Tag Archives: thriller

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Backlist Review: You Belong to Me

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Thank you Simon Books for my review copy! 

You Belong to Me 
By Mary Higgins Clark
Book 38 of 2024

Every once in a while, I like to dip into a backlist book, so when this one showed up on a Simon Book Influencer list that I could request, I recognized the author and thought it would be a fun one! 

I recognized Mary Higgins Clark for kind of a weird reason. In high school, I stumbled across her thriller “Loves Music, Loves to Dance,” and it was my first adult thriller and I absolutely loved it. Fast forward almost a decade, and I was on stage and had a scene where I got to read a book and it turned out to be the same one! I have absolutely no idea why my brain holds on to these details, but I was like – I NEED to read another one of her books. 

Well, being a couple decades older, and spending a lot of time reading for fun instead of for school like my younger self, how did this hold up? I think high school me would have still liked it, but the pace was off for present day me. 

You all know I read most of my books via audiobook, and saw this was on Spotify, so I was going to use some of my free hours to listen. However, I saw that it was an abridged version, and the audiobook was just broken up into three parts so I couldn’t easily go back and forth between my print copy and the audiobook, so I abandoned that idea. Why would a thriller need to be abridged anyway?

It turns out, it was probably abridged for good reason, since the pace from the 30%-90% mark was all over the place. It’s not that things weren’t happening, exactly, it was just very repetitive (I’ll put an explanation on goodreads with a spoiler tag).

I am not a huge mystery / thriller reader, and I tend to have a bit of a hard time keeping the clues straight, so I usually just enjoy the ride without guessing the ending. For this one, the suspects were a little too similar, so I was a bit frustrated with trying to keep it straight. 

I think to the modern thriller reader – this book will feel like a simmer. I really liked the main character and enjoyed watching her try to solve the mystery – meanwhile becoming more and more entangled with our suspects! I also liked that we got to see a lot of POVs – including the suspects. I thought it was interesting that we saw the killer’s perspective without being sure if it was one of our suspects or someone else as well. 

🎧 I didn’t end up choosing the abridged audiobook, but after reading it and listening to pieces of the audiobook, I think that would be a great way to read it!

[book synopsis]

“The mistress of high tension” ( The New Yorker ) and undisputed Queen of Suspense Mary Higgins Clark brings us another New York Times bestselling novel that USA TODAY calls “her page-turning best” about a killer who targets lonely women on cruise ships, a masterful combination of page-turning suspense and classic mystery.

When Dr. Susan Chandler decides to use her daily radio talk show to explore the phenomenon of women who disappear and are later found to have become victims of killers who prey on the lonely and insecure, she has no idea that she is exposing herself—and those closest to her—to the very terror that she hopes to warn others against.

Susan sets out to determine who is responsible for an attempt on the life of a woman who called in to the show offering information on the mysterious disappearance from a cruise ship, years before, of Regina Clausen, a wealthy investment advisor. Soon Susan finds herself in a race against time, for not only does the killer stalk these lonely women, but he seems intent on eliminating anyone who can possibly further Susan’s investigation.

As her search intensifies, Susan finds herself confronted with the realization that one of the men who have become important figures in her life might be the killer. And as she gets closer to uncovering his identity, she realizes almost too late that the hunter has become the hunted. Is she the next one marked for murder?

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Mystery Review: The Heiress

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

The Heiress
By Rachel Hawkins
🎧 Narrated by: Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, Patti Murin
Book 12 of 2024

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for my review copies!

This was my 3rd Rachel Hawkins mystery, and I think my favorite of the three. I think it often does a disservice to her books to classify them as “thrillers” because they are more of a slow burn – I often don’t feel that true fear for the characters that I think really puts the “thrill” in “thriller.” And unlike many mystery novels, The Heiress doesn’t start with finding a body and then figuring out the mystery. Instead, the crime unfolds before your eyes, and it’s more of a matter of deciding if any of the characters really “deserve” to be free at the end of the book, since few are truly innocent. 

The Heiress is a multi-POV mystery following the late Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore’s living family, interspersed with letters from Ruby about her remarkable life. Her heir and adopted son, Cam, and his fiance, Jules, are our main characters. 

I thought this was a lot of fun. I think the lack of sun in January makes me want to read more unlikable characters – I’m certainly not at my most pleasant in the dead of winter, and I think it’s kind of fun to remind myself that my worst is these character’s best. 

I think what can be tricky about this book is that it doesn’t necessarily feel like there’s a plot? Like yes, the inciting incident is that Cam and Jules show up at Ashby house with all of his horrible relatives. But that’s more of a situation than the set up for a story. If you like having a clear plot or whodunnit, this book is probably not for you. But if you like to just hang out with characters and explore their motivations, and watch some action at the end, this is the book for you! 

🎧 I binged most of the book by audio, I really liked that there were different narrators for the different POVs. It really helped to add clarity about who’s POV I was in while listening, I feel like sometimes that can be more confusing by audiobook. The narrators voice acting really matched the characters and added to the atmosphere of the novel! It was especially fun to hear Ruby’s letters read by just one voice actor, she really leaned into the character. I highly recommend the audiobook! 

[book synopsis]

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will—and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

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Thriller Review: The Fury

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

The Fury
By Alex Michaelades 
🎧 Narrated by: Alex Jennings
Book 7 of 2024

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Celadon Books for my review copies! 

The Fury follows a group of unlikable actors and writers to a private Greek island for a twisty “whydunnit” mystery. It’s told in five acts like a Greek tragedy. 

I’ve been gravitating towards mysteries and thrillers more in the winter months – the fast pacing, short chapters, and darker themes just fit the weather so well. 

The big question about whether or not you will like The Fury I think depends on how much you enjoy reading about unlikable characters. I personally found the characters to be unlikable in a fun way – think the side characters in Only Murders in the Building – but without the humor of OMITB. I thought it was a lot of fun and devoured it in one sitting. I don’t remember how surprised I was by the twists and turns, but I really enjoyed watching them unravel. 

[ book synopsis ]

A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex–movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder ― from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient.

This is a tale of murder.

Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?

Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island.

I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder.

We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered.

But who am I?

My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.

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January 9th: New Releases

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen
Contemporary romance | Rom Com

From the publisher: In this charming rom-com about two star-crossed lovers, a woman whose life is guided by her belief in the red-string of fate finds her perfect match—but his skepticism about true love puts a knot in their chances.

Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend* by Emma R. Alban
Historical romance | Young Adult

From the publisher: A swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance in which two debutantes distract themselves from having to seek husbands by setting up their widowed parents, and instead find their perfect match in each other—the lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap you never knew you needed!

The Heiress* by Rachel Hawkins
Mystery | Thriller

From the publisher: THERE’S NOTHING AS GOOD AS THE RICH GONE BAD.

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Recipe for a Charmed Life* by Rachel Linden
Heartwarming romance | Magical realism

From the publisher: After a day of unrivaled disappointments, a promising young chef finds every bite of food suddenly tastes bitter. To save her career, she travels to the Pacific Northwest to reconnect with her estranged mom, and discovers a family legacy she never suspected in this delicious novel from the bestselling author of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie.

Do you have any of these on your TBR?

*Received as a free gift from the publisher

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Over 50 Fall 2023 New Releases I’m Excited About

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We all have different skills. I’m envious of people who can find you the perfectly curated 5 cozy fantasies or fall romcoms for your shelves. I, however, have more of a dragon hoarding jewels approach to my TBR. So welcome to my giant list of all the books that have caught my attention so far!

In book world, we like to say that buying books and reading books are two separate hobbies. I like to think that overfilling my TBR is also a separate hobby, and probably my favorite of the three. On occasion, I’ve been asked where I find all of these books, and I honestly wish I could tell you. Banner ads? Friends? Publisher catalogs? It is an ever expanding list and I’ll probably update it several times (or make a new post?).

Fall is my favorite season for reading. Is there anything better than sitting inside reading, under a blanket, with candles burning, while it rains outside? While I know that fall officially starts on September 23rd, I like to include the fall months of September – November. What can I say, I’m a rebel! I’ve organized them by the main genres I read: Rom coms, Historial romance, Fantasy, & everything else. If you’re looking for a lot of thriller and horror books for spooky season, I do have 1 or 2 YA thrillers, but not much else. But if you like your spooky season a little cozier, filled with romance, with a few slightly creepy fantasy books, and a sprinkle of nonfiction, then this is the list for you!


* Asterix indicates that I have received an ARC or finished copy of the book.
Links may be affiliate links and may lead to me receiving a small comission if you purchase a book!
Most book synopsis are from the publisher.

Contemporary Romance

The Long Game* | Sports Romance | Sept 5th
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
A disgraced soccer exec reluctantly enlists the help of a retired soccer star in coaching a children’s team in this smalltown love story in the vein of Ted Lasso and It Happened One Summer —from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception.

Fly with Me* | LGBTQ+ Romance | Sept 5th
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
A sparkling and steamy opposites-attract romance, Fly with Me by Andie Burke is filled with sharp banter and that sweet, swooping feeling of finding “the one” when and where you least expect it.

Thank You for Sharing | Contemporary romance | Sept 12
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
A chemistry-filled childhood friends to enemies to lovers debut romance about two people forced to confront their pasts to save both their relationship and careers.

Cleat Cute* | LGBTQ+ Sports Romance | Sept 19
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
A sapphic rivals to lovers rom com for fans of Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own, where two soccer teammates are at odds before falling in love as their team gears up for the World Cup.

Trading Places* | Contemporary romance | Sept 26
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
A socialite and a blue collar mechanic have to trade lives for two months in this delightful romcom from debut author Emily Duvall.

The Takedown* | Contemporary Romance / Suspense | Oct 3
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
An undercover CIA agent is sent home to investigate her sister’s criminal fiancé but the last thing she expects is to fall in love with his bodyguard along the way in this sexy romantic comedy.

The Mis-Arrangement of Sana Saeed* | Contemporary Romance | Oct 10
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Perfect for fans of Sonali Dev and Uzma Jalaluddin, Noreen Mughees’s sparkling debut novel reunites star-crossed childhood sweethearts against all odds, only for their second chance to clash with their parents’ strict beliefs.

Stars in Your Eyes* | LGBTQ+ Contemporary Romance | Oct 10
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
The National Book Award-winning author of  Felix Ever After  delivers a beautifully tender story of two grumpy/sunshine, fake-dating actors navigating their love story both on and offscreen—perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall.

Better Hate than Never* | Contemporary romance | Oct 10
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Childhood enemies discover the fine line between love and loathing in this heartfelt reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

Friends Don’t Fall in Love* | Contemporary romance | Oct 17
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm (no audio links yet!)
When the two reunite to rebuild her career and finally scratch that itch that’s been building between them for years, Lorelai realizes a lot about what friends don’t do. For one, friends don’t have scratch-that-itch sex. They also don’t almost-kiss on street corners, publish secret erotic poetry about each other, have counter-top sex, write songs for each other, have no-strings motorcycle sex, or go on dates. And they sure as heck don’t fall in love… right?

‘Tis the Damn Season* | Contemporary romance / Christmas | Oct 24
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm (no audio links yet!)
A Hollywood starlet caught in a scandal. The boy she never got over. A Christmas season they’ll never forget…

Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date | LGBTQ+ Contemporary romance / Bright Falls Book 3 | Oct 24
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
When Stevie desperately asks Iris to play along as her girlfriend, Iris is shocked, but goes along with it because maybe this fake relationship will actually get her creative juices flowing and she can get her book written. As the two women play the part of a couple, they turn into a constant state of hot-and-bothered and soon it just comes down to who will make the real first move…

Guy’s Girl* | Contemporary romance | Oct 24
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
The boy who couldn’t love and the girl who wouldn’t.
Heartfelt and evocative, Guy’s Girl is a powerful story about true love, self-love, and growing up.

Check & Mate* | YA Contemporary romance | Nov 7
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, life’s moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart.

Next-Door Nemesis* | Contemporary romance / Romcom | Nov 14
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Two rival candidates for a homeowner’s association presidency are about to find out how dirty suburbanites fight in this steamy new romantic comedy from Alexa Martin.

Witchy / Paranormal Romance

Witches Get Stuff Done* | Paranormal Romcom | Sept 5th
Bookshop | Amazon (Audible exclusive)
Juggling newfound witchy powers, a house full of ghosts, and verbal battles with the handsome local librarian is almost too much for a new witch to manage. A new witch with a coven, however, can get so much more done…

Ghosted* | Paranormal romance | Sept 26
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Jillian Nejat is the only dating and relationship expert on the planet who is incapable of speaking to men. If they’re living, if they’re breathing, it’s game over. With her bank account at zero, her career a dumpster fire, and her dating life in a ten-year slump, she moves into a tiny, dirt-cheap NYC apartment. Unfortunately, the apartment is already occupied. Daniel (no-last-name) is a sexy, shirtless, six-pack wielding heartthrob who is also…dead. He isn’t living. He isn’t breathing. He’s a ghost. He’s also the only man on the planet who Jillian can talk to.

Hell of an Angel* | Paranormal romance | Oct 24
Bookshop (unavailable) | Amazon (KU) | Libro.fm
Good and evil are—temporarily—working together. And might even be having steamy fun…if it wasn’t for a rather inconvenient threat trying to unleash the apocalypse, once and for all.

Do Your Worst* | Paranormal romance | Nov 14
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Sparks fly when an occult expert and a disgraced archeologist become enemies-with-benefits in this steamy romance.

Historical Romance

The Duke and the Dressmaker* | Historical Romance / Fairytale Retelling | Sept 4th
Bookshop (unavailable) | Amazon (KU) | Libro.fm
Dressmaker Miss Lily Martin knows too well the sordid dealings of London’s corrupt underbelly. She should have known borrowing from one of the city’s most reviled moneylenders was risky. Horribly so. Now the loan has come due—and there’s nothing standing between Miss Lily and her darling sister’s ruin. Until a dashing American with flashing, defiant eyes intervenes…

The Duke’s Best Friend* | 5th in a series | Sept 5th
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Henry Deeping and Kate Meacham seem to clash every time they meet. Kate is frustrated by the change in her status following the death of her grandfather, a legendary figure in diplomatic circles. As a lone single woman, she is now effectively nobody, even though she knows everyone and has made important contributions to diplomacy in the past. Henry, just joining the Foreign Office, is wondering how to make his mark. They agree to an exchange—Henry will serve as Kate’s escort to important events to which she is no longer invited, and Kate will introduce him to the important people she knows so well. But when they spot a foreign agent they thought had been apprehended, they decide to investigate on their own, enlisting a motley group of friends and relying on each other to uncover the truth…

The Duchess and the Wolf* | Historical romance | Sept 18th
Bookshop unavailable | Amazon (KU) | Libro.fm
Susannah Fletcher has everything a young lady could want, the attentions of well-to-do duke, and a reputation as spotless as an angel’s petticoats. Yet, she would throw it all away for one opportunity to perform her music on stage–scandalous as that may be. Which is precisely when the rich and menacing “Wolf of Mayfair” makes her an offer she couldn’t possibly refuse…

Every Duke Has His Day* | Historical Romcom | Sept 19
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
When the two dogs and their “people” meet in the park, chaos ensues and unknowingly results in a dog swap. Which means Lancelot is kidnapped instead of Galahad! But when both dogs go missing in an ever thickening dognapping plot, Michael and Elizabeth end up coming together to scour London, recover Lancelot and Galahad all while falling in love.

The Duke Gets Desperate | Victorian Age / Historical romance | Sept 26
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Diana Quincy returns with a steamy affair between an Arab-American woman who inherits a run-down castle in the English countryside and the duke who asserts the castle is his, in the first book in a brand-new Victorian historical romance series.

The Truth About Myths* | Historical romance / Portugal / Royalty | Sept 20
Bookshop unavailable | Amazon (KU) | Libro.fm (no audio yet!)
A prudish princess on a mission…
Princess Isabel de Orleans would do anything for Portugal. When her brother, the king, asks for her help, she agrees to travel to Spain to defuse a diplomatic crisis.
A beloved rake as a babysitter…
Henrique, Viscount Penafiel, has no roots. He prepares to sail to greener pastures when his best friend blackmails him into accompanying the princess to an aristocratic-filled seaside resort.

Dreaming of a Duke Like You | Historical romance | Oct 10
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
It’s “loathe at first sight” for this gaming hell owner and spinster, but if they play their cards right, they both may win in the end . . .

Never Met a Duke Like You | Historical romance / Taming of the Dukes book 2 | Nov 14
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
But when an accident of fate traps the friends-turned-enemies in an attic together, the explosive attraction between them becomes impossible to ignore and even harder to resist. They are total opposites and their lives don’t align in the slightest, but fate, the ultimate matchmaker, appears to have other plans . . .

A Lady’s Rules for Ruin | Historical romance | Nov 28
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm (no audio links yet!)
A woman stages her own ruination, only to find herself at odds with a charming marquess in need of a wife in USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Haymore’s charming new regency romance.

Fantasy & Sci-fi

Galatea* | Short story / Mythology / Rerelease | Sept 5th
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
An enchanting short story from Madeline Miller that boldly reimagines the myth of Galatea and Pygmalion, now in hardcover for the first time.

Assistant to the Villain* | Fantasy Rom Com | Sept 5th
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Maehrer’s laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain…and their unexpected romance.

Witch of Wild Things | Fantasy Romance / Magical Realism | Sept 12
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their “gifts”—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown. Like slipping into an old, comforting sweater, Sage takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company and uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands.

Anna Dressed in Blood* | YA Paranormal / re-release | Sept 12
Bookshop (2012 edition) | Amazon (2023 edition) | Libro.fm
Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Fall of Ruin and Wrath | Fantasy romance | Sept 12th
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Long ago, the world was destroyed by gods. Only nine cities were spared. Separated by vast wilderness teeming with monsters and unimaginable dangers, each city is now ruled by a guardian―royalty who feed on mortal pleasure.

Heart of Night and Fire* | Fantasy romance | Sept 15th
Bookshop | Amazon (KU)| Libro.fm (not available)
A city of magic. A passion born in dreams. A secret that will set their world aflame.
Packed with enemies-to-lovers tension, heart-pounding action and devastating twists, The Nightfire Quartet is an epic fantasy romance that begins with a slow burn and builds in intensity. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout and Carissa Broadbent.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic | Fantasy / Romance / Cozy Mystery | Sept 19
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm (not available)
For fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is a debut novel that explores the shields we build around our hearts to retain our own magic.

If I Have to Be Haunted* | YA Fantasy / Ghosts / Urban fantasy | Sept 26
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Cemetery Boys meets Legendborn in this thrillingly romantic, irresistibly fun YA contemporary fantasy debut following a teenage Chinese American ghost speaker who (reluctantly) makes a deal to raise her nemesis from the dead.

Starling House* | Fantasy / Gothic / Mystery / Romance | Oct 3
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can’t stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.

The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch* | Pride and Prejudice reimagining / Fantasy / Historical fiction / Romance | Oct 3
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
A sparkling, witchy reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, told from the perspective of the troublesome and—according to her—much-maligned youngest Bennet sister, Lydia.

The Hurricane Wars | YA Fantasy romance | Oct 3
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
An exquisite fantasy brimming with unforgettable characters, sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance, and richly drawn worlds, The Hurricane Wars marks the breathtaking debut of an extraordinary new writer.

Shield Maiden* | Fantasy / Mythology / Historical fiction | Oct 3
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
All her life, Fryda has longed to be a shield maiden, an honor reserved for Geatland’s mightiest warriors. When a childhood accident leaves her tragically injured and unfit for the battlefield, her dreams are dashed—or so she thinks. But a strange, unfathomable power is awakening within her, a power that will soon be put to the test.

Lilith* | Mythology Retelling / Historical fiction | Oct 17
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
In the tradition of Madeline Miller and Claire North, Lilith is the story of the first woman, who was expelled from Paradise for disobedience. In this retelling of the Hebrew myth [NM1] that justified and explained woman’s subjection to man, Lilith will have her revenge – however long it takes.

Alone With You in the Ether | Fantasy / romance | Paperback edition | Oct 26
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
From Olivie Blake, the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six, comes an intimate and contemporary study of time, space, and the nature of love. Alone with You in the Ether explores what it means to be unwell, and how to face the fractures of yourself and still love as if you’re not broken.

What the River Knows | YA Fantasy / Historical fiction / romance / mystery | Oct 31
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that’s been largely left behind or forgotten. Inez has everything a girl might want, except for the one thing she yearns the most: her globetrotting parents—who frequently leave her behind.

Bookshops & Bonedust* | Cozy fantasy / prequel | Nov 7
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn’t always what we seek.

In Bookshops & Bonedust, a prequel to Legends & Lattes, New York Times bestselling author Travis Baldree takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand book

The Future* | Science fiction / dystopia / LGBTQ+ | Nov 7
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
From the award-winning, bestselling author of The Power comes a white-knuckle tour de force and dazzling exploration of the world we have made and where we are going.

The Princess of Thornwood Drive | Fantasy | Nov 7
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Two sisters are trapped on opposite sides of reality in this entrancing and deeply moving debut novel that weaves together a contemporary narrative with a parallel fantasy world.  

Calamity* | Science fiction / romance | Nov 14
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Bramble’s inaugural debut is equal parts steamy interstellar romance and sci-fi adventure, perfect for fans of Firefly and Ilona Andrews.

She’s got a ramshackle spaceship, a misfit crew, and a big problem with its sexy newest member…

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love* | YA Fantasy / Romance / LGBTQ+ | Nov 28
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale in this queer medieval rom-com YA debut about love, friendship, and being brave enough to change the course of history.

Godly Heathens* | YA Fantasy / LGBTQ+ | Nov 28
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Infatuation. Reincarnation. Damnation.
Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in the tiny town of Gracie, Georgia. Known for being their peers’ queer awakening, Gem leans hard on charm to disguise the anxious mess they are beneath. The only person privy to their authentic self is another trans kid, Enzo, who’s a thousand long, painful miles away in Brooklyn.

Everything else

Suddenly a Murder | YA Thriller | Sept 5th
Bookshop | Amazon | Libro.fm
Seven friends throw a 1920s-themed party, where it’s all pretend–until one of them is murdered. One of Us Is Lying meets Knives Out in this killer locked-room mystery.

Cities of Women* | Historical fiction | Sept 5th
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Cities of Women is a work of historical literary fiction inspired by a decade of research on the medieval life and times of the proto-feminist, Christine de Pizan, the first European woman of letters to support herself as a writer. Like A.S. Byatt’s Possession, the story moves between present and past in a dual narrative, evoking the spare joys and monumental pitfalls facing medieval women artists, and a contemporary woman who becomes obsessed with medieval books.

Punished for Dreaming* | Nonfiction / Education | Sept 12th
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In Punished for Dreaming Dr. Bettina Love argues forcefully that Reagan’s presidency ushered in a War on Black Children, pathologizing and penalizing them in concert with the War on Drugs. New policies punished schools with policing, closure, and loss of funding in the name of reform, as white savior, egalitarian efforts increasingly allowed private interests to infiltrate the system. These changes implicated children of color, and Black children in particular, as low performing, making it all too easy to turn a blind eye to their disproportionate conviction and incarceration. Today, there is little national conversation about a structural overhaul of American schools; cosmetic changes, rooted in anti-Blackness, are now passed off as justice.

Counting the Cost | Memoir / Reality Star | Sept 12
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For the first time, discover the unedited truth about the Duggars, the traditional Christian family that captivated the nation on TLC’s hit show 19 Kids and Counting . Jill Duggar and her husband Derick are finally ready to share their story, revealing the secrets, manipulation, and intimidation behind the show that remained hidden from their fans.

Death and the Sisters* | Historical fiction / Mystery | Sept 26
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The tangled relationships between Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Mary’s stepsister Jane Clairmont form the backdrop for an intriguing historical mystery, set in London in 1814, that explores the complex dynamic between sisters and the birth of teenaged Mary’s creative genius.

Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein* | Historical fiction / LGBTQ+ | Oct 3
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A novel of innocence, young love, and gothic mystery that is a sapphic reimagining of Mary Shelley’s life, and a wonderfully imaginative exploration of the roots of her literary masterpiece, Frankenstein.

The Blue Monsoon | Thriller | Oct 24
Bookshop | Amazon (KU w/ audio) | Libro.fm (not available)
A ritual murder at a Mumbai temple exposes the city’s dark secrets and ravages the personal life of a detective in this sequel to The Blue Bar.

Blood Sisters* | Thriller | Oct 31
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A visceral and compelling mystery about a Cherokee archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs who is summoned to rural Oklahoma to investigate the disappearance of two women…one of them her sister.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord | Cozy mystery / historical fiction | Nov 14
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Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, a dazzling first entry in a terrific new Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin.

Highly anticipated sequels

The Fragile Threads of Power* | Sequel series to Shades of Magic | Oct 3
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and set in the world of A Darker Shade of Magic, V. E. Schwab opens a new door into perilous adventure and tangled schemes with The Fragile Threads of Power.

Iron Flame | Fantasy / Romance / Romantasy | Nov 7
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I. CAN’T. WAIT!!!! I’ve already pre-ordered 3 copies.

Unknown's avatar

One of the Boys

by

One of the Boys
By Jayne Cowie
🎧  Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Joshua Akehurst
Thriller | Dystopian 
Pub date: July 11, 2023
Book review 85 / 100 

I really enjoyed Jayne Cowie’s debut novel “Curfew,” which I reviewed a few years ago. She writes dystopian novels that could happen tomorrow, imagining a world where we try to solve a problem through policies and make the world more difficult for men. Curfew imagined a world where all men had a curfew, and One of the Boys imagines a world where scientists discover that most violent men share a gene – called the “M gene.”

I devoured this book in a single day. One of the Boys starts around the time the M gene has been discovered, and parents can test their sons at birth for the gene. Two sisters each have sons in the same year, and one decides to do the test and the other chooses not to, and both POVs are present in the book. By the time the boys are headed to school, schools have started to require boys to test negative for the M gene.

Now, I have a lot more opinions about One of the Boys than I did about Curfew because a lot of the policy is around schools. Cowie lives in London, and I live in the U.S., so I know public school policy is different between our countries, but in the U.S. we’re required to provide access to public education for all children. While that is not perfectly executed or funded, that is the law. By the time the boys were in high school, boys had to show a pass that they were M-negative to be allowed into public places. M positive boys were roaming the street, unable to go to school or have access to jobs. To me, it didn’t feel realistic how quickly things fall apart. 

Overall, I found the twists and turns really exciting, and I liked that we had enough POVs that I was able to think about what I would do in the given circumstances, and who I agreed with – instead of having a single POV that I was meant to agree or disagree with. It created a world that gave me something to think about mostly outside of the current political circumstances, and I think it would be a fun one to bring to a book club and discuss with friends. 

[book synopsis]

A mother knows best… Doesn’t she?

Antonia and Bea are sisters. They are both doting mothers to their sons. But that is where their similarities end.

Antonia had her son tested at an early age to ensure her little angel did not possess the ‘violent’ M gene.

Bea refuses to let her son take the test. His life should not be determined by a positive or negative result.

Both of these women will go to any length to protect their sons.

But one of them is hiding a monster.

And there are going to be fatal consequences for everybody…