ARC Review: Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead

 I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself. 

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander

The title packs a punch and so does the story. 

Charlie is a survivor of the infamous “Scarlett Christmas”. Once the media hype stopped, she was able to start her life anew and completely reinvent herself. But now that another of the survivors is planning on producing a film about the Scarlett Christmas, Charlie fears her old life, and her past secrets, will come roaring back.

Hollander is an excellent writer, who really makes readers feel like they are inside Charlie’s head, which can sometimes be a frightening place. The Now and Then format works really well in this instance, building a ton of suspense and letting out just enough information at one time to keep you hooked. I would recommend this book. 

ARC Review: Twenty-Seven Minutes

 I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself. 

Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate 

Ten years ago, Grant took twenty-seven minutes to call for help the night of the car accident, minutes that cost his sister Phoebe her life. Now, on the ten year anniversary, someone is ready to reveal all that really happened that night.

This wasn’t always the easiest book to read. I think it’s because a few of the characters were so unlikeable, which I think was the point. One of the twists at the end felt like it came out of left field, but looking back, it worked. The other twist was also surprising, and I do think Tate set up these twists well.

This is a read it or don’t for me. It’s certainly not bad, but there are a lot of other, better books out there in this genre.

ARC Review: One of the Good Guys

 I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself. 

One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall

This is a wild ride. I’m honestly not sure what I can say without giving anything away-and trust me, you don’t want the surprises ruined. The beginning was a little sluggish and sometimes irritating, but that is the point, so just push through, because it’s worth it. The one plot point I can say is a man and a woman meet when they both move to the countryside. Now go read it!

ARC Review: The Search Party

 I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself. 

The Search Party by Hannah Richell

Max and Annie have moved from London to start a glamping retreat, and invite their oldest friends and their families to come join them for a weekend. But a series of events unfolds that leads to fractured friendships, broken relationships, and a whole lot of danger.

I really enjoyed this book. The technique of jumping backwards and forwards in time really upped the suspense and kept me guessing. The characters feel really real, as do the relationships among the characters. The setting really fits the plot. I would recommend this book. 

ARC Review: The Night of the Storm

 I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself. 

The Night of the Storm by Nishita Parekh

Jia feels like her life is falling apart. First her divorce, then  her son getting into trouble at school. Now a massive storm has descended upon her hometown, and she and her son go to take refuge in her sister’s house.

But there are complications amongst the family. As the water rises, someone dies, and Jia worries it might have been murder. She must somehow stay above the riding tides and keep her son and herself safe, while figuring out just what is going on.

Parekh does an amazing job of making the book feel claustrophobic, taking what is essentially a mansion and making it feel like the tiniest apartment. She does this through her beautiful use of language, and also through the sheer amount of characters trapped in the house, and the increasingly terrible storm right outside the massive glass panes. 

The mystery is also an excellent one. I did not call any part of it, it was like the rug was pulled right out from under me. I would recommend this book. 

ARC Review: Rabbit Hole

 I received an ARC of this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself. 

Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody 

Teddy’s sister, Angie, has been missing for a decade. Now her father has killed himself. These two events lead Teddy to Reddit, down a rabbit hole (hence the title) of conspiracy theories, harsh commentary, and someone who seems to know more than they’re willing to tell. Characters surround Teddy, from her new much older boyfriend, to her mother who is holding on to Angie’s aged dog, to Mickey, a nineteen year old who is more than eager to help Teddy.

This book is dark and twisted from the start. There is essentially no light. Even the dog is dying. I struggled to get through this for that reason, but kept going because the book is definitely well written. There are a ton of trigger warnings needed, and I’m hard pressed to think who I would recommend this book to because it is so dark. 

ARC Review: The Clinic

 I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

The Clinic by Cate Quinn

Meg, an addict herself, decides to go undercover in the luxury rehab clinic her sister died in. She doesn’t believe the story of suicide she’s being sold. While there, she encounters more and more mysterious people and events, and realizes that the situation may be far bigger than she ever imagined.

So here’s the thing. This book is really intriguing and mysterious to start. But then it seems to go completely off the rails. However, in her author’s note, Quinn explains how a lot of it is actually from her real experiences in rehab. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get her newsletter to work which would have given me even more info on this. So this book may be far less off the rails than I originally thought. 

While I liked this book, I didn’t love it, for the reason described above. I was definitely invested in the characters though. I would say give this book a try and form your own opinion (just know there are a lot of trigger warnings). 

ARC Review: The Fury

 I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

This story has it all-a (fictional) celebrity, an isolated island, love, obsession, betrayal, and murder. Our narrator, Elliot Chase, promises to guide us through it all as he tells us the true story of what happened. But just how reliable is he? 

I absolutely loved this book. I was disappointed by Michaelides The Maidens, but there was absolutely no disappointment here. This book is brilliant. Every time you think you have a grasp on what’s going on, Michaelides pulls the rug right out from under you. All the while, he’s playing with the ideas of nature versus nature, celebrity, and what it truly means to love. Michaelides is a genius with the unreliable narrator, and he plays with that to such perfection here. I highly recommend this book.