.

However, this is probably more of a me problem than the book. I mention it only because it did have a slight effect on my experience, as I had to read certain sections a couple of times in order to track what was going on.

Focusing on the numerous positives though, Vick knocked the tone and humor of 80s-Horror out of the park. The chapters were also each titled after 80s-songs, which was so fun. I would love a complete playlist. It would be amazing.

I would definitely recommend this to people who love campy Horror, or books with heavy 80s vibes. Also, definitely recommend for fans of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. The two could be cousins.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I know this doesn’t release for a long time yet, but I couldn’t resist picking it up to kick off my Spooky Season.

Also, if this is a debut from C.J. Vick, I think we’re going to have a long and beautiful relationship. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!!!

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Review: An Immaculate Deception by Isabela Livino

~ megs14malloy

An Immaculate DeceptionAn Immaculate Deception by Isabela Livino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

An Immaculate Deception is a debut Historical Horror novel from Isabela Livino. This book is set in 1870s-Brazil, where we meet and follow a woman named Madalena.

Madalena has fallen in love with a dashing young man, and as sometimes happens, finds herself pregnant, out of wedlock. Having been raised in a strict and religious household, Madalena fears her mother’s head could actually explode when she learns Madalena’s secret.

After Madalena confesses, her Mom’s head doesn’t explode, but she does put up a forceful ultimatum: marry, or surrender the baby.

Madalena feels confident that the baby’s daddy, Leandro, will do the right thing when he hears the news. He’s bound to propose. He loves her. Yeah, yeah, he loves her.

She picks a night to tell him, and just as she’s about to share the news, a terrible storm sweeps in and causes the carriage they’re traveling in to careen off the road.

Awakening after the accident, Madalena finds herself in a bed at Leandro’s secluded estate. She’s being looked over by a Doctor Lobo, and she let’s him know she’s pregnant, to which he’s surprised.

Leandro is also there, but he doesn’t seem the same since the accident. His personality has completely changed. No longer the charming and affectionate lover she once knew, he’s now glowering and always watching.

It’s not just Leandro though, the house itself sets Madalena on edge. She fears it’s haunted. There’s phantom smells, things disappearing, a startling lack of mirrors. She begins to fear Leandro and Doctor Lobo as well. She doesn’t trust them at all. She feels trapped.

She’s got to figure out what’s happening here and get away before it’s too late. It’s not just herself she needs to think about, but also her unborn child. It’s a race against the clock for Madalena; one girl against the world.

This was good. I enjoyed my time with it, and while it didn’t necessarily blow me away, I feel like it’s a strong debut novel. I was particularly intrigued in the 1st-half. It was mysterious and I enjoyed the descriptions of Leandro’s house and the things going on there.

Additionally, there was shift at one point that really surprised me, and I loved that the author chose to set the narrative up the way that she did. It made the reveals more impactful, IMO.

There were some aspects that I found odd and slightly-confusing, but for the most part it had a solid premise, good characters and lightly-creepy vibes.

I would recommend this to fans of The Hacienda, or Mexican Gothic. I think if you like those sort of Gothic Historical Horror stories, this could work for you as well.

I will say, I do feel a little weird about the cover. Speaking of The Hacienda. I feel like perhaps they hit a little to close to Isabel Cañas’s cover style. As soon as I saw this, I thought, does Isabel Cañas have a book coming out that I don’t know about?

I feel like it’s sort of her thing now to have this beautiful, artistic covers with a lone woman in a red dress, especially outside, with some sort of weather brewing, and that’s exactly what this is. I just wish they would have gone in a different direction, as it feels a little copy-catty.

With this being said, this isn’t a review of the Publisher’s choice of cover, it’s a review of the story itself, and that’s what I’ve based my rating on.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would definitely pick up more from Isabela Livino in the future.

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Review: She’s a Doll by Barbara Truelove

~ megs14malloy

She's a DollShe’s a Doll by Barbara Truelove
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She’s a Doll follows Lucy McQuinn, who is not like other girls main characters. Even though she’s smart and sweet, Lucy doesn’t quite fit in with her contemporaries.

The thing that really sets her apart though, happens after she’s murdered by a vile man named Kyle. At the time of her death, her soul takes possession of an 18-inch porcelain doll and she’s ticked.

Vowing to get revenge, Lucy, in her new form, wants to find Kyle and end his life like he ended hers. That proves tricky though. Her size and the fact that she’s made of porcelain, it all works against her. She’s gonna need some help.

Lucy turns to Nicola, a gal she knew in life, a fellow outsider, and someone who also hates Kyle. Understandably, it’s initially difficult to get Nicola to believe what she’s hearing and seeing. I mean, can you imagine a doll coming to you and proposing you work together to kill someone?

We then follow their friendship and their mission, as both women grapple with the unfairness of it all. Will Lucy be able to find the peace she deserves, or will she be forced to stalk the Earth an angry doll forever?

This is such a creative story. I enjoyed it so much. With the synopsis, I wasn’t sure how campy Truelove would end up taking it, as I’ve never read from her before, so was unsure of her style. I was impressed with the nuance in the story, and appreciated all that Truelove brought to the table here.

It’s actually a really nice blend of humor with darker, more serious topics that were thoughtfully explored. It actually packs quite the punch emotionally, and had quieter moments that definitely pulled at my heartstrings.

The audiobook, narrated by Tegan Bourke, was super fun and I definitely recommend that format if you have it available to you. Tegan’s accent and delivery were perfect for Lucy’s character. The narration added such life to the story, and I found it very believable.

Overall, I think this is a great book, offering up much more depth than I initially anticipated. Readers are going to love it. A perfect read for your Spooky Season.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media and Bindery Books, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m so stoked to read more from this author!

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Review: Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe

~ megs14malloy

Entities to LoversEntities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Entities to Lovers is a light-hearted and funny Paranormal Romance, set in Boston with dual POVs, from Mallory Marlowe. This book does have a very slight connection to Marlowe’s earlier novel, Love and Other Conspiracies, but you certainly do not need to read that first to enjoy this one.

In this story, we’re following Rory and Ezra. Rory’s Mom owns the Ye Old Spirit Shop in Boston, Massachusetts. The shop carries most of the things you would expect a shop of that name to carry, but they also host very fun ghost tours of the city, and Rory does tarot readings as well.

Ezra, whose main job is as an adjunct History Professor at a local college, moonlights at the shop. He has so much knowledge of the history of the city, and is a sensational host for their tours; personable and handsome.

He also happens to be a thorn in Rory’s side. It annoys her how he’s always showing off what he knows. Sometimes it feels like he’s purposefully trying to get under her skin.

One night, Rory’s Mom does the unthinkable. She makes the two host a ghost tour together. Rory can’t believe it. This is cruel and unusual punishment, and from her own mother!

While hosting that very uncomfortable tour, they end up upsetting a local ghost with a penchant for hexing people. Now saddled with heinously bad luck unless they’re physically near each other, Rory and Ezra need to do whatever it takes to figure out how to break this curse.

This is really cute. I loved the setting in Boston, and it also takes place during the Halloween season, so those vibes were heavily-evident throughout.

I also thought the set-up, and how they were hexed, was super fun. This is forced proximity and even includes one of my favorite things, the ole’ ‘there’s just one bed’ situation. I wonder what’s going to happen there?

Rory and Ezra are both very well-developed characters. I feel like Marlowe took a lot of time and care with them, and it paid off. They felt very real to me. I also enjoyed the dynamic between them, particularly in the first-half.

In the later half, I’ll admit to getting a bit frustrated with them at times. Each one of them struggles with confidence issues and I get that, but I swear, they could not get out of their own ways. I wanted to shake them at times.

Nevertheless, it did make sense considering their backstories and the different life pressures they were facing. I just would have enjoyed maybe a slightly different trajectory for their relationship, with even more focus on the results of the hex and the store.

With this being said, this is strictly personal taste. There’s certainly nothing wrong with the way the author structured their relationship, and it did feel very natural, or as natural as you can get, when you’re basically forced together by a meddling ghost.

Overall, I think this is a very endearing story. It’s humorous and engaging the whole way through. The vibes are perfect for its upcoming Fall release and I know so many Readers are going to love this spicy and sweet Paranormal Romance.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me a copy to read and review. I really enjoy Marlowe’s storytelling and can’t wait for more!

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Review: Incarnate by Alma Katsu

~ megs14malloy

IncarnateIncarnate by Alma Katsu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

I was sold on Incarnate after seeing it described as a reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray, one of my favorite Gothic novels of all time, but for the internet age?

How was Katsu going to spin this? I had to find out.

In this story, we’re following Dorothy Wagner, a VFX designer, who has always wanted to standout and be noticed. Dorothy was bullied terribly when she was younger, but she’s come a long way since then. Old insecurities are hard to totally shake though, and she constantly feels like she needs to prove herself.

After she gets a job with a small upstart company that’s focused on cutting-edge deep fake technology, her abilities to standout start to grow. The owner of the company, Tomas, who has a lot of nervous energy, but boundless knowledge, becomes a bit of mentor for Dorothy.

She learns so much from him that she’s able to master the tech, and in her free time, she creates Isabella. The perfect girl, who takes social media by storm.

Everyone wants to be Isabella, and Dorothy finally feels like she’s reaching her own potential, but as the partnership requests roll in, and the money starts to flow, the inevitable cracks start to show.

I know that rhymes. How perfect. Just like Isabella.

I thought this was incredibly-creative and it’s actually my favorite Alma Katsu to date. They say to write what you know, and she definitely took that advice here. In the mid-2000s, Katsu was one of the US Intelligence community’s 1st Social Media Researchers.

This book is a fantastic exploration of social media’s influence in our lives, and some potential unintended consequences of disruptive technologies.

Framing the story as a The Picture of Dorian Gray retelling was a brilliant choice, IMO. It did drag just a touch for me at the end, but overall, it was a fantastic reading experience.

I loved the body horror bits Katsu included and definitely was impressed with how dark she actually ended up taking this story. Once Dorothy starts spiraling, she really starts spiraling. It was hard to predict how it could possibly end.

I would recommend this to any dark fiction Reader. It’s a great melding of Techno-Thriller and Social Horror, with a dash of fantastical. I really appreciated all the pertinent issues that Katsu explored here. I think this would be a stellar book club pick, as there’s so much to discuss.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to get a hard copy of this one for my collection!

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Review: Happy Hour (Killer VHS Series #9) by Gemma Amor

~ megs14malloy

Happy Hour (Killer VHS Series Book 9)Happy Hour by Gemma Amor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Happy Hour by Gemma Amor is the 9th-installment in the Killer VHS series. If you’ve never heard of these, they’re a series of standalone Horror novellas, written by a host of different authors, that channel the vibes of 80s/90s Horror.

My thoughts on this one are fairly simple, and can actually be summed up with just one word: UNHINGED!

In this novel, we’re following Brian, who owns a unique ((putting it mildly)) cocktail bar in 1990s-London. Brian has some interesting eccentricities that set his bar apart from the others. I let you discover the details for yourself.

Brian’s perspective reminded me a lot of Patrick Bateman. I’m not sure if the author was inspired by his character when writing Brian, but honestly, he could be Patrick’s cousin. I think they’d get along famously at the family reunion.

As far as the content of the story, I found it compelling. I liked the backstory we got for Brian’s character and the way that the back-and-forth was pieced together.

There’s some great, cringey body horror as well, and I felt Amor did a fantastic job balancing an actual plot with all the toe-curling Horror aspects. There’s actually a coherent story in here, which isn’t necessarily always the case.

While i wouldn’t classify this as Extreme Horror, it’s definitely dipping a toe in those deeper waters. This is actually the first I’ve read from Gemma Amor, but I’m stoked to read more. This was a tantalizing introduction to this author for me. For sure.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Shortwave, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’d love to collect all of these paperbacks.

The covers are always so good, and I’d love to add them to my always-growing Horror collection!

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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!

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