new releases

Review: Pam Kowolski is a Monster! by Sarah Langan

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Sarah Langan. What a talent.

💙♥️💛💙♥️💛💙♥️💛💙♥️💛💙

I’m sort of at a loss for what to say about Pam Kowolski Is a Monster! This Horror Novella is a unique glimpse into one woman’s life as she works through her complicated feelings in regards to her high school nemesis, Pam Kowolski.

Our MC is Janet, who at one point felt she was going places. Unfortunately, life hasn’t panned out the way Janet expected.

Her journalism career is in the toilet, she has nobody to come home to at night, she’s a lone wolf. How did her life turn out this way?

While she’s not exactly sure, she can’t help but feel like darn Pam Kowloski had something to do with it. That girl. Grrrrrrrrrr, even thinking of her gets Janet’s hackles up.

Surfing mindless media one day, Janet comes across a super popular psychic predicting the end of the world. Sure, this could be a disturbing predication, but the predication itself isn’t what has Janet’s jaw on the floor.

This incredibly popular psychic is none other than Pam Kowolski!

Janet sees right through her. This predication is not even close to true, and Pam Kowolski is an absolute fraud. Janet will not rest until she can bring her down off her perfect pedestal.

But in order to reveal Pam as the con artist she is, Janet will have to dig deep into their past, uncovering things she may have conveniently forgotten.

This was an odd little story, but it was super compelling. I read this in a day, because I couldn’t put it down. There was no way really to predict where it was going.

I’ve read two novels from Langan before, and really enjoyed both of them. Her writing is wild and wicked, but also quite subtle. It’s not throwing a lot of body horror, or things of that nature in your face.

I feel like Langan is very smart with her choices of how she builds out characters, and naturally reveals what’s going on in their minds; their intentions and neuroses.

The vibes of this are unsettling, but it’s really difficult to explain why. I think maybe they came most from the uncomfortable position of being in Janet’s mind. I loved how the truth was revealed.

There were moments that gave me chills, just from learning new insights and seeing how the puzzle fit together. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a bit of Weird Fiction, that you walk away from a little unsure how to classify it.

It’s surprising to me how much Langan was able to do in this with so few pages. Sometimes with a novella, I feel slightly unsatisfied, like I want more, but I didn’t feel that way here. I thought this was the length it needed to be in order to be effective.

Thank you to the publisher, Raw Dog Screaming Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Sarah Langan was already an auto-read author for me, and this only solidifies status more.

Review: Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Flirting LessonsFlirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

After Avery Jensen goes through a break-up, she’s realizes her life is stale. She’s tired of being well-behaved and reliable. She wants to shake it up; get a hobby, make new friends and flirt with lots of people, men and women.

As she considers all of that though, she realizes, she has no clue where to start. She feels like she’s lost confidence since her relationship, and is at a loss for how to get it back.

Taylor Cameron is a known flirt and infamous heart-breaker. After her most recent break-up, her best friend bets her that she can’t make it 2-months without sleeping with someone new. Taylor, though realizing her history stacks the odds against her, takes the bet.

When Avery and Taylor meet at a winery event, Avery spills her concerns to Taylor. It’s not like her to be so open with a stranger, but there’s something about Taylor.

Taylor feels for Avery and offers to help her. She’ll give Avery flirting lessons, her specialty, and in turn, that project will distract Taylor from getting up to no good elsewhere; she’s determined to win her bet if she can.

At first, Avery is uncomfortable with their arrangement, but Taylor is so warm and encouraging and soon she begins to look forward to their weekly sessions.

The more time the women spend together, the more they start seeing each other in a whole new light. Their chemistry is undeniable and it’s becoming impossible to ignore their mutual attraction.

Could their flirting lessons lead to love?

Flirting Lessons is a very cute and enjoyable read, with beautiful WLW-representation. I really liked both MCs, particularly Taylor, whose perspective I found so relatable.

I did feel the women acted a lot older than their stated ages, they were quite mature and open with their emotions, which is something I would have run a million miles away from in my 20s. Besides that though, I did find their relationship trajectory believable and engrossing.

I loved the lessons Taylor set-up. They were so creative and fun, and helped to draw Avery out of her shell.

I also really appreciated Avery’s character arc. She was in a real rut at the start and I liked how she took charge of her life and took action to improve things. I can definitely see why Taylor would find that attractive.

I feel like the women were a great match. Their personalities played off each other well, and they both provided strength in areas that the other might lack, or need to work on. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop.

Overall, this was an enjoyable Adult Contemporary story, with well developed characters, fun dates, great chemistry, and not too much steam.

I always look forward to new Jasmine Guillory novels and this didn’t disappoint for a moment.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m glad I finally made time for this. A perfect Pride Month read!

View all my reviews

Review: The Widows’ Guide to Backstabbing (The Widows’ Detective Club #2) by Amanda Ashby

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

The Widows’ Guide to Backstabbing (The Widows’ Detective Club, #2)The Widows’ Guide to Backstabbing by Amanda Ashby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Widows’ Guide to Backstabbing is the 2nd-book in the Widows’ Detective Club Cozy Mystery series by Amanda Ashby.

This series follows Ginny Cole, a recent widow, who after the death of her beloved husband, moves to a new village, Little Shaw, for a fresh start.

It’s there that she secures a job at the local library, makes a great group of new friends, and ends up solving a brutal murder. That’s what I call a successful fresh start!

In this installment, which takes places, I believe a few months after the conclusion of the 1st-book, Ginny is even more settled into her life in Little Shaw.

She’s still working at the library, has become even more fond of her adopted cat companion, Edgar, and is talking to her dead husband less. One thing she is still doing though, is stumbling across dead bodies.

This time at the local haberdashery shop.

Timothy Harlow, the shop owner, has been stabbed in the back with a set of shears. The police quickly arrest a young upholsterer, Milos, for the crime, but Ginny and her friends don’t believe he’s the actual culprit.

With the police looking in the wrong direction, it’s time for the Widows to do what they do best; solve a murder.

This was another cute installment to what has quickly become one of my go-to Cozy Mystery series. I love Ginny as a protagonist, as well as the small town vibes, the incorporation of the library, and of course, the cat, Edgar.

While I wasn’t quite as swept up in this one as I was the 1st-book, I still think it was engaging and I’m glad I read it.

For me, there is a little less focus on Ginny’s character arc in this one, and that is something I really connected with in the first installment. There was also less time spent in and around the library, and I did miss that as well.

I already have a copy of the 3rd-book, The Widows’ Guide to Skulduggery ((thank you, Storm Publishing)), which is releasing at the end of the month, and I’m so excited to get to it. I’m sure I’ll be starting it very soon.

If you are looking for a new Cozy Mystery series to start, just in time for Summer, I definitely recommend checking this one out. Particularly if you are a Cozy Reader who enjoys more mature characters, and small town settings.

There’s also a lot of fun hi-jinks and banter amongst this group of widows, but also a lot of love, heart and support. They are, in short, friendship goals.

View all my reviews

Review: King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

King of Ashes: A NovelKing of Ashes: A Novel by S.A. Cosby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After Roman Carruthers receives word that his father has been in a terrible car accident, he returns home to be with his brother, Dante, and sister, Naveah, and closer to the hospital where his Dad is being kept.

The accident was serious, and the prognosis is grim. They aren’t sure if Dad will ever fully recover.

Roman has been away from his hometown, where his family owns and operates a crematorium, for many years. He’s built himself a highly-successful career in Atlanta, and seems to have left central Virginia in the past.

Now that he’s returned though, he must confront his younger brother, Dante’s, dangerous criminal enterprises, which have left him riddled in debt, as well as his sister, Neveah’s, burn out, as she struggles to hold everything together with regards to the family and the business.

Roman is a bit gobsmacked by the current state of his family. He didn’t know things had progressed this far, particularly in regards to Dante’s debt and substance use issues.

In doesn’t take Roman long to parse out that his father’s crash wasn’t an accident, and Dante’s recklessness has placed them all in very grave danger.

Vowing to get his brother out of trouble, and save his family, Roman offers his very applicable services to the criminal overlords hunting down his brother. Roman is an expert negotiator and he’s sure he can see this through, and free Dante from his debts.

Concurrently, his sister is working on her own mystery project. She’s trying to determine what exactly happened to their mother, who disappeared years before.

There’s so much going on in King of Ashes. The most impressive part is Cosby’s incredible skill at writing such a complex story, while keeping it flowing naturally, and never making the Reader feel overwhelmed.

I enjoyed how quickly it all kicks off as well, as far as getting Roman back to Jefferson Run and involved with the flourishing criminal underworld there.

Additionally, this is a Long Game story, IYKYK, which is one of my favorite tropes in this kind of novel. Roman, as an MC, is incredible. He was so easy to root for. I loved his courage and determination in spite of the danger, no matter what, he was gonna fight to reach his goals.

I also enjoyed him as a bit of a reverse prodigal son. In spite of his successful time away, he still did seek a bit of forgiveness in a way from the other members of his family.

All the other characters were really well done too. Dante, though frustrating as heck, the guy’s literally a walking liability, was still believable and sympathetic, and I loved Naveah as well.

The plot was fast-paced and kept me super invested. I had no moments where I wasn’t fully locked into the audiobook while listening to it. I adored it.

In short, S.A. Cosby’s gripping, gritty stories, paired with the impeccable narration of Adam Lazarre-White, is nothing short of perfection. A winning combination!

While I was completely invested in this story, and maybe because I was so invested in it, I’m NGL, it CRUSHED me. This one is going to stick in my brain for a long, long time.

This is a must for everyone’s Summer Reading List!!

Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. S.A. Cosby is an auto-read author for me, and this firmly secures his place on that list!

View all my reviews

Review: The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

The Staircase in the WoodsThe Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Normally, I would try to write a bit of a punchy synopsis of this book in order to entice other Readers to pick it up, but I’m at a loss here. I’ve literally got nothing.

While so many of my friends are loving this one, I’m finding myself yet again on Outlier Island, but not in a fun way.

I suppose it’s at this point where I should add in the obligatory, this is purely my personal opinion, statement. If you enjoyed this book, I am really, really happy that you did.

I’m not casting aspersions on this author, or their work. This story just absolutely, in no way, worked for me. There wasn’t one single, solitary moment, where I was enjoying my time reading this.

I struggled the whole way through. I didn’t like the writing, the characters, the action; none of it.

I pushed through because so many others were enjoying it, and I thought, it will turn around, it could get better. Sadly, for me, it never did.

I walk away, happy that it’s over and that I can move on with the rest of my life. Honestly, I have nothing further to say. Let’s all just forget this ever happened.

Thank you, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m sorry this is the shortest, most blunt review I’ve ever written.

Perhaps, I should have taken a min before writing it…

View all my reviews

Review: Whispers of Dead Girls by Marlee Bush

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Whispers of Dead Girls: A NovelWhispers of Dead Girls: A Novel by Marlee Bush
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A decade has passed since Ren left her hometown, but now she’s back, accepting a job at her old high school.

She’s hoping the position will help her find some sort of closure regarding her traumatic past, and the death of her older sister when the two were teens.

Back in the school, Ren is unprepared for the wave of memories and emotions that come rushing back to her. Additionally, there was a bit of a scandal wrapped-up in her sister’s death, and people sometimes still whisper about it.

For her part, Ren will never forget the days and events leading up to tragedy, but being back is causing her to see things a little differently.

We get a bit of past and present, as well as a current situation involving one of her coworkers, a physics teacher, Mr. Lewis. Ren becomes suspicious of him, fearing history will soon repeat itself. She vows, not on her watch.

While Whispers of Dead Girls was compelling and enticing, it did sort of tick me off, NGL. I’ve been thinking on it for a while, anticipating that resounding sense of annoyance with it would dissipate in time, yet it hasn’t.

With this being said, most of the journey to get to the conclusion kept me entertained and invested. I was sucked into both the past and present timelines.

Additionally, I loved the set-up of the MC returning to their hometown after a long period of time away, and investigating a circumstance that seems reminiscent of something she herself had gone through. This returning MC aspect is actually one of my favorite tropes.

I also liked how Ren was an unreliable narrator. I never knew what she was going to do next. Nevertheless, the resolutions she came to, I was sort of miffed by all that.

So much so, that in a way, it started to feel like a waste of my time. Though I can acknowledge this is a good story, and I think Bush pulled off a lot of great twists and turns, I still feel a slight sense of distaste about how it all played out.

I wish I could say more about this, but I can’t without spoiling major reveals, and I’m not about to do that. I still want others to enjoy this book and I know many will.

It does have many strong aspects, it’s a good story, but at the end of the day, I rate based on my personal reading experience, and this one left me a wee bit perturbed.

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

I’ll definitely be picking up more from this author.

View all my reviews

Review: The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

The Summer I Ate the RichThe Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika Moulite
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Summer I Ate the Rich was a mixed bag experience for me. I’m not even sure how best to explain my thoughts and feelings on this one, but let’s give it a whirl, shall we?

In this story we follow Brielle, a Haitian-American girl, living in the Miami area with her Mom. Brielle has big dreams of becoming a world-renowned chef.

Her Mom works in a domestic-capacity for an extremely wealthy family. It’s not easy work and she’s also dealing with a chronic illness that leaves her dealing with constant pain, and a lot of medical bills, but she does her best to provide for them.

Unsurprisingly, Brielle spends a lot of her time and energy trying to help her Mom, worrying about her, and trying to make sure she gets the care she needs.

After her Mom’s job is no longer there, Brielle has to step up in a big way; using her culinary skills to support them.

Brielle’s menu items are far from mainstream, and she keeps the rich families eating her food guessing about what exactly is titillating their taste-buds.

The short answer: human flesh.

I’ll be the first to admit, a lot of this story flew over my head. I enjoyed Brielle, and followed along quite well in the beginning, but then it got to a point where my eyes sort of glazed over.

I understand and appreciate the important topics these authors touch upon in this story, and I think their own inspiration for writing it is compelling ((be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end)), however, a lot of it lost me, NGL.

The synopsis mentions it being a modern-day fable, and that is quite apt. In addition to Brielle’s perspective, we also get these sections, they might have been called Intermissions, or Interludes, but they are told in a very whimsical-style by beings I believe were supposed to be Brielle’s ‘sisters’.

Those sections were a complete wash for me. They were so jarring in comparison to Brielle’s perspective, and they were taking me out of the story every time.

In the audiobook, they also had different narrators, which was great, I love multiple narrators, but these sections, the Muses, all I could picture was the ladies from Disney’s animated movie, Hercules.

And I guess for me, that felt more out of place and distracting than I think the author’s intended. I’m sure this is just me, I’m most likely missing a very real reference, or connection, to some greater story, or folklore, but I still need to be honest about my experience.

At the end of the day, I was hoping this would be much darker and clear in its execution than it turned out to be. I was into it at times, but then it would veer off and leave me spinning my wheels, wondering what was happening.

Nevertheless, I would recommend it for any Reader who feels the synopsis sounds intriguing. It’s definitely worth giving it a shot, and I would be interested in reading more from these authors.

Thank you to the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, as well as Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

There’s def a good story here. I appreciated the themes and risks the authors explored and took, however it just wasn’t suited to my tastes, and I do rate based on my overall experience in comparison to other books of the same genre.

View all my reviews

Review: The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

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!!

View all my reviews

Review: I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

I Would Die for YouI Would Die for You by Sandie Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

I Would Die for You is a story told via two timelines: 1986-London and 2011-California. We get Nicole Forbes perspective in 2011, and her younger sister, Cassie’s, perspective in 1986, when Cassie was just 16-years old.

This novel also features one of my favorite things: musicians. I’ve been so excited for this story as it revolves around a super popular, yet fictional, band from the 1980s.

In fact, the 1986 timeline definitely stole the show for me. There’s something about the vibes of the 1980s music scene in London that I just find so compelling. And I did feel like this captured the fan-side of that moment really well.

I did enjoy the back and forth throughout the story, learning more about the sisters, and trying to figure out what happened between them. Closer to the end, however, the timelines started to feel less distinct, and I honestly had to relisten to the last 1/2-hour of this audiobook 3x.

It did have me invested though. This was a 4-star read for me right up until the very last bit. Seriously, the last few paragraphs, I was like, that’s it!?

I never mind an open-ended story, one that leaves a bit up to the Reader’s imagination, but this wasn’t like an ‘evil grin on your face’ last moment twist, it was more a, ‘you’re seriously going to end it right there, kind of thing.

Nevertheless, I still found this an overall entertaining story about sisters and all the twisted drama involved in their relationship.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I have a lot of fun with Sandie Jones stories, and will happily continue picking up all her new releases!!

View all my reviews

Review: So Happy Together by Olivia Worley

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

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!!

View all my reviews