ARC Review: The Last Room on the Left

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

Kerry is going to be a caretaker at an Instagram-worthy motel. She hopes this will help her get her life back together, and that she will finally finish that first book she owes her publisher. But when Kerry thinks she sees a body out in the snow, her goals quickly change.

I enjoyed this book. The various POVs were a great way to find out what happened, and the characters themselves were all unique and intriguing. The motel and what surrounded it were almost like their own character. The suspense built up in a really compelling way, and I did not see the twists and turns coming. I would recommend this book. 

ARC Review: The Weekend Guests

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

Five college friends reunite after time apart, seemingly to simply reconnect. But there is a darker undertone, a crime from the past that is threatening to resurface, punishment promised by mysterious postcards.

This was a very suspenseful book. I honestly never saw the ending coming. The characters are all highly unlikeable (except the children), but that seems to be the point. This is not a group to root for, even while you as a reader are so involved in their lives. I wouldn’t recommend the characters as friends, but I would recommend this book.

ARC Review: She Doesn’t Have a Clue

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

Kate Valentine is a best selling author of the Loretta mysteries, staying in a very old mansion on an isolated island to witness her ex-fiancée get married to another woman. And she has writer’s block. Plus a very hot Australian has just wandered back into her life. Oh, and there’s been an attempted murder. And a murder. 

Needless to say, her life is pretty complicated right now.

I loved this book. It’s funny, spicy, romantic, and suspenseful, with a great mystery. The characters are all really unique, and Kate is so compelling and endearing as a realistic main character. I would recommend this book for sure.

ARC Review: The Business Trip

 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.

Stephanie and Jasmine meet on a plane. 

Then they both vanish. 

Both their disappearances are blamed on a man named Trent McCarthy.

What really happened?

I really enjoyed how this book messed with my mind. Just when I thought I had something figured out, another twist would come and change everything. Looking back, all the twists made sense too-until I got to the end. Some of the end seemed too far fetched for me, despite it making for a very dramatic finale. I would give this book 3.5 stars. If you don’t mind an out of left field ending, the rest of the book is quite good. 

ARC Review: Sweet Fury

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

Lila Crane is the Julia Roberts of this story, an actress beloved by all. Her fiancé, Kurt Royal, lives up to his last name, making movies everyone adores. But this, their feminist adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night, is set to be their magnum opus. Lila even starts seeing a therapist, Jonah Gabriel, to help her truly prepare herself. But there are secrets and hidden dangers everywhere…

This is a deep book that, while being a psychological thriller of sorts (perhaps more suspense?), also tackles very deep issues: how women are treated compared to men, what is expected of women, what justice truly is…all while being a story that keeps you turning pages desperate to know what’s next. I would recommend this book.

Double ARC Review: What the Woods Took, and The Rules of Royalty

 I received ARCs of these books from the publisher in exchange for honest reviews. This did not affect my opinions of the books or my reviews themselves.

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

A group of teens are sent to a rehabilitation program in the woods, each with something in their past that has led an adult to have them kidnapped in the middle of the night and forcefully brought to the program. As they trek through the woods, strange things begin to happen, things very unworldly, until their trip is absolutely terrifying.

This is a slow burn type of terror, that starts out eerie and moves to full on horror. The characters are extremely complex and realistic, and Gould is tackling an important and timely topic with teen rehabilitation programs. I would recommend this book. 

The Rules of Royalty by Cale Dietrich

As a present for his eighteenth birthday, Jamie learns he is actually a prince. His world is completely thrown for a loop as he goes to meet his biological father, who is king of Mitanor, and also meets Erik, the incredibly handsome prince from a neighboring kingdom.

This book is a sweet, adorable read. You know you’re in for a happy ending when you start it, and that’s exactly the kind of story so many of us need right now. Jamie and Erik are so cute together, and every time they came together in the book I was so happy. I would recommend this book. 

ARC Review: Madrigals and Mayhem

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

It’s Christmas time in Cambridge, and Molly is thrilled to decorate the bookstore she now co owns. But after meeting Charlotte, who is passionate about bringing her grandfather’s toy store back to life, strange things start to happen. There is a poisoning, and a search for a highly valuable Madame Alexander doll. To help solve the case, Molly joins the cast of Madrigals and Mayhem.

I love the setting of this. Cambridge really comes alive, as do the stores depicted. The characters have big personalities that really work within this story, and their storylines are compelling. The various mysteries are good too. If you enjoy a nice holiday cozy, this one just might be for you.