family drama

Review: A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

~ megs14malloy

A Box Full of DarknessA Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙

Beloved author, Simone St. James, returns to Fell, New York, in her latest Paranormal Mystery, A Box Full of Darkness.

For avid fans of St. James, you may recognize Fell as being the same location as her earlier novel, The Sun Down Motel, which I adored when it released in 2020.

The start of this reminded me so much of The Haunting of Hill House. The Netflix show, not the book. We follow three siblings, Violet, Vail and Dodie, who are essentially called back to the house they grew up in, alongside their younger brother, Ben, who disappeared years before.

There are reports that the property is being haunted by a spirit, at least according to the recent landscaper’s reports. The siblings agree to go back, deal with the past and try to figure out, once and for all, what really happened to Ben all those years ago.

I was really intrigued by this set-up. I liked meeting all the siblings and learning about them. They’re all vastly different, but you can feel the love and support they have for each other.

It’s with great apprehension that the three return to the Fell house and you can feel that uncertainty through the page. The vibes of the house were rich and unsettling. I wanted to know everything about it, and what happened not only to Ben, but everyone else in the family around that time.

I loved this mystery and was completely hooked into it. There were also references alluding to events at The Sun Down Motel, and also, I believe, The Broken Girls, which was really fun. I love little Easter Eggs like that connecting author’s various works.

Overall, I found this very engaging and entertaining. I loved this group of siblings and their complicated family history. I won’t claim it’s a perfect story, but I think if you are looking for something to keep your attention and keep you guessing, this is a fantastic option.

It’s got St. James’s signature style of ‘is it paranormal, is it not paranormal‘, which I really love about her stories. I’m so happy with my experience with this one and look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always look forward to Simone St. James’s new releases and this one didn’t disappoint!

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Review: The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong

~ megs14malloy

The Haunting of Paynes HollowThe Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow follows Samantha Payne, who is shocked to learn upon the death of her Grandfather that she’s received a very valuable lakefront property that’s been in the family for generations.

It’s an extremely prized piece of real estate, a summer retreat on Lake Ontario, that the whole family has enjoyed for years. Samantha is left scratching her head as to why he would have bequeathed it to her of all people.

The property also has a bit of a lurid past though, one Samantha would rather not think about. It was at that lakefront cottage that her father was thought to have killed a local child. Sadly, he ended up taking his own life as a result of this horrific incident.

Since that time, 14-years ago, Samantha has been practically estranged from that side of the family, except for her Aunt Gail, who she’s remained quite close with.

As it turns out, the inheritance does have one small caveat. Sam needs to reside at the cottage for a month before the property will be officially conveyed into her name. There are very strict rules applied to this as well.

Needing the money the property could some day grant her, Sam decides to take on the challenge, and along with her Aunt, heads back to the property she hasn’t revisited in over a decade.

From the start things seem slightly off, like someone is trying to scare them away. Not only that, being back at the site, stirs up all sorts of long-buried memories and emotions for Sam. It’s a lot.

When Aunt Gail goes missing a few days into their stay, Sam begins to question everything she thought she knew, both about her past and their family.

Exhausted from nightmares and plagued by paranoia, Sam swears she sees lights and shapes moving under the rippling waves of the lake. Can the truth of what lies below also be the truth at the heart of her family legacy?

I had fun reading The Haunting of Paynes Hollow. This was my first Kelley Armstrong, and I was excited to check out her work. The initial set-up was fantastic, hooking me quickly. I always love an inheritance story.

I loved also that we follow a Niece-Aunt duo. I’m so close with my own nieces, seeing that relationship dynamic explored was extra special. It’s not one you see often.

I also tend to enjoy when people return somewhere from their past and try to solve old mysteries, which in a way, this is as well. Sam was just a child when everything went down with her father, so she has some repressed memories that start to bubble to the surface once she’s living there.

I liked all of those things. However, there’s also just A LOT going on. At times it bordered on being too much. I feel like it did come together for the most part though.

The lore of the family was interesting, as well as all of the long-buried secrets that were revealed. I think for me the setting was the best part, and the unsettling atmosphere created by the odd goings-on was a close second.

Though I did feel it started to get a bit repetitive towards the middle, the ending was worth getting through all that. I would definitely recommend this to Readers who are looking for something a little different in the Creepy Reads space.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m definitely looking forward to picking up more from this author!

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Review: House of Beth by Kerry Cullen

~ megs14malloy

House of BethHouse of Beth by Kerry Cullen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

After a rough break-up and an upsetting incident at her job, Cassie, an overworked assistant at a literary agency, decides to take a break. She needs some space from her life.

She retreats to her hometown in New Jersey, where she ends up running into her high school best friend, Eli, now a widowed father of two young children.

Their relationship quickly takes a turn, and before she knows it, Cassie is giving up her high-octane life in the city for homeschooling Eli’s children, exploring nature, and perhaps forming a new friendship with the eccentric next-door neighbor, Joan.

While on the outside, it may appear Cassie has truly moved on, on the inside she’s not so sure. She has misgivings about the whole situation, but it’s more than that.

Cassie suffers from harm OCD, where her thoughts are frequently plagued by graphic and gory images. Her thoughts scare her, but she can’t run from them. She’s constantly on edge.

Her violent thoughts aren’t the only thing haunting her though. There’s also the shadow of Eli’s deceased wife, Beth, looming over her every day.

As Cassie starts to hear the voice of the house, narrating the family’s secrets from before her arrival, Cassie can’t help but wonder what really happened to Beth?

House of Beth is an unsettling and unique little story. I enjoyed the overall tone. It felt ominous, even when I wasn’t sure why. It went in a direction I wasn’t expecting as well, and for that I give it extra props.

It came across as a bit of a toned-down version of Maeve Fly for me. There’s something in the delivery of Cassie’s narrative voice that reminded me so much of the way Maeve Fly would relay what was going on around her.

It also felt a bit Jayne Eyre but, obviously much more modern. The circumstances aren’t the same, just the overall feel. If that’s a tone you enjoy, you should definitely check this one out. I think it’s worth the read, just to see the new feel that the author has brought to that type of tale.

At the end of the day, I’m not quite sure I got out of this what the author intended though. I’m left with lingering questions on what kind of story this was truly trying to be.

I’m seeing some bigger picture things, but I don’t know if that is intentional, or if my mind is just trying to find logic amidst the greater puzzle. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the journey and am looking forward to more from Kerry Cullen.

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Review: Fiend by Alma Katsu

~ megs14malloy

FiendFiend by Alma Katsu
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Fiend focuses on the Berisha family, who own one of the largest and most powerful import-export companies in the world. The patriarch of the family, Zef, rules the family, and his company, with an iron fist.

His three children, Dardan, Maris and Nora, all know their place within the family. As the only boy, Dardan is slated to take over the company, with Maris, just a girl, having a more minor role, and Nora, the baby of the family, basically excluded from it all.

This family, powerful as they may be, is dysfunctional as all get out. Basically, think Succession, but more messed up…

For most of their lives, the children believed the family was blessed, but as they grew, they come to understand the aura surrounding the family’s success may actually be a curse.

When things stop going as planned, the family splinters and cracks, revealing the dark underbelly hiding at the heart of the family. They didn’t become one of the richest family in the world without spilling a little blood, but this time, it may be their own to hit the ground.

Alma Katsu is well-known for her Historical Horror novels, of which I’ve read two, but this is actually her first foray into writing a modern-set Horror story.

I liked this one. I loved the super messy family dynamic and how it included Then and Now sections. There’s no way I could read this without thinking of Succession, so if you were a fan of that show, you should give this one a go.

I also like the ideas behind the Horror elements of the story, though the highlight for me was the family itself. We mainly get the story told through Maris’s perspective, and she did have an interesting role within the family.

I also enjoyed learning about this business. I do like stories that include business activities. I know that may seem strange to some, but it’s a personal interest of mine, so I do enjoy the rare book that includes those details.

I think for me, the reason I couldn’t rate this higher is that I wanted more of everything. It felt very surface level. Coming in at just over 250-pages, I honestly would have been happy with another 50-pages of content.

Especially towards the end, as the pace increased, I would have loved to have spent more time with those concluding events. I also would have loved a bit more of the family history. Further, the supernatural elements could have been descriptive as well, IMO.

Overall though, this is an entertaining story. It reads very quickly, and is worth picking up. I think if you are someone who enjoys family dramas, or stories that involve business dealings, you could have a lot of fun with it.

Katsu did a great job with this modern setting, and I’m hoping she writes more stories like this one. Even though this won’t make my Favorites List for 2025, I’m still really glad that I read it, particularly during Spooky Season.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Katsu is an author I’ll definitely be reading more from in the future!

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Review: Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

~ megs14malloy

Not Quite Dead YetNot Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Not Quite Dead Yet follows 27-year old, Jet Mason, who lives in Woodstock, Vermont with her wealthy family. Jet’s currently spinning her wheels a bit, her life in a rut, but she’s got time so she’s not too concerned.

That is until she’s attacked in their home on Halloween night by an unseen intruder, leaving her with a catastrophic head injury. Upon awakening in the hospital, a doctor informs her that he’s certain, within a week, her injury will trigger a deadly aneurysm.

Jet is in shock. This is obviously tragic news, but it does give her 1-week to find her killer. She was attacked with purpose; the person knew who they were attacking.

Jet’s never thought she had any enemies, but someone must hate her enough to want her gone. She needs to find out who before her time is up. She’s determined to bring the truth to light, even if it’s the last thing she’s ever going to do.

This was such an interesting set-up, and Jackson wastes no time getting into. I appreciated how quickly we got to the heart of the matter; Jet’s attack, resultant injury and subsequent investigation.

Initially, Jet’s personality took some getting used to. She has a different way of viewing the world around her, and a fairly dry delivery of her thoughts and emotions. I was slightly taken aback with her at first, but I really came to love her.

There were so many questions regarding Jet’s family, their pasts, their construction company and their influence in the town. I loved learning about all these different facets of their lives via Jet’s investigation.

If you’re concerned Jet’s all alone in these pursuits, don’t be afraid, her closest friend, Billy, is also along for the ride, helping in all aspects of the investigation.

I loved him too. He was such a great side character. Their relationship was supportive and seemed to help Jet, well both of them really, process through a lot of stuff that they discovered while digging through everyone’s dirty laundry.

There were some shocking twists and turns, but once certain evidence was discovered, things began to slot into place rather quickly. It was well done, and the more I think about it, the more it impresses me.

Overall, I loved the originality, as well as all the twists and family drama that Jackson included. I feel like this will stand out for me long term due to its uniqueness, and how fun it was to try to figure out.

Additionally, the bittersweet ending gave me actual feelings.

Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always look forward to Holly Jackson’s new releases and this one did not disappoint!

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Review: No Rest for the Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams

~ megs14malloy

No Rest for the Wicked: A NovelNo Rest for the Wicked: A Novel by Rachel Louise Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Almost 20-years ago, Dolores Hawthorne fled her hometown of Little Horton, Wisconsin. She attended college, worked hard, and became a successful forensic pathologist.

She never planned to go back, until she gets a phone call from the FBI, telling her that her father, Little Horton’s former mayor turned US Senator, has gone missing under mysterious circumstances.

In spite of everything, Dolores cares for her father and returns to help in the investigation in any way she can.

Her reunion with her remaining family and the town is mixed, but before long, she’s coming to grips with her past and aiding the FBI with the search.

Other startling occurrences hit the town hard and it becomes clear, something sinister is haunting Little Horton this Halloween season.

Confession time. When I was offered an ARC of this book, I took one look at the cover, read the title, and thought, yes, absolutely, yes. It just looked like something I would enjoy, and luckily, that was true.

However, I had no clue what it was about, but made certain assumptions, and they were all wrong. I actually Buddy Read this with a friend and we both commented quickly that we both assumed it was YA, which it’s clearly not.

If you read the synopsis, unlike me, you’ll have no problem understanding that, but I just felt like the cover, though one of the most gorgeous covers that I’ve set my eyes on lately, really doesn’t portray the feel that I took from this Adult Mystery/Thriller novel.

With this out of the way, my head scratching at the cover art choice really has nothing to do with the book, or the story. I really enjoyed the twisted nature of this and all the dark small town drama. It was captivating and also contained one of my favorite tropes.

I absolutely adore when an MC returns to their hometown, after a number of years away, and ends up digging into some sort of mystery from their past. It’s even better when there are past and present mysteries intertwined, and that’s exactly what Adams delivered here.

It was interesting watching Dolores reintroduce herself to the home she left behind. The interactions among her family were interesting, and I liked how we learned about the past via various timeline/perspective shifts.

We also get a front row seat to the investigation into her father’s disappearance, as well as the other incidents happening around town.

Little Horton was a fun setting. It’s a self-proclaimed Halloween town, so they really lean into the holiday. It gave a lovely, moody backdrop to our overriding mysteries.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this. It was intriguing and fast-paced. I was surprised by it in many ways, and look forward to reading more from this author. I actually would love another book with Dolores as a main character. I grew very fond of her over the course of the story.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

Everything from the tone, setting and characters, to the mystery itself, was engaging for me. Rachel Louise Adams is definitely an author I’ll be reading more from the future!

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Review: The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

~ megs14malloy

The Locked WardThe Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Twins, separated at birth and adopted into different families, come back together in adulthood when one of them is accused of murder.

Will Mandy be able to find the truth of the crime and use it to help free Georgia, or is Georgia actually guilty?

Georgia, adopted by the wealthy and well-connected Cartwright family, grew up very differently from Mandy, who was adopted by a family of much more modest means.

Another difference is that the Cartwright’s were able to conceive a child naturally just after adopting Georgia. Thus, her little sister, Annabelle came into their lives. It’s rumored that Georgia was always viciously jealous of Annabelle.

When Annabelle is murdered, and Georgia is found with the body with blood all over herself, it seems like a clear-cut case, and Georgia gets sent to a psychiatric hospital. But is the case really as clear-cut as it seems?

When Mandy is contacted about the whole situation, she can hardly believe it. She didn’t even know she had a sister, let alone a twin. This seems absolutely crazy, yet she’s intrigued, and goes to see Georgia.

Seeing the situation her sister is in, Mandy is compelled to help. She begins to dig in, finding out more about her mysterious sister, her adoptive family, and where both Mandy and Georgia came from. She discovers things she could have never imagined, but will anyone believe her?

There’s many scandalous secrets and individuals who, for various reasons, would prefer the past stay well and truly buried. Will these twins be able to come out on top, or will the evil actors be able to silence them forever?

The Locked Ward is the latest from one of my go-to Thriller authors, Sarah Pekkanen. I always look forward to Pekkanen’s new releases. I love how readable her stories are, and I find her plots and characters compelling.

This story is no exception. I found the set-up so interesting. It easily pulled me in. Mandy finding out that she had a twin, and the horrific circumstances that twin was currently in; I couldn’t even imagine being in that position.

Georgia’s perspective however, is told in 2nd-person, and honestly, I wasn’t crazy about that choice. I’m not a fan of 2nd-person in general anyway, and I just felt like in this story, I would have preferred a more clear, 1st-person narrative style for Georgia.

That is but a tiny personal preference issue though, and I felt like the rest of the story was great. It’s quite a tangled web. I found it unpredictable and very entertaining.

In addition to recommending the book itself, I would also recommend the audiobook if you’re going to give this one a shot. The narration by January LaVoy, unsurprisingly, was excellent. It definitely helped me to fully immerse myself into this story.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copies to read and review. As always, I look forward to whatever Sarah Pekkanen releases next!

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Review: She Didn’t Stand a Chance by Stacie Grey

~ megs14malloy

She Didn't Stand a ChanceShe Didn’t Stand a Chance by Stacie Grey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Gertie gets notification that she’s being summoned to her recently-deceased, estranged father’s luxurious desert property for the reading of his Will, she’s not exactly elated.

She hasn’t seen her four half-siblings since she was just a toddler, and has absolutely nothing in common with them. Nevertheless, she’s curious and decides to go, in spite of how awkward it’s bound to get.

Once at the property, her assumptions are confirmed. Her half-siblings treat her like gutter trash blown in off the streets. They stick her in the cluttered and neglected pool house, with no air con, or any other conveniences.

Gertie receives more warmth from the property’s staff than her own family, made worse when it’s revealed she’s set to inherit a large portion of the estate. A larger portion than anyone would have expected; especially Gertie.

Gertie has so many questions, including how did their father die? The more she asks about that, the clearer it becomes that he might not have died of natural causes.

When a member of the household staff is killed a few days later, Gertie’s confident that something nefarious is going on inside this house of glass. Will she be able to get to the bottom of it, or will she fall prey to the killer in their midst?

She Didn’t Stand a Chance pulled me in very quickly. I love an inheritance story, and this one gets to the nitty-gritty of the inheritance pretty early on.

I also really enjoyed Gertie as a main character. She’s plucky, resourceful and was very active in digging into the events surrounding her father’s death. It would have been very easy for her to just go there, sit quietly, take what was hers and move on, but she didn’t.

Though Gertie’s perspective is the only one we get in the present timeline, Grey did include some very fun mixed media aspects that helped to move the plot along. Additionally, we get little snippets of what was going on within the family just prior to their Dad’s death.

The siblings, Maryann, Brian, Liam and Jennifer, were all absolutely terrible. It was fun watching their ridiculously-petty antics. They were working hard to intimidate Gertie, but she’s made of stronger stuff than that.

There were some interesting side characters as well. My favorites being Mrs. Phan, the long-time property manager, and Eddie, the chef. The staff def had strong feelings about the family and I enjoyed getting their thoughts.

I did feel this dragged out a little towards the end, but overall, I found it to be an intriguing mystery. I had a lot of fun trying to figure out what had happened to the Dad and I definitely had moments where I was scared for our MC.

I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys a tense and dramatic inheritance story. The mystery was engaging and many of the characters were a lot of fun to hate.

I also truly enjoyed the desert setting, which added so much to the general feel of the story.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from Stacie Grey!

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Review: The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis

~ megs14malloy

The SafariThe Safari by Jaclyn Goldis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

As Odelia Babel, successful-CEO to a fashion empire, prepares to marry for the 2nd-time, she decides to take her family on luxurious vacation for the special day. The ultimate destination wedding weekend.

Her betrothed, Asher Bach, is decades her junior, much closer to her grown children’s ages than her own, but nevertheless Odelia swears it’s true love, and so does Asher.

They’ll be staying at Leopard Sands in South Africa, a posh safari well-known to the family, as they’ve frequented it many times before. Even though it seems like a perfect trip, not everyone is excited for the soon-to-be newlyweds.

Attending the family event are Odelia’s three adult children, Joshua, Sam and Bailey, her daughter-in-law, baby granddaughter and her assistant/best friend. In spite of the closeness of this group of people, there’s a ton of tension simmering under the surface.

Sam and Odelia end up having an epic fight. Things are said that push the boundary further than ever before.

The following morning, a mere hours before the wedding ceremony, Odelia is found dead. Suspicion immediately falls on Sam. Everyone heard the fight. It was bad.

Sam swears it wasn’t him. He has an alibi. He was with his sister, Bailey. At least that’s what he claims. Bailey is nowhere to be found…

As the investigation starts, everyone is a suspect and the once peaceful Leopard Sands begins to feel menacing and claustrophobic. Even though there’s literally endless land and space around them, this still managed to pull off a classic Locked Room Mystery feel that I enjoyed.

This is the 3rd-year in a row I’ve read a new release Thriller from Jaclyn Goldis, and The Safari is definitely my favorite. I was here for all the craziness, it got wild and the setting felt refreshing for the genre.

It’s a dramatically-messy family drama set against a backdrop of beautiful South Africa. I loved the fly on the wall experience I got with this one. It was quite entertaining. It’s a straight-up popcorn read, and I was invested.

I loved the set-up, and getting to know the family. The dynamics were messy from the start. I liked getting a front row seat to all that.

As it progresses, it starts to get a little manic, and I suspected everyone at one point or another. Maybe the baby did it? I honestly didn’t know. Maybe they all did it. We’ve seen that happen before.

There were some areas, mainly involving Bailey, that meandered a bit, and sort of went a little out of focus, but that was brought around in the end and overall, I was pleased with her story arc.

Additionally, towards the end, it did get a little difficult to track. There were side characters, locals to the area, that took up larger roles and some of them, and their connections to the story, started to get a little convoluted.

Overall though, this was an entertaining read. I got through it so quickly and had a lot of fun with the wildly OTT-drama. You won’t like a lot of characters in this story, but you may like watching them spiral.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Each one of this author’s releases have gotten stronger for me, and we love an upward trajectory. I can’t wait for the next one!

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Review: It Happened on the Lake by Lisa Jackson

~ megs14malloy

It Happened on the LakeIt Happened on the Lake by Lisa Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Greetings again from Outlier Island!!

But this time I’m here, and I’m happy about it. I had so much fun with this, and I’m not getting that impression from many of my book friends who’ve read it.

This is a long one, I’ll admit. Coming in at well over 500-pages, that’s a bit unusual for a Thriller, or Domestic Suspense, but to me, it never felt too long.

I was so invested in all the juicy drama, trying to figure it out. My brain was spinning with all my theories…

I would definitely say it’s one of those books you just have to pick up at the right time, and luckily for me, I picked this one up at a time when it was exactly what I needed.

I don’t necessarily agree with the publisher comp to Rear Window, but in a way I can see what they were alluding to, as there is definitely a lot of ‘watching’ going on.

The drama of this story surrounds Lake Twilight, and the private island set in it, with its stately-Victorian home inherited by our MC, Harper Prescott. Even though Harper has an aversion to the property, she’s recently returned after some upheaval in her life, including a divorce.

When she was younger, Harper went through a lot of trauma on the property and the surrounding area, so it’s not surprising she hasn’t really wanted to spend much time there in her adult life.

While we don’t learn all that has gone on in Harper’s past right away, we are treated to past perspectives that help to fill in the blanks.

Harper’s present perspective is given as 1988, and the bulk of the action in the past occurs 20-years earlier in 1968. For me, I loved the back and forth, because it helped to slowly fill in the blanks and build out the story.

I say slowly, because it does take a long time to figure everything out, but not so much because the pace is slow, but more because there is soooo much to uncover.

Harper was considering fixing the property up in order to sell it, but being back stirs up so much unresolved issues and feelings, she’s not sure if she’ll actually be able to follow through with that plan. For now, she’s mostly focused on putting her past to rest.

Can Harper figure out the hazy puzzle that is her past before the island claims another victim, or will Harper finally be overcome by the things that have haunted her?

It Happened on the Lake features one of my favorite tropes and I think that’s part of the reason it was such a hit for me. I adore when a protagonist returns to their hometown, usually that they’ve fled years before, and ends up trying to solve some sort of mystery that’s been haunting them.

That’s exactly what this book is and I was in it with Harper. I also really enjoy Harper as a protagonist, because she was written in such a way that I wasn’t 100% sure how reliable her perspective actually was.

That sense of uncertainty had me questioning everything, and I think that upped the intrigue level for me. I wanted to trust her, but part of me wasn’t ready to let my guard down.

There were moments during the build that reminded me a lot of Riley Sager’s, The House Across the Lake. It has sort of similar vibes with regards to the lake, surrounding town, and the people watching people situations.

Obviously, the content of this is vastly different and it is more drawn out, but if you enjoyed that drama-filled lakeside setting, this could end up working for you too.

There’s a lot of moving pieces, particularly at the beginning, so it is the type of read where you have to be completely dialed in. If you miss anything, I can see it possibly getting confusing. Particularly due to the time jumps.

Regardless, I think if you’re in the right mood, and you have the patience for it, it’s a super fun and enticing read.

While it won’t be for everyone, I think for the people it hits with, like myself, it can be a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher, Kensington Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I was hesitant to pick it up initially, because of that intimidating page count, but I’m glad I ended up giving it a shot.

It exceeded my expectations!

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