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reading_under_covers's reviews
1634 reviews
Kill the Lax Bro by Charlotte Lillie Balogh
4.0
I had such a fun time with this one!
Firstly, that cover!! Love love love the details on it and it really leans into the late 90s setting, Lisa Frank and lipgloss references to a T.
As mentioned, this book takes place in 1999 - I'm not entirely sure if that was necessary outside of the nostalgia factor (though I think most readers who pick this up won't quite get it?) - and the chapter headings were all song titles, which was incredibly fun!
I loved the alternating POVs and timelines and was honestly very much on board for the ride. The last few chapters left quite a bit to be desired, but up until that point, this story was really solid.
Firstly, that cover!! Love love love the details on it and it really leans into the late 90s setting, Lisa Frank and lipgloss references to a T.
As mentioned, this book takes place in 1999 - I'm not entirely sure if that was necessary outside of the nostalgia factor (though I think most readers who pick this up won't quite get it?) - and the chapter headings were all song titles, which was incredibly fun!
I loved the alternating POVs and timelines and was honestly very much on board for the ride. The last few chapters left quite a bit to be desired, but up until that point, this story was really solid.
The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley
4.0
NEVER HAVE I EVER BEEN SO CHARMED BY TWO CHARACTERS SO QUICKLY!
Really looking forward to where this story goes from here!
Really looking forward to where this story goes from here!
Killer on the Road/The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones
4.0
With this being two stories in one, I'm going to split up these reviews and also note, the 4 star rating is an average of the two together!
KILLER ON THE ROAD
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
"Who needs amusement parks when there's the Wyoming interstate?"
There was so much about this novella that I loved - it was adrenaline-filled, fast-paced, had so much heart, and did have quite a bit of gore thrown in (🥴 <- my face a good chunk of the time).
I loved the lore included around truck drivers and it really opened me up to a lifestyle that I haven't given much thought to - and I loved the moments SGJ included where our characters reflected on in if their fathers were going to make it home safe for Christmas - this story was packed with moments like that that had me sobbing. He really came swinging with the emotions in this one.
While this story did have some fantastically nightmarish horror elements, it did read a lot like a thriller, which is maybe why I ended up enjoying this story so much compared to some of his other works!
THE BABYSITTER LIVES
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
This story was a repackage from a previous release and, while it started off really strong, it devolved in a way that took me out of the story. If I had read this one on its own, it might have held a higher merit for me, but reading this one immediately after KILLER ON THE ROAD, left me yearning for something else.
Still a really strong story, but one that loses the tracks a bit.
Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for my early copy for review - out July 15!
KILLER ON THE ROAD
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
"Who needs amusement parks when there's the Wyoming interstate?"
There was so much about this novella that I loved - it was adrenaline-filled, fast-paced, had so much heart, and did have quite a bit of gore thrown in (🥴 <- my face a good chunk of the time).
I loved the lore included around truck drivers and it really opened me up to a lifestyle that I haven't given much thought to - and I loved the moments SGJ included where our characters reflected on in if their fathers were going to make it home safe for Christmas - this story was packed with moments like that that had me sobbing. He really came swinging with the emotions in this one.
While this story did have some fantastically nightmarish horror elements, it did read a lot like a thriller, which is maybe why I ended up enjoying this story so much compared to some of his other works!
THE BABYSITTER LIVES
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
This story was a repackage from a previous release and, while it started off really strong, it devolved in a way that took me out of the story. If I had read this one on its own, it might have held a higher merit for me, but reading this one immediately after KILLER ON THE ROAD, left me yearning for something else.
Still a really strong story, but one that loses the tracks a bit.
Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for my early copy for review - out July 15!
Our Last Resort: A Novel by Clémence Michallon
4.0
"Everything's easier in the daylight. We're all braver in the morning."
Frida and her brother Gabriel have just arrived at the luxurious resort Ara in Utah where they plan to reconnect after years apart following a tragedy. When the young wife of one of the guests is found dead, Frida and Gabriel must confront their pasts growing up in a cult in relation to current events.
OUR LAST RESORT by Clémence Michallon is the perfect read to take to the beach this summer!
Alternating timelines between a fancy resort a la The White Lotus and decades previous where Frida and Gabriel grew up in the folds of a cult, this book was impossible to put down.
Michallon really allows her characters to fully embrace the page, taking her readers on their own journey in discovering their pasts, truths, and lies. I felt like Frida and Gabriel became physical beings as the story progressed and more of who they were as people came to light.
While a bit of a departure from her previous novel, I think a lot of readers will still find themselves getting sucked into this story, which explores some of the darker parts of humanity.
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for my early copy for review - out July 8!
Frida and her brother Gabriel have just arrived at the luxurious resort Ara in Utah where they plan to reconnect after years apart following a tragedy. When the young wife of one of the guests is found dead, Frida and Gabriel must confront their pasts growing up in a cult in relation to current events.
OUR LAST RESORT by Clémence Michallon is the perfect read to take to the beach this summer!
Alternating timelines between a fancy resort a la The White Lotus and decades previous where Frida and Gabriel grew up in the folds of a cult, this book was impossible to put down.
Michallon really allows her characters to fully embrace the page, taking her readers on their own journey in discovering their pasts, truths, and lies. I felt like Frida and Gabriel became physical beings as the story progressed and more of who they were as people came to light.
While a bit of a departure from her previous novel, I think a lot of readers will still find themselves getting sucked into this story, which explores some of the darker parts of humanity.
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for my early copy for review - out July 8!
The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson
4.5
Freya Sampson writes a cozy mystery like no other!
Her characters and their relationships with one another are always so raw and heartwarming, and this book was the biggest nod to Agatha Christie and her beloved Miss Marple, which made it all the more endearing.
Her characters and their relationships with one another are always so raw and heartwarming, and this book was the biggest nod to Agatha Christie and her beloved Miss Marple, which made it all the more endearing.
Stay Away from Him by Andrew DeYoung
3.0
"No one bothered telling Melissa that Thomas Danver was an accused murderer. Not until she'd already spent a whole evening flirting with him."
After leaving a bad marriage, Melissa has taken her five-year-old son to the Twin Cities to start fresh. What she doesn't expect is for a new charming man to enter her life so quickly, let alone one who was accused of killing his wife three years ago. She's ready to cast all suspicion aside until she receives a threatening note.
STAY AWAY FROM HIM by Andrew DeYoung is a fast-paced domestic thriller that will have you flipping pages.
The present timeline is intercut with therapist transcripts and journal entries from three years prior, which added a really nice dimension to the story and helped break up the monotony of Melissa and Thomas' budding relationship (more on this later lol)
DeYoung pulled me into this story right away and threw in a few nuggets of intrigue along the way, which kept me reading and wanting answers.
However, the whole Melissa and Thomas of it all was laughable and made it hard for me to truly love this book once we hit the 25% mark. It felt very unrealistic to have a woman who just left a very toxic relationship (with her toddler son in tow) to all of a sudden fall in love with a convicted murderer 24 hours after meeting him - this was just the tip of the iceberg for me.
I struggled to really engage with the story with that as a backdrop, but it was a very quick read regardless and seems to be a hit with a lot of other early readers, so do with that what you will!
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the early copy for review - out July 8!
After leaving a bad marriage, Melissa has taken her five-year-old son to the Twin Cities to start fresh. What she doesn't expect is for a new charming man to enter her life so quickly, let alone one who was accused of killing his wife three years ago. She's ready to cast all suspicion aside until she receives a threatening note.
STAY AWAY FROM HIM by Andrew DeYoung is a fast-paced domestic thriller that will have you flipping pages.
The present timeline is intercut with therapist transcripts and journal entries from three years prior, which added a really nice dimension to the story and helped break up the monotony of Melissa and Thomas' budding relationship (more on this later lol)
DeYoung pulled me into this story right away and threw in a few nuggets of intrigue along the way, which kept me reading and wanting answers.
However, the whole Melissa and Thomas of it all was laughable and made it hard for me to truly love this book once we hit the 25% mark. It felt very unrealistic to have a woman who just left a very toxic relationship (with her toddler son in tow) to all of a sudden fall in love with a convicted murderer 24 hours after meeting him - this was just the tip of the iceberg for me.
I struggled to really engage with the story with that as a backdrop, but it was a very quick read regardless and seems to be a hit with a lot of other early readers, so do with that what you will!
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the early copy for review - out July 8!
With a Vengeance by Riley Sager
4.0
“This, he’s certain, won’t be a happy reunion.”
A train that won’t stop and a woman out for vengeance - Riley Sager hits us with a locked room murder mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie in WITH A VENGEANCE 🚂
This book is very different from Sager’s other work as it truly falls into the whodunnit category which, as a reader and lover of many a murder mystery, I loved!
The train setting added a nice claustrophobia to the story and the constant pacing from one car to the next added to the uneasiness as the hours ticked down 🕰️
This book did require some suspension of belief, but it proved to be a fun read nonetheless!
I’m curious to see where Riley goes next and what themes he may be tempted to explore!
Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson
4.0
This was honestly such a fun time and the audio was so good - both narrators were great!
Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox
4.0
"They can't see outside anymore. But they can hear it. The scream. Just long enough for a body to fall through the air."
It's Sophie's 16th birthday and her father and his new wife are sparing no expense in giving her the best party possible. As alcohol is tossed back and tensions rise, everything comes to a head as the birthday candles are about to be blown out and a body falls from the balcony.
Kelsey Cox hits us with a lavish, drama-filled thriller with her debut PARTY OF LIARS!
Her rotating POVs all offer fresh takes and add to the tension of the story, while also allowing the reader to question everyone's intentions and their truths.
The rich people behave poorly and the teens party as teens do, creating a fever dream within the story that you know is going to hit a pitch - but you aren't sure when, who, or why.
I enjoyed the lore surrounding the house and its evolution into the "Dollhouse" and was very much unsettled as the story progressed.
Highly recommend picking up this debut and I'm really looking forward to what Cox comes up with next!
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the early copy for review - this book is out now!
It's Sophie's 16th birthday and her father and his new wife are sparing no expense in giving her the best party possible. As alcohol is tossed back and tensions rise, everything comes to a head as the birthday candles are about to be blown out and a body falls from the balcony.
Kelsey Cox hits us with a lavish, drama-filled thriller with her debut PARTY OF LIARS!
Her rotating POVs all offer fresh takes and add to the tension of the story, while also allowing the reader to question everyone's intentions and their truths.
The rich people behave poorly and the teens party as teens do, creating a fever dream within the story that you know is going to hit a pitch - but you aren't sure when, who, or why.
I enjoyed the lore surrounding the house and its evolution into the "Dollhouse" and was very much unsettled as the story progressed.
Highly recommend picking up this debut and I'm really looking forward to what Cox comes up with next!
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the early copy for review - this book is out now!