cozy horror

Review: So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison

~ megs14malloy

So ThirstySo Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars heavily rounded up**

I feel so bad. My head hurts. I have many mixed feelings on So Thirsty. I love Rachel Harrison, and her quirky Cozy Horror style, but this wasn’t great for me.

Unfortunately, I was mainly bored. It took me close to a month to finish. I just felt no sense of urgency, or compulsion to pick it up again once I had set it down.

This is the 6th-book I have read of Harrison’s, most of which I have adored, but this one is down there on the list. If not the bottom, it is close.

However, even Harrison’s slowest story for me is better than many others, so there’s that.

In this story we follow Sloane, who at the start of the tale is gifted a Girls Trip from her husband for her birthday. She, along with her best friend, Naomi, will be staying in a cozy rental cottage for the weekend.

Sloane wasn’t looking forward to her birthday, but reconnecting with Naomi, somewhere away from home does sound like a relief. Sloane and her husband have been having some issues and it’s been weighing heavily on her.

Naomi lives a completely different lifestyle, traveling the world with her rock star boyfriend, and she’s always good for a distraction.

Once there though, Sloane still doesn’t feel into it. Naomi literally has to drag the smiles out of her. It’s a struggle and their relationship seems to be feeling the strain.

The second night there, Naomi has something a little irregular in the cards for them. A house party with an attractive group of mysterious strangers.

That’s the night that will change their lives forever.

Generally with Rachel Harrison’s books, I become attached and invested in the main character. Usually, I find them highly relatable and more often than not, feel like they think, or see the world, very similarly to me.

But I just couldn’t connect with Sloane. I didn’t care for her, she felt like a rain cloud. Sadly, I couldn’t stand Naomi either. I found them both insufferable. Sloane seemed like such a Debbie Downer and Naomi was a selfish, self-centered twat the majority of the time.

I did enjoy the Horror concepts and how a lot of the action played out, I just wish it would have been with a different cast of characters.

The 4-stars are for the vampire bits and the scenes involving body horror and dangerous circumstances. I actually feel like I am being quite generous as I now sit here reflecting upon this reading experience.

Nevertheless, you can’t fault Harrison’s writing style, or her ability to create nuanced characters, whether or not I personally enjoy them. I know so many Readers have loved this one, so I feel like a lot of it will depend on how much you’re able to connect with Sloane and Naomi’s story.

I will say the first half did work more for me than the second. Around the halfway point, it started to drag, even though, one would think because of the timeline of events, the second half should have been more exciting.

I think perhaps I was just over Sloane and Naomi by then.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Regardless of how salty I sound, I do absolutely adore this author and am looking forward to reading whatever she chooses to deliver us next!

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Review: Cinderwich by Cherie Priest

~ megs14malloy

CinderwichCinderwich by Cherie Priest
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Decades ago, Kate Thrush’s Aunt Ellen mysteriously disappeared. Even though Kate is too young to even remember Aunt Ellen, she was actually named after her and Ellen has been the shadow looming over her entire life.

As a young adult, Kate befriended Ellen’s long-time girlfriend, a college professor, Dr. Judith Kane. Judith and Ellen were partners at the time of Aunt Ellen’s disappearance, and Judith has never truly been able to let go of that experience.

Eventually, Kate and Judith grew apart, so when Kate hears from Judith seemingly out of the blue, and Judith asks for her assistance, Kate is curious and takes her up on the offer.

Judith has continued searching for any evidence that may tell her what happened to Ellen all those years ago. She’s recently come across something she feels could be connected.

A story, really more of a local legend, regarding a woman’s body found years ago in a blackgum tree in the small town of Cinderwich, Tennessee. Children know the chant, Who put Ellen in the blackgum tree?

Many have traveled to Cinderwich over the years, trying to determine the identity of the body found in the tree. Some of these people were even searching for Ellen’s of their own, others were mere trauma tourists. Either way, the people of Cinderwich are used to strangers passing through and asking questions.

Kate and Judith make a plan, and meet up in the small town, checking into an eclectic local hotel. Immediately, they being digging into the town history, looking for answers. They’re ill-prepared for what they’ll ultimately encounter there.

I really enjoyed this highly-readable Horror novella. I was initially attracted to it because of the eerie cover and I have to say, the cover suits the story perfectly. It’s got a sweet Southern Gothic feel to it, heavy with mystery vibes.

Kate and Judith were such a fun pair. An odd couple of sorts, but I adored the dynamics of their relationship. It was a great premise as well; them meeting up in the small creepy town and looking into a decades old mystery.

The overall themes explored were well done and I found Priest’s writing to be fluid, as well as engaging. This was actually the first I have read from her, and I’m definitely looking forward to picking up more. I’ve had The Toll sitting on my shelves for way too long now.

I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook for this one and absolutely recommend that format if it’s available to you. We’re getting this story from Kate’s perspective and I felt that the narrator, Traci Odom’s, voice was perfect for Kate.

My only slight critique would be that I wish it could have been longer. I feel like that way frequently with novellas that I enjoy, mainly because I just don’t want them to end. For this one, I feel like it wrapped up rather quickly, I wouldn’t have minded more time to really dig into this conclusion.

Overall, I feel like this is a fast, compelling, creepy read, with great vibes and characters. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Southern Gothic stories, stories that feature small town vibes with creepy local lore, or unlikely friends investigating cold cases.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

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Review: Bless Your Heart (Bless Your Heart #1) by Lindy Ryan

~ megs14malloy

Bless Your HeartBless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Bless Your Heart is a Cozy Mystery-meets-Horror novel that I never knew I needed!

This was so stinking cute. My Horror Heart adored it. It was way more graphic than I expected and I loved the small town Southern vibes. Bonus: it’s 1999!

Set in Southeast Texas, this story focuses on the Evans women, who are the owner/operators of Evans Funeral Parlor. Their small town has a bit of a history with the dead becoming restless and the Evans are well-versed in making sure they meet their final rest.

The town has spent the last 15-years in peaceful normalcy. That’s a pretty long stretch, and it’s about to end.

When the town gossip, Mina Jean Murphy’s, body is brought to the Evans for a regular burial, yet she rises from the dead instead, it’s clear that the Strigoi problem is back.

We then follow along, both with the Evans women, and with a local Deputy, Roger Taylor, as they try to figure out what has caused this recent unrest, and as they try to stop it.

This was so fun. The small town vibes, family dynamics and the horror elements, were all very well done.

I was actually surprised at how graphic some of the darker scenes actually were. It was great, just the dichotomy between the cozy and the dark. I loved that part.

It was giving me Sunnydale, but the Texas version, and it was giving me The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, mixed with a touch of Designing Women. I was here for every minute of it.

I listened to the audiobook and absolutely recommend that format if it’s an option for you. The narration style of Stephanie Nemeth-Parker fits the overall story so well.

For me, the only critique is that I wanted a bit more of the mystery. I wanted more substance, more suspense, but I am hoping as the series continues the balance between the other elements and the mystery will balance out.

Speaking of ‘the series’, I’m so happy to learn this is going to be a series. I feel like the more time we get to spend with the Evans, the more attached to them we’ll become and the more we’ll see them grow and change.

I’m particularly interested in Luna, as she’s the youngest, so it’ll be interesting to watch her learn about their powers and responsibility and see how she is going to use it.

If you are someone who enjoys Horror, but also love Cozy Mysteries ((like me)), you have to check this one out. I don’t think I’ve ever really read anything like it and I’m definitely looking forward to more in this charming Southern setting.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Lindy Ryan, you’ve impressed me. I can’t wait for more!

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Review: Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison

~ megs14malloy

Black SheepBlack Sheep by Rachel Harrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Rachel Harrison is one of my go-to authors in the Horror space. I feel like she brings her own special brand to the genre that I would generally classify as Cozy Horror.

Black Sheep is very similar in feel to her earlier works that I adored, Cackle and Such Sharp Teeth. Even though I enjoyed both of those ones a bit more than Black Sheep, this is still incredibly well done.

In this story we are following Vesper Wright, a cynical 20-something, who is estranged from her family and working as a waitress at a job she hates. Seriously, if she has to sing that birthday song one more time…

Sometimes things can go from bad to worse though, and Vesper ends up losing said job after an incident involving very hot nacho cheese. Don’t ask.

Unfortunately, worse is about to get even…worser? Vesper has received an invitation to her cousin, Rosie’s, wedding. Vesper dropped her family like a hot potato the minute she turned 18 and hasn’t looked back.

Sure, she couldn’t stand them, that’s why she left, but she was also told if she did leave their staunchly religious community, she could never return. Thus, she hasn’t. But this invitation; this could change things.

Is Vesper ready to return? Is she ready to face her past and her family’s dark secrets? Why not? She’s certainly not doing a heck of a lot of anything else.

Feeling like something inside her is compelling her to go, Vesper packs her bags and heads home for the first time. The toxic environment she left hasn’t changed much and Vesper quickly begins to question her choice to return.

Her mother, Constance, a former Horror film star is just as terrible, no maybe even more terrible than Vesper remembers. It’s not just her mother though. Everything seems more dangerous and sinister than before. The house, the community, what exactly is going on here?

This is such a great story. It was surprising. I definitely can’t say anything else about the plot without risking giving something away, which I don’t want to do.

I expected this to be a particular type of story and Harrison succeeded in flipping my expectations on their head. This was such a unique take on the poisonous family drama. I really loved the choices Harrison made in telling this story.

One of my favorite aspects of Harrison’s books are her believable and relatable main characters. They just feel so well developed and realistic to me.

Even though the things her protagonists go through are horrific, or even supernatural, in nature, they often make me shake my head in agreement and sympathy. I feel like I am connecting with them on a level that shouldn’t be possible.

Vesper’s experience in this story is vastly different than what any Reader will ever experience, trust me on this, no matter how bad you think your family is, but I still think so many people will be able to relate to her story.

I also love how Harrison brings a level of humor and candor to her stories that keep you chuckling, while simultaneously grimacing in disgust, or horror. That’s a talent.

As mentioned above, this isn’t my favorite one of her stories, but it’s still top notch. I just loved Cackle and related to it so much that it would be hard to beat, and I felt very similarly about Such Sharp Teeth.

I would recommend this to any Horror Reader, but particularly those who have enjoyed Harrison’s work in the past. This is 100%-true to her narrative style and offers up some stunning commentary on home and family.

Harrison has such a creative gift. I hope she keeps on cranking out stories like this for years to come. I will absolutely be picking up each and every one of them.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Harrison never disappoints. This was a fantastic read!

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