reading_under_covers's Reviews (1.61k)

"Protocol 202, Maya - it means there's been a murder."

Former reality star Maya Miller has just married into the extremely wealthy Sterling family. Her and her new husband Colin are on their way back from their honeymoon when they learn the Sterling heiress was just murdered. They immediately divert their course to London to meet up at the family estate where they'll be under constant watch until the murderer is apprehended.

A GIRL LIKE US is a debut mystery from Anna Sophia McLoughlin and oozes wealth and chaos.

This book is very much a slow (sometimes trudging) burn. As a reader, we get to learn the pasts and secrets of Maya and the Sterling family as they're all brought together under tense circumstances.

The ending goes crazy and redeemed the overall story for me a bit.

However, I think for the most part, this story was missing a lot of answers and raised even more questions that came from a rushed conclusion.

A fine debut, but one that I think will only really work for certain readers!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review - out February 11!

"A lot can happen in ten hours when you're being haunted."

Middle-schoolers Josie, Alison, and Jackson want nothing more than to get the lead spots on their school newspaper, so on Halloween night, they head out to the famously haunted cemetery Bachelor's Grove in the hopes of finding a ghost. Instead, they're chased out by a security guard and followed by a ghost who has given them three days to figure out who they are or meet the same fate as them 👀

IT'S WATCHING by Lindsay Currie was a truly spooky middle grade novel (I do not mess with ghosts haha 👻)

With important lessons on friendship, grief, preserving graveyards, and I don't know, maybe twelve-year-olds not being left alone with a crazy spirit over a long weekend *cough cough* this story really packs it all in.

Also, so wild to see kids Ubering all over the place - catch me popping onto my scooter and telling those ghosts to skedaddle!! ✌️🛴💨

Definitely a fun read for those younger and older in your life!

Thanks to Delacorte Press for the early copy for review - out February 4!

10/10 no notes!!

I love a "twin out for revenge" story and the elite boarding school setting added an extra fun element to it! This book was angry, sad, and confused, making it a great read for YA thriller fans.

Thanks to the publisher for the early copy in exchange for an honest review - out February 18!

"My heart thumps hard in my chest, adrenaline and fear coursing through me. A killer, here at Meadowbrook Academy. The idea is impossible."

It's only the first week of their senior year at their fancy boarding high school when Sarah and Ryan are found murdered in Sarah's bed. Suspicion immediately turns to Amy, Sarah's roommate, so when school reporter Liz has the chance to get close to Amy, she'll do anything she can to get the story and hopefully solve the case.

I've read all of Jessica Goodman's books, with THE MEADOWBROOK MURDERS being the latest. All of her books are YA and most feature an academic setting, which I really enjoy!

THE MEADOWBROOK MURDERS had all the intrigue AND an elite boarding school in New England, which should have made this a new favorite for me, but it, unfortunately, fell flat.

The pacing was extremely slow and the lack of depth to the characters didn't help in moving the story along.

While the mystery is what kept me reading, it ultimately left me feeling underwhelmed by the end.

Will this be the last Goodman novel I pick up???? Only time will tell 😬

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: February 4

"Hate is loud. We are louder."

T.J. Klune does it again (made me sob and yearn for a better world 🥲) with SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE SEA.

This story puts a high emphasis on being yourself despite what others might think, and finding those who love you for every part of you.

Stories like this one are more important now than ever before and I'm happy a world like this one exists upon the Cerulean Sea. I hope hope hope we get more books set in this world!

Now, I'm off to step up my fun socks game 🧐

Thanks to Atria for the early copy for review - this book is out now!

This was a cute and cozy winter romance following a ghost writer who's hunkered down at a fancy ski resort to write the memoir of a famous boyband member.

I loved how the mystery genre was incorporated into the story (even if I guessed what was going on immediately lol), and the snowy setting is always so cozy to me, which proved to be the case here!

All in all, a very low stakes, sweet romance for any of you winter mood readers!

Kagan and Hazel haven't been close since becoming adults, but when their mother dies in a suspicious manner and their names rocket to the top of the suspect list, they have to set aside their issues and come together. Neither of them were ever particularly close to their stepfather, but the further the siblings dig, the more things start coming up "conman." They'll do anything to get their inheritance back and out his endgame.

TRUST ISSUES by Elizabeth McCullough Keenan and Greg Wands is a cat and mouse thriller full of lavish lifestyles, sibling rivalries, and rich women getting conned.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and the amateur sleuthing was such a hit for me! The beginning of the story is also set in New York (and the Cloisters!), which is always a fun thing to see.

Despite this story having some of my favorite things, the characters were extremely immature for being in their late 30s and the slow pacing didn't have a payoff that felt worth the arduous journey.

A cool cover with an interesting plot, but the execution just wasn't fully there for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the early copies for review!

Publication Date: January 28

Gad’s anecdotes about Frozen and becoming Olaf were easily some of my favorite parts of this book! Just talking about it all brought out a childlike quality in Gad that was sweet to listen to.