intense

Review: Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams

~ megs14malloy

Her Last BreathHer Last Breath by Taylor Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙

Her Last Breath, like Taylor Adams’s last novel, The Last Word, has firmly secured Adams fate as one of my top Thriller authors. Wild and wickedly-entertaining, both of these books kept me glued to the seat and flipping pages.

Taylor Adams has knocked another one out of the park!

Caves, and caving more particularly, petrify me. I was interested in this book as soon as I read the synopsis. I figured it would be harrowing, and easily get my heart racing, and boy and boy, did it ever.

We’re following best friends, Tess and Allie, who go on a caving trip, supposedly a day trip, but it turns into so much more than that. Though Allie is an experienced caver, and knows the cave they are going into like the back of her hand, Tess is a complete amateur.

She goes more because she wants to please Allie, than due to any desire of her own. From the start it doesn’t go well. They have a bit of a confrontation with a mysterious stranger lurking just inside the cave entrance, and from that moment on, the vibes seem off.

As the two women descend into the depths, they soon realize they aren’t alone. The stranger has followed them, and he’s not planning to let them back out alive.

24-hours later, a hospitalized Tess walks a clever Detective Washington through the culminating events of their ill-fated adventure. Together, the two begin to determine that the events weren’t as random as they initially appeared.

Y’all, my claustrophobia was fully initiated by 30% into this novel. It was stirring a bit ahead of that, as even thinking of entering this cave makes me feel queasy, but by 30%, I needed to get up, walk around and stretch.

The way that Adams drew me in, it felt effortless. It was so well written, to keep me fully engaged and keep me guessing. Tess and Allie are both complex characters and I wasn’t sure if I could trust either one of them.

My mind was spinning, trying to keep up with what was going on in this hellscape of a cave. The stranger, the man they met at the cave mouth, was so unsettling. The way he interacted with the women was so inappropriate and creepy. I would have turned around immediately.

I loved that we got Detective Washington’s perspective as well. I loved following along with her during her interview process with Tess.

It felt like we were puzzling it out together. What exactly went on down there? Who was this man? And why does it seem he was targeting them? Was he, or did the odd circumstances of their encounter just make it feel that way?

This is such a wild ride. It’s bound to keep you hooked. I flew this so quickly, half the time with my stomach in my throat. I needed answers. Taylor Adams, I’ll be sending you my therapist’s bill for the mind spin I had from reading this.

After reading The Last Word, I thought, how can Adams possibly top this? I was totally gripped by that story. Now I know. Her Last Breath is the answer to that, at least IMHO.

I can’t recommend this enough to anyone looking for an intense, nail-biting thrill ride. Bonus points if you’re as scared of caves, or any small spaces, as I am. This is sure to have you squirming in your seat!

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I expected this to be good, but I had no idea it would be this good!

I cannot wait to see what Taylor Adams comes up with next!!

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Review: The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz

~ megs14malloy

The Last Ferry Out: A NovelThe Last Ferry Out: A Novel by Andrea Bartz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Abby has been unmoored by the unexpected death of her fiance, Eszter, who was on a solo trip to a remote island when she died of an apparent allergic reaction.

Having suffered from severe allergies her entire life, Eszter was always careful. Abby doesn’t understand how it could’ve happened and is unable to move past her many questions.

As the days pass, Abby decides she is going to need to go there, to Isla Colel, to the place where Eszter died. Perhaps there, she’ll finally be able to find some closure.

Upon arrival though, the island isn’t quite what she expected. Once a bustling tourist destination, a hurricane decimated the island a few years back, and only a few hearty locals and expats remain.

With ferry service sporadic, at best, it’s about as remote a location as you can get, but Abby slowly begins to understand the pull it has on people.

She ends up locating a small group of expats who she believes hung out with Eszter in her last days; recognizing them from a photo Eszter had shared with her. Abby introduces herself and becomes friendly with them, gently pushing for information when she can.

When one of the men, who seemed to have something he really wanted to tell Abby, ends up disappearing before he can, Abby grows suspicious. Is this some sort of cover-up? Is there more to Eszter’s death than what’s she been told?

We follow Abby as her quest for the truth reveals lies and dangers around every turn. Will she find out what happened to Eszter, or will she become another victim of the island?

This is a compelling Travel Thriller. I was drawn in from the start. I loved the small island setting, and our MC, Abby.

Abby is an easy protagonist to get behind. By the time she reaches the island, she’s practically bubbling over with questions, so when she ends up meeting the expats, she’s quite forthright about her reason for being there.

I appreciated how open she was about everything. It made me actually care about her getting the answers. I also liked how smart and determined she was.

I was surprised when we ended up getting short stints of other perspectives in addition to Abby’s. They were fun though and ended up adding a lot to the overall puzzle.

The biggest was Eszter’s, who we get to follow during her time on the island. Eszter was harder to figure out than Abby. She wasn’t as straight forward with her feelings and intentions, and I felt like I had as many questions as Abby regarding Eszter.

The small group of expats were also very mysterious. There was something almost cultish about the vibes they were giving off. They seemed so obsessed with the island, but did seem happy enough to bring Abby along to explore it.

As stranger things started happening, I was so ready for Abby to pack her bags and go. It does feel dangerous. You don’t know why, but you know something is off.

Then inclement weather sweeps in, as it does, and Abby is unable to leave the island, even if she wanted to. I liked how the author increased the intensity towards the end by using the weather issue to work against our protagonist.

It did have a slight lull for me around the mid-way point, where I was getting a little bored, but she definitely bounced back, and the concluding portion was absolutely gripping; featuring twist-after-demented-twist.

Overall, I had a fun time reading this. I thought Bartz did a fabulous job with the setting, the use of the inclement weather, and with the cast of untrustworthy characters.

I definitely recommend this to Readers looking for a strong Travel Thriller to add to their Summer TBR. This one should definitely keep you guessing.

Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Of course, I’m looking forward to more from Andrea Bartz!!

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Review: So Happy Together by Olivia Worley

~ megs14malloy

So Happy TogetherSo Happy Together by Olivia Worley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

So Happy Together is a twisty and dramatic Social Thriller that should be read as a warning about the potential hazards in modern dating. Singletons listen up!!

This story follows Jane, a 24-year old, aspiring NYC-playwright. Jane meets Colin, her perfect person, via a dating app. She can hardly believe her luck. He’s too perfect.

Sadly, he breaks things off after only 6-dates. Jane doesn’t see it as forever though, just a bump in the road of their longer term relationship. She’ll do anything to make it so.

Then Colin starts dating Zoe, a up-and-coming New York artist, who also appears to be quite successful in various online space as an artistic influencer.

Zoe may have a lot, but Jane knows Zoe will never be able to love Colin like she can, but what’s she willing to do about it?

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. The audiobook was well narrated and kept me engaged during a very long solo road trip. Nevertheless, the story itself was a bit of a mixed bag for me, particularly in the second-half.

The beginning was super engaging and gripping, but the further it went, the more it started to lose my attention. It almost got too twisty, if that’s possible?

With this being said, I did still enjoy quite a few of the twists thrown into this wild tale. Also, I appreciated the risks the author took with the story. It’s not your typical Dramatic Thriller and actually went a lot darker than I expected.

I think for me, the most difficult area was towards the end. There were so many things popping up, and some were hard to track, so it felt muddled. I’m still not entirely sure I understand how exactly everything played out.

I think where the author really succeeded here was with the creation of the characters. I love an unreliable narrator, and Jane seemed like one, but she wasn’t the only character in this story who you couldn’t necessarily believe.

I liked how the author played with the abundant psychological manipulations of this cast of characters. It had me doubting everyone, and I sort of love that.

I also really enjoyed the New York setting, and just that whole feel of being a young person, transplated to NYC, trying to make a go of it. You’re amongst millions of people, but it can be such a solitary endeavor.

Overall, I definitely vibe with Worley’s ideas and character work, even if the execution wasn’t perfect in this one. This is the 2nd-novel I have read from this author, and I’m definitely excited to read more.

You never really know what you’re going to get.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I do recommend the audiobook. Michelle H. Lee’s narration was perfect for Jane’s perspective.

Again, while this wasn’t a flawless novel, I still found it to be a lot of fun and appreciated how dark and twisted the author went with it. Looking forward to more Worley!!

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