the_joyful_book_club's reviews
96 reviews

This book really hooked me and did not let go until I finished a day later. *Please note, that there is a dog mentioned in this story and he is perfectly fine throughout.*

Our story starts out with Detective John Bowie (frequently referred to as Bowie in the story) having a mystery meeting in a lonesome bar. When he arrives, Beth Collins is there to meet him. When Bowie realizes Beth is a part of the TV show, "Crisis Point", and is working on a show for the Crissy Mellin case, he immediately shuts off. When Beth brings up her theory about the upcoming Blood Moon being significant, he bids her goodbye and hopes to never see her again. But then things start adding up...

This story was fairly fast-paced and had a lot of action throughout. We are introduced to several characters, but I never found the story to be confusing or convoluted. These other characters are pieces of the puzzle but the main story centers on Beth and Bowie trying to chase down who really harmed Crissy Mellin years ago. 

The only part of this story I can say I didn't love was aspects of the romance between Beth and Bowie. There are a few sex scenes, but nothing that I would really consider overly graphic. Almost from their first meeting, Bowie is eyeing Beth sexually. This didn't bother me but I think both characters needed more build-up and depth. Otherwise, it was hard for me to take them seriously; like they are trying to look into this botched murder investigation but also trying to immediately get laid? It didn't seem likely that either character would do that under normal circumstances. Had I gotten to know more about them, I think their attraction would have been more believable. 

That said, I still enjoyed this book a lot. I could not put it down and kept coming back for a little more. It's fast-paced, the mystery is multi-faceted, and there's just enough spice to add some additional interest.

Just didn’t enjoy the book and from the start, it felt like there were some larger plot holes

I will be raving about this book for the rest of the year. The storyline is great, but the writing takes it to a whole other level. 

This story starts with a group of writers, meeting for a themed writing retreat. The elusive, but incredibly well-respected and admired author, J.R. Alastor is hosting at his island lodge in Maine. There is immediate tension between the characters but they forge along to Wolf's Head Lodge. Some have history, and the shrouded secrets and tension are simmering from the first page. 

This story has "And Then There Were None" and locked room vibes. That's pretty obvious just from the book synopsis. However, what I LOVED about this story was the writing. The author takes a common feeling and uses beautiful language to convey it and it doesn't feel distracting, but unique and refreshing. 

Another aspect of this story is the concept of the unreliable narrator. Every single character is unreliable, all in different, and sometimes deadly, ways. As the story goes on,  I was completely unsure of who our villain truly was. With every character hiding secrets from their past, even the present becomes murky with uncertainty. The author does an amazing job at making the reader relate to the characters, and then suddenly...you're not sure you can trust them anymore. 

Hands down, this is a five-star, favorite book of 2025 for me. I know it's early but this book was just THAT good. This book is fantastic for those who love trapped rooms, secrets, and deadly games between (sort of) friends.

If you like a lot of non-stop action and movement in your stories, then you should definitely take a look at this one.

This story does include including rape, sexual assault, and drug use. This especially touches on some power dynamics amongst wealthy families and also racial and family trauma. If these are triggers for you, this may not be the story for you. 

We first meet Detective Nikki Mayeaux as she's planning to commit murder. She's in place, hidden, armed, and ready. Until...someone else strikes minutes before her. As she flees the scene and arrives home, she gets the call that the case is hers. Hard to be motivated to find the killer when you planned to kill that person yourself. Everyone assumes Emma Courtland, the young girl who accused the victim (and I use that term loosely) of rape is the killer. Nikki is torn between trying to solve the case, and trying to help Emma at the same time. 

This story bounces through several characters: Keith, Nikki's ex-boyfriend and partner on this case, Nikki, and another traveling kid, who goes by Dread. We meet several other folks along the way, but the perspectives primarily come from these three. With the characters and locations, everything flowed well and I never found myself confused as to who each person was in the story. 

If you enjoy high intensity procedurals, New Orleans, and a side of corruption and revenge, this may be the book for you.

 I heard this book was big on Booktok, but I do not have TikTok and was solely influenced by the book placement at my local Barnes & Noble. I wasn't familiar with the author, but this first book in the series kept calling to me. I was not disappointed that I gave it a try. 

This story starts with Naomi having what could best be called an all-time, worst day ever. She's a runaway bride, her twin sister called her frantically for help, only to steal her car, money, and clothes, and then surprise her by caring for her 11-year-old niece, whom she didn't even know existed. And on top of that, everyone in town keeps telling her she's unwelcome. And then a brooding, Viking of a man keeps yelling at her. So it's a pretty rough day. 

That might sound like this story is over-the-top full of tropes, but it's not. This story follows a light enemies-to-lovers trope. Knox Morgan hates Naomi Witt almost as much as he's attracted to her. But yet he keeps finding himself helping her. Naomi won't deny she's attracted to Knox, but she doesn't get why he hates her. But she doesn't have time to worry about that. She's frantically trying to earn money and also attempting to care for an 11-year-old. 

I was unsure about this story because of the parenting aspect, but if you're on the fence like me, you should give this a try. Waylay is a precocious, intelligent, and clever young girl. It was heartwarming to see Naomi parent as best she can, and to see Waylay experience true kindness and consideration. 

The bulk of the action of this story is in the back half. It does get pretty steamy, but it never felt like it overtook the story. The characters are well-developed and there are two other books in the Knockemout series that follow other future couples. 

One of my favorite aspects of this story is that it follows middle-aged adults. Knox and Naomi are both grown adults who have experienced both the highs and lows of life. I think had I read this when I was younger, I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much or related to Naomi so heavily. But now, as someone who is 40 years old, I really relate to her character and Knox. 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a love story in a crazy (in a good way) small town with lots of heart, laughs, and maybe a few punches. 

I totally bought this book on a whim because I honestly thought it was a cute cover, and I have the B&N Special Edition with sprayed edges, so I was even more suckered in. All that said to say, this was probably one of my favorites that I've read all year. 

Emilie wakes up on Valentine's Day, ready to have the best day ever. She's got an amazing gift for her boyfriend of one year, Josh, and she's ready to tell him that she loves him. She hauls off to school, only to end up in a car accident with her lab partner, Nick Stark. Then Josh cheats on her with his ex, Macy. And she lost a scholarship due to incorrect scoring. And did she mention her dad dropped the bomb on her about moving to Texas for a job promotion? When she goes to sleep that night, she wants to forget this day ever happened. 

Except when she wakes up, it's Valentine's Day again...and again...and again. What follows is some hilarious (and also humiliating) moments for Emilie as she desperately tries to change the outcome of Valentine's Day. But finally, Emilie has enough and makes the day a DONC: Day of No Consequences. 

This story is, on its base, just a super fun read. Nick and Emilie have exceptional chemistry, and there is some kissing, but no spicy time. I'd say it's more tension and steam but the author executed it perfectly. 

But on a deeper level, it's about being true to yourself. Emilie has spent a lot of time curating a "perfect" life for herself: perfect hair, perfect outfits (even when her cute shoes are too small and make her feet smell like Fritos), and her perfect list of what she wants in a boyfriend. But once Emilie relaxes and starts reflecting on how she truly feels about certain things, her days start changing for the better. 

I would absolutely recommend this book. It's perfect for YA readers (as it's categorized), but as an adult reader, I found this story funny, charming, and delightful. Easily one of my best reads of 2024.

I love Alice Feeney's work, and when I was given the chance to get an audibook copy of "Beautiful Ugly", I was excited. I was not disappointed.

Grady Green is finally a New York Times Best Selling Author. He'd waited for this moment for a long time and everything would be perfect, except his wife, Abby, wasn't home to celebrate with him. When he calls to tell her the news, she's loving and supportive, but suddenly, she sees someone in the road and gets out to help. And then she disappears. 

A year later, his life is a mess, and he desperately needs to write another book. So, an offer to spend time at a remote writing cabin in Amberley, Scotland, is an offer he can't pass up. He packs up his stuff and his dog, Columbo (who is not harmed in this book, FYI), and makes the long drive to Scotland. But once there, he keeps seeing a woman who looks exactly like Abby. It can't be her...

One reason I enjoy Alice Feeney's books is that she manages to pull so many emotions and feelings out of me about her characters. Grady's character is not likable. Richard Armitage, the narrator, does an excellent job at bringing Grady Green off the page and I managed to hate him and relate to him at the same time. He spends his time reminiscing about Abby while managing to passive-aggressively take digs at her. As I listened, I decided that it probably sucked to be married to Grady Green. 

This story is a slow burn, in my opinion. There is a lot of tension, nervousness, and unease that builds throughout. Grady is an unreliable narrator and it's not hidden: he drinks too much, he doesn't sleep, and he frequently is questioning his own judgement of the events happening around him. 

I consider Alice Feeney to be one of the Queens of crazy twists and this story helped maintain that reputation. I don't want to give anything away but the ending was shocking, to say the least. It really made me think about what I had taken as fact and what I had questioned and vice versa. 

If you enjoy tension, unease, and locked-room mysteries, you may definitely want to read this.

I read a decent amount of thrillers, but I have been making an effort to branch out into other genres to give myself a break. I find that my opinion becomes skewed because I read so many thrillers and find myself judging stories harshly because that's what I'm constantly consuming.

I don't hate the fantasy genre but I will say that waiting for a series to complete is maddening to me. So I found "Caraval" and realized the story was finished and bought the entire series. To say this is now an all-time favorite book of mine would be an understatement. 

This story starts with Scarlett finally receiving her invitation to the legendary Caraval. But there's only one problem: she's supposed to get married in one week's time. Her father is cruel and Scarlett sees this arranged marriage as a chance to save not only herself but her younger sister, Tella. But Tella isn't letting this opportunity pass them by, and in collusion with a sailor named Julian, they kidnap Scarlett to get her to Caraval. But once there, Tella goes missing and Julian and Scarlett are left to play the game in order to find her. 

I am a big-time fair/carnival lover, so this story naturally appealed to me. If the Minnesota State Fair could add some Caraval aspects, I might die of happiness. But this story is much deeper than a trip to a magical event. 

There is some chemistry and romance between Scarlett and Julian. However, this story has no smut in it. I'd consider this book steamy at most. But the story is much more about Scarlett's devotion to Tella and trying to find her and get back home so she can appease her father and go through with her arranged marriage. 

Caraval follows players through clues and riddles and if successful, they can solve the mystery and win the coveted prize. The clues cause the player to think critically and for Scarlett, each clue seems to not only help her get closer to finding Tella but also to learn more about herself. Some require honesty, others require leaps of faith. 

The twists in this book were not at all what I expected. I was surprised and pleasantly so. The end has a lot of chaos and moving pieces but everything makes sense, and it does not end on a cliffhanger. There is an epilogue that alludes to the second book, "Legendary", but I'd consider it more the setup for the second book vs truly impacting the "Caraval" story itself.  

I would highly recommend this book if you're looking for a story with action, loyalty, a little romance, and magic to keep you guessing the whole way through.

Kerry's life was going great...until her drinking messed everything up. Cut off from her soon-to-be ex-husband, and having blocked her best friend, Siobhan, she decides to become the caretaker at a remote hotel in the Catskill Mountains. She hopes that will give her the time, and space, to finish writing the book that is supposed to change her life. But as soon as she arrives, things start going wrong. Namely, finding a trashed room and seeing a woman's hand poking out of the snowbank. 

But when Kerry finally gets help, the body is gone. 

This story starts initially in Kerry's perspective, but then switches between Siobhan and Kerry throughout the rest of the story. 

This story has a lot of tension and kept my attention. I finished this one day and it was easy to keep reading on, wanting to see what would come next. 

That said...this story wasn't really for me. There were too many things happening. It felt like the author took many different tropes and tried to shove them in this story, and it became disjointed. The setting alone set the tone, so the little red herrings felt obvious and it started to become silly. There is the mysterious character in the woods, a spurned ex, a young teenage girl, the guy into S&M, a friend popping up out of the blue, and a betrayal. It was disappointing because, without all of the extra fluff, it would have been a great story. 

Another aspect of this story that made it challenging is that none of the characters are likable. I didn't find myself caring what happened to them or even wanting to see them redeem themselves. We primarily see Kerry and her transgressions but Siobhan isn't much better. 

While this story wasn't for me, you may enjoy it if stories where the twists are twisting and the turns are turning is your thing, then this popcorn thriller may be for you. 

This book was one of the most cleverly written books I've had the good fortune to read. 

This story starts with the readers meeting both Jasmine, who's escaping an abusive relationship, and Stephanie, who's newly divorced and headed to a work conference. As a trigger warning, domestic abuse is mentioned in this book. However, most are off-page and are not a central theme of the story. 

This story is told from multiple POVs. We only see a small amount from Jasmine and Stephanie in the beginning, but the other chapters alternate between their friends and coworkers and what's happening as both women send strange texts, and eventually, disappear. I know this format won't be for everyone, but I found it refreshing and it made it easy to keep reading another chapter since the content was generally contained to that specific POV. It also reminded me much of a true crime show, where everyone is recounting their interactions with suspects and possible victims. 

The story is definitely more plot-based. The character development isn't super in-depth and this is obviously because we're hearing the bulk of the story from the outsiders of the story. 

The twist at the end of the story was not what I expected. I knew something had to be going on but this story twisted and turned in ways I wasn't even leaning towards. Did it seem entirely realistic? No, but it was thrilling and exciting. 

This is a great debut and I'd recommend letting yourself get lost in the travel and twists with this one.