Queer

Review: All of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles

~ megs14malloy

All of Us MurderersAll of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙

In All of Us Murderers, a lush gothic mystery by K.J. Charles, we follow Zeb Wyckham after he is summoned to his wealthy Uncle’s manor home for a family gathering.

Even though the guest list no doubt includes many individuals Zeb would rather avoid, like his estranged brother, for example, he nevertheless accepts the invitation, curious to discover what it’s all about.

How bad can it be?

Therefore, Zeb arrives at the property at the appointed time and date and is less than thrilled to find not only his horrid brother, and his snake of a wife, but also his cad of a cousin and irritable ex, Gideon.

As they dine with their Uncle Wynn the very first evening, they discover the truth of why he’s brought them all there. It’s time for an inheritance game. The winner takes it all, and that’s a vast fortune indeed.

Wynn wants someone to marry his young ward, Jessamine, upon his death. That way, he’s assured she’ll be cared for. If one of them is willing to do that, they’ll get his full fortune.

Zeb can hardly believe what he’s hearing. Jessamine is very, very young, and from the start, she’s seemed not entirely well. He’s unsettled by his Uncle’s plan, and vows to take no part in it; money be damned.

However, that leaves his other male family members, and none of them are desirable as suitors. What is Zeb to do? How can he stop this unsavory business from playing out?

All of Us Murderers turned into a delightful reading experience for me. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started, but I’ve thought about it many times since finishing.

It’s a bit of a slow burn, and it did sneak up on me, for sure. I was pulled in quite thoroughly without even noticing how invested I had gotten. The gothic atmosphere was impeccable and I loved the MC, Zeb, soooo much.

The mystery elements, mainly revolving around the motivations and intentions of Uncle Wynn, before turning into a full-fledged Murder Mystery, were also quite entertaining. It got intense the further it progressed, with the stakes getting higher and higher.

The star of the show for me truly was the gothic setting and subsequent atmosphere. With inclement weather rolling in across the Moors, the characters are trapped at the property with no means of escape.

Even when Zeb decides he won’t play his Uncle’s little game, there’s really nothing he can do about it. I loved that element, it made it feel claustrophobic and desperate.

It also has a Scooby-Doo feel about it in places, which I enjoyed, but I can see how some Readers may find those aspects a little silly. For me, the hauntings and history of the house just added to the overall ambiance. It was giving me exactly what I wanted in that regard.

Finally, I would note how much I enjoyed Zeb’s delivery of the events happening around him. He had a wry and witty way of viewing it all, which lent it a bit of humor to the story, even though what was happening was unhinged.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this and am happy to have read from a new-to-me author. I look forward to picking up more from Charles in the future.

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would def recommend this to anyone who enjoys a atmospheric Gothic Mystery.

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Review: Mirage City (Evander Mills #4) by Lev A.C. Rosen

~ megs14malloy

Mirage City (Evander Mills, #4)Mirage City by Lev A.C. Rosen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mirage City is the 4th-installment in Lev A.C. Rosen’s Evander Mills series. This is a Historical Mystery series set in 1950s-era San Francisco and follow a diverse cast of characters.

I have grown to love this series so much. Andy Mills is such a lovable main character, and I absolutely adore the classic detective/film noir vibes that Rosen brings to these stories.

This mystery kicks off after our MC, Private Investigator, Andy Mills, gets commissioned to find three missing members of the Mattachine Society, a secretive Queer Rights organization. Early leads point him towards L.A., which happens to be Andy’s hometown, and where his Mom lives.

Although he is apprehensive about returning to L.A., he needs to go where the clues lead. Worlds collide when further signs point him to a psychological clinic where his Mom works as a nurse.

Again, Rosen weaves together a tense mystery full of danger, long-held secrets and a lot of heart. Though it starts a little slow, the pace steadily increases until the explosive end.

I enjoyed how Rosen continued to build the tension throughout. This one felt like a spiderweb. There were so many different connections, and it ended up being quite the twisted web indeed. The inclusion of the motorcycle gang made it extra-entertaining.

This one did feel a little different because Andy had to travel to L.A., so was separated from his found family that I’ve come to love through the previous books. I did miss them, but we do get some scenes with them at the open and close.

His time away though, definitely allows Andy to reassess his life and come to a better understanding of what he wants his future to look like. I did enjoy the storyline involving his Mom. I think he needed to have the time with her, no matter what the outcome.

In addition to recommending the series as a whole, I would also highly recommend the audiobooks, splendidly-narrated by Vikas Adam. Vikas is Andy to me. I can’t imagine this series without Vikas’s voice.

I also appreciate the representation of the Queer community in these books. The way Rosen explores the historical challenges they faced, yet somehow brings an overall feeling of hope to the page via the safe spaces they have carved out for themselves in an otherwise hostile world.

I just feel those aspects are so well done, and certainly not something I’ve seen a lot of in the Adult Mystery space. I’m not sure what the future plans are for this series, but I’m really hoping it continues on.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copies to read and review. As you can tell, I adore this series. The characters, setting, mysteries and lush noir-style have keep me fully engaged and coming back for more.

I’m really hoping that more people discover these books and that the series continues on for a long time to come. I would pick up each and every one!

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Review: The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends by Jamie D’Amato

~ megs14malloy

The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood and BoyfriendsThe Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends by Jamie D’Amato
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends follows 19-year old college freshman, Brennan, after he is suddenly turned into a vampire.

Navigating life as a new vampire comes with challenges, especially considering all the other things going on in his life, like school, family stuff, mental health and dating.

He has though, by default, also become part of a secret society filled with other local vamps, so at least he’s not alone. Also, it is helpful a little as far as learning how to survive as a young vampire, even though the sheer number of informational pamphlets is at times overwhelming.

Returning to university after recovering from a suicide attempt was tough. Brennan was hoping for a fresh start, but this wasn’t exactly what he was thinking. Even though his mind may be spinning a lot of the time, Brennan is determined to make it work. He can do this.

When the super cute boy who works at the campus library, Cole, discovers Brennan drinking from a stolen blood bag however, Brennan is forced to open up and reveal his new secret earlier than he would have liked.

Cole seems more than willing to keep Brennan’s secret, and it fact, it seems he sort of likes him? Brennan can hardly believe his luck. Everything would be perfect if it wasn’t for the pesky vampire thing.

Problems bigger than his own arise when students begin to go missing, and strange ‘animal attacks’ begin occurring around campus. Brennan, and his new friend group, believe there may be a rouge vampire in their area, and they need to stop them before anyone else comes to harm.

This is a very rough synopsis of this story, because this book is so many things. It’s Brennan, a regular guy dealing with life, transitioning to college, struggling to find his identity and path, while also being turned in a vampire and meeting the boy of his dreams.

That’s a lot to navigate here, but D’Amato blended everything into this story so absolutely beautifully. I loved getting to know Brennan and his relationship with Cole was sweet, swoony and so compelling.

I also loved the concepts behind the vampire bits. The local guilds, how they got their blood, etc., it was all very creative. I was impressed with how well D’Amato meshed the IRL-stuff with the fantasy/vampire elements.

The story itself was cute and funny. I listened to the audio and Michael Crouch’s narration was spot-on for Brennan. Crouch truly brought his character life. He is such a likable MC. I loved his perspective, just how he relayed everything that was going on, it’s highly-entertaining.

The banter between Brennan and Cole was fantastic; so witty and charming. But also amongst the side characters, all of the dialogue was well done.

I think for me the only areas where I wasn’t totally blown away was some of the vampire bits in the middle area. The beginning was fab, the ending was so, so fun, but it did sort of go off for me just a little bit in the middle. That’s the only reason this isn’t a full 5-stars. Also, I’m a picky bitch.

Overall, this is the sweetest, softest, swooniest, M/M vampire romance you’re going to find. Bonus points for the fact that there’s a real plot.

It definitely snuck up on me and sort of stole my heart a bit. Cole and Brennan were just the sweetest. I was swooning for them and the progression of their relationship amidst all the fun vampire content.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Jamie D’Amato definitely impressed me!!

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Review: Black Flame by Gretchen Felker-Martin

~ megs14malloy

Black FlameBlack Flame by Gretchen Felker-Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Black Flame is a Horror novella from Gretchen Felker-Martin. I’ve read two full length novels from GFM, Manhunt and Cuckoo, both of which I really enjoyed.

Unfortunately, this is my least favorite work from her and I can’t even really express why. It just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I never felt like I connected with the story enough to know what the hell was going on.

In fact, in the synopsis it’s described as being a historical horror novel, and I don’t even remember it being so. The story does follow a woman named Ellen, who works, I believe restoring, or archiving old films.

Ellen starts working on an infamous exploitation film called The Baroness, which was long thought destroyed in a fire by Nazis. As Ellen works on the film, the scenes, the essence of the film, begin to poison her mind.

She becomes convinced the film is real, and that it’s happening to her. She’s having visions, hearing voices, and unsurprisingly, her life begins to spiral out of control.

That’s a great concept. I love the sound of it. As I was reading this though, it was very hard to follow. I did get snippets of what’s described above, but it was a challenge to track what was going on, and difficult to visualize what Ellen was seeing, feeling and going through.

As always, Gretchen Felker-Martin includes very heavy and important examinations of gender and identity, and those were certainly an important piece of this story. Ellen’s character arc feels like a real transformation over the course of the action, and I did appreciate that as well.

In fact, I buddy read this one with a friend, and commented when we were done, how I wished this had been longer, because the final bits were where it really started to come together for me. I wanted more of that clarity, not just for me, but for Ellen as well.

I guess the best way I can describe my experience with this would be uneven. I’m used to feeling more drawn in, and connected throughout GFM’s works, so I think that’s why I walked away a little unsatisfied.

Nevertheless, Gretchen Felker-Martin will always get extra points from me for her insane-levels of creativity and the fact that she always brings something new to the table. While not my favorite from her, I am glad I read it, and look forward to Felker-Martin’s next release.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The audiobook was very well narrated by Dana Aronowitz. They definitely brought it to life!

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Review: This is My Body by Lindsay King-Miller

~ megs14malloy

This Is My BodyThis Is My Body by Lindsay King-Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is My Body is a dark and emotionally-fueled Horror novel following single-mom, Brigid, and her daughter, Dylan. When we first meet them, Dylan has gotten into an altercation at school, and it quickly becomes clear that her behavior has recently changed.

Brigid has noticed that her once fun-loving daughter has become more moody, secludes herself, and suddenly has a hair-trigger temper. Is it regular teenage rebellion though, or something more?

As the days pass and Dylan’s behavior gets more combative, Brigid can’t help but think about a circumstance that played out within her very Catholic household, featuring her zealot uncle, Father Angus.

Through past and present timelines, we learn of the situation in Brigid’s past that’s similar to the one she’s living now with Dylan. Even though she feels like she has moved on, truly escaped her past, will she be forced to return to the home she left behind in order to save Dylan?

At the start, I’ll admit, Brigid rubbed me the wrong way. I found myself asking, who is the child here? This didn’t keep me from getting sucked in though.

The more I learned about Brigid and her past, the more I started to understand her. She’s on such a journey throughout the story, and for her, the stakes, her daughter’s life, could not be higher. It gives the whole story an air of desperation that kept me flying through.

In fact, I read this entire book in one-sitting, which I haven’t done in quite some time. I found the religious and occult elements both intriguing and so well done.

Brigid also begins to explore a possible relationship with a woman from her past, Zandy, and I loved the inclusion of Zandy in the story. She was such a great side character, who provided the perfect balance to Brigid’s personality.

I would also say the past perspective, where we learn a lot about what went on in Brigid’s childhood, was just as compelling as the current perspective. I loved how the two ended up sort of merging as this raced towards the heart-pounding, stomach-dropping conclusion.

Overall, this was a great Possession story, including fantastic, absolutely toe-curling, Body Horror. Tongues, eyes, all the things, nothing was safe; just how I like it.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Possession stories, or Religious Horror, as well as anyone looking for a Horror story with a Queer representation. This is the first that I’ve read from this author, and I’m looking forward to reading more from them.

Thank you, Quirk Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was such a pleasant surprise!!

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Review: Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory

~ megs14malloy

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!

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Review: Pride or Die by C.L. Montblanc

~ megs14malloy

Pride or Die: A NovelPride or Die: A Novel by CL Montblanc
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Pride or Die follows Eleanora Finkel and her friends during their Senior year of high school in Texas. Eleanora has founded a LGBTQ+ Club at their school, which ends up playing a large role in this story.

During one of their meetings, the school’s head cheerleader, Kenley, is attacked right outside the classroom that the Club is meeting in, and she’s fairly badly injured.

Hearing the assault, the Club members rush out into the hall and find Kenley there on the floor. Suddenly, they find themselves the main suspects. Why?

I have no idea.

In order to clear their names, and ensure the survival of their Club, they must now investigate the crime and find out who really attacked Kenley.

I found the whole mystery a bit lackluster. Eleanora was running around like the sky was falling in, claiming she had to protect her friends because there was a homophobic murderer on the loose, yet no one was murdered and the person attacked was a popular straight girl who wasn’t even a member of their club?

It just seemed like, out of all the mysteries you could have developed, a very odd choice to me. Even after the Scooby-Doo like reveal, I was left scratching my head about it all.

Sadly, Pride or Die was not a hit for me. I love YA Mystery-Thrillers and do read a lot of them. Going into this, I was excited to get a strong Mystery, set in high school, following the members of an LGBTQ+ group.

Unfortunately, the MC, Eleanora, I found her personality to be so incredibly-grating, it was hard to focus on anything else. I’m happy she had a bit of self-reflection at the end, but it almost felt like too little, too late.

Honestly, I feel like the author did the story a disservice by only having that one perspective. I really enjoyed Noah and Tyler, Eleanor’s friends, as well as Kenley.

I wish I would have had the opportunity to get to know all of them more, but Eleanora was so self-absorbed, I really feel like I didn’t know anything about anyone else.

I hated the way every SINGLE PERSON, besides Eleanora’s three friends, were portrayed. Even the people showing her kindness, Eleanor judged and said critical things about.

I just found her perspective and outlook completely exasperating. There was zero nuance allowed and every single character was a stereotype of what that ‘type’ of person should be.

There were also so many odd, cringe-worthy moments, that I can’t really get into here without giving away important plot points, but yeah, chapter after chapter of that type of thing gets old quick.

I will say, the audiobook narrator, Ina Marie Smith, was really great. She was believable, vocally, as a teen, and she exuded emotion and sincerity throughout.

At the end of the day, this just wasn’t to my tastes. If you think the synopsis sounds intriguing though, I certainly encourage you to pick it up. Please don’t take my word for it. I’m sure many Readers will have fun with this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though it didn’t necessarily work for me, I’m glad I gave it a shot.

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Review: What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

~ megs14malloy

What the Woods TookWhat the Woods Took by Courtney Gould
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What the Woods Took follows a group of troubled teens during their time in a wilderness therapy program.

This set-up has been popping-up quite a bit in various iterations over the past few years, but for me, this is the best I’ve seen it executed. I was fully-engrossed in this story.

Devin is our MC. We meet her when she is awakened one night by two strange men in her room; essentially kidnapping her into a program known as Revive.

She finds herself shoved into a van and driven deep into the woods of Idaho. She meets a group of equally confused teens and it’s at that point, she discovers the true depth of the unsettling situation she finds herself in.

There are two counselors/guides for the program, and the other teens include Ollie, Aidan, Hannah and Sheridan. They’re told they will be hiking for 50-days.

Each teen is coming from vastly different circumstances, of which we learn over the course of the story. They’re each battling their own inner demons, but what they’ll face in the woods will be unlike anything they’ve ever battled before.

I went into this one not knowing a lot about it. I’ve read two previous novels from Gould, and enjoyed them, but this one is definitely my favorite of her work.

I was captivated from the start. It kicks off immediately and drops us into the heart of the action. I really appreciated the character work that Gould displayed here.

It wasn’t just Devin that you got to know well, all of the characters were fully fleshed out. IMO, for Younger Readers, or Teens, picking this up, everyone should be able to find an aspect to this story that will resonate with them.

There was a real cathartic feel about these teens experiences in the program initially. As mentioned above, they were all struggling with some serious issues, and had been acting out in their home life as a way to deal to it.

The more time they spent together, under the uncomfortable conditions, the more they began to open up to one another. There was some serious growth.

Then the crazy stuff starts to happen. There’s something strange in the woods and the pace really picks up after all of that starts to be exposed.

I thought Gould paced this perfectly. I enjoyed how the strangeness unfolded. It felt hypnotic and darkly-enticing. I needed to know what the heck was going to happen here. How were these teens actually going to survive this?

It was eerie and intense. I was rooting for these characters, even the ones that drove me batty at first. The growth they displayed and the horrifying situation they were in, made me root for them all by the end.

I would recommend this to YA Horror, or YA Survival Thriller, Readers. I feel like the character work and atmosphere are reason enough to pick it up, but if you need more, add in a convincing sapphic romance. Additionally, I would recommend the audiobook for the engaging narration.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to whatever Gould releases next!

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Review: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

~ megs14malloy

Chain-Gang All-StarsChain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up*

Honestly, I had never ever heard of Chain-Gang All-Stars until early this year when I was watching numerous BookTuber’s ‘Best Books of 2024’ videos.

This novel popped up on numerous lists and each person who spoke about it talked with such passion, and it sounded genuinely like something I would be interested in. My interest was piqued.

I ended out checking out the audiobook from my library and cannot recommend that format enough. The narrative structure is a little unconventional, and I felt the various narrators helped me to keep everything straight.

So, if you are unaware of what this book is, it’s basically a near-future dystopian novel that examines the U.S. Corrections System in a wildly-creative way. Think that old show American Gladiators from the late 80s/early 90s, but all the competitors are prisoners.

They’re broadcast on live television. There’s different seasons, battles, teammates, fandoms, merch and they also travel around putting on shows; it’s a whole industry. An absolute money-maker for those at the top.

You are given the perspectives of various prisoners, of course, but you also get perspectives of others connected to the system — people at the top of the organization, viewers, protestors against the abuse in the system, people whose loved ones have been in the system, etc.

I thought this was a smart way to tell the story. Each perspective brings a new level of knowledge to the Reader about the system. I liked learning about it that way.

I also appreciated how the author set-up a space where the Reader could think for themselves about all these different aspects involved in our Justice and Correctional systems, versus hand-feeding opinions. That’s how you get people to really ruminate on a concept or idea.

Overall, Chain-Gang All-Stars is an incredibly powerful book. Equal parts heart-breaking, thought-provoking and eye-opening. It’s not one to be missed.

This is the epitome of showing-not-telling, and I felt like, even though at times, I felt the transitions between perspectives a bit jarring, I still wouldn’t really change anything. It’s done with such thought and creativity.

I highly recommend this one to any Reader who wants some high-quality substance to chew on. My Literary Fiction friends should be adding this to their TBRs with haste.

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Review: But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

~ megs14malloy

But Not Too BoldBut Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

But Not Too Bold is so odd, and so beautiful and so compelling. It’s oddly, beautifully-compelling.

I am almost at a loss for words. It felt at times like I didn’t understand it, but I did, at the same time. The themes, the descriptions, the gorgeous characterizations, it felt instinctual, though I can’t necessarily explain it coherently.

In fact, this is much less of a coherent narrative style than I tend to enjoy, but I fell in love with the writing instantly, so just decided to roll with it and I’m so glad I did!

But Not Too Bold is a Queer Fantasy Horror novella, of which I shall say nothing of the plot. It’s only 112-pages and well-worth the read.

The synopsis lays out everything you need to know going in, but even with that, I feel you’ll still be surprised at the depths to which this story will take you. It felt like falling down a dark, whimsical, dangerous rabbit hole, from which there’s no escape.

I loved the main character, Dália. There was something so relatable about her. I was also surprised at how intrigued I was by the mystery that Dália is trying to solve.

More than that, I was shocked by the emotional impact this little story has. How is it possible to pack this much punch into such a small space?

Somehow, Pueyo succeeded in doing just that. The conclusion was gorgeous. My only small gripes would be that there were a couple of details I felt weren’t adequately fleshed out, and also, I wish this were a little longer.

Overall though, I am so pleased with this. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fantasy Horror, or stories that feel like modern folklore. Also, a bonus if you are looking for Queer, or female-centered dark fiction.

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