Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 27

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Deepest Lake!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

The Deepest Lake by Andromeda Romano-Lax

Thriller, Standalone

eBook, Hardcover, 384 Pages

May 7, 2024 by Soho Crime

Blurb:

In this atmospheric thriller set at a luxury memoir-writing workshop on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, a grieving mother goes undercover to investigate her daughter’s mysterious death.

Rose, the mother of 20-something aspiring writer Jules, has waited three months for answers about her daughter’s death. Why was she swimming alone when she feared the water? Why did she stop texting days before she was last seen? When the official investigation rules the death an accidental drowning, the body possibly lost forever in Central America’s deepest lake, an unsatisfied Rose travels to the memoir workshop herself. She hopes to draw her own conclusion—and find closure.

When Rose arrives, she is swept into the curious world created by her daughter’s literary hero, the famous writing teacher Eva Marshall, a charismatic woman known for her candid—and controversial—memoirs. As Rose uncovers details about the days leading up to Jules’s disappearance, she begins to suspect that this glamorous retreat package is hiding ugly truths. Is Lake Atitlan a place where traumatized women come to heal or a place where deeper injury is inflicted?

Perfect for fans of Delia Owens, Celeste Ng, and Julia Bartz, The Deepest Lake is both a sharp look at the sometimes toxic, exclusionary world of high-class writing workshops and an achingly poignant view of a mother’s grief.

Why I Want To Read This Book:

As an author myself, I love reading books set on writing retreats, especially when things go horribly wrong. Just picture it, you’ve gone somewhere beautiful to enjoy some solitude and soak up inspiration only for a member of the party to die tragically. And then have it be somewhere remote… it just fascinates me. I can picture taking this one on vacation with me next spring.

Will you be checking this one out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Book Review: A Ghost of A Chance by Brittany Kelley

A Ghost of A Chance by Brittany KelleyBlurb:

Fake dating the hot grump next door until Halloween is more of a trick than a treat.

I only pretend to be the town psychic—which means my crystal ball never told me I’d be moving in with my elderly aunt and dealing with her hot, grumpy neighbor. Sure, she’s hilarious, and she’s letting me stay in her tiny guest house in return for dealing with her ‘ghost problem.’ The catch? I don’t really believe in the supernatural. Even worse, Ward Carlisle, her hunky neighbor, is a real pain in my pumpkin patch. The fact our families have been feuding over some land for centuries doesn’t help, either.

When Ward shows up at my fortune-telling booth at the town fall festival desperate for my help, he promises he’ll give my aunt the land she wants if I can fake a relationship with him until Halloween—and convince his ex-girlfriend we’re in love. I’m always down for a little mayhem, and if it means getting one up on prickly Ward, I’m totally game.

But bizarre occurrences keep pushing Ward and I together: spooky calls for help which have me running to him in the night, phantom cold spots which push us together for warmth, and visions of people who aren’t really there that scare me right into his arms. Even stranger, though, is all this time we’re spending together means I’m getting to see the real him… and I like it. Things between us start heating up just as the weather turns cold.

I’m not sure which is more unbelievable: that Ward and I could have something real, or that my aunt might be right about her ghost problem.

My Review:

I loved this novella set in the same world as Happily Haunted Afters! In this one we follow Tara, the “psychic” Emma befriends in Happily Haunted Afters.

Tara’s shop has just burned down and she moves back in with her aunt who wants her to rid their family property of a ghost problem that arose from a property dispute with the neighbor going back years and years. And the neighbor? Is a hot, grumpy single guy who has a bone to pick with Tara’s aunt. He’s not on board with getting rid of ghosts or working with Tara… until he runs into his ex and begs Tara to pretend to be his girlfriend.

If you like small town romance, romcoms, a dash of spice, and the fake dating trope, you will love this book! There were so many hilarious parts to this book that I can’t wait to get a physical copy and annotate some of my favorite passages.

This is a short read but I love the world Brittany Kelley has created with Happily Haunted Afters and A Ghost of A Chance and would definitely read more books set in this universe. I do have to say I enjoyed A Ghost of A Chance more than Happily Haunted Afters.

My Rating:

5 of 5 Knives!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 27 November 2023

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Hey Bookdragons! True to my prediction I spent last week recovering from the flu, binging shows, and listening to audiobooks.

Last Week I Read:Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

I enjoyed this one. I wouldn’t say I absolutely loved it but it was a good 3.5 to 4 star read!

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

I liked this one. This is the second Hercule Poirot book and I wonder how many more I have to listen to before Hastings disappears and stops being the narrator.

After the Funeral by Agatha Christie

I’m reading these books woefully out of order (blame it on book 2 and book 31 being bundled together in one audiobook). I liked this one much better and stayed up way too late finishing it.

Currently Reading: Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Does by Catherine Mack

I didn’t make as much progress on this one last week because physically reading was tiring me out. I’m about 30% in and I love this one so far. I definitely recommend it so far for people who, like the blurb says, like Knives Out because I’m definitely getting g those vibes.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

This one has been on my TBR for a while and I’m finally just starting it tonight.

Next Read:Shadows of You by Catherine Cowles

This one is still next up for me on my physical TBR.

Have you read any of these? What are you reading this week?

The Sunday Post: The Flu, Thanksgiving, and Audiobooks

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

The Flu, Thanksgiving, and Audiobooks

Hey Bookdragons! Happy Sunday! How was your week?

Last Sunday I started coming down with the flu. Originally I thought I had strep throat because that was the first symptom, a sore throat, but sadly it got worse and turned out to be the flu. I had to take 3 days off work and was afraid I wouldn’t be able to enjoy Thanksgiving. I still have a bit of a runny nose.

I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving if you celebrated this week! Mine was not bad. I was able to taste my food by that point and I had a nice little turkey dinner for one. And all those delicious leftovers to take to work tonight!

I thought for sure being sick this week I’d be able to catch up on my writing and reading but instead I listened to 3 audiobooks, started a 4th and watched every adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House after reading the book last week.

Being sick, I only posted last week’s Sunday Post and It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 20 November 2023

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 27 November 2023

Book Review: A Ghost of A Chance by Brittany Kelley (rescheduled)

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Deepest Lake (rescheduled)

Book Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Audiobook Review: The Murder on the Links and After the Funeral by Agatha Christie

eBooks:

None this week!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 20 November 2023

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Hey Bookdragons! I think this is going to be a week of reading and rest for me. I picked up some sort of illness from an inconsiderate coworker and all I want to do is snuggle under the blanket, watch movies, and read.

Last Week I Read:Virgin River by Robyn Carr

It was an okay listen but the Netflix show is better.

The Stranded by Sarah Daniels

I set this one aside. I’m not sure if I’ll pick it up later.

A Ghost of A Chance by Brittany Kelley

I loved this one! It was a great seasonal read with spice and a ton of humor!

One Dark Hallow’s Eve by Eldritch Black

This was an okay short read. A little too Middle Grade for me and I feel I would have understand it more if I’d read the series but it was supposed to be a one-off.

When She’s Shy by Ruby Dixon

This was again, just okay. It was short and easy to get through but by no means my favorite Ruby Dixon book.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

After watching the Netflix adaptation for the 3rd time this year, I finally made it all the way through the book! I still hate Eleanor. But I enjoyed the book overall. It wasn’t scary though.

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

The title is what drew me to grab this one when Netgalley offered it and I can already tell I’m going to love it. It has a sense of humor I love and I’m only a short way in!

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

I started this one last week but I haven’t had a ton of time to listen to audiobooks. I hope to catch up this week!

Next Read:Shadows of You by Catherine Cowles

I’m dying to start this one and I’ve already abandoned most of my November TBR so why not?

What are you reading this week? Have you read any of these?

The Sunday Post: Book Slumps, Dog Sitting, and Another Author Event

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Book Slumps, Dog Sitting, and Another Author Event

Hey Bookdragons! Happy Sunday! How was your week?

I’ve been in a bit of a book slump. I’m pretty sure I started and set aside a half dozen books this week before picking up The Haunting of Hill House (after I binged the Netflix adaptation for the 3rd time this year).

It’s opening weekend of deer hunting here in Wisconsin (I’m not into that) and my sister and her boyfriend have been away at his family’s cabin which left me to watch Cujo… erm, I mean Baxter the senile Saint Bernard along with my dog Toby. The only good thing is Baxter is old and sleeps a lot until Toby who wants to be active while I sleep.

I just saw the coffee shop I frequent post an event for a local author book signing for this Saturday on Small Business Saturday and I think I’m going to reach out to them in the morning. The more my name is getting out there, the more exposure right?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 13 November 2023

Audiobook Review: Holly by Stephen King

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Search Party

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 20 November 2023

Book Review: Ghost of A Chance by Brittany Kelley

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Deepest Lake

None this Week!

Nothing Bookmarked This Week!

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Search Party!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

The Search Party by Hannah Richell

Standalone, Thriller

eBook, Paperback, Audiobook, 352 pages

January 16, 2024 by Atria Books

Blurb:

A spellbinding locked-room mystery about a glamping trip gone horribly wrong when a powerful storm leaves the participants stranded and forced to confront long-held secrets and a shocking disappearance.

Max and Annie Kingsley have left the London rat race with their twelve-year-old son to set up a glamping site in the wilds of Cornwall. Eager for a dry run ahead of their opening, they invite three old university friends and their families for a long-needed reunion. But the festivities soon go awry as tensions arise between the children (and subsequently their parents), explosive secrets come to light, and a sudden storm moves in, cutting them off from help as one in the group disappears.

Moving between the police investigation, a hospital room, and the catastrophic weekend, The Search Party is a propulsive and twisty destination thriller about the tenuous bonds of friendship and the lengths parents will go to protect their children—perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.

Why I Want to Read This Book:

I love locked door mysteries where the characters get cut off from the rest of the world due to nature/weather. This one sounds like the setting will be perfectly atmospheric for a chilly winter night read.

Will you be checking this one out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Audiobook Review: Holly by Stephen King

Holly (Holly Gibney #3) by Stephen KingBlurb:

Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King’s most compelling and ingeniously resourceful characters, returns in this thrilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope.” — BILL HODGES

Stephen King’s Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges’s partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King’s new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

My Review:

I had to think about how I was going to review this one for about a week after I finished listening to the audiobook.

It feels like I have to divide this book into two books.

The first book is an annoying constant rant about politics, covid, covid measures, condemnation against people who don’t get vaccinated, and disparaging remarks against law enforcement. I hated it. Reading is an escape for me, as I’m sure it is for many others. I read to escape the crap constantly swirling on social media and the news. People bickering back and forth both insisting that their side is right and the only way to think. I also work as a police dispatcher and find it unfair that there is a decent portion of the population that hates all law enforcement because of the actions of a few or assume every cop is trigger happy and racist.

Anyway, then there is the second book, featuring Holly Gibney, a character I enjoyed in the Mr. Mercedes tv show (I haven’t read the books yet). Holly is hired to find a missing girl which leads to a string of other missing person cases. In another POV we have an elderly couple with a dark secret in their basement.

This second, main plot I enjoyed. I figured out early on what the Harrises were doing but it was interesting following the investigation.

I loved Justine Lupe as the narrator, but again I loved her when she played the character on Mr. Mercedes.

If this book had just been about the case without the hot button issues, this book would have been a 5 star read. I know Holly has some disorders that make her a germaphobe and that Stephen King’s social media is filled with his political opinions but I feel like it bled too much onto the page.

My Rating:

3 Knives

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 13 November 2023

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Hey Bookdragons! I didn’t make a lot of reading progress last week as my vacation time ended and I got back into my routine so I’m still reading both of the books I started last week.

Last Week I Started / Currently Reading:Virgin River by Robyn Carr

I’m about 60% into the audiobook of Virgin River. I like it, but is it weird that I like it better on the screen than on the page?

The Stranded by Sarah Daniel’s

I’m about 150 pages into this one. I’m enjoying it yet also kind of bored at the same time. I know there is at least one book after this one but I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.

Next Read:Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

I hear good things about this one and I’m looking forward to the audiobook!

What are you reading this week? Have you read any of these?

The Sunday Post: New Hair Color, Christmas Movies, and Near Misses

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

New Hair Color, Christmas Movies, and Near Misses

Hey Bookdragons! How was your week? It was back to regularly scheduled programming for me on Wednesday as my vacation time drew to an end.

Monday once I got back home I went and had my hair colored. I love how it turned out!

Since I was on vacation and restricted to actually having to watch whatever was on cable I spent a lot of the previous week alternating between Hallmark Christmas Movies and Lifetime psycho killer movies.. which has carried over now that I’m back home. I guess the meme that either way I’m “slaying or sleighing” was spot on.

Lastly, yesterday I really wanted Burger King for dinner so I drove to the next town over. While I was in town driving toward home a deer decided to run out in front of my car. Once my brain caught up I slammed on the brakes and my purse and my Burger King food flew to the floor but I managed to avoid the deer! It feels like I shaved five years off my life though.

The Sunday Post: Write On, Enjoying Nature, and Book Signings

WWW Wednesday – 8 November 2023 (First time joining this one!)

Can’t Wait Wednesday: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 13 November 2023

Audiobook Review: Holly by Stephen King (rescheduled because I’m processing how I feel about this one overall)

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Search Party

Audiobook Review: Virgin River by Robyn Carr

Book Review: The Stranded by Sarah Daniels (if I finish it this week)

Fourth Wing (Special Edition) and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros Shadows of You by Catherine Cowles Release Box

Posts that caught my eye & Books added to my TBR this week:

Mystery, Thrillers, & Suspense Blog: What Grows in the Dark by Jaq Evans #bookreview

Caffeinated Reviewer Blog: Murder By Degrees By Ritu Mukerji

Mystery, Thrillers, & Suspense Blog: Do Not Open by Kiersten Modglin #bookreview