reading_under_covers's Reviews (1.61k)

Alexis and Sam are thrilled to snag a dilapidated Cape Cod in a wealthy neighborhood full of mansions, if only for the status and space alone. However, when one of their affluent neighbors ends up murdered, they begin to question if the move was worth it. Up late with a newborn, Alexis sees things from their picturesque window that makes her wonder if anyone in their neighborhood can be trusted.

WHAT THE NEIGHBORS SAW by Melissa Adelman is FULL 👏OF 👏DRAMA.

This book is a domestic suspense full of plenty of tea spillage and I could fully relate to Alexis’ want (need) to spy on her neighbors from the comfort of her own home a la REAR WINDOW.

There were characters to root for and characters to hate and a mysterious murder investigation to keep the tension going!

There were a few points/characteristics brought up throughout that didn’t seem to evolve into anything, hence this being a four-star review, but overall an enjoyable and quick read!

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

Publication Date: June 20

Honestly, most shocked to learn about the con woman from the 1700s!

An overall fun and interesting read!

For the last few summers, Charity has had the job of her dreams working at Camp Mirror Lake where guests pay to be scared in a full-contact terror game. This year, Charity is thrilled to get to play the role of final girl, but when the final game of the summer gets canceled and other employees start to go missing, Charity starts to suspect that something sinister is going on at Camp Mirror Lake.

YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE TONIGHT by Kalynn Bayron was one of my most-anticipated reads of the summer!

It has fantastic queer and diverse representation, is a freakin summer camp thriller, has that fun element of being YA, and has soo many nods to classic horror and slasher film tropes!

This book hooked me immediately from chapter one and, with it being under 250 pages, I devoured it within 24 hours.

I did dock a star for the way the twists and turns went - it felt a bit odd and not fully explained - but it didn’t feel fully implausible in the world of young adult horror.

I think this is the perfect read for the summer!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: June 20

Wes and Ivy are madly in love…until they aren’t. Their on-again, off-again relationship comes with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but now there’s a detective involved and they’re not sure their relationship can survive it. Will their love keep them together or lead to one of them ratting the other out?

A TWISTED LOVE STORY by Samantha Downing totes some of the qualities her previous books are known for: unlikeable characters, short chapters, a quick pace, and multiple POVs, buuuuut not so much shock value in this one.

I hate to say that this is my least favorite of Downing’s work and it has a lot to do with the fact that I wanted (needed) the main characters to be more awful than they were (heyyy, I’m a cynic)!

There was also so much buildup surrounding this big mysterious past event (literally the glue to the story) that I couldn't help but feel completely let down and underwhelmed by the time the reveal came.

I’ll still pick up Downing’s next book because she has a great track record, but this one just wasn’t my fave.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: July 18

After Kira’s mother died mysteriously, she fled her small town and headed out west. Decades later, Kira is invited back to her hometown for a ‘friend’s’ vow renewal with the hopes that she’ll finally uncover some answers behind her mother’s death.

A LIKEABLE WOMAN by May Cobb is a slow burn mystery told through multiple POVs and timelines (Kira and her mother Sadie).

This book unfortunately missed the mark for me. It lacked a lot of the ‘rich moms behaving badly’ that Cobb’s previous books came stacked with and I found the mystery to be extremely predictable, causing all of the twists along the way to be confusing and unconvincing.

The main character Kira (and her sister and every other side character now that I think about it) also seemed incredibly naive and self-centered, which felt especially off considering her age.

I’ll still be looking forward to whatever May Cobb comes up with next despite my dislike for this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: July 11

Six minutes after taking off, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. As passengers begin fleeing into the water, an engine explodes, causing 12 people to lock themselves into the plane, their only form of safety. However, soon after, the plane sinks into the ocean and any hope for rescue begins to diminish.

DROWNING by T.J. Newman had me sobbing from the first chapter. Much like Newman’s debut FALLING, I fell in love with the characters and spent a lot of time laughing and crying over their interactions.

Her experience as a flight attendant is apparent, though I will say all of the technical jargon did lead to me docking half a star.

This one was fast-paced, kept me up way past my bedtime in order to finish it, and was just an intensely quick read!

The overall storyline was predictable at times, but that made it easier for me to digest and kept my stress levels at a more moderate level 😅

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is OUT NOW!