I’m already thinking that you’ll see this on my list of top reads of 2022, in fact I'd say it's an automatic addition.

Set in Scotland with brief timeline jumps to Canada, Alaska, and Australia, Once There Were Wolves tackles a combination of suspense, sister relationships and the resiliency of the environment.

If life hadn't gotten in the way, I could have easily finished this in a day because it was so unputdownable.

If found myself completely immersed in Inti's relationships with Aggie (her sister), the townspeople and the wolves in the reintroduction program. The plot kept me intrigued enough to keep reading as to finally figure out what was going on in the two mysteries: what happened with Aggie and mysterious death of a townsperson.

I highly recommend if you like books that are tense, atmospheric, and thought provoking.

I think this will also be an addition to my all time favorites and I'll be trying to pick up Migrations as soon as possible. 

TW: Domestic abuse, rape, wild animal death and experiment, child birth outside of hospital

As always, please look to own voices reviews first. 

Great premise, but I almost feel like so much was introduced throughout that the author had to rush to tie things up at the end. It dragged a bit in the middle and I found myself not wanting to pick it back up either on audio or physically. However, I am glad I picked it up as I think this topic is one that needs to be talked about in various forms and hasn’t been talked about enough in many areas in the United States.

Also - why do white men named Richard ruin everything?

*EDITED! I have decided to drop my rating down to a 3 after having my thoughts validated by a co-host of Currently Reading Podcasts All things Murderful Patreon episode on Jan 13, 2022.

think it’s a good, middle of the road thriller for a debut, but it has too many loose ends to be the next best thriller as many are saying. It also has the old thriller trope of unrelated female narrator that uses alcohol and prescribed drugs which brings blackouts.

Also, it was a bit predictable…as in I had an inkling who the killer was at like 30% in and was proven right

Additionally, the beginning moved much slower than the second half. If the second half hadn’t picked up, I’m not I would be able to recommend this one (luckily I can).

Again, it was good but I don’t know why everyone is acting like it’s up there with Gone Girl.

Will I read the author’s next release? Yes because I see potential!

If you’re looking for a quick thriller read set in Louisiana, pick this one up. However, if you hate obvious red herrings and the alcohol/prescribed med female protagonist trope: STAY CLEAR.

Perfect Hallmark Christmas movie equivalent that will be a quick pick me up after a slump of a book. 

I loved all of the characters and enjoyed the ending. Yes it’s cheesy, but it was just what I needed at the time.

Just a few things I could’ve gone without: catfishing, old men being creepy and sexist

Thank you LibroFM and HarperAudio for this ALC. This is my very honest review.

I hope that Nick's memory is a blessing and wish his family all of the best.

While I understand that having a loved one dying from COVID is heartbreaking and sharing that story is opening yourself up to experience that heartache again, these are my thoughts on this memoir.
This is the first memoir that I have ever read that has made me lose all respect for someone.

That being said, I cannot recommend this memoir to anyone who has lost anyone to COVID as this memoir comes off as tone deaf and privileged. I personally think that the story of Nick Cordero and Nick himself deserves better than the words in the memoir.

I feel mislead. I first learned of Amanda and Nick in 2020, when the Today Show shared their story and the GoFundMe that Amanda had started. I didn't follow their story too closely, and was honestly confused on when she was added to the cast of Dancing with the Stars 2021. I had gained a lot of respect for her after watching her on DWTS and after listening to her share her story on DWTS. However, now I don't think I have any respect for her.

One of my biggest issues with this is the lies. She used her "army" as she called them to call in favors for her and her family. She wasn't honest with her followers and misleading people that look up to around the world? Disgraceful. Amanda had a GoFundMe going all the while she had celebrity friends sending her meal trains, supplying houses for her and her family to use, and PAYING for additional, private doctors even though Nick was already at one of the best hospitals in the country. Celebrities and LA influencers also used their followers to raise more money for her. While the GoFundMe was supposed to be used to renovate her house for Nick were to be released from the hospital, she didn't stop using that money after he died. That to me, just feels wrong. 

Not to mention she called a house supplied to her and her family by a celebrity's wife as their "own personal resort" while others around the world were struggling to stay in their homes while losing loved ones really hit me as wrong. 

It also seemed that while she tried to explain she knew she was privileged with what she got to do during Nick's time in the hospital, it still screamed entitlement to me. She got to visit him a lot, got to get into bed with him, played music in the ICU, and threw tantrums at not being able to seem him every day. All the while there were people all over the US just hoping to get time on FaceTime with a loved one to say goodbye. 

I also don't think she really acknowledged just how much stress the healthcare workers were under during this time and that the doctors working with Nick had other patients. Healthcare workers deserve better. 

She briefly mentioned the protests that broke out after George Floyd's death, but didn't fail to make it seem like they were a huge inconvenience to her and that she and her family still expected people to supply meals for them when LA was under a curfew. 

She somehow used connections to get family across the Canadian border and my heartaches after hearing the story of Nick's mom and what she has gone through. HOWEVER, I'm sure there are many Americans, and Canadians, that would've loved to be able to cross the border (when it was basically closed) to say goodbye to loved ones. 

One thing she said that she told Nick while he was sick was, " I don't know what I'll do without you", well as of January 4, 2022, here is what she has done:
- Published a book within a year of his death (finished it within 6 months of his death)
- Became a talk show host on The Talk
- Joined DWTS for the most recent season

Yes she's making a life for her and Nick's son, but some of her actions just don't sit right with me when millions of other Americans are still picking up the pieces and struggling to get by after losing loved ones to COVID.

My thoughts summed up: Overwritten and trying too hard with a lot of trigger warnings that have nothing to do with horror. I needed more horror and less domestic drama. The last 100 pages was the tense horror I needed and I would’ve liked there to be more throughout. 

Trigger warnings that can’t be marked down: misogyny, weird obsession with Nazis, rats, insects, mice