I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this book lol. It is definitely very strange, and there were parts I enjoyed and others that I did not. 

Mary has spent most her life away from the family and hometown she was raised in. After being fired from her job and suffering from peri-menopause (according to her doctors), her aunt calls her and asks her to move back to her small hometown to essentially provide hospice care to her dying aunt. With nothing tying her to the city, Mary decides it's time for a change. However, more and more weird things are happening to Mary. She finds herself writing in a notebook without knowing, unable to look into the mirror without it distorting her figure, and seeing dead women in her dreams. 

From what I've seen, a lot of reviewers liked the beginning of this book, but did not like the ending/latter half to the book. For me it was the opposite, it took me a while to really get interested in the book. I do think it was a lack of connecting with the main character and that might just be the difference in ages but I do think it was more of a personal thing rather than how Mary was written. Honestly I was just waiting for the horror to truly kick off and something meaningful to happen in the plot. 

Then the plot definitely picks up and I loved the gruesomeness and haunting that occurred. I loved the development of Mary and how things spiraled towards the end. I will say there is one plot twist regarding one character that I found out of nowhere and there was not a lot of hinting towards that at all. I absolutely loved the ending itself and found it to be satisfying. It's definitely a strange book with things I liked and things I didn't. Overall, it was just so hard to get immersed, but I did like it towards the end when the plot picked up. 

EDIT: I do not support or condone this author's actions. I will leave my initial review while removing the star rating. 

Crown of Starlight was an endearing Greek retelling of Ariadne and Dionysus that is steamy and set in space!

Ariadne is the Crown Princess of the empire of Crete, a violent and oppressive world that her father, Minos, is the leader of. Cretans take pleasure in violence and her father is no exception. When her brother is born as half-bull with cannabalistic tendencies, Minos looks him the in Labyrinth underneath the palace. Each year, Crete requires sacrifices from Athens in order to punish Athens and feed Ariadne's brother, the minotaur. She is sick of the violence and wants out, leading her to make a deal with Theseus to take her with him if she helps him beat the minotaur. This leads to Ariadne lost, alone, and injured when Dionysus finds her and introduces her to hedonistic debauchery. The only way to keep herself safe is to hide from her father on Olympus, which means marrying Dionysus.  

What an interesting world (solar system??) to adapt the Greek myth to! I found that they were able to translate the original ancient setting to a space setting very well. There was a lot of Info dumping in the first few chapters, rather than instead of learning over time. This did bug me at first, but once I was used to the author's writing style, I was able to learn about the world and enjoy it. Truly, I don't think the setting really added much to the story, like I felt like the actual plot and character growth could have been transplanted into a modern world or Ancient Greece. It was fun to read Greek gods in space though, with added blaster guns, coms, and spaceships! 

There is a bit of modern language in this book, which was a little jolting at first. However, it kind of makes sense since this is technically a futuristic world where modern slang would have been picked up. But things did throw me off occasionally, like when holodramas are watched called "The Housewives of Troy." 

Ariadne was a very strong character who spends a lot of time healing and developing. She is raised in a very puritiancil and patriarchal society, and is forced into expectations of remaining pure. Once she leaves Crete, she has to heal from that trauma and learn for herself who she is and what she wants. I really did enjoy her perspective and found that she was not a one-dimensional character. Dionysus on the other hand was also just an amazing character. He truly is one of the best love interests I've ever read in a book and my favorite part. He is always looking for fun and is not very serious most of the time. But he is also very sweet and perceptive of Ariadne's needs. Dionysus just has such a confident and vibrant persona, and honestly seems a bit Cardan coded (Cruel Prince) to me. Based on the broody, dark love interests I normally read about, it was SO FUN to have such a silly and charismatic love interest. 

Their romance was the true highlight of this book. Dionysius is so tender to Ariadne and helps her face her trauma and find who she is and what she wants. It is definitely a slow-burn, as it takes time for Ariadne to face her anxiety and shed the expectations that were always placed upon her. The anticipation pays off, and their romance was so raw and beautiful, not to mention spicy! 

I was very surprised how accurate Greek mythology was in this book, at least to my knowledge of the myths. Of course some liberties were taken, but I found it to be a pretty accurate retelling. Another thing that was detailed in the author's note was her interpretation of the original myths of Dionysus. Over time, he has been reduced the God of Wine and Parties. The author makes a great deal to note that Dionysus also was a patron of marginalized people and rebellion, and did not have a defined gender or sexuality. I think this book seriously made Dionysus so much more than how is normally depicted in Greek myth retellings and I really loved that. 

This book was just a delight! The ending was perfect and I'm happy that it wrapped up into a standalone. I'm very excited for when this officially releases so that I can buy the physical copy and have that on my bookshelves. 

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! 

Crown of Starlight is a captivating and steamy Greek retelling of Ariadne and Dionysus set in space!

Ariadne is the Crown Princess of Crete, an oppressive empire led with by her father Minos with cruelty and violence. She abhors her role in the family and the treatment of her half-bull brother, Astarion, who is locked under the palace in the Labyrinth. Each year, Crete requires sacrifices to be sent from Athens to be fed to Ariadne's brother. This year, her father is making her responsible and in charge for watching over the sacrifices. Ariadne decides she will help Theseus to fight back and leave the oppressive society she lives in. Everything doesn't go according to plan, and Ariadne is lost, injured, and alone when Dionysus finds her. She is introduced to his debauchery and shies away from it, but he offers her a way to stay safe in Olympus if she marries him. 

What an interesting world to revive greek mythology in! I was curious how loose the retelling would be considering this all takes place in space and there are communication tablets, starships, and blaster guns. Honestly, the first couple pages were an info-dump and it took me a second to truly feel immersed in the world because you learn it all at once instead of over time. It was an interesting world (solar system??) for the actual greek myths but they merged the ancient setting with the space setting well. I do think it wasn't essential to the plot, like I felt like this story could be told really in any setting and the space part of it wouldn't really have an effect on the plot. 

The language is very modern, which took me a second to also get used to. I guess it almost makes sense in this context since it is technically farther in the future and they would have adopted a more modern language. There's definitely some modern parts of it here and there like them watching holodramas titled, "The Housewives of Troy."

I loved Ariadne as a character, she heals and grows so much in this novel. In Crete, it's a very puritanical and patriarchal society, so she feels pushed into a mold and that she must maintain her innocent status. Dionysus really helps her to be who she wants to be, do what she wants to do, and to disregard people's expectations of her. Honestly, my favorite part of this book was him and the romance. He is one of the best romantic interests I have read in a book. He is very Cardan coded (Cruel Prince) and just loves to have fun and is anything but serious most of the time. Dionysus is also extremely sweet and perceptive of Ariadne's needs and truly has just his own vibrant and confident persona. One of my FAVORITE love interests in a book! 

Their romance is sweet and Dionysus is so tender and respectful of Ariadne. It's very much a slow-burn romance as Ariadne has to get past her anxiety and previous trauma and accept the love that Dionysus offers her. The anticipation pays off when they finally get together and just thinking of them makes me smile. It was a beautiful romance and the highlight of this book. 

Surprisingly, the greek mythology feels very accurate (at least to my understanding of the myths). The author really did a good job of incorporating all of the different facets of the myths that are well-known and genuine to the original story. There are obviously some changes here and there, but the author note at the end was really impactful. This author wanted to portray Dionysus as more than just the God of Wine and Parties, but closer to the original myths as patron to marginalized people and how he took both genders as lovers with his gender never exactly labeled. 

This book was truly such a delight. I am so excited for when this releases and I can get a physical copy on my shelves. Thank you to Random House Publishing - Ballantine/Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! 

The Final Girl Support Group pays homage to the classic horror movies and their final girls in a thriller like pacing. 

Lynnette Tarkington survived a massacre decades ago and has spent the time since living in isolation except for her support group with other final girls. She spends time with other final girls to try to piece together their lives as they are the only ones who understand what each other has been through. When one of the final girls is murdered, Lynnette realizes that someone is coming after the final girls and she needs to be one step ahead to save them all.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I did like it a lot at first and the overall plot, but I truly struggled with Lynnette as a character and reading other reviews made me realize that. It was really tough to read from her perspective because she kept making so many mistakes. It's really emphasized that she spent her whole life training for a moment like this and having observational awareness, but she really is unprepared and just keeps making mistakes. In general, all the final girl characters are pretty unlikeable. I actually haven't seen that many horror movie classics so the only connection I made was Marilyn was the girl from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but supposedly all of the girls are representative of popular horror movie final girls. 

I think that was the main part I didn't like about this book, but the overall story was very interesting and the plot was super fast paced! I would say it's more of a thriller rather than a horror book that just tends to be gory. There is a lot of gore, so that could bother a lot of people, but again it's more of a thriller and Lynnette trying to figure out who the killer is. 

Oh my god, I loved this book so much! It's always super tough to rate anthologies because each story is different and has a different writing voice but I genuinely enjoyed the majority of them a lot. 

These are depicted as folk horror and a lot of these stories as expanded urban legends and I found them so fun to read through. I think this book isn't necessarily pitched in the correct way though and I don't think these stories truly represent folk horror. This really is just about urban legends and ghost stories the characters are involved in. Our characters are mostly young, like this is definitely YA focused with a lot of characters being in their teens and in high school. 

My favorite stories that I liked the most out of this book are "Loved by All, Save One" by Tori Bovalino, "Ghost on the Shore" by Allison Saft, "Stay" by Erica Waters, and "It Stays with You" by Aden Polydoros.

What Moves the Dead was a super interesting retelling of The Fall of The House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe. 

Alex Easton is a retired soldier that gets a strange letter from a childhood friend imploring him to come to her manor due to her falling ill. Alex journeys to the small town to find that everything is a bit strange and both Madeline Usher and her brother, Roderick, are suffering from a strange illness. The wildlife doesn't seem to act normal and there are fungal growths everywhere. Alex must get to the bottom of all this strangeness in order to help both the Ushers with the help of a doctor and fungal expert. 

I haven't read the short story before, so I wasn't familiar with the background and inspiration behind the story. You definitely feel an eerie and strange atmosphere and Alex himself is very wary of everything happening in the town. The hares that don't run from people and the lake that seems to glow at night definitely hike up the intensity. It's a fast moving book considering it is only a novella, but I do feel like there was sufficient world-building and we do learn a lot about Alex through their interactions. 

The explanation behind the fungal growth and the overall description of everything happening really added to the spooky atmosphere. It definitely matches the setting of gothic horror but also including fungus haha. The cast was great and has that humor and camaraderie that T. Kingfisher is always really good at writing in her horror novels. The only reason this isn't rated higher is just because I wish we got more! I wanted more development character wise and getting to know them all which is always hard with a novella. 

The Cursed Light expands on the world from the first book and introduces some fun new character dynamics!

We pick up six months after the ending of the events in the first book. Alyssa is returning from a diplomatic trip and reunites with Dante who is still not feeling fully back to himself. Everyone is still trying to heal altogether from the war, but Dante is sure that this isn't the end and Crollo will be back. Dante and Alessa as well as the crew of Fonti leave to find the missing ghiotte and figure out what they must to do stop the next battle deigned by the gods.

I think my expectations were a bit high going into this book, and because of that it took me some time to feel fully invested in the world again. I found the modern language to be a bit more jarring this time around and I'm not sure if that was in there in the first or more pronounced in this one? I also felt at the beginning of this novel, Dante and Alyssa were both being extremely immature. I really thought they would have grown from the events of the first book, but I struggled with how they were treating each other. They definitely won me over again of course and I loved their banter between them and the loving relationship they have. I think most of the issues I found was that there was just a lack of a plot until the Ghiotte are found. Once the plot centers around the upcoming battle again, I found myself immersed and excited when reading.

There are so many more elements to found family in this book, especially since Alessa and Dante were so isolated in the first. There are some fun new romances to be found in the book and we really get further character development of the group as we learn more about them (and of course some new ghiotte characters). Kaleb is a treasure and the perfect source of comedic relief in this book. We also get some insight into Adrick and his choices and how he mends his relationship with his sister and looks out for her.

Regarding our main characters, Dante is definitely one of my favorite book boyfriends and he truly goes on his own healing journey in this book as he finds himself again after losing his powers. He struggles so much of what his purpose is and strengths being a ghiotte and having to rediscover himself. Alessa at the same time is also going through her own struggles with her relationship with Dante and confidence in herself. The battle of Divoronado really affected her and she is scared what that might mean for the future. Reading how they found each other again and their commitment to each other really touched me and I felt this was a fitting follow-up to This Viscous Grace.

We got more expansion in the world, more questions answered about the lore, and developed characters that made their own found family. I was surprised how the ending shook out and was happy with the epilogue and the individual happiness our characters found. This duology is definitely a favorite! 

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The September House was such a fun haunted read that tells the story of a haunted house in a unique way!

Margaret found her dream house for a cheap price and was so happy to be able to move in 4 year sago with her husband Hal. What they didn't know is that it was extremely haunted and gets worse in the month of September. Blood drips down the walls, ghosts run amok pointing at the basement door, and there is never-ending screaming in the night. Margaret refuses to leave the house, it is her dream home but she has kept the quirks of the house secret to her daughter. Once Hal goes missing, Margaret's daughter Katherine comes to visit against Margaret's protests. She must do everything she can to keep her daughter safe and navigate the horrors of September. 

I really, really loved this book. Margaret is a wonderful MC who I think just has an unbeatable optimism in the way she handles the house and deals with the "pranksters." These are the children ghosts who appear in September and you could tell she even has a fondness towards Elias (who has viciously bit her when getting in his personal space). I admired her as a character and truly loved how it played into the entire premise. Instead of people trying to leave the haunted house, she does her best to navigate the house and the rules she creates to stay in her dream home. If anything, the relationships between the ghosts in the book and Margaret were the best parts of the book. 

I loved the pacing of the plot and the general atmosphere of the book. It's quite a gory book, especially with the descriptions of the wounds that the ghosts have sustained. Also the ghosts in this book aren't just haunting, they touch people and manipulate the real world. There are those horror aspects, but at the same time this book does touch a lot on domestic violence. It really tells you a lot about Margaret and Katherine, and how their relationship is affected by that and their decisions. The book switches between the past when Margaret and Hal first bought the house and in the present where Margaret is trying to hide the house's hauntings from her daughter. 

The ending is absolutely crazy! I will say this is a true haunted house story and I love that versus it being explained away or someone is crazy. Overall the book is pretty gory and graphic, but also has the sarcastic and dark humor that I really enjoy in horror books. 

Ararat is a supernatural thriller that leans more horror with claustrophobic anticipation.

Myriam and Adam are an adventure loving couple that film and write about their exploits. When one of their old guides at Mount Ararat in Turkey tells them an earthquake led to an exposed cave on the mountain, they rushed to get there first. They discover that there is an ark inside the mountain and claim the site for archeological purposes. A team of scholars, archeologists, and filmmakers make camp inside the mountain to investigate the site. They find a coffin with a deformed human being that looks like a demon and it causes chaos and doubt to cede the group. Everyone is trapped on the mountain when a blizzard comes in, but then they start to be hunted. 

The plot was extremely fast paced, but I really enjoyed the pace overall as it kept me very intrigued and invested. Overall, it was an interesting read where the first half of the book is them exploring the ark and trying to discover if it truly is Noah's Ark from the Bible. Because of religious backgrounds, the horned cadaver causes a lot of fear and distrust in a very claustrophobic space, leading to people turning on each other. It's very much a society that starts to break down and gets ruled by fear. The setting was also very unique and not mountaineering is something I have not read about before. 

The POVs start with Myriam and Adam, but then they switch between a whole cast of characters. Therefore, you don't get as much connection with the characters other than those two and Walker. Walker was sent by the United States as a member of the National Science Foundation (an undercover for another organization) and we get a lot of time from his perspective. With how often the POV switches, it definitely threw me off a little and made it hard to understand which person's perspective you are reading from. Also, once people start actually getting killed, a lot of the emotional punch is lost due to the lack of character development. 

Once things delve fully into chaos, I was captivated. This truly is far more horror than thriller (and I think it is marketed as a thriller?). There is a lot of gore, terror, and panic. Nobody is safe in this book, and my heart rate rises more than once. I liked the ending, but I also didn't at the same time? I saw there are sequels in this world, but it focuses on other phenomenon. It really is a horror book ending though. 

Here for the Wrong Reasons is definitely for the Bachelor fans!

Krystin is a Rodeo Queen from Montana who has spent her life competing in barrel racing, and wants to give Hopelessly Devoted a try. Josh Rosen is the new lead and Krystin will leave to compete in the reality TV show for his heart and find the husband to fill the life she's always wanted. Lauren on the other hand is an emerging content creator who joins the cast of Hopelessly Devoted in order to increase her follower count and social media following. She has no interest in Josh, because she is hiding her sexuality and hopes to make it far enough to be memorable but not lead him on. As both women compete in the show, they turn each other heads and must navigate the sticky situation they find themselves in. 

I am a massive Bachelor fan and I feel like you have to be one as well to truly like this book because so much of the book surrounds that. It's actually really funny how they changed it just enough for its own show. Instead of handing out roses, they hand out strings and the lead will "cut" the strings on their wrists at the "string-cutting ceremony". They give out gold ribbons for dates instead of strings and there is a first impression ribbon. And of course, an "After the Final String" tv special.

It was a ton of fun to get a book in this setting and I very much enjoyed that part and I truly did like the lead Josh. I will say this book really delves into the setting and there is a lot of time spent on the show and the different group dates they go on as they compete further and further into the show. 

One part I found lacking was that there was little interaction between Krystin and Lauren for a huge part of the first book. When they kiss for the first time, it felt strange because it lacked any yearning and development of their feelings for each other, specifically on Krystin's end. It seemed like Krystin really did like Josh and she pulled a 180 when she kissed Lauren, whereas more of Lauren's perspective shows how she is thinking about Krystin romantically. I did feel we got more development on Krystin's side, but Lauren's motivations seemed more murky and more to push the overall plot. Once their romance does develop, I really enjoyed it and truly felt the depth of their relationship. 

Another part that I really didn't like was how the other contestants in the dating show were treated. They were all depicted as shallow, annoying, and self-serving. Obviously Lauren is there for the wrong reasons, but they make it seem like every other woman besides Krystin are there for the wrong reasons as well and super catty. Overall, it felt strange to me and I really wish there were different characterizations of female contestants in this book that didn't push them into this one box. 

Again, I don't think this is a book for everyone. The reason why this kept so many stars is because it was so fun to read about a book essentially about the Bachelor and because I'm a fan I really enjoyed that aspect. So if you want to read a romcom about the Bachelor that ends in a sapphic relationship, then this book is for you!

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!