(Mini-Review) 4.5 Stars - This was my first read by Alex North & I absolutely loved it! I loved the focus on lucid dreaming & how he kept you on your toes guessing whether or not supernatural elements were at play. A really fresh, fun thriller!

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 4 Stars

(Mini-Review) Rachel Harrison is an author who's been on my radar for a while now (I own her two novels, both sitting high on top of my TBR), & when I saw she'd written a 47 minute short story for Audible Originals, I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm so, so glad I did - I loved this! I thought the story itself was highly entertaining & unique - this was like light horror meets romance meets self love with a dash of fantasy.

Spoiler

I did NOT put it together that she was in purgatory! I was like oh, this time travel/alternate reality is really cool - them being in purgatory was a really interesting spin, definitely caught me off guard!

It managed to be breezy & comedic yet poignant, but was still very much so grounded within the horror genre. The characters were well developed, especially for a short story, & I really felt for Sally. I was really curious to see what choices she'd ultimately end up making & without giving anything away, I was very satisfied with the ending - I didn't expect to come out of this feeling so empowered! & I've got to give it up for the narrator, Louisa Krause - she was fantastic! I loved listening to her, she instantly captured my attention & had me thoroughly engaged in the story the entire time. All in all, this was a quick, fun story, & I think I'm finally starting to get my bearings with audiobooks - highly recommend giving this a listen!

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 4.5 Stars

If you've got a pet at home - particularly a dog - & you're a fan of thrillers, you've got to make it a point to either listen to or read Samantha Downing's novella, Sleeping Dogs Lie - this was truly made for animal lovers everywhere!

I decided to give this a listen & I absolutely loved both of our narrators, they each gave a great performance & kept me fully invested the entire time. I liked the way this novella was structured, we got three parts, two from Shelby, the dog walker, & one from the detective assigned to the case who's interviewing Shelby - getting both of their POVs really kept me on my toes regarding the central mystery at hand, I didn't know who to trust! The pacing was perfect, there were just the right amount of twists & turns & red herrings sprinkled throughout, & right when I thought I had it all figured out, I was caught off guard by the ending. Without giving anything away, I got a real kick out of the killer's motivation here & I think many others will, too.

Spoiler

I know I've definitely both heard & seen others say they'd kill someone if they were cruel to a dog - "Shelby" just so happened to follow through on those threats

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

If you've been looking for something that's a cross between Real Housewives & Mob Wives, with a dash of Goodfellas thrown in, look no further than Young Rich Widows - what a fun, wild ride!

This is truly begging to be adapted - we're in 1985, I'm envisioning Dynasty-style wardrobe & hair & makeup & a killer soundtrack. The pacing was perfection, there wasn't a single dull moment throughout & the twists & turns just kept coming. I honestly had no idea where this was all going to go, but I was so happy with the way everything played out. The book shifts POVs in that you get to hear from each of the four widows involved & I just loved all of them - these were complex, dynamic women, I came to care about them all so deeply that I was on the literal edge of my seat the last 45 minutes worried about their fates.

Spoiler

When they were all fighting in the kill room, I was legitimately terrified something would happen to one of them- first I thought Meredith died, then I thought Justine was going to get it, I was actually screaming, lol.

Meredith's story in particular really struck a chord with me, especially as queer person whose current reality isn't too far off from everything she had to deal with in getting recognition as Robin's partner. & I have to give it up for each of our fantastic narrators - a standing ovation for all four of them! They each gave a captivating performance, a few scenes even had me tearing up - something I was not expecting to happen at all in a mob thriller!

I highly recommend finding a friend to listen to this with, it's so juicy & twisty that there's plenty to discuss & it makes for some great conversation! The only author I'd read prior to this was Layne Fargo (They Never Learn being one of my all-time favorites), & now I can't wait to go dive into the other authors' backlists - we've got yet another win from Audible Originals, this easily being my favorite thus far!

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 4 Stars

(Mini-Review) Jodi Picoult's Choice is an incredibly thought-provoking & timely short story, one that asks men to put themselves in the shoes of women in a world where abortion has been almost entirely outlawed. This concept was fascinating - post abolition of Roe v. Wade, almost every state has made it illegal to obtain an abortion, & there's a sudden epidemic of male pregnancies - & I thought Picoult did a great job with executing it, my only critique being I just wish this were longer! I easily think this could've been a full-length book, but it works well as a short story that strikes up plenty of discussion. I found one quote to be particularly powerful, & I'll end with that - When a man says he doesn’t want kids it is because his dreams & his life matter more than anything else. When a woman says she doesn’t want kids, laws are passed to remind her that’s not her choice to make.

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

David Santos Donaldson's debut Greenland was like a fever dream, one in which the past, present & future collided to tell a wholly original & unique story unlike anything I've ever experienced before.

I had to sit with this one for quite a while, it's a particularly difficult book to review - there's a ton going on here, a mix between contemporary & literary fiction, historical fiction, & a ghost story, but at no point did it ever feel like too much, I was completely engrossed right from the start & captivated through the very end. It was fascinating being in Kip's mind as he struggled with what it means to be Black & queer, to be in a relationship with a white man at a time when racial tension throughout the U.S. is at an all-time high, to be fully seen as a human being, one worthy of having his story told in an industry that prioritizes whiteness over marginalized voices. & to see how Donaldson so seamlessly weaved Mohammed's story into the mix, how the life of a queer Black man in the 1910's isn't that different from the life of a modern queer Black man, was eye-opening. & I've got to give it up for the narrator, he did such a fantastic job & really sold the raw emotion behind so many of Donaldson's words. It's been a while since I've felt so impacted by a piece of fiction & I can't believe this was a debut, I think this is such an important, timely story that more readers need in their hands - this would make the perfect book club book. I'll be thinking about this book for a very long time. Highly, highly recommend, easily one of my top reads of the year!

I tabbed so many quotes for myself, but I wanted to end this with one that really stood out to me, one that I feel like perfectly captures an argument at the heart of the novel:

'Gay’ is when you have the power to choose your identity. The luxury. We are Black, we cannot be gay! [Y]ou talk about freedom to choose your identity, no? But I am no fool, Kipling. I see the Black man has no freedom in America or the UK. How can you say you are gay when you have no freedom? Whites can be happy & gay - but not us. They all use god to control us, to deny our humanity!

Narration 5 Stars
Story: 4 Stars

If you're a fan of R.L. Stine or were a reader of Point Horror books from back in the day, you've got to put Victoria Fulton & Faith McClaren's Horror Hotel on your radar - this was a lot of fun!

I highly recommend going with the audiobook for this - it was a full cast & each performer really delivered, it was a very cinematic listening experience. Think a modern teen version of Ghost Hunters meets AHS: Hotel meets a serial killer murder mystery. Sometimes I think YA books that have an emphasis on social media can be a little cringe, but I thought it was done really well here. I'm a huge fan of paranormal videos on YouTube, myself (Nuke's Top 5, anyone?), & would most definitely be a Ghost Gang subscriber. The pacing was nice & quick, I loved that we got a full diverse cast (great queer rep, ya'll know I love spooky with a dash of romance), & I can't emphasize this enough - it was just a lot of fun! This was easy, breezy, light horror that really reminded me of spookier books from when I was a teen, not necessarily the twistiest book in the world but something that's highly entertaining & had a very satisfying ending.

All in all, I had a great time listening to this, definitely recommend if you're in the mood for something quick & enjoyable! & thank you so much for the free audiobook @prhaudio!

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 4.5 Stars

"I've always found sunsets to be rather melancholy," Mike says.
"You? Shocking. Why?"
"They're reminders that no matter what, inevitably, our day will come to an end too. No matter who we are, how we spent every hour, lived every second, eventually night will fall and that black tide will wash over every one of us just the same. And tomorrow the sands will be scrubbed clean, as if we were never here at all."

K.C. Jones' debut novel Black Tide was such a wild ride, I had a blast listening to this - if you've been looking for something in the vein of A Quiet Place, you've got to put this on your radar!

Jones' writing was phenomenal, I can't believe this is a debut! This was a very character-driven story, one that takes place in the same setting for a good 90% of the book, but Jones' pacing was perfection - you get just the right amount of introduction & setup before all hell breaks loose. I loved Beth & Mike, both very complex protagonists haunted by their own demons, & Jake, easily one of the best fictional canine heroes I've come across.

Spoiler

& Natalia, OF COURSE - I can't tell you how shocked I was that she was alive the entire time, I was really curious where the story would go with the two of them left in a sinking Subaru & then SURPRISE! That was a solid twist!

For such a contained story (& one full of nightmarish creatures & quite a few other surprises), this had a lot to say - about life, our pasts & how they shape our present selves, grief, letting go of guilt; this was really poignant at times, even making me misty eyed on more than one occasion. & speaking of the creatures, I thought Jones did a fantastic job describing everything - when I tell ya'll my skin was crawling, I can't stand bugs of any kind! I'm not too squeamish, but this definitely gets gory & gross, so be sure keep that in mind if that's not your cup of tea! & I have to give it up for both of our narrators, they did such an amazing job of selling the story, there were so, so many times when I was on the edge of my seat.

All in all, this was exactly what I was looking for (& then some), there's nothing like a good creature feature to kick off the summer - I can't wait to see what Jones comes up with next! & thank you so much K.C. Jones, NetGalley, Tor Nightfire & Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC & ARC in exchange for a honest review!

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

Just like the tagline of the book reads, no one is innocent in this story - Dervla McTiernan, what a knockout! I honestly don't even know where to begin, I'm so, so picky when it comes to legal thrillers, but I loved everything about this.

It's so clear how much research McTiernan put into this, from a legal standpoint this was extremely accurate & never once did she make rules bend & twist to fit particular plot points - this was very much grounded in reality & made the book that much more powerful. This was a twisty, layered story, one that requires your full attention but I promise you, the pay-off is absolutely worth it - everything was methodically planned (the past/present timelines were very effective here), I was completely caught off guard by a handful of twists, & I was very satisfied with how everything played out. The characters, even the villains, were all written incredibly - Hannah was such a fascinating MC & I loved her journey throughout the book, trust me when I say you'll feel every emotion she's feeling as more & more secrets are revealed. Camila & Sean were my favorites, Sean especially - I've got to give it up to McTiernan for creating such a diverse cast without it ever feeling forced (fantastic queer rep, BIPOC rep & disability rep). & the book just brings up such important discussions centered around corruption within our justice system & the police force (particularly small town police forces), the importance of the Innocence Project, & questions of morality of those who choose to help the wrongfully convicted - are they really in it for the greater good, or is it a form of boosting public image & persona? This would make a great book club pick, there's so much to unpack! & the audio was amazing, all of the narrators did such a great job, especially Hannah's.

It's been a handful of days since finishing this & I can't get it out of my head, I'm so impressed - highly recommend picking this up! & thank you so much BiblioLifestyle, William Morrow Books & Dervla McTiernan for the gifted copy!

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 4 Stars

A Mirror Mended was easily one of my most anticipated releases of the year - I absolutely loved A Spindle Splintered & couldn't wait to see how the story continued, & while I did really enjoy this, I definitely have a few thoughts.

It's really, really rare for me to get spoilery in my reviews, but there's no way I can write this without talking about what worked & didn't work for me plot-wise. I'll start with what didn't work for me to end this on a more positive note. It really caught me off guard that five years had gone by between this & Spindle, it started off feeling like there was something missing & I wish we would've gotten to see more of her adventures with the other Sleeping Beauties. & the ending just wasn't all that satisfying - for something that was meant to conclude a duology, it didn't feel like an ending, I was left wanting so much more, especially for her & Eva. I didn't feel like we got any answers about Zinnia's condition & the whole apple bit was just a little too on the nose for me; but, on a more positive note, Eva was the true standout of the entire story. I loved her so, so much, I really understood & empathized with her & was glad we got to see another side of a character so traditionally villainized. Having the two of them encounter an evil Snow White was just icing on the cake, I would've liked to see them in that world a little more. & I just loved the audiobook narrator, she did such an amazing job of voicing all the different characters & gave the story that extra touch of magic I was looking for.

All in all, I'd recommend this series, even if I wasn't entirely satisfied with the way it ended - Spindle was incredible, & it was just so much fun to read a sapphic spin on some beloved fairytales. These would be perfect for Pride month if any of ya'll are looking for some fantasy recs! & thank you so much Alix E. Harrow, NetGalley, & Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC in exchange for a honest review!