rebeccasreadingrambles's Reviews (3.06k)

ONE DAY I am going to catch up....maybe? But I always want to hoard my time with Eve and her crew because I love this series so dang much. This was a nice calmer breath of air (l o l) compared to the previous book and I appreciated the contrast and the story so much. I love Eve and her sass and Peabody was cracking me up in this one.

 I'm sorry WHAT was the last sentence?! I will be waiting in tense suspense for the next book that was SUCH A SHOCKING DROP AT THE VERY END.

This is a great start to a new series. I love a historical mystery and this book hit on all the things I love to read about.  While still cozy in nature, it is definitely on the darker side which I really love.  It did not shy away from how women were treated during this time and the absolutely terrifying lack of safety and rights they had.  The author did an amazing job of depicting this alongside the fascinating mystery and wonderful characters. The reveal and danger was heart-pounding and I think the punishment / comeuppance was not quite enough, but satisfying to read.

I am so excited for the next one!

Audiobook: I listened to the audiobook of this and it was fabulous. 

What a delightful and cozy story; perfect for fall or really anytime. I love a cozy witchy story with low stakes, but still an interesting story with the right pinch of drama. The sisters are instantly likeable and I LOVE a story about family ties, but also finding your own path in the world. The magic was lovely and easy to follow and I am such a sucker for fortunes and the idea about changing fate.  The writing was beautiful and this story moved pretty quickly. And the magic house! Amazing.  Highly recommend this cozy magical story; I definitely teared up a few times near the end.

Note: I listened to this audiobook and it really amped up the coziness. Though I do wish there were more narrators, I did get used to the different characters and their different chapters.

This just didn't hit for me. I didn't like any of the characters; rich people and the horrible way they act towards people and shrug off their friends and family's bad behavior just makes me so mad. I feel like after all this I barely knew or understood the characters. I did not get the chemistry between Dylan and Addie... there was nothing to show their connection and how much they "loved"each other past lust. Also it;s gross how Dylan just shrugs off Marcus's bad behavior as like oh he's fine he's just spoiled. No. I would never forgive him or Dylan and I would zoom away and leave them on the side of the road no problem. I didn't find any of the characters fun or funny or joyful.

Note: I listened to the audiobook and it was well done, even though I did not like this story.

Another fabulous book in this series. This one was gory and dark and terrifying and I absolutely adored how everyone handled it.  Though I wish we saw more McNabb in this one, I love seeing new characters introduced and how everyone shines. And Roarke and the romance and everything.  I love how smart and savy Eve is and how this shows a glimpse into the Urban Wars and the past of this world.  A shocking and twisty ending and I can't wait for more.

Audiobook: I exclusively read this book via audiobooks because the narration is so spectacular!

Hmm meh.  I had such hopes for this from the summary, but I feel like I was tricked a little bit. This is a sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow burn story. It's hard to really even call it a thriller because I didn't even really know what the point of the story was for most of it.  Mostly flashbacks from a narcissistic , flighty artist (nothing new, fictional artists are ALWAYS written this way) and current POVs that are a snooze. It felt like most of these characters are stereotypes and nothing new or unique or really that interesting about them, despite how incredible the first chapter sounds.  I only kept reading because I was waiting for some BIG shocking twist, but all the reveals were super obvious from the start.  

The writing was dark and sometimes really beautiful, but since the plot was glacial, even the writing became just too repetitive.  The setting is perfect for a thriller or horror story and I loved picturing the tide covering up the road.

Thanks to the publisher for a free ARC; my thoughts and review are my own.

This was definitely unique and definitely horror (so beware if you are squeamish as I am). You may think - why the heck would this lady stay in a haunted house?! But the author does a wonderful job digging into the MCs past and slowly revealing a lot about her from these snippets. And then it starts to make more sense. And it gets depressing.  And it's pretty heart pounding throughout. 

This is hard because I recognize it's such a good book with amazing writing, but I absolutely regret reading it because I will have nightmares about some of the gore and descriptions (whoops on me).

Note: I listened to the audiobook and think they picked the perfect narrator for this; she showed the perfect attitude of seeming indifference, but also passion and determination. 

Ah Poirot you always crack me up. I love how Poirot uses his charm and his self confidence (almost pomposity) to suss out a murderer who thought they were in the clear with someone else already being convicted. This was fun to follow; investigating after the fact and making everyone a bit nervous.  I also loved how Mrs Oliver joined for a bit, bringing her fun and over the top air.  I was SHOCKED by the ending and I loooooved the quintessential full room performance reveal by Poirot.

Note: as usual I love this narrator and this was another wonderful performance.

This was a book that seemed like it had a straight forward plot, but the writing was addictive. Fast, easy to read, and I loved the back and forth POVs.  I thought I had it figured out about halfway through but NOPE the ending was WILD. Like the author is trying to make you yell out loud (I surely did).  This is my first book by this author, but certainly not my last. Even though one of the MCs gave me a bit of TSTL vibes, I still enjoyed it so much.

Note: I listened to the audiobook and that helped it be extra fast paced and hard to stop.

LOVED IT! I am new to this series, but I love this author and could not resist reading a haunted house mystery in October so I jumped in. And let me tell you - it was SO easy to do so. The characters jump off the page, the setting is just perfection, and it was easy to dive into this group of people (the author did an amazing job balancing intros/rehashing the past without getting too wordy about it for those who already know). I was totally baffled by the mystery and suspicious of everyone.  Ricki is an endearing character - a smart and savvy sleuth who cares so much about her friends/family and doesn't get into unnecessary danger. I loved the ending and all the Halloween activities and vibes.

I cannot wait for more!

Audiobook: I enjoyed this audiobook narration!