Hestia Strikes a Match Christine Grillo Pub date: April 18, 2023 Read by: Jeremy Carlisle Parker, Sheree Wichard, Tom Force Duration: 12H 25M
It’s the newHestia Strikes a Match Christine Grillo Pub date: April 18, 2023 Read by: Jeremy Carlisle Parker, Sheree Wichard, Tom Force Duration: 12H 25M
It’s the new American civil war and Hestia Harris is newly single, at odds with her parents, whose views are veering sharply towards that of the new Confederacy and her best advice is given by the sassy Mildred, an octogenarian resident at the retirement village where Hestia works.
Despite all this, Hestia decides to jump into the dating pool – meeting dates at various restaurants, bars, etc … depending on the bomb threat level. What ensues is both heart-felt and heart-breaking, but thoroughly entertaining as Hestia tries to navigate this new world of maintaining a life during war.
Hestia’s character is a bright light in this terrifying new world; her inner dialogue is often hilarious yet so realistic that I couldn’t help but love her. She’s at times driven down by the circumstances but her pragmatism keeps her engaging in life and taking chances on people.
Narration: This is a multicast production and beautifully narrated. Each narrator shines and I think if you’re an audiobook fan, you’ll find this a brilliant performance!
My thanks to @MacMillan.Audio for this gifted ALC ...more
There’s something about female murderers that’s so intriguing to me. We’re the gentler sex, the nurturers, right? SoHow I’ll Kill You by Ren Destefano
There’s something about female murderers that’s so intriguing to me. We’re the gentler sex, the nurturers, right? So when I read a book that has a serial killer female or in this case, females, it’s fascinating to me. Women who are on the hunt for men to entice into a relationship with an end goal of murder. That is the cat nip of a premise that drew me right in.
When three sisters, triplets, are separated at birth, each one has a different fostering/group home experience but Sissy’s is different. She actually really likes her foster home and family. Her two sisters, not so much and it made them bitter, angry and umm, murderous. Although they’ve seen each other through the years, they reconnect fully as young adults and it’s clear that Iris is the leader of the pack with Moody close behind. Sissy follows their lead, because her guilt for having a better life makes her feel obligated to them.
Now, it's Sissy’s turn to pick a target – and as the synopsis states - Make him want you. Make him love you. Make him dead. Problem is, Sissy’s never killed before – she’s the one that cleans up her sister’s messes but she doesn’t want to let her sisters down. Finding her target, Edison, is easy. He’s handsome, widowed and charming. The last thing she expects is to fall in love with him.
I loved being in Sissy’s head. Her inner thoughts are both stalkerish and entertaining but still contain a sense of innocence, kindness and conscience. I never really knew what direction she was going to take, that’s how strong her loyalty is.
Watching the story play out is a thrill ride and the plot is fast! I whipped through this in just a few hours. I read A LOT of thrillers and suspense but I’ve never read anything quite like this. It put a fresh and distinctive take on one of my favorite genres.
I really enjoyed this dark thriller, it’s full of heart and love with the most flawed of characters but there’s such a sense of sadness and heartbreak leading up to the most heinous of their acts.
Thank you so much, @BerkleyPub for this gifted DRC! ...more
I haven’t been reading as much YA lately as I normally do so I put off reading Missing Clarissa. I’m sorry I did that because it's a twisty and well-wI haven’t been reading as much YA lately as I normally do so I put off reading Missing Clarissa. I’m sorry I did that because it's a twisty and well-written mystery. I enjoyed the premise of current teen podcasters tackling a decades old missing persons case.
I loved the character arcs of both characters, Blair and Cam, each growing throughout the story with each experience.
While this is clearly geared towards the younger of the younger adult audience, I still found it to be an enjoyable read with a satisfying conclusion.
My thanks to St. Martin’s Press for this gifted DRC. ...more
I don’t know why I waited so long to listen to Weyward by Emilia Hart, so kindly gifted to me by @MacMillan.Audio. It’s described as ‘A spellbinding sI don’t know why I waited so long to listen to Weyward by Emilia Hart, so kindly gifted to me by @MacMillan.Audio. It’s described as ‘A spellbinding story’ and it was just that.
This was another of those audiobooks that I listened to throughout a day even though it’s almost 11 hours long. Although, speeding it up shortens that time ...more
When a group of social media influencers are invited to promote Jagged Island, an amusement park and resort for the uber wealthy, they are all pumped When a group of social media influencers are invited to promote Jagged Island, an amusement park and resort for the uber wealthy, they are all pumped to be included. All starts out well but then one of them goes missing and then another, soon the bodies start to pile up and the only one who seems to be able to unravel any of it is true crime podcaster, Paisley. But who can she trust?
This is a quickly paced and entertaining – a little predictable and definitely geared towards younger adults but still an enjoyable whodunnit.
Thank you @GetUnderlined for this gifted copy to review.
A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing Pub date (expected): July 18, 2023
Samantha Downing has such a gift when it comes to writing about twisted compA Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing Pub date (expected): July 18, 2023
Samantha Downing has such a gift when it comes to writing about twisted complicated relationships. There’s something about two individuals doing damage in the name of love that is just catnip to my little kitty heart. And this story? Chef’s Kiss!
Wes and Ivy have a romance that will go down in history. It’s a thing of beauty; full of passion, deep connection, and all-encompassing love … until it isn’t. Then it becomes volatile, hateful and destructive. When they’re together, it’s forever but when they’re not? Things become complicated in the most toxic of ways.
After their last epic breakup, Wes gets a surprise visit from detective Karen saying Ivy named him as a possible stalker. Wes can only assume that this is just one of Ivy’s attention seeking tricks but decides to see for himself. Back together once more, their past comes back to haunt them, only this time, they’ve got the attentions of Detective Karen, and they do not need her putting two and two together.
Meanwhile, there’s other players afoot who are just as invested in Wes and Ivy’s past. There’s one thing for certain, something terrible happened in the couples past and Wes and Ivy aren’t the only two who know about it.
Wildly clever and cunning, this is a crazy train of suspense and thrills that I’m recommending to everyone!
Thank you so much @BerkleyPub for this gifted DRC!
Kingfisher never lets me down, she has a trademark humor interspersed among her stories that I just vibe with. This, along with characters that I can Kingfisher never lets me down, she has a trademark humor interspersed among her stories that I just vibe with. This, along with characters that I can root for, despite their flaws, gives her books a place on my top-shelf. It’s sort of like coming home when I pick up one of her stories.
In A House with Good Bones, the character of Sam returns home when her archaeoentomology job is halted and it’s at a good time because her mom’s behavior is just a bit out of character. Changes in the home alert Sam that maybe there’s something organic going on but the longer she stays, the more she believes there’s something darker at work.
I loved the deep dive into Sam’s family history and the gathering of the secondary characters, especially Gail and Hermes! Each one brought so much to the story and it’s always very ‘found family’ to me when everyone gets on board the crazy train and works together for a common goal.
As always, Kingfishers books start out with an insidious overtone because, well, Kingfisher! But it’s the getting to the sinister that is the chefs kiss here! Being in Sam’s head is a riot and I loved her!
Gothic and eerie yet humorous and hopeful, this is one Kingfishers fans and fans of horror will eat up and lick the spoon.
My thanks to @TorNightFire for this gifted DRC ...more
I will always love JT’s books; she has a way with telling a story that keeps the tension high and she makes the most chance details make sense when evI will always love JT’s books; she has a way with telling a story that keeps the tension high and she makes the most chance details make sense when everything pulls together beautifully at the end.
When the police show up to Olivia’s door to tell her that her husband, Park, has a child that is possible suspect in a brutal murder, she is shocked and heartbroken. After her own struggles with infertility, she feels betrayed and shaken. What follows is a story full of suspense and mystery that kept me fully invested.
This is a twisty tale that has a serious and heartbreaking issue at its core, that of infertility, so if this is a trigger for any, be aware. I think it’s important to read the authors note at the end. It is a beautiful story that gives a really unique insight to her own struggles and experiences with this. It really touched me.
My thanks to @HTPBooks for this #Gifted copy! ...more
The Vienna Writers Circle by J.C. Maetis is set in the WWII era but has a unique focus on a group of friends, members of Freud’s Circle, meeting at thThe Vienna Writers Circle by J.C. Maetis is set in the WWII era but has a unique focus on a group of friends, members of Freud’s Circle, meeting at the Café Mozart to discuss their writing and ideas. It’s a turbulent time full of treachery and uncertainty, and the brutality of the Nazi party is focused on finding those in Vienna, both hidden Jews and any sympathizers and as history tells, nobody is safe from the increasing anti-jewish movement taking place.
I’m a huge fan of HF but what set this story apart was the unique take it took on a group of men, all sharp intelligent men but all with something else in common, the threat that hangs over themselves and those they love. The sheer desperation and fear is felt acutely as the story moves on, it is insidious and creeping with the ramping of tension, as I can only imagine that is what it must have felt like for them as each day passed and the threat looming closer and becoming more real.
I really can’t recommend this one enough. My thanks to @HTPBooks for this gifted DRC....more
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