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"Everyone will need some sunscreen with this delightfully steamy rom-com!"

Check out my full review at InD'tale Magazine:https://issuu.com/indtalemagazine/docs/july_august_mag_2022?fr=sMDBjNTQ5MzMzNjI

It has been a while since I have picked up a graphic novel. I actually read quite a few, especially when I was younger. One of my personal favorites is The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen. However, few can compete with The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman. It is illustrated by Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, and Malcolm Jones III, colored by Robbie Busch, and lettered by Todd Klein. The story begins in 1916 when an occultist named Roderick Burgess intends to trap Death and bargain for eternal life. To his dismay, he traps Death’s brother, Dream, also known as Morpheus. He fears Death will come for revenge, so he keeps Dream trapped. In 1988, Burgess dies and Dream is able to escape but is weakened from imprisonment. To heal his realm and come to full power he must find his totems of power.

This series is one of the best for a reason. It has so many layers. It is full of depth but unbelievably dark and brutal. Neil Gaiman doesn’t mess around when it comes to his craft but this graphic novel is fantastic because of the group effort. The illustrators do a fantastic job collaborating with Gaiman’s writing. Because this story is written under DC Comics, there are quite a few familiar characters and settings. There is John Constantine and Doctor Destiny and Arkham Asylum.

However, my favorite part is when Dream and Death are reunited. They are gods and necessary ones at that. The reason why this is my favorite part is that we see Death ferrying the dead. It is a responsibility and really dives into grief and fear of death.

Overall, this is a phenomenal beginning to this series and I am very excited for the Netflix series.

Thank you, Katrina Monroe, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book! It releases on July 12th, 2022!

I was so excited to be given an opportunity to read They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe because they said it is perfect for fans of Jennifer McMahon, whom I love! Be prepared for multiple perspectives and timelines, but the main timeline begins in the present when Meredith leaves her wife and heads home to Cape Disappointment with her daughter, Alice. There are rumors that it is haunted and Meredith’s family is at the center of the rumors. While Meredith doesn’t believe in ghost stories, her mother does. But soon Meredith hears the call from the ocean and suspects her daughter does as well. Maybe she needs to start believing in order to save her daughter from a cruel family fate.

There is a lot happening in this story. It is about multiple generations of women who endure trauma and can’t escape a family curse. It all starts with one mother who would do anything, even kill, to keep her children. But is that really what happens? At first, I thought I knew where this story was headed but I am not going to lie the last quarter of the book did lose me a little bit. The finale of the book is heartwrenching, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry–because I totally did. But the portion before the finale could have used a little polishing. It just didn’t flow as well as the rest of the story.

Many people will hate the different timelines and perspectives but I loved it. It really dove into the inner workings of the mother-daughter relationships within this single family. The quote above states, “It’s all about the mothers.”–and it is so true. We watch Meredith go from unsure and broken from being in a terrible marriage, not being able to connect with her mother, and doubting her abilities as a mother to knowing precisely what to do and to heal the trauma of multiple generations. This book is wonderfully gothic and eerie and I was not disappointed! I definitely plan to read more of Katrina Monroe!

Thank you, NetGalley, Rachel Howzell Hall, and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this book! This book will release on July 12th, 2022.

We Lie Here is the third book that I have read by Rachel Howzell Hall. I have come to really appreciate her writing and I will never forget listening to her at a thriller panel at the LA Times Festival of Books! One of the things that I appreciate is that she often writes about Southern California, which is where I live. It really hits differently when you know all the locations that the author is discussing. And let me tell you, Rachel Howzell Hall nails it. This book takes place in Palmdale. Yara doesn’t really want to come home but she is planning a huge party for her parent’s anniversary. Her mom, dad, and sister, can be… a lot. Her physical and mental health always decline when she is home. She is a TV writer, dating a US Marshal but going home makes her feel small. However, one afternoon a woman approaches her and claims to be her cousin, Felicia. She doesn’t seem stable but is insisting that she has information that concerns Yara. The next day, Felicia is dead. Then the messages start arriving and someone has been in her room…is it all in her head or are there deep family secrets that should stay buried?

So if you happen to wander over to Goodreads, then you will see that the reviews aren’t raving about this book. I can see where they are coming from. There are a few parts that can use some polishing up. However, the story and the characters are on point. At first, Hall leads readers to believe that all of the issues that are occurring are from some petty fights from years ago. –No, she manages to entwine a deeper more sinister plotline.

It also goes to show how important it is to deal with toxic family members. I can see why Yara just wanted to appease her mom, but it started to get to the point where she took the gaslighting to a whole new level. But as I kept reading, I realized there is a reason for Yara to subject herself to that toxicity. This is probably where the polishing up would come in handy.

However, there were moments that were extremely unnerving and gave me the chills! Overall, I think this is a great thriller!

Thank you, Alice Feeney, NetGalley, and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to read this book. It releases on August 30th, 2022.

I have read every single Alice Feeney book and I always will. I love her books so much that I don’t think I could even pick a favorite. When I got the email from Macmillian Audio that I got an early copy of Daisy Darker, I cheered out loud!–My husband is used to this when I check my emails. I think this is probably Alice Feeney’s most ambitious book yet, as it feels inspired by And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.

The Darker family has never really been close. Daisy and her sisters are all named after flowers. The oldest is Rose, next is Lily, and then there is Daisy. But Daisy was born with a broken heart. She watched as her sisters basked in their parent's adoration and attended school, while she was always home and left out. Except when it came to Nana, who is actually a famous children’s author who wrote a series called, Daisy Darker. Now it is years later, and Nana has called for a reunion for her 80th birthday. Daisy’s parents come, and so do Rose, Lily, and Lily’s daughter Trixie. They are also joined by a man named Connor who grew up next door. There is a purpose to this reunion–for Nana wants to disclose what is in her will. But someone else has plans too. The first death catches them all by surprise and at first, they are convinced it is an accident until they see a familiar rhyme written in chalk on the wall…

YESSSS. I absolutely adore Alice Feeney’s way of writing. She definitely knows how to write a psychological thriller. Nothing is as it seems. NOTHING. You would think I would be prepared for what is to come having read all of her previous books, but NOPE. As always, she shocked me with her dark twists!

All of Alice Feeney’s books really focus on dysfunctional families and the Darker family is no different. This book is filled with the worst betrayals and the worst secrets. While the book jumps back and forth between the present and Daisy’s childhood, readers will be trying to eliminate the suspects and that is difficult because it could be anyone. I am still whirling from the ending. I thought I had it all pieced together but Alice Feeney always likes to sneak a final twist in at the very end. And once again, this book is narrated by Stephanie Racine who is one of the best. She always knows how to bring that tense aesthetic to Alice Feeney’s books! Trust me, add this book to your TBR!

“And now is the end of the fair times come very nigh,
and behold, all the beauty that yet was on earth–
fragments of the unimagined loveliness of Valinor
whence came the folk of the Elves long, long ago
now goeth, it all up in smoke…”

Thank you, NetGalley, Megan Goldin, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this book! It releases on August 9th, 2022.

Stay Awake is my first Megan Goldin book and it will not be my last! When Liv Reese wakes up, she can’t recall what has happened for the last two years. She has writing on all of her hands. She has written things like, “stay awake” or “don’t trust anyone.” She needs to find her best friend Amy and her boyfriend Marco and figure out what is going on. When there is a murder nearby, she soon discovers that she is the prime suspect. How can she convince the cops that she is innocent when she can’t remember what has happened in the last 2 years?

This book is WILD! I seriously finished listening to this in less than two days. I had know what was going on. This gave off serious Momento with Guy Pearce vibes. I love how there is a small revelation at the end of each chapter, making it impossible to put down. Not to mention it is also narrated by Imogen Church and January LaVoy. Imogen Church is one of my favorite audiobook narrators and can really pull readers into the story. This is my first time listening to January LaVoy and she was phenomenal as well!

Readers will go back and forth about Liv for the first part of the book. Then will spend the rest trying to piece together the mystery. I honestly couldn’t guess the ending. –which we all know is a huge positive for me! Plus there is the emotional nature of the book. While it may seem like a standard thriller, there is a huge tug of emotion as well. Just imagining being in Liv’s shoes filled me with anxiety. Overall, I highly recommend this book and it is one of my top favorite thrillers this year, so far!

Thank you, NetGalley, John Teschner, and Forge Books for the opportunity to read this book! It releases on June 28th, 2022.

Project Namahana by John Teschner is a thriller revolving around corporate greed. On the island of Kaua’i, there have been mysterious deaths and disappearances. There are corporate farms on this island and two men, Bernt and Lindstrom, seem to suspect that they are behind the deaths. However, investigating this corporation will not be easy. The locals are scared because the corporation–Benevoment, will stop at nothing to cover their tracks. But if someone doesn’t expose them, more people will die.

The premise of this book is SOOOOO GOOD!! I really, really, wanted to love it. It took a while to get into the story, for me, it was at least 5-6 chapters. I had no idea what was going on for a while but I pushed through. There are some good descriptions of the island, but some of the other descriptions were so unnecessary. They would take me out of the story too because they just didn’t need to be there. The dialogue was very much the same way. It was very stilted with no emotion. Now for the characters… I know their names, but I can’t tell you about them besides what they do in the story. There is no characterization. They are just names on a page.

BUT. As I said the premise of this book is great. The author really shines a light on corporate greed and the dangers that they bring to the environment and to the locals. Because of their wealth, it is easy for them to cover up any mistakes or silence them. Since this book takes place on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, it really dives into how these corporations came in and destroyed the land and the people, and the evils of colonization. He did a great job at including the impacts on the locals, as well as their culture. I truly wish this book had better “bones” so to speak because this would have been a phenomenal book otherwise. I would normally rate this 2 stars, but I decided to bump it up because I enjoyed the premise so much.

Ok. Here is the deal. I love Bernard Cornwell! His Saxon Tales, King Arthur Series, and Agincourt are some of the best historical fiction that I have read. But I am not going to lie, I was nervous going into Fools and Mortals. It just felt so different than what I am used to when reading Bernard Cornwell. This book is about Richard Shakespeare, the younger brother of THE William Shakespeare. Richard is young and handsome and women are not allowed on the stage yet so he must deal with mostly female parts. Life in London is hard, so he is a thief on the side. But he isn’t the only one struggling. The playhouses are competing to be the most successful and will stop at nothing to ruin the other. A rival playhouse approaches Richard with an offer…steal Shakespeare’s newest play and he will have bigger parts on the stage.

So if you are like me and saw the brief thoughts of previous readers then you might think…not for me. The beginning is slow and it took a while for the main plot to be introduced. But PLEASE, PLEASE do not let that stop you from reading this book. Not only is it just masterful how Bernard Cornwell pulls you into Elizabethan England but once the plot hits, there is no stopping it. What isn’t clear at first becomes crystal about midway through the book. There are layers of depth-the characters, the plays, the historical background, it just all comes together so beautifully.

So one of my favorite aspects is the brother relationship between Richard and William. William takes pride in his work but Richard just wants to show the world that he is capable of more than stealing. It is rare that I write a review with spoilers, but I can’t resist this book.

So be prepared, spoilers ahead:

In the story, they are rehearsing for A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream but Shakespeare is also working on a secret script…Romeo and Juliet. When Richard holds up his end of the deal with his brother, he is promised a male part in Romeo and Juliet, but William said it isn’t Romeo but it is a crucial part. Then there is one scene where I screamed out loud, “HE IS GOING TO BE MERCUTIO!!!”

Seriously, I was so happy I cried. It is rare when I close a book that leaves a smile on my face. So I am rating this book all the stars because it deserves it. I should have never doubted you, Bernard Cornwell.

One of my favorite English historical fiction books is The Pillars of the Earth! There is just something about the background and historical detail that is like no other. It took a while but I finally read The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett, the prequel to the Kingsbridge series. The year is 997 CE and Aethelred II is King of England. A young man named Edgar is waiting to meet the love of his life so they can whisk away and get married, but the day takes a turn for the worst. There is a Viking raid that kills most of the village of Combe, including his love and his father. They are displaced and sent to a farm in Shiring under the Ealdorman Wilf. Then there is a Norman Lady, Ranga, who marries Wilf and moves to Shiring. Meanwhile, a monk named Aldred tries to turn a crumbling monastery into a center of learning and commerce.

Once again, Ken Follett transports readers to the end of the Dark Ages through phenomenal historical detail. The book is over 900 pages but the pace seems to move at a steady pace. Every event, every detail has a reason and I love how it ultimately connects to The Pillars of the Earth. There is political intrigue in Shiring and the corruption is out of control. The main characters, Aldred, Edgar, and Ragna start off young and a bit naive but have to face their reality. Even the people they trust can turn on them in an instant.

I haven’t completed the whole Kingsbridge series yet, I still have to read A Column of Fire which is the third book in the series and I plan to read it this summer! This is what we would call a historical epic and I am actually tempted to read the whole series again. Readers are prepared! There is heartbreak and brutal murder. Everyone who was not in charge suffered, especially women. So with the historical detail comes a lot of emotion. Overall, a wonderful prelude to a wonderful series.