I always know when I start one of the authors books that I’m gonna want to do nothing but sit and read it until I’m finished and this was no exception. She always tends to mix really emotional situations with darkness and that’s what she did here as well. The loss of a child is just such an awful thing to even think about and Jules son has already passed away when the book begins so this is super heavy. The author’s psychological insights are also very apparent as she really knows what she’s talking about based on her own experiences and I love that side of all of her books. This one mostly worked for me, lots of unlikable characters, some decent twists and a nice pace but in the end things went a little odd. I’m not sure I liked the explanation given for Issac’s disappearance but it wasn’t the worst I’ve read. Overall if you like bingeable thriller that really look at the psychological side of things try this.

I only heard about this book because of @scaredstraightreads his review a few months ago made me add this immediately and although we don’t always agree, he was right this time 😏 It sounded so unique and creepy and it totally was. I loved the format with it being a book within a book and the question at its core, is Grayson really communing with the devil? SO dark and SO creepy! The atmosphere was fantastic, the story was well written and compelling and the whole thing was haunting and clever. I listened to this one (thanks @simon.audio ) and the narration was amazing, there are five narrators that brought the story to life. I think this is an ideal winter read, if you like super dark books that are smart try this

I really wanted and actually expected to love this one after really enjoying the authors last book, No One Will Miss Her but sadly, I found this one to be lacking. For me it was missing the intensity of a mystery/thriller and read more like women’s fiction with a small side of suspense. I’ll admit I was intrigued in the beginning it had a strong opening that piqued my interest but as things went on I was a little bored. What kept me reading was the atmosphere of a bitter winter and the wide variety of suspects as to whodunnit. I did know who it would be early on but I kept reading and hoping I was wrong but sadly the author went with the predictable route. So in the end this was just ok for me, if you want to read one of the authors books the one I mentioned earlier was better! I would definitely read more by her in the future though just to see if she could capture that spark that NWMH had for me. 

Sometimes I’m just in the mood for a super sweet and heartwarming read and when that mood strikes I know I can turn to Nancy Naigle. Her books are sugary sweet and innocent, the type of wholesome book you could let your Grandma borrow and not worry about if you know what I mean Was this a little cheesy? Yes. Was it predictable beyond the usual romance manner? Absolutely. Did I really care that much? Nope because I knew it would be before I even started it and it was kind of like putting on your favorite cozy sweater and knowing it’ll keep you warm all day. So cheesy but true! So if you want a pure little romance that will still somehow melt your heart try this it was pretty fun.

I have been a little up and down with this series but I’ve stuck with it because there is something so charming about the Ren Faire setting that keeps pulling me back in. As much as I can still see why this is labeled a romance because it is, it has a very heavy womens fiction feel to it for a large portion of the book. The romance between Lulu and Dex is a super slow burn and the beginning is mostly about Lulu starting over and figuring out what next steps she wants to take in her life. As much as it’s about her personal journey you do get to see a deeper side of Dex too and if you’ve read the previous books and have been curious if there’s more to him than just a one dimensional bad boy the answer is yes. That’s one of my favorite things about this series actually, revisiting previous characters and seeing secondary characters make the transition to lead characters. Overall I really liked this one, I think it’s probably my second fave in the series so far. First for me is Well Met if you’re curious.