Reminiscent of Strangers on a Train, we get a gripping domestic suspense following a "favor". This book shows some of the different sides of spousal abuse, from the psychological to the physical, and feels authentic. It's less of a mystery or thriller, as the audience is in on it the entire time, but still manages to have surprises. I liked Leah and McKenna's perspectives, but thought it was weird when we started getting Jordan's as well. It shifted from suspense to police procedural and kind of slowed down the pacing. Overall I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to get into thrillers (but may be a scaredy-cat) or fans of Alfred Hitchcock.

*Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

There are SO many types of Lore and I'm excited to see more. This installment of the Wilderlore series was a little bit more subtle in terms of the plot, leaning into that their readers are growing older with each installment. We get to watch Barclay mature and grow into himself a bit, something desperately needed at times. I found the sea as a biome to be far more interesting than the woods and can't wait to see the desert next! Steve West as a narrator was phenomenal, bringing a new aspect to each character he voiced. Plus he helped me realize that it's WILL-derlore, not WILE-derlore. Mind blown!!

*Thank you to Simon Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review*

Whoooooooa, was this a RIDE. I felt as though we left the last book in a pretty nice place, and this one just blew the roof off. Everything was going wrong for Rue and she finds her home turning into a war zone. I could never figure who to trust and there were some TWISTY TWISTS that I didn't see coming. It got chaotic in a good way, though there could've been one less subplot without taking away much from the book. Get ready for Ghizon y'all, because damn.

*Thank you to Denene Millner and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I can't believe it took me a year to get around to reading this sequel, but it was absolutely worth the wait. While I'd definitely forgotten most everything from the first book, the intro chapter did a pretty good job of catching me up to speed without being overly expositional. We also get a better glimpse into the origins of Tevanne and the implications from the previous book. This book has it all - heists, betrayals, science, you name it! I'll be recommending this series to any scifi fans who want a little taste of fantasy in their lineup. Now just to hope that I don't take another year to read Locklands...

I'm still bitter that I didn't get to read this book sooner because it is AMAZING. As someone who often feels the gym bro intimidation in their health journey, I really appreciated Crystal's perspective on it. Not to mention that Amy Lea is absolutely hilarious and had me laughing out loud at all of the antics. Like seriously.... HOW many ferrets?? Scotty is a hottie with a body - say that 5 times fast - but his best feature is his heart. But don't count Crystal out, because she's a gorgeous influencer with a quick wit and mad clementine peeling skills. And more than that, Crystal and Scotty have such a lovely relationship (with a little steam at times), so it's really got it all. I hope to read more from Amy in the future!

This is a lovely interpretation of a classic Poe story, with definite Mexican Gothic vibes. I enjoyed the many different pronouns used, as well as having a nonbinary protagonist. While certain elements of the book can be a little icky, it doesn't go too far into body horror as to be unpalatable. I feel as though I would've enjoyed it more if I'd read the original story, but it does still have feet on its own. I'd recommend this novella to anyone wanting to dip their toes into gothic horror or who loves Edgar Allan Poe.

*Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This book is best enjoyed over a long period of time (so 3 days for me), letting all of the tension seep into your bones. Alternating between chapters from a manuscript and feedback from a critique partner, Sulari Gentill builds a story riddled with anxiety as Freddie attempts to solve a locked door murder in the Boston Public Library. But rather than sit in the library for the entirety of the story, they're able to leave its confines and that's where the story truly begins. All of the characters are compelling and likable in their own ways, and each given a good reason to be suspected. My only qualm is with how rushed the ending was - I didn't feel as though all of the motivations were fleshed out enough. However it's all worth it for the final passage from Leo (one of my favorite characters honestly!)

I'd recommend this to fans of Agatha Christie who want a little bit more darkness in their mysteries.

*Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Can grumpy/grumpy be an official trope? Because I'm tired of grumpy/sunshine, give me ALLLLLL the grouchy love. (It's quite possible that this is just my inner grinch speaking, who knows?)

But I absolutely loved it, even more than People We Meet on Vacation... and for me that's huge. I loved that Nora never lost herself and that the 3rd act conflict that thrusts her and Charlie apart is actually *realistic*. Nora shows that boss ass bitches deserve love too, though they might be a bit blind to it at first. And it alludes to the questionable trope of giving up your life's passion to work on a Christmas tree farm a la Hallmark in the best way. Julia Whelan crushes it as usual, with her "man" voice being just the perfect amount of Roy Kent to send shivers down my spine. And Emily Henry is just sheer perfection with her acerbic prose and plots that leave you devastated. All around, an amazing book.

*Thank you to PRH Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review*

This is a lightning-fast read that feels like a mishmash of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and the Blair Witch Project. It's definitely more of a horror than a thriller, leaning into the gore and psychological suspense elements, so be warned. What did you expect when you send a bunch of teens to Dracula's castle in Romania to film a horror movie? I really enjoyed how each chapter ends with an excerpt from a police report, a social media post, or various other elements of multimedia (my faaaave). While certain elements seemed a little outlandish, it worked for the story as a whole and created a fast-paced unputdownable read. And the ending? I'm obsessed.

*Thank you to Penguin Teen, TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This is certainly a finale to end all finales, and Robert Jackson Bennett took care to make sure that we didn't end up with any unanswered questions. But with that came more than a few slow bits that made it arduous to read at times. However I love that we get to see more of Berenice, Clef, and even Crasedes throughout as Sancia takes more of a backseat. The fallout from the events of Shorefall is QUITE intense and not anywhere near simple to overcome. But the technical innovation in scriving that we see in Locklands is beyond what we've seen before, just amazing! While it's the weakest of the three books, it's still absolutely worth the read.

*Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*