reading_under_covers's Reviews (1.61k)

Shocked that this is a debut!!

I love a book that delves into messy family dynamics and the way that Shook wrote the generations, siblings, and cousins interacting was just so fun. I teared up many times and definitely see myself reading this one again!

Another John Marrs book that really blurs the line between dystopian and real life. Really enjoyed (and hated) the characters in this one!

Loved the podcasting format of this book and how real it made the characters feel. Could have easily seen this one being rated higher for me if there weren’t so many “recaps” that really slowed down the pace and had me skimming. Regardless, I’m sure the audiobook is phenomenal!

Every Memorial Day, the exclusive Alton Road residents host a block party, but this year someone is murdered. We’re taken back to the party from the year before to piece together just what went wrong.

THE BLOCK PARTY by Jamie Day is a domestic suspense full of d r a m a.

I really enjoyed the first quarter of the book: the setting of a ritzy neighborhood is one of my favorites with the addition of some wild neighbor drama, and the alternating perspectives between our lead busybody Alex and her 18-year-old daughter Lettie was a nice way to get an insight on all the goings on throughout the neighborhood.

However, after a while, I felt the pace to become a bit slow, the secrets and drama became a tad predictable and spanned over every trope imaginable, and the characters never seemed to really develop into anything substantial.

An enjoyable read for the most part, but nothing too noteworthy.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: July 18

Twenty-five years ago, a student and an esteemed writing professor went missing near the ice caves located on the Briarwood College campus. Now, the current President of the school is planning on hosting a commemoration ceremony for that professor when the bones of the missing girl are found in the caves. As alumni arrive over the course of a snowy commemoration weekend, their stories from the past come back to haunt them.

YOU GUYS GOTTA READ THIS BOOK!

THE BONES OF THE STORY by Carol Goodman is a fantastically eerie dark academia book featuring past and present timelines, a rich girl who everyone bends over backwards for, and soooo many secrets.

This one was haunting in all of the best ways - the setting: a fancy college set in the mountains, the conditions: snowed in with no escape, the characters and the imagery: I will hear the pounding of typewriters for nights to come!!

I couldn’t give this a full five stars because there were a few moments of longwindedness, but WHAT A BOOK. Definitely recommend it for the academia vibes alone!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: July 11

Julia and Sienna are sisters-in-law and best friends. When their husband/brother Jason’s boss is found brutally murdered, they speculate about who could have wanted him dead. Days later, Jason ends up in a car accident, leading to him being put into a medically-induced coma when the cops arrive with a warrant and Jason rises to suspect number one for the murder of his boss. Julia and Sienna’s personalities put them at odds as they begin to investigate the murder on their own.

I was really excited to read THICKER THAN WATER by Megan Collins after reading and loving her book THE FAMILY PLOT. Collins is sooo good at crafting relationships and that didn’t go unnoticed in this upcoming release!

This book was very much a domestic suspense and I honestly felt that it fell a little flat when it came to holding my attention and creating an intriguing storyline. 

The characters themselves were interesting, frustrating, and diverse in their mannerisms, but the story itself was full of red herrings that didn’t add much to the overall story.

This book wasn’t my favorite, but I can see others really enjoying it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: July 11

This book just wasn’t doing it for me. The dialogue was cringe and confusing, the characters felt imbalanced within themselves and next to other characters, and I didn’t care about them or the story 😭 

Another very difficult and challenging read by Tiffany D. Jackson.

I was relatively ignorant to all of the charges against R. Kelly and this book brought me to tears and anger for all of the girls and women who have gone unheard and have been taken advantage of by grown ass adults who hold a certain power.