I feel like Joe Goldberg is the definition of expectation vs reality, except he murders people when nothing goes as planned.

I was so happy to receive an ARC of For You and Only You by Caroline Kepnes. I’m a big fan of the You series. There’s something about these books that are just so addicting. I think it’s the way we dive into Joe’s mind. It’s such a deep narration that I don’t feel often with novels.

This book is the fourth installment in the series. Joe has written a book and is invited to join a book workshop at Harvard taught by a famous writer. Joe, of course, finds the next love of his life, Wonder, among his classmates. And Joe will let nothing get in the way of him and his girl.

This book hooked me from the start, as most of the You series has. While I did expect a little more from it, I still had a ton of fun with this book. It’s so conflicting being in Joe’s mind. The way he views people is almost infectious and it’s hard to remember that seeing these people through Joe’s eyes is not the best way to view them.

I gave this book four stars! It’s a must read for fans of the You series!

Special thanks to @netgalley for the arc!

It took me a bit to get into this book— not because of the book itself but because of my focus being elsewhere— but as soon as I got into this book, I finished it in less than 24 hrs. I read nearly 280 pages in a day I was so hooked.

Such Sharp Teeth is a fantastic novel on relationships, forgiveness, and werewolves. I loved all the themes explored in this book.

Aurora comes back home from the big city life to visit his sister who is pregnant. On her way home from the bar one night, she’s attacked by a wolf. Weird things start happening and Aurora is left to try to figure out how to control her rage and new found strength.

Read this book if you want a fun, yet mildly spooky version of modern day werewolves!

When a volcanic eruption leaves the people of small town Greenloop stranded, they soon find hunger is not their biggest worry. It’s the Sasquatch community hunting them.

Reading like a found footage horror film, this book truly captures the isolation and fear of our main character.

I enjoyed this book! A great read for this time of the year.

A quick, Christmas centered read following the story of a woman named Ro and the ghosts of her past.

The story itself is a quick read. I read it in roughly an hour and a half. It held my attention and I did enjoy the story line.

But I do have several things I wish I could change. One would be the sypnosis. It’s very misleading and does not truly capture the story. And Krampus is only briefly mentioned. I also wish this book was a bit more fleshed out. As a novella, it feels rushed. It would have been an amazing 200-300 book! Also, I wish the twist was a better disguised.

I didn’t hate this book, I just wanted more from it!

This book was a wild ride from start to finish. The book centers on Harriett, an author who’s book is doing great on the New York Times Bestseller list. She’s currently dating Edward Holbeck, who comes from a super wealthy family. When she meets Edward’s family, his father Robert gives her a tape with dark secrets on it. And one of those secrets is her own. It’s up to Harriett to put together the puzzle pieces on the tape.

I loved every second of this book. It’s well written. They mystery is fantastic. I actually didn’t guess the plot twist until I was close to the end! I really loved Harriett’s character. She was a total bad butt.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced read set around Thanksgiving and Christmas, check out this book! I had a blast.

What a great way to start our the year! This book was absolutely addicting. I listened to the audiobook and found it extremely hard to put down.

When Shay’s old friend Laurel is found dead, it’s up to Shay and her old childhood friend, Jaime, to investigate Laurel’s death. Jaime runs a true crime podcast and he’s determined to find out what really happened to Laurel. But Shay’s past is beginning to trickle into the future. And she must face what happened to her if she wants to get to the bottom of Laurel.

I loved the true crime podcast and cult element of this book. But make sure you check trigger warnings before picking this one up!

I received an e-copy of The Nightmare Man by J.H. Market from @netgalley.

When brutal murders strike the small town of New Haven, suspicion falls on horror author Ben Bookman. The murders are closely following Bookman's unreleased work featuring a scarecrow killer that butchers victims and bundled them inside giant corn husk cocoons. (Clearly the work of all the Netgalley readers) The story alternates POVs between Ben Bookman and Detective Mills. This book is equal parts detective crime thriller and supernatural mystery.
I was hooked from the start with the opening scene featuring the first crime scene. This book does get gory at times so be aware of that before diving in. However, my attention began to waiver with the continuous flashbacks and list of character names I needed to remember. I kept having to flip back and find out who a certain character was again. And then the flashbacks happened after almost every chapter. While they were short, it would sometimes pull me out of the moment.
Especially if a big revelation took place before the chapters end.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to read an engaging, well-written, supernatural thriller filled with creepy scarecrows and brutal murders.

Catch this book in stores on Tuesday January 10th, 2023.

I'm going to break this review down in pros and cons. I was not a huge fan of this book but don't want to berate the book itself.

Pros:
-atmospheric book set in the woods
-some genuinely creepy moments
-serial killers

Cons
-the first 100ish pages are the friends fighting an bickering with one another
-slow pace book even though it's 200ish pages.
-unrealistic injuries to actually survive
-the ending of the climax seemed a bit unrealistic as well