It must have been so hard to get the tone of this story right, to weave in the crime/thriller aspects with the steamy, toxic romance all in this almost slasher horror context, but Harleigh Beck got everything spot on. The book was fast-paced, twisty and completely over-the-top in the best way, while also being incredibly nuanced and emotional. The way in which the heavy, frightening scenes were balanced with petty high school drama was expertly done and delightfully tongue-in-cheek.

I loved reading from the police officers’ perspectives and the scenes in the interrogation rooms. I’m a sucker for detective shows and these moments really scratched that itch!

The romance/friendship elements were really well done, I appreciated the variety of relationships explored and their impact on Keira’s motivations/state of mind in particular.

What I enjoyed most were the conversations around her father’s death sentence and the death penalty in general. Is her father’s death what the families of the victims deserve, is it better for the community for him to be gone, etc.. Keira is constantly questioning when and if killing can ever be justified, and whether eradicating evil from the world should be considered murder. I appreciated these moments throughout the book, bringing everything back to big questions and innermost thoughts felt very intimate and made the plot all the more interesting to follow.

I’m giving Sinister Legacy a four instead of a five because I thought at times Keira’s motivations were over-explained, and it didn’t quite give me goosebumps at the end. That said, I did really like the two epilogues and thought they were necessary to the story. The last scene was another really stellar addition to the death penalty conversation.

Overall, a really REALLY good book which I would recommend widely to adults who love a Hannibal/Silence of the Lambs moment, my dark romance friends and, of course, my true crime girlies.

Content Warnings

Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Grave Expectations by Alice Bell

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Spoiler: The plot twist is that everyone is gay.

If I ignore the last page (we’ll get to her), this was a solidly good book.

Claire is a relatable main character with a dry, quick wit that set a great tone for the mystery. Claire and Sophie’s dynamic was akin to a borderline-obsessive tween friendship in a cute Georgia Nicholson kind of way, to the point where they are so intrinsically linked that it physically hurts Claire when they stray too far from each other. This was a heart-warming touch and had a great emotional payoff during their third-act breakup and again in the resolution.

In general, the emotional beats were very well done, particularly the scene in which Claire finds Jerry’s body.

“Hey Jerry. I’ve got you. Your mum misses you.”

While she’s holding his dead hand protruding from the ground? sOmEbOdY pAsS tHe tIsSuEs pLs.

Claire definitely could have just asked a nearby ghost whodunnit, rendering the mystery solved in under ten minutes. This ditty was cannily pointed out right at the end of the book by Ted (the adorable ghostly groundskeeper), and instead of the a-ha! funny moment it was meant to be, it just made me want to cry. All the twists, turns and jaunts around Greater London and for what?

That said, I thought the fact that nobody saw the Tuppence and Matilda affair coming was a great touch. I’m always on the lookout for a potential sapphic moment and therefore clocked it immediately, but the whole gang missing it felt like a little commentary on heteronormativity. They went straight (get it?) to assuming Monty was the one having an affair even though it didn’t make much sense. Just goes to show that when in doubt, gay.

sPeAkInG oF gAy

The gay reveal at the end was abhorrent, played for laughs at the main character’s expense. It felt cheap and inconsistent with the intelligence we know the main character has. Claire solves a full mystery and yet seemingly conjures up all this sexual tension with Basher out of nowhere? Doesn’t add up, don’t get it.

For me, the mystery surrounding Sophie’s death was just as compelling as the mystery they were trying to solve throughout the book. I hope there is a sequel/prequel that explores Sophie’s story in more depth

, just pLeAsE I don’t want to read about how ha ha ha funny Basher was GAY THE WHOLE TIME again.

Thank you to Corvus, Atlantic for a free reading copy, it was a RIDE.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“How weirdly does a person have to sit to count as bisexual?”

Achingly sweet and intensely relatable, this book is so vulnerable and imperfect and basically I have no notes. Buuut here are some things I loved about Imogen, Obviously.

Imogen is curious, kind, self-aware to a fault and always adapting to make others more comfortable. She hasn’t granted herself the space to fathom that she could be anything other than the best, most vigilant ally to her queer loved ones.

Within her queer friend group, there is a great depiction of a friend who perpetuates biphobia in the name of ‘protecting’ (gatekeeping) queer spaces. The nuanced, ongoing conversations about heteronormativity and queer media are countered and challenged by this antagonistic friend, making them all the more insightful. Albertalli portrays these discussions in a realistic way, giving readers useful vocabulary and hopefully some confidence. The teen characters’ dialogue is very natural, with just enough slang and references to trends to make their ages completely believable.

Spoiler! Imogen is bisexual, and continuing to conform to an idea of herself that she had no hand in creating suddenly becomes suffocating. This conflict was so compelling; the urgency to shed an ill-fitting identity like a wool coat in the sweltering heat. Coupled with debilitating doubt and fear due to internalised biphobia you didn’t realise was your entire inner monologue?! Girl, relatable.

While the catalyst for Imogen’s revelation was falling for Tessa, we see her accepting her sexuality as an intrinsic part of her by re-contextualising her memories without the burden of heteronormativity.

Just a f*cking fantastic queer coming-of age story that I loved with my whole queer heart.

Thank you ever so much to the publisher for this e-arc!

Twist of Fate: A Shifter Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance by Essie Suter

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Did not finish book.

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

3.75

I enjoyed reading this book mainly for the sweet shifter/mage boys, but also for its impressively unique premise and the light, whimsical vibes.

The structure could definitely have been sharper; the plot felt like it was meandering towards the middle without enough intrigue to keep the pace up. It picked up towards the end though, with a satisfying comeuppance and enough mystery to entice me to carry on with the series. I was hooked on the shifter traditions and the culture of the mages and would be excited to learn more about the lore of this unique world.

I enjoyed reading from the different perspectives throughout the book. All the voices were distinct; the love interests were incredibly sweet boys in their own ways, while Wren the main character was refreshingly feisty and a bit of a grump.

The pining was great throughout, with no miscommunication bullshite (because that would be out of character for these kind-hearted boys) and a lot of chemistry between the love interests. The *spicy scenes were very well-executed in isolation, but the leadup felt rushed considering the slowness of the slow burn. I know it’s all technically leadup in a slow burn romance, but it seemed like the scenes were written and then just spliced in towards the end.

This was a really entertaining read with authentic dialogue and a mysterious, winding plot. I would highly recommend this book for fans of light fantasy romance, particularly the likes of Ava Reid and Kathryn Moon.

Thank you to BookSirens and Essie Suter for the opportunity to read and review this book for free!

Six Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

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cosyqueer's reviews 292 reviews

cosyqueer's reviews
292 reviews