ARC Review: Attached at the Hip

 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.

Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio

Orie Lennox is a mega superfan of the show Survivor and a woman longing for love. So when she pushes herself out of her comfort zone and is picked to actually be on the show, let alone a dating spinoff of the show, everything should be perfect. Especially as one of the other contestants is her “missed connection”, a high school crush. 

I loved this book so much! Orie is such a funny, relatable character who you definitely cheer for. The romance aspect is so well done, I was completely invested. But there are great friendships and other types of human connection as well. Plus, as a reality show fan, I absolutely adored that aspect. This book absolutely flew by. I would definitely recommend it. 

ARC Review: The House That Horror Built

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

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry

Harry, an avid horror movie buff, has become a house cleaner for Mr. Castillo, an infamous horror movie director whose son and wife disappeared years ago. Harry tries to keep her curiosity to herself, ignoring the strange voices and creepy costumes she sometimes encounters while cleaning Mr. Castillo’s mansion full of tributes to his films. But when her son, Gabe, becomes involved, Harry realizes she may have to dig a lot deeper.

This is a slow moving book, which means the suspense and thrills and horror are slow to build. When they get going, this is a creepy book for sure. Harry and Gabe are really compelling characters, especially given the situations they find themselves in. While this isn’t my favorite horror book ever, I did enjoy it, especially the twist at the end. If you enjoy suspenseful horror, I would recommend this book.

ARC: Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies

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

Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack 

Mystery author Eleanor Dash can’t wait to remove the fictional Connor Smith and the real Connor Smith from her life. But she never expected murder!

This is a fun book. The idea of an author trying to figure out how to kill off her main fictional character while reckoning with his real life counterpart is really clever and well-done. The setting is fantastic-a tour around Italy-and the characters are all well-delineated. There’s a lot of murder attempts and murder, as well as romance. The ending is a great twist, and I would recommend this book.

ARC Review: The One That Got Away with Murder

 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 One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy

Everyone believes Trevor and Robbie Cresmont killed their girlfriends. Lauren, new to town, with her own murky past, begins hooking up with Robbie before learning about the persistent rumors. Will she ruin her life again, or lose it?

This book has some very compelling, complex characters, and the relationships between them are so important and feel so real and relatable. We’ve all struggled with beliefs and experiences in our lives, even if they are not to the extremes in this book.

The mystery is a great one-I was completely shocked by the ending. Lundy definitely knows how to write twists and turns. I would recommend this book.  

ARC Review: The Mystery of Locked Rooms

 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 Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie 

Sarah, West, and Hannah are best friends who rock at escape rooms. But when Sarah’s house sports a foreclosure notice, the three are extra motivated to beat what may be the greatest escape room of all-an abandoned funhouse rumored to have a treasure at the end for anyone who can beat it.

This was an extremely fun middle grade read. I love escape rooms, so reading how they beat each room was great. The characters are so engaging and so easy to root for. There’s a level of mystery surrounding the funhouse that just adds to the enjoyment of reading this book. I would definitely recommend this book. 

ARC Review: Darling Girls

 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. 

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are as close as sisters, raised together in a seemingly idyllic foster home. But their past was far from perfect, and it still haunts them to this day. When, in the present, a body is found under their old home, secrets threaten to spill out.

Hepworth really cleverly uses point of view here, especially in the mysterious therapist sessions. We get backstory from multiple characters, which really helps build up the world of the book and keeps the suspense going.

The reveals took my breath away, especially the last one, which still haunts me. This is really an expertly plotted and well written book, that will keep readers engrossed and constantly second guessing. I would recommend this book. 

ARC Review: The Gathering

 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.

The Gathering by C.J. Tudor

I’ve been a fan of Tudor since The Chalk Man, and this book did not disappoint. In the world of the book, vampires and humans both live on the earth, but the vampires live in Colonies and most humans desire their end. When a human boy is killed, the village calls for a cull, a complete destruction of the Colony near them. It is up to Detective Barbara Atkins to determine what truly happened, and if a cull is warranted. 

This was one eerie book, especially given the Alaskan setting which means a lot of darkness. The mystery is a really good one, with lots of twists and turns, especially the ending. Tudor explores really well who is the more bloodthirsty, the vampires or the humans who want to kill all the vampires. This is a complex, thoughtful, suspenseful and creepy book I would definitely recommend.