ARC Review Roundup: The Golden Couple, Under Lock and Skeleton Key, and Dark Circles

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

After losing her professional license, Avery Chambers is a therapist who feels free to develop her own methods. When a seemingly perfect couple, Matthew and Marissa Bishop, agree to do whatever it takes to repair their marriage after Marissa's infidelity, they set in motion events no one saw coming.

This, like previous books by these authors, is a read full of twists and turns. I can honestly say I did not see any of the reveals coming, and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Tempest Raj is a disgraced magician, from a family of magicians, foiled by a glitch she swears she had nothing to do with. Coming home to the other family business-building secret rooms in people's homes-the dead body of her stage double is found inside a sealed wall. Tempest must solve the mystery while fighting to regain her reputation and decide what her future holds.

This book was just so much fun. There's mystery, suspense, romance, and the depictions of the secret rooms and keys and staircases were so great to read. I definitely recommend this book and really am looking forward to more in the series.

Olivia Reed, an actress who has just suffered through a breakup and a significant scandal, is essentially ordered by her publicist to attend a retreat. When Olivia arrives at the House of Light, everything is as she expected-fasts, group time, yoga, and sunrise hikes. But then a local woman, Ava, who has spent many sessions at the House of Light, starts telling Olivia about the women who have committed suicide after spending time there. Olivia begins investigating, even starting a podcast as she dives deeper into what is truly going on at the House of Light.

Olivia is a complicated character trying her best in the world she has been thrust into. The House of Light is just mysterious enough to make it ominous, and the podcast parts are very cool. The ending of this surprised me so much in the best possible way. I was truly shocked, but everything made sense looking back. I definitely recommend picking up this book. 

ARC Review: The Children on the Hill

 

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.

First, let me admit that I am a big Jennifer McMahon fan. I have a collection of her books on my bookshelf, and have reread quite a few. 

This book lived up to my excitement for sure.

It's the past tale of Vi and her brother Eric, and their grandmother, and Iris, a young girl their grandmother brings home one day from her famous mental health treatment center. Vi and Eric are fixated on monsters, what they look like, where they are and how to defeat them. As Vi tries to draw Iris out of her shell, per her grandmother's instructions, she invites Iris to join her and Eric's Monster Club.

This is also the present tale of Lizzy Shelley, a monster hunter with a highly successful podcast. Lizzy travels around the United States, responding to local legends and sightings. But her real motivation is to find her sister, who she knows is a true monster.

The way the past and present combine and intersect is masterfully done, and McMahon does an amazing job of examining the concept of monster and what it truly means. This book shocked me time and time again, with expertly plotted twists. I highly recommend this read.