I’m so, so torn on this book. On the one hand, I’m totally invested in the story. I need the mystery to be solved, especially after the epilogue. I’m a little creeped out by the ending, tbh, but I need to know what happens next. On the other hand, I basically hated Carra for most of the book. She grew on me a little at the end, though. Carra is a prostitute and continues her profession after her marriage. Even though the marriage was not a live marriage, I’m just not ok with that. Unless it’s a RH situation, or a couple’s specific kink, I’m not ok with extramarital carnal relationships. I guess I didn’t even realize that until this book, though I always avoid books with MC cheating. I think readers deserve to know going in to this book that it’s not a “safe” read. The author gave a content warning about a side character having a problem with prostitution, but not about the continuation of said prostitution, which I think is outrageous. I also didn’t think Carra’s profession was necessary to the plot. I get that it added spice where there wouldn’t have been any, and afforded Carra the opportunity to glean information from her clients, but both of those things could’ve been accomplished otherwise. It really felt like it added zero value to the book. 

Other than my general dislike of Carra and the seemingly unnecessary prostitution, I thought the book needed to be tightened up a bit. One of my biggest pet peeves in a book is poor editing, even at the ARC phase, assuming the author has undergone beta reads. Things like incorrect names, glaring typos, and plot inconsistencies should be corrected before getting to the ARC stage. For example, because of an incorrect name placement, I knew the FMC’s name was Carra, not Anna (plot only, I know it’s in the blurb). It kind of ruins the flow of reading when you pause and go, wait, who’s Carra? Things like that take away from my enjoyment of a book. 

I received an ARC of Mortal Memories from NetGalley. This review is my own and I am leaving it voluntarily.