I had very high expectations for this after how much I loved Blacktop Wasteland & this didn't disappoint one bit - in fact, it blew all of my expectations out of the water.

S.A. Cosby is such a beautiful writer, he draws you in right from the start & doesn't let up once. I loved that we got an equal balance of chapters that focused both Ike & Buddy Lee (& the villains), both men were excellent protagonists & made one hell of a team. The pacing was fantastic, as was the central mystery at hand - so much was done right in this book & there's a ton of topics to unpack, but the one thing I really want to focus on is how Cosby handled such sensitive & touchy subject matter so gracefully. If you've ever experienced queerphobia from your parent(s) or parental figure(s), this will hit you hard. There are plenty of tough scenes to read, but they are purposeful - the overall arc of Ike & Buddy Lee had me in tears more than once, getting to see them shed their past beliefs & grow as both fathers & men was very powerful. I didn't expect this to hit me as hard as it did, but it's a true testament to what an incredible storyteller Cosby is.

I think this just might be my favorite book of the year thus far - run, don't walk, to get this on your shelves! & thank you so much to Flatiron Books for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review!

If you're looking for a great poolside read with Housewives-esque drama & some light mystery & thrills, look no further than Kristin Miller's The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives!

I had a really great time with this, it somewhat resembled a modern day Desperate Housewives but set in San Francisco (one of my favorite cities, ever). I loved getting to know the ladies of Presidio Terrace, each of their storylines both separately & together were really interesting & there were plenty of twists & turns - some of them were pretty standard, but there were a few (the end!) that were really great. I live for campy, bitchy dialogue & humor & this book was filled to the brim with it - props to Miller for all of the great snark (especially from Erin, lol)! I do wish we would've gotten a little bit more from Georgia's POV, but I can also see how leaving her perspective mostly in the dark added to the overall mystery.

All in all, this was pure escapism, a really great summer read (but can totally be read anytime throughout the year) - if you're a fan of the Real Housewives franchise, this is something you've got to put on your radar! Thank you so much to Kristin Miller, NetGalley & Ballantine Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

(Mini-Review) I finally got to my first Samantha Downing book! After seeing so much love for her body of work, I decided to give her latest a go & it didn't disappoint, this was a ton of fun! This cast of characters was great, everyone had such a clearly defined voice that switching between the multiple perspectives wasn't any issue at all. Teddy was such a riot - honestly, a lot of the book read as more of a dark comedy than a thriller, but that's one of the things I loved about this! It definitely has thrilling moments, but the humor was a very pleasant surprise. This was very, very fast-paced - there were twists & turns happening every other chapter, leaving no room for any dull moments. Sometimes, though, they happened a little too fast, leaving not much room to react before another big twist was revealed - it definitely kept the pages turning though, that's for sure! After reading this, I can see why she's such a beloved thriller author - I'm really looking forward to diving into her backlist & seeing what comes next! I highly recommend checking this out, thank you so much Samantha Downing, NetGalley, & Berkley for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review!

(Mini-Review) I've been eagerly anticipating Stephanie Perkins' newest book after finishing There's Someone Inside Your House, & this was a ton of fun, a great YA take on survival horror that's perfect for spooky season! I enjoyed how contained the story was - you've got one setting set over the course of mostly two nights, & what a setting it was! Personally, I'm terrified of the woods & camping, so this really played into my fears about ever setting foot into the woods for backpacking, you just never truly know what may be lurking in the trees. There was quite a bit of buildup before the action really got going, but I loved the tension Perkins crafted between Neena & Josie - & once the shenanigans really started, it just took off! I definitely didn't see the situation turning out the way it did, either, so props for catching me off guard! If anything, I wish we would've gotten just a little bit more out of the ending, but that's just me being nitpicky. All in all, I really enjoyed this, a perfect read to gear up for Fall & Halloween. I've really liked both of Perkins' YA thrillers & I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

This has to be one of the most layered possession stories I've ever read, a very original & unique take on the trope that read like a modern spin on The Craft told through a Latinx lens.

At its core this is a feminist coming-of-age story about a group of five young, Chicana women living in Texas, & I loved the many ways V. Castro examined topics of female empowerment, identity, & sexuality through a horror lens. This was really creepy & dark, yet also very beautiful & inspiring - I love when horror is multifaceted & trust me when I say Castro will have you going through a ringer of emotions. A lot of the horror found within these pages is tied into real world issues faced by areas close to the border, & I thought Castro did a fantastic job of juxtaposing reality with the supernatural. Fernanda's transformation as a character was so fascinating - I don't want to give away anything, but I'll reiterate this isn't your typical possession story.

Even if you're not a fan of novellas, I'd encourage you to pick this up - what begins as a séance gone wrong morphs into a tale of so much more with a very impactful message. I'm really looking forward to checking out more of V. Castro's work!

I think it's extremely fitting that Jeremy Ray brought up Pixar prior to the start of his short story, because that's exactly the vibe The House Plant reminded me of!

This was, by far, one of the most beautiful short stories I've ever read. I'd seen this popping up around bookstagram & was really curious, but when Jeremy reached out asking if I'd give it go, I figured what better time to dive in? I've been really into novellas & short stories lately, & this is a perfect example as to how a great, effective story can be told in a shorter number of pages. I'm still a little shook by how emotional this had me - I went from laughing at George's thoughts about Brenda & her plant caretaking skills to having tears in my eyes multiple times, & I definitely had myself a good little cry at the end (I'm a total Cancer, so goes with the territory, lol). This was such a moving & poignant story, one that reminds you to stop & appreciate both the little things that bring you joy in your own daily life, no matter how big or small, & those who care for you & love & support you.

I'd highly, highly encourage everyone to give this a read, even if you're not the biggest fan of short stories! I'm really curious to see what Jeremy's horror short stories are like!

If you've got a thing for apocalyptic horror, Jeremy Ray's The Gatherings is the short story for you! Talk about a genre departure from the adorable The House Plant!

In all honesty, I've been kind of hesitant with this subgenre lately because it's a little too close to COVID for my own liking, but this was so out there & phantasmagorical at times that I had zero issues whatsoever. I'm a big fan of survival horror & I liked that this was basically part-apocalypse/part-survival horror. I was getting major Hands Across America vibes from the gatherings themselves, & anything cultish automatically gives me the creeps (& Us did Hands Across America absolutely no favors in that regard, lol). I love that Jeremy just leaned into full blown horror tropes here - the imagery was really something else! I want to keep things relatively general because I was pretty surprised at how this all played out, but know it's definitely horror & borders on creature feature territory. This was definitely one of the most unique apocalyptic tales I've ever read!

If you're looking to read something quick & spooky, I highly suggest checking this out! I've been really impressed with Jeremy's short stories & I can't wait to see what else he has up his sleeve!

I hope you find your happily ever after, or whatever.
Already did. I'm just looking for a better once upon a time.

I had a feeling I'd love this novella right from the dedication page, in which Harrow writes: "for everyone who deserves a better story than the one they have." This perfectly captures the message at the heart of A Spindle Splintered, that the cards you're dealt in life don't have to be a life sentence - you can take control of your own narrative & choose your own destiny. This really, really resonated with me. I'm typically intimidated by fantasy, but this was very accessible to someone who doesn't dive into the genre all that often - it's basically Sleeping Beauty meets Enchanted, but they curse & there's a sapphic love story, pure perfection. I really enjoyed getting some background on the actual sleeping beauty fairytale, & I thought the way Harrow incorporated different versions of sleeping beauty into the story was so genius. Zinnia, Charm, & Primrose have my heart & I can't wait to see where they go next within this series, this set everything up perfectly for a second story. & the physical book is just stunning, it truly feels like you're reading a fairytale for grownups!

This was seriously amazing, a quick, magical story that'll help you escape reality for a little bit - highly, highly recommend!

If you've been in search of a wholly original & unique spin on the classic haunted house story, look no further than S.A. Barnes' Dead Silence - what a book!

Event Horizon is one of my favorite movies, & this gave me major Event Horizon vibes while still being its own distinctive story. This took a ton of twists & turns I wasn't expecting, at all - I don't want to give anything away, but I'll say that not everything is as it seems & I really like when horror makes you question whether or not paranormal forces are present. All of the characters were great, but particularly Claire - I appreciated the focus on past trauma & how that doesn't necessarily define what you are or aren't capable of as a leader. I really enjoyed Barnes' use of alternating timelines here - most of the horror takes place in the past, but that didn't deter from the creepiness that was persistent within the present portions. & let me tell you - this was creepy! Barnes' writing was so cinematic & detailed, & some of the descriptions she used really made my skin crawl. Also, I've got to say, I loved (& was pleasantly surprised by) the commentary on corporate competition & greed - it's almost eerily similar to the beginnings of this new space race we've got going on, & it definitely gave me something to think about!

All in all, I loved everything about this, & I've got to give it give it up to Barnes for being able to get me out of a month long slump - highly, highly recommend putting this on your TBR lists! I can already tell this is going to be an early contender as a 2022 favorite! & thank you so much S.A. Barnes, NetGalley, & Tor Nightfire for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review!