CW: Violence, sexual assault, sexual assault of a child, addiction issues, mental health issues.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Titan Books.

When former child actress Katie Manning decides to go on a special retreat with her two college friends and her soon-to-be sister-in-law, she thinks that the weekend is going to be a bit of yoga not taken seriously, and more hiding from her problems. But when Katie wakes up covered in blood and a knife in her bed, and another guest is missing, she begins to have doubts about herself.

This was a nice meaty thriller that I really enjoyed spending some time with. The characters in this book really intrigued me and watching them during the retreat and how they reacted to different situations truly fascinated me. I never really knew what they would do because what they did so was generally quite shocking and there were some wtf moments as well.

I didn't really have a favourite character, they were all fairly awful people, and seemed to be more so as the book went on. I did enjoy getting separate POVs for each character and seeing hw they all thought about each other as well as the story gathered steam.

I will say there were some bits in this thriller that were fairly predictable and I thought the reasoning of the character who was the 'baddie' in the end was a bit weird. But I did enjoy the road to getting there, and I liked that it was a bit dramatic and intense.

The last line in the last chapter of this book would have been a perfect ending. I definitely don't think there was a need for an epilogue with this one.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful story about a man living in his family home, and wondering where to go next while appreciating the beauty and peace of the nature around him.

I really enjoyed this story which once again proved to me that Mary Costello is an absolute expert at writing wonderful things about ordinary people. Luke isn't anyone special - just a former teacher with a passion for James Joyce, and someone who is loving and there for people who need him (his sick aunt, his elderly aunt and his mother). I enjoyed just reading Luke's thoughts about different things and the beginnings of his relationship with Ruth.

One of the strongest topics in this book is definitely Luke's exploration into his own sexuality and how he realised in his late 20s that he is also attracted to men, and would identify more so as bisexual (though his thoughts around gender and sexuality are extremely fluid). His conversations with Ruth about his sexuality and how he wasn't going to apologise for it was SO important and I'm really glad to see this in a book. Particularly an Irish book where some of the readers could possibly be older Irish people, from conservative, religious backgrounds, and who may have never been privy to such conversations before and could open their eyes and bring more understanding.

The last part of this book was a bit of a disaster for me as I feel Luke's thoughts went extremely manic, and I didn't enjoy reading that at all. It went on for a bit too long and it was just tangent after tangent.

I definitely do enjoy Mary Costello's writing though and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

CW: Threats of sexual assault, some animal cruelty/death.

I received this book form the author/publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What.a.letdown.

It's October, it' spookytime, what's better than picking up a beautiful book about the brides of Dracula - especially when Dracula is one of your favourite classics?! Yet, this book was honestly a little bit boring considering it had elements which should have been fun and exciting, and I'm going to say it - it wasn't scary at all. Not in the sense I wanted it to be anyways.

I was very excited to go into this and see Kiran Millwood Hargrave's take on the brides of Dracula because I think done right, that's a topic that could be truly epic. I did appreciate the ethnic Romani lore in this novel and the fact that Kizzy and Lilai were of a Romani family and culture. Knowing about their background, their beliefs and culture, was really interesting - from their divining day to the talents they wanted to turn into careers. I definitely cringed a bit due to the parts about bear dancing, and stealing bear cubs away from their mothers but the bears were loved and seemed to have a good life so there's that at least.

The book did pack some heartwrenching moments too (or tbh, just one when the caravans were burning and family slaughtered), and some of the descriptions were very nice though maybe not 100% my preferred style.

One of my main problems with this book is it's suppose to be tied in with the story of Dracula, yet he doesn't get really mentioned until halfway through and he doesn't even appear until almost 80% into the story and that's only for ONE, measly, underwhelming scene. If you're giving me a story about the BRIDES OF DRACULA, I ALSO WANT DRACULA. The strigoi as well only appear again 70% or so into the book.

The majority of the book took place in the castle the girls were captured in before they made their way to Dracula, which was fine but it was all just so drawn out and became a bit boring. This book was too short (less than 300 pages) for such a slowly drawn-out story. The scariest parts in this book weren't the strigoi or vampires but the mild threats of sexual assault aimed at the serving girls from the soldiers and the one attempted rape. While I appreciate the true fear in those scenes that are not just fantastical in nature but an everyday horror, I wanted actual supernatural horror and gore and I didn't get any of that.

I appreciated the attempt at an f/f romance as well. I liked Mira but I felt the relationship kind of appeared out of nowhere in a way and all of a sudden they were in love. I would have wanted more scenes between the girls before they undertook their journey and things became super intense for them.

The end of this book was a massive let down. The epilogue style of 'then we did this and this and this' is just SO lazy. We didn't learn anything about the brides of Dracula - we learned about three girls who through terrible means ended up at his castle. That's it. The story ended when they became the 'brides'. Pfft.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone’s favourite senior assistant is back and this time Emily is a no-nonsense PR agent rectifying a whole host of problems caused by her celebrity clients. When Emily visits an old friend in the suburbs, she ends up involved in a world full of bored housewives and cheating husbands, and helping former supermodel Karolina who is being framed for drunk driving by her husband.

This book is one to be taken lightly as everything that could be offensive in this book, is. None of the characters really hold back with their opinions and sometimes it can be a bit uncomfortable.

I loved the silly opulence in this book the shopping, the wealth, the occasional glamour and the general entertainment the book gave me ( a good book to read by the poolside in fairness). I did love seeing Emily - who was one of my favourite The Devil Wears Prada characters - and was reminded once again why I’d always prefer her as a friend who will always tell you how it is rather than an enemy.

The book does look a bit on housewives and the pressures sometimes put on wives to be perfect for their husbands at all times despite having several children (various talk about plastic surgery, particularly vaginal surgery!) as well as women struggling with their desire to raise children versus loving their job and wanting to work. There is also a touch on fertility issues in this too,

I do have to warn readers that this book is very fatphobic - sometimes to the point I was shocked that the author could get away with some of this stuff in 2019. It didn’t make me feel very good and I know a lot of it is shock factor but surely there’s a better way.

Oh, and for anyone wondering - Miranda Priestly does make a couple of appearances.

That will be all.

I received a copy of this book from Head of Zeus in exchange for an honest review.

Thousands of years in the future, humanity has brought space travel to a whole new level and now, for most people, space and space colonies are the only thing they know. As well as new planetary discoveries, technology has advanced to a point when most people don't need to learn skills - they can just download them, and for the more privileged person, death doesn't truly exist - they can be regenerated again and again. However, death does become a real threat once again for everyone when a human faction called the Sturm, who believe in the purified version of a human being, come back for vengeance after almost 700 years of silence.

This is a fantastic first book in what I hope continues to be an action-packed duology, and I'm really pleased The Cruel Stars ended up living up the hype in my head. The book from the start is really well-paced with the first seven or so chapters being introductory chapters to each of our main characters who range from military leaders, princesses, space pirates and ancient scholars among others. This layout and pace of the book did remind me of James SA Corey's The Expanse series which is no bad thing as I felt like this type of book is exciting, and easy to dive in and out of at any opportunity.

At first I was afraid of the amount of characters we were following, but I actually quickly got to grips with everyone, and I found that I enjoyed all POVs equally and never felt shortchanged when one character's chapter would end and another's would begin. There is some humour and crassness included with some of the characters - particularly Frazer McLennan and his tense but rather hilarious relationship with the sentient AI that's been his companion for years.

The technology in this book is also immense, and the different types of tech used inside a human's body as well as how people live, die and reborn can take time to get your head around. There are also all kinds of spacebots, as well as some sentient AIs that honestly I couldn't help but picture as a plumbob from the Sims that talked and flashed colours. Because of the expansive world of technolody in this world, and the amount of vernacular and jargon used in terms of military sci-fi and general space travel, I would warn sci-fi newbies away from this book as I feel it could become confusing and overwhelming. Definitely one to tackle after you've gotten used to the style of the genre.

One of the only things I would have liked more of in this book (despire just more in general as I was enjoying the world so much) would have been more insight into the Sturm. We did get a few chapters from the POV of one of the generals but I don't think this view was well-rounded enough. Everyone appeared very black and white, and I think it would be interesting to see a Sturm who maybe isn't quite as brainwashed into the fascist ideology as the others.

A fast-paced, exciting space adventure that I definitely recommend!

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Teenage Dolores shows up on the convent's steps, in desperate need of a safe place to hide from the world. She finds a strange comfort in the silent presence of the nuns, and begins to strange road to become a novice, all while hiding the secret life growing inside her belly.

This is a short work of fiction focusing on the strange, rather sad life of a teenage girl who seems to neither know herself or where she wants to go in life. A road of bad decisions, and trust in the wrong boy has led Dolores to the convent, in a country far away from her own family, and she has to deal with her past, her present and her shaky future all by herself with no real support.

I liked the writing in this a lot, and I would definitely be interested in picking up more short fiction from Lauren Aimee Curtis. I really liked the fact that we were only given a glimpse of Dolores - we never found out her true name or where she was from. We know she was used by boys in a way that definitely makes the reader uncomfortable but also in a way that doesn't come across as against Dolores' wishes. Just in a way that makes you sad for the more innocent and loved girl Dolores should have been. She didn't seem to be from a 'bad' family - she appeared to be loved. But things just didn't work out and she obviously felt the need to run away with a baby in her belly, rather than stay and receive some kind of support from her parents.

I loved Dolores's descriptions of the nuns and the convent - none of which are glowing. The picture painted of the old, silent, and mostly ugly nuns is done really well and I definitely felt the atmosphere and saw the picture being painted by Dolores. Yet, there is an odd fondness in how she describes them as well as despite everything, they have taken her in as a potential new member of the flock.

This short book is definitely worth a read for people who like literary fiction, and a fascinating insight into a confused young girl's mind. Really enjoyed it.

I received this book for free from O’Brien Press in exchange for an honest review.

Leon is an initiate in a world that’s been destroyed by solar flares, and its inhabitants are waiting for the fourth and final message from an alien civilisation promising to save them. To become a man, Leon now must go on a hunt in the wilderness but things unravel very quickly and Leon ends up on a completely different kind of journey.

There is very little to praise about this book. Literally the only thing I can say was promising about it was the writing itself. The author can write and that’s about it, the story itself was terrible and disturbing and it just really irritated me. I wanted to DNF this book after a few short chapters but decided to finish it all so I could make sure I had read the full book before giving a critical review.

The premise of this book is confusing, and just grows more baffling as readers are given more glimpses into the world and the different types of people and communities who live it. Nothing is really explained properly and I feel like I was kept in the dark about everything simply because Leon didn’t know anything. Even when characters like Martha/Ulya tried to explain things - it still didn’t make any sense.

This book is a dystopian with a hefty dose of sci-fi but it was also hard to figure out where in the world it was set. It seemed to be America but then Ulya came from the Ukraine and knew America was America, not what others called it and I couldn’t figure out why she knew some things and every other character didn’t. It was so confusing. Something happens to Leon early on in the book too and he begins to change or something begins to transform within him, and this also wasn’t really explained properly. It was like the reader was just expected to accept everything.

But the WORST thing in this book was the backwards way every single woman was treated. I mean there’s literally only about a handful of women who appear in the book, and only one of these has any sort of main role - but she’s a slave, and for some reason sticks to Leon the entire time despite being free to run and she does not any real excuse to actually like or care for him because he’s a bit of an empty character. No character really had a personality in this book. Every female character seemed to be there just to act as an accessory to a male character, and it was sooooo problematic. I’m shocked this book was seen as fit to publish. We are so BEYOND books like this now. There was also a problematic discussion among a few of the young male characters near the start about this crazy ‘bleeding between the legs’ they heard happened to a woman, where she didn’t even need to cut herself to bleed. So obviously talking about periods and in a modern world where there is still so much stigma around periods (think girls missing school, women being contained to huts during their periods in third world communities) this just IS NOT ON. In a YA book, there should not be this conspiracy, dramatised rumourville around menstruation. How great would it have been to have men who knew about periods, were not afraid or grossed out about them and got on with normal life - ya know, the way all women do. Shocking, I know.

Don’t read this book.