A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas

Title: A Ruse of Shadows (Lady Sherlock #8)

Author: Sherry Thomas

Publisher: Berkley 2024

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 335

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Charlotte’s success on the RMS Provence has afforded her a certain measure of time and assurance. Taking advantage of that, she has been busy, plotting to prise the man her sister loves from Moriarty’s iron grip.

Disruption, however, comes from an unexpected quarter. Lord Bancroft Ashburton, disgraced and imprisoned as a result of Charlotte’s prior investigations, nevertheless manages to press Charlotte into service: Underwood, his most loyal henchman, is missing and Lord Bancroft wants Charlotte to find Underwood, dead or alive.

But then Lord Bancroft himself turns up dead and Charlotte, more than anyone else, meets the trifecta criteria of motive, means, and opportunity. Never mind rescuing anyone else, with the law breathing down her neck, can Charlotte save herself from prosecution for murder?

The next installment in the Lady Sherlock series and I must say that I’m slightly disappointed. After the fun and intrigue of a locked room mystery in the last book, this one felt much more aimless and complicated. I am still with Charlotte as she navigates all the mysteries, conspiracies, and seemingly random murders. But… There were too many threads in this one leading all the way back to the first book in the series. At times, I really had to sit and think for a minute about what thread we were referencing. I still love Charlotte and Mrs. Watson, and Ash. I was not super loving the random interludes with Olivia, but understand their purpose. I’m still into this series, I just think this one was a bit of a muddle to get through.

Lady Sherlock

• #1 A Study in Scarlet Women

• #2 A Conspiracy in Belgravia

• #3 The Hollow of Fear

• #4 The Art of Theft

• #5 Murder on Cold Street

• #6 Miss Moriarty, I Presume?

• #7 A Tempest at Sea

Next up on the TBR pile:

Under the Mistletoe Collection

The Under the Mistletoe Collection is comprised of 5 original short stories presented through the Amazon Original Stories program. Stories from any of the collections are available to read or listen for free with Amazon Prime.

Title: Cruel Winter with You

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories 2024

Genre: Romance Short Story

Pages: 73

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

Spice Rating: 5

All newly minted pediatrician Jamie Malek wants is to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, that requires her to interact with Marc—her best friend’s troublemaking brother, who’s now a tech billionaire. He’s the one who got away. She’s the one who broke his heart. Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter’s night.:

I really do enjoy enemies to lovers style romance stories. This one was short and sweet, but lots of good banter. I have mostly really loved Ali Hazelwood’s publications.

Title: Merry Ever After

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories 2024

Genre: Romance Short Story

Pages: 59

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

Spice Rating: 5

Evie Crowe is starting over in a strange town with her newborn, and men are the furthest thing from her mind. If only the quiet, hulking farmer, Luke Ward, would stop coming into the thrift shop and piquing her reluctant interest. Evie wants to stay single all the way—she can’t trust anything more than friends-with-holiday-benefits. But Luke is in it for the long haul. He’s fixed on making this a Christmas Evie will remember forever. If she gives him a chance.

Tessa Bailey writes a type of aggressive alpha male characters that I’m not a huge fan of. In this one, we don’t get enough of Luke for me to root for him. Instead, the story positions Luke in a much more creepy stalker role. Not my favorite.

Title: All By My Elf

Author: Olivia Dade

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories 2024

Genre: Romance Short Stories

Pages: 59

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

Spice Rating: 4

Nina and William are underpaid adjunct professors at the same university, where winter break is no break at all: ’tis the season to make extra money. When their holiday side hustle has them stranded by a blinding blizzard in the middle of nowhere, there’s nothing to do but cuddle up for warmth and play a hot and bothered game of Never Have I Ever to pass the time. But in the game of love, secrets never stay secret for long…

Too much silliness in this one. Riding around in a phallic shaped pastry vehicle is a little much for me. I wanted to see more actual connection between these two people instead of lots of flashbacks. It was fine.

Title: Merriment and Mayhem

Author: Alexandria Bellfleur

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories 2024

Genre: Romance Short Story

Pages: 58

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

Spice Rating: 5

When Everleigh Dangerfield’s baking disaster necessitates a call to 911, firefighter Griffin Brantley douses the flames in the kitchen, but the ones he stokes in Everleigh are an entirely different story. Unfortunately, Everleigh’s only visiting and doesn’t do casual hookups, no matter how smoldering the temptation. But Everleigh’s holiday mishaps have just begun. And Griffin is seemingly always on call. If Everleigh is game for a change of plans, he can give her the merriest Christmas of her life.

Okay this was absolute nonsense and I really liked it. The collection of events that led to the Everleigh and Griffin getting together was wild and fast-paced. I would definitely read more stories from Bellefleur.

Title: Only Santas in the Building

Author: Alexis Daria

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories 2024

Genre: Romance Short Story

Pages: 65

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

Spice Rating: 4

All Evie Cruz wants for Christmas is a nap. And maybe some ornaments for her naked Christmas tree. And while she’s making a list, she wouldn’t mind unwrapping her sexy upstairs neighbor like a present. Luckily, the building’s Santa-themed party and a surprise sprig of mistletoe give her just the opening she needs to make all her wishes come true.

Another cute story involving a secret Santa and crushes on neighbors. I was rooting for Evie to come out of her work fog, enjoy life, and possibly make a romantic connection. Such a cute story.

Next up on the TBR pile

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers

Title: The Book Swap

Author: Tessa Bickers

Publisher: Graydon House 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

Still reeling from a recent tragedy, Erin Connolly knows she needs to start living, but has no idea how. When she accidentally donates her favorite book—a heavily annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird containing a memento she can’t be without—to a local little community library, she’s devastated. But then the book turns up a week later, back in the library with fresh notes in the margins, along with an invitation in a copy of Great Expectations to meet her newfound pen pal.

A life-changing conversation, written only in the margins of beloved classic books, begins between Erin and her Mystery Man. Following each other through the pages of their favorite novels as the book exchange continues, they both begin to open up, falling into a friendship…and maybe something more.

But Erin and her pen pal have a shared history that neither of them has guessed. Faced with painful reminders of the past—and the one person she swore never to forgive—Erin finds herself at a crossroads. One that could change her life forever.

This was such a different book than I was expecting to read. I thought it was going to be a light-hearted rom com. Instead, we get a much more serious story of growth and identity featuring two lost characters who eventually begin a relationship. But their romantic relationship wasn’t the focus of the book. I got lots of Fleabag vibes especially with the dead best friend and life flailing. From there, I started really rooting for Erin to find her purpose and own up to her past mistakes. So many of the scenes were not fun and light-hearted. They were definitely serious. And yet, I found myself really enjoying this story and especially connecting to James. I loved the book swap device to move the story forward. Sure, it was a bit cheesy, but also pretty clever.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay

Title: The Holiday Honeymoon Switch

Author: Julia McKay

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 4 (couple of explicit scenes, but short and easy to skip)

Holly Beech and Ivy Casey are bury-the-body besties. They’re so in sync, they even look alike. When Holly’s fiancé jilts her, leaving her in shock and with a nonrefundable honeymoon, Holly convinces Ivy to switch places. Ivy will go on the Hawaiian honeymoon her best friend can’t bear to take alone, while Holly escapes to Ivy’s rented Hudson Valley cabin to binge-watch holiday movies and heal.
But Holly’s wallowing is interrupted when her rugged Airbnb host turns out to be her high school academic rival who’s had a major glow-up. Meanwhile, Ivy’s (now Hawaiian) annual solo art retreat is upended when Holly’s ex-fiancé checks into the honeymoon suite—with a new woman. Raging and bed-less, the last thing Ivy expects is for the hot hotel bartender to come to her rescue. Against all odds, this Christmas might prove the most magical yet.

Decent little holiday themed romance to kick off my month. I wanted something fairly easy and breezy and that’s exactly what I got. Holly and Ivy are those super annoying best friends who are complete ride or die for each other. Thankfully, we don’t have to suffer through too many scenes of them together. Mostly we get to see how each friends deals with their issues across the country from each other. I loved Ivy’s of facing her fears and finally pursuing her dreams all while getting to know the hot bartender. I felt like Ivy was the story that exhibited all the character growth and change. Meanwhile, Holly is just there and coincidentally finds her person that also happens to have been the one person from high school. Pretty cliched! Thankfully Aiden helps overcome the super cheese to round out the story. Nothing too life-changing, but a fun holiday romance.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne

Title: A Soul to Keep (Dustwalker Brides #1)

Author: Opal Reyne

Publisher: Opal Reyne 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 534

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

All Reia ever wanted was freedom.

Known as a harbinger of bad omens and blamed for Demons eating her family, Reia is shunned by her entire village. When the next offering is due and the monstrous Duskwalker is seen heading their way, her village offers her an impossible choice – be thrown into the prison cells or allow herself to be sacrificed to a faceless monster.

However, he is not what he seems. His skull face and glowing eyes are ethereal, and she finds herself unwittingly enchanted by him.

All Orpheus ever wanted was a companion.

Each decade, in exchange for a protection ward from the Demons that terrorise the world, Orpheus takes a human offering to the Veil – the place he lives and the home of Demons. The brief companionship does little to ease his loneliness, and their lives were always, unfortunately, cut short.

He'd thought it was a hopeless endeavour, until he met her. She’s not afraid of him, and his insatiable desire deepens
within every moment of her presence.

But will Orpheus be able to convince Reia to stay before she’s lost to him forever?

CW: Death, explicit sex with tentacles

This is another super explicit romance book that I stumbled upon and ultimately enjoyed. At the core, this series is clearly exploring trauma and its affects. Reia has been neglected her entire life after surviving a horrific event. Orpheus is suffering from confusion and fighting against his nature to find a companion. These two unlikely creatures are forced together and begin to peal back the layers. The book itself moves pretty slowly for the first 200 pages. We get a lot of inner monologue from Reia and a lot of world building. I do wish that some of the monologue was trimmed as it become very repetitive later on in the book. The chapters from Orpheus’s perspective were much more interesting. And then we get to the sex scenes. They are not for the faint of heart, nor are they for people who are not open to the weird. Those scenes are extremely explicit earning my highest spice meter rating of 8. Be forewarned. The ending was very rushed and somewhat confusing. There’s a lot of exposition and information dump towards the end that I don’t think I completely understood all. But, I’m willing to keep learning and keep reading this series.

Duskwalker Brides

• #1 A Soul to Keep

• #2 A Soul to Heal

• #3 A Soul to Touch

• #4 A Soul to Guide

• #5 A Soul to Revive

• #6 A Soul to Steal

• #7 A Soul to Protect

• #8 A Soul to Embrace

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

Title: A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir of Lady Trent (Memoirs of Lady Trent #1)

Author: Marie Brennan

Publisher: Tor Books 2013

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 334

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Relating to “Wild”

Where I Got It: Library

You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart―no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon's presence, even for the briefest of moments―even at the risk of one's life―is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. . . .

All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

I finally got around to the beginning of this series and it was very enjoyable. Written as a scientific memoir, we follow Lady Trent on her first adventure concerning dragons. Along the way, we are treated to a study of Vystrana and its people. At times, this book is fairly slow. The style is definitely of 19th century prose. Lady Trent adds in a ton of asides and explanations of theories and actions as the book progresses. And yet, was very intrigued and wanted to see where the story went. This book reminded me greatly of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries (which I loved), but slightly slower and duller. Emily Wilde was a much more exciting narrator. And yet, I did ultimately enjoy this book and plan to continue the series in the future.

Memoirs of Lady Trent

• #1 A Natural History of Dragons

• #2 The Tropic of Serpents

• #3 The Voyage of the Basilisk

• #4 In the Labyrinth of Drakes

• #5 Within the Sanctuary of Wings

• #6 Turning Darkness into Light

Next up on the TBR pile:

Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn

Title: Mistress of Rome (Empress of Rome #1)

Author: Kate Quinn

Publisher: Berkley 2010

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 470

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf

Where I Got It: Unread Shelf

First-century Rome: A ruthless emperor watches over all—and fixes his gaze on one young woman...

Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia. Now she has infuriated her mistress by capturing the attention of Rome’s newest and most savage gladiator—and though his love brings Thea the first happiness of her life, their affair ends quickly when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

Remaking herself as a singer for Rome’s aristocrats, Thea unwittingly attracts another admirer: the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But the passions of an all-powerful man come with a heavy price, and Thea finds herself fighting for both her soul and her sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor’s mistress.

I cannot tell you how many years this book has sat on my Unread Shelf. I know that I got it before we moved back from California, so at least 6 years. I’ve read many of Kate Quinn’s later books, but never this series. We picked it for our November book club selection and I finally dove in. Overall, I really enjoyed this look at Ancient Rome. The first 150 pages are fairly slow, but once we get past those, the story really gets going. We have to establish our world and our characters before we get to the meat of the story. Thea was a great outsider character left to navigate the treacherous and unjust world of Rome. I was rooting for her right from the beginning. Marcus was fascinating and I really wanted to see more of him that we got. Lepida was horrid and I really wished she has faced a more terrible end, but at least she did face her end. I liked the interplay of the storylines and the different levels of Roman society depicted. We got a little of everything, even a few real historical people. I just wish it had been about 100 pages shorter with some extra slow and long sections trimmed down. Still, I have the rest of the series and will put them in my TBR short pile.

Empress of Rome

• #1 Mistress of Rome

• #2 Daughters of Rome

• #3 Empress of the Seven Hills

• #4 Lady of the Eternal City

Next up on the TBR pile:

Desperate Measures by Katee Robert

Title: Desperate Measures (Wicked Villains #1)

Author: Katee Robert

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retellings; She Reads Romance - Guardian

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 6

Once upon a time, I was a sheltered princess. Now he owns me, body and soul.

One night, and my entire life went up in flames. All because of him. Jafar. As my world burned around me, he offered me a choice: walk away with nothing but my freedom…or rise to his challenge and win my fortune back.

I bargained.

I lost.

Now Jafar owns me, and even as my mind rails against him, my body loves the delicious punishments he deals out. It's almost enough to believe he cares. But a gilded cage is still a prison, and I'll do anything to obtain my freedom.

Even betray the man who captured my heart.

Another romance novel that explores the idea of consent. I was warned off of this book years ago by a friend. I understand her hesitations over this book. The opening chapters are brutal. We are not eased into this story. We have to immediately confront the brutality that Jafar brings to the situation. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read this one, but noticed that this version includes Robert’s footnotes and commentary. I was intrigued, so I dove in. I actually ended up enjoying this novel. We get a progression on a relationship that I wouldn’t want to be in, but plays itself out on the pages for the reader. I enjoyed seeing the communication and boundary lines solidified as the pages pass. Yasmina is such a sheltered character that it hurt to read her reactions in many of the chapters. Once she started to grow, I started to really root for her as a character. The ending was absolutely perfect for these two characters. And Robert’s footnotes add great commentary to the story and her writing process and growth. I hope that the rest of the series will be released in the same way.

Wicked Villains

• #1 Desperate Measures

• #2 Learn My Lesson

• #3 A Worthy Opponent

• #4 The Beast

• #5 The Sea Witch

• #6 Queen Takes Rose

Next up on the TBR pile:

Alice in Borderland Vol. 1

Title: Alice in Borderland Vol. 1

Author: Haro Aso

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2021

Genre: Comics

Pages: 344

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retellings (replacing Rumplestitlskin)

Where I Got It: Library

Eighteen-year-old Ryohei Arisu is sick of his life. School sucks, his love life is a joke, and his future feels like impending doom. As he struggles to exist in a world that can’t be bothered with him, Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else. When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world, Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true. But this new world isn’t an empty paradise, it’s a vicious game. And the only way to survive is to play.

The first game starts with a bang, but Ryohei manages to beat the clock and save his friends. It’s a short-lived victory, however, as they discover that winning only earns them a few days’ grace period. If they want to get home, they’re going to have to start playing a lot harder.

I’ve had this series on my TBR for years now. Funnily enough, it was watching Katee Robert’s instagram stories that brought it back to the top of the pile. Very quickly, we are dumped into Borderland and attempt to start understanding the rules of the game. I was concerned that Ryohei was going to be super annoying throughout, but very quickly attempts to focus on his new reality and the games. Volume 1 includes the introduction plus two games. We get to see some of Borderland’s other players and begin to understand the implications of the games. Plus there are some tantalizing clues as to the ultimate strategies. Cannot wait to read Volume 2.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

Title: Haunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse #1)

Author: H.D. Carlton

Publisher: HD Carlton 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 585

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

The Manipulator
I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me.
I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh.
But my words don't affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave.
He's always there, watching and waiting.
And I can never look away.
Not when I want him to come closer.

The Shadow
I didn't mean to fall in love.
But now that I have, I can't stay away.
I'm mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves.
The way she undresses...
I'll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine.
And once she is, I'll never let her go.
Not even when she begs me to.

So Many Content Warnings on This One!!!!! Please look these up before reading.

I knew going into this book that this might be amazing or absolutely terrible. It ended up being something I really enjoyed exploring, but it’s definitely not the book for most people. I want to make it clear that I view this book as fantasy (and it’s not because of the ghost element). Combining the MMC’s crusade and his treatment of Adeline, this is squarely a fantasy novel. I didn’t read this as a realistic romance. I read this as a fantasy novel revolving around a romance. A distinction that made my reading of this book much more enjoyable. In here, Carlton is exploring the theme of consent. While our characters don’t have a clear conversation, there are many instances where they talk about consent. Adeline, whether she is admitting it or not, has a lot of power in their dynamic. It is in her continued baiting and comments that give the MMC consent. I am not saying that this book doesn’t have some problematic areas, but that I really enjoyed this exploration.

Cat and Mouse

• #1 Haunting Adeline

• #2 Hunting Adeline

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren

Title: Tangled Up in You (Meant to Be #4)

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Hyperion Avenue 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retellings

Spice Rating: 3

She has a dream. He has a plan. Together they’ll take a leap of faith.

Ren has never held an iPhone, googled the answer to a question, or followed a crush on social media. What she has done: Read a book or two, or three (okay, hundreds). Taught herself to paint. Built a working wind power system from scratch. But for all the books she’s read, Ren has never found one that’s taught a woman raised on a homestead and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years how to live in the real world. So when she finally achieves her lifelong dream of attending Corona College, it feels like her life is finally beginning.

Fitz has the rest of his life mapped out: Graduate from Corona at the top of his class, get his criminal record wiped clean, and pass himself off as the rich, handsome player everyone thinks he is. He’s a few short months from checking off step one of his plans when Ren Gylden, with her cascading blonde hair and encyclopedic brain, crashes into his life, and for the first time Fitz’s plan is in jeopardy.

But a simple assignment in their immunology seminar changes the course of both their lives, and suddenly they’re thrown out of the frying pan and into the fireon a road trip that will lead them in the most unexpected directions. Out on the open road, the world somehow shifts, and the unlikely pair realize that, maybe, the key to the dreams they've both been chasing have been sitting next to them the whole time.

For most of this book, I was fully engaged in the story. I do love the forced proximity trope and the sunshine/grump trope, and this one was a great example of those. The beginning was a bit slow, but once we got on the road, the story really got moving. I loved seeing Ren and Fitz begin to trust each other and find themselves on the road trip. The scene in the biker bar was hilarious and just perfect for their story. I was interested to see how their relationship progressed. But then we get to the last fourth of the book. Everything was way too rushed for my tastes. I wanted to sit with the characters a bit more. I wanted to see the characters interact with others (like Mary!) and let those other characters see how they have changed. I wanted to see the main characters in their next place. The epilogue was a complete throwaway. I just really wanted more with this book.

Meant to Be:

• #1 If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

• #2 By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

• #3 Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova

• #4 Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren

• #5 Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Nighthouse Keeper by Lora Senf

Title: The Nighthouse Keeper (Blight Harbor #2)

Author: Lora Senf

Publisher: Atheneum Books 2023

Genre: MG Horror

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season RC

Where I Got It: Library

Evie Von Rathe has been home for only a few weeks from her adventure in the strange world of seven houses when Blight Harbor’s beloved ghosts begin to disappear. Did they leave without saying goodbye, or has something gone horribly wrong? Soon Evie is invited to a mysterious council meeting, where she learns about the Dark Sun Side and a terrible secret.

Yes, the ghosts have gone missing. And that means serious trouble.

Another fun and creepy adventure story featuring the other side and the dead and living residents of Blight Harbor. I loved seeing the addition of a new companion for Evie with Lark. But, the overall adventure wasn’t as creepy as I would have liked. The bit on the train with the ghouls was delicious, but otherwise, I wanted more creepy. Hopefully, The Clackity actually makes an appearance in the third book. I need to have more dealings with an actually interesting villain.

Blight Harbor

• #1 The Clackity

• #2 The Nighthouse Keeper

• #3 The Loneliest Place

Next up on the TBR pile:

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

Title: Haunted Ever After (Boneyard Key #1)

Author: Jen DeLuca

Publisher: Berkley 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 326

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 5 (although not really until the end)

Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning. 

Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she's catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order.

As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don't get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie's worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing…and Nick's afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

I was excited to see a new book from Jen DeLuca. I mostly loved her Well Met series and was hoping for some more swoony romance. This series is a bit different. We get a spooky setting of the haunted Florida town of Boneyard Key and the mystery of a potentially harmful ghost. Intertwined we get the story of Cassie’s attempt to find a home and Nick’s attempt to find happiness. I enjoyed their story, but at times, it felt like not enough. I wanted more emotion, more spookiness, more mystery, and definitely more steamy scenes. I will read the next book (maybe about Theo and Sophie?), but won’t be holding my breath for this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Title: The Essex Serpent

Author: Sarah Perry

Publisher: Mariner Books 2016

Genre: Magical Realism

Pages: 422

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: ????

An exquisitely talented young British author makes her American debut with this rapturously acclaimed historical novel, set in late nineteenth-century England, about an intellectually minded young widow, a pious vicar, and a rumored mythical serpent that explores questions about science and religion, skepticism, and faith, independence and love.

When Cora Seaborne’s brilliant, domineering husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness: her marriage was not a happy one. Wed at nineteen, this woman of exceptional intelligence and curiosity was ill-suited for the role of society wife. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space in the wake of the funeral, Cora leaves London for a visit to coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive eleven-year old son, Francis, and the boy’s nanny, Martha, her fiercely protective friend.

While admiring the sites, Cora learns of an intriguing rumor that has arisen further up the estuary, of a fearsome creature said to roam the marshes claiming human lives. After nearly 300 years, the mythical Essex Serpent is said to have returned, taking the life of a young man on New Year’s Eve. A keen amateur naturalist with no patience for religion or superstition, Cora is immediately enthralled, and certain that what the local people think is a magical sea beast may be a previously undiscovered species. Eager to investigate, she is introduced to local vicar William Ransome. Will, too, is suspicious of the rumors. But unlike Cora, this man of faith is convinced the rumors are caused by moral panic, a flight from true belief.

These seeming opposites who agree on nothing soon find themselves inexorably drawn together and torn apart—an intense relationship that will change both of their lives in ways entirely unexpected.

I finished the book and spent a lot of time thinking about how the summary of the story doesn’t really track with the story inside. I was expecting a tense story full of magical doings and some romantic tension. Instead, I got a very quiet character study of a cast of Victorian characters. Everyone acts in line with the time and place they live in giving this a much more melancholy feel instead of suspense or tension. Cora is at times a strong heroine to root for and a privileged oblivious woman bumbling around in other people’s lives. She could be very frustrating at times. On the other side, William Ransome is also extremely frustrating and yet, very much how I think a vicar in England at the time would think and act. For a page or two, I wanted them to find happiness in each other, but also realized that they were terrible for each other. The book quietly moves along with multiple subplots and character storylines. Coming to the abrupt ending, I was a bit frustrated. But in the end, I really enjoyed this quiet meandering story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lore Olympus Vol. 7 by Rachel Smythe

Title: Lore Olympus Volume 7

Author: Rachel Smythe

Publisher: Inklore 2024

Genre: Fantasy Comic

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

“Blood of mine or not, if you proceed with this trial, I hope you are prepared to live with the consequences.”

The rifts between realms grow ever wider as the temporary shelter Persephone had found in the Underworld is destroyed. Apollo has captured Demeter, turning the fugitive goddess over to Zeus in an attempt to win the king’s favor. Persephone and her mother must now stand trial for concealing Persephone’s unsanctioned act of wrath—though the goddess of spring feels secure with Hades on her side.

But safety is not guaranteed in the world of the gods.

As the trial brings to light truths and betrayals that threaten to upset everything—even Hades and Persephone’s relationship—the other gods face perils of their own.

Eros uncovers Ampelus’s secret during a fight in the Mortal Realm. Thanatos and Daphne’s budding relationship is threatened by a vengeful Apollo. Minthe is trapped in her cursed form until Persephone gains full control over her powers. And Hera is haunted by the specter of Kronos, whose influence in Olympus seems to be growing . . . 

This edition of Smythe’s original Eisner Award–winning webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 153-179 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.

I got my hands on this volume pretty quickly after its release date. And we finally get some movement in the story. It’s less about the will they, won’t they, and more about the how. I loved seeing Persephone become more confident and seek help when needed. I loved seeing some of the secrets start to be revealed. I feel like we need to coming towards the end of this series. I really want to see Persephone become Queen of the Dead!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

Title: The Hitchcock Hotel

Author: Stephanie Wrobel

Publisher: Berkley 2024

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

Where I Got It: Library

Alfred Smettle is not your average Hitchcock fan. He is the founder, owner, and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in the White Mountains dedicated to the Master of Suspense. There, Alfred offers his guests round-the-clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, plus an aviary with fifty crows.

To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from his college Film Club for a reunion. He hasn’t spoken to any of them in sixteen years, not after what happened.

But who better than them to appreciate Alfred’s creation? And to help him finish it.

After all, no Hitchcock set is complete without a body.

This book is a bit of a slow burn. The murder doesn’t actually happen until very far into the story. Before that, we get a great atmospheric set-up complete with unreliable narrators. We have reason to suspect that every single character is keeping a big secret that could harm another. Slowly the secrets start coming to the light and the tension increases. At a certain point in the story, I was on the edge of my seat just waiting for something terrible to happen. Thankfully it did. And then we get the big unraveling of all the mysteries, at least for the reader. While I liked how this one ended, I felt it was a bit too coincidental. I cannot believe that none of the other characters figured it out. Oh well. I guess people want to see what they want to see. Still, it was a very enjoyable mystery/thriller.

Next up on the TBR pile:

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human by Kimberly Lemming

Title: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human (Mead Mishaps #3)

Author: Kimberly Lemming

Publisher: Orbit 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 5

All children are told fairytales. Some are epic adventures with high stakes and exciting twists, while others are tales of pitiful princesses trapped in boring towers pining for their Prince Charmings to come and rescue them. Growing up, Cherry always hated those stories. Why didn’t the princesses just get up and rescue themselves? Little did she know that her own fate would take an ironically similar turn. Because now, here she is. Stuck. In a tower. Turns out, when a dragon holds you hostage, he doesn’t just let you get up and leave.
 
Who knew?
 
And just when Cherry thinks she sees hope on the horizon, that hope is smashed to bits by—you guessed it—another damn dragon.

And so we conclude the Mead Mishaps trilogy. I was hoping to see more of Dante and thankfully we get an entire book focused on him. I must say that I wasn’t quite as enamored with Cherry as I was with Cinnamon and Brie. She was just a little more of a one-note character. I would have liked to see more of the interactions between the characters after Cherry returns to Boohail. Instead, the book ends pretty abruptly. I did enjoy the adventure until then. My favorite parts were the conversations between Dante, Fallon, and Felix.

Mead Mishaps

• #1 That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon

• #1.5 Mistlefoe

• #2 That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf

• #2.5 A Bump in Boohail

• #3 That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling

Title: The Kiss Curse (Graves Glen #2)

Author: Erin Sterling

Publisher: Avon 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 309

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Where I Got It: Library

Gwyn Jones is perfectly happy with her life in Graves Glen. She, her mom, and her cousin have formed a new and powerful coven; she’s running a successful witchcraft shop, Something Wicked; and she’s started mentoring some of the younger witches in town. As Halloween approaches, there’s only one problem—Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow.

Wells has come to Graves Glen to re-establish his family’s connection to the town they founded as well as to make a new life for himself after years of being the dutiful son in Wales. When he opens up a shop of his own, Penhallow’s, just across the street from Something Wicked, he quickly learns he’s gotten more than he bargained for in going up against Gwyn.

When their professional competition leads to a very personal—and very hot—kiss, both Wells and Gwyn are determined to stay away from each other, convinced the kiss was just a magical fluke. But when a mysterious new coven of witches come to town and Gwyn’s powers begin fading, she and Wells must work together to figure out just what these new witches want and how to restore Gwyn’s magic before it’s too late.

Somehow I read the first book in this series, enjoyed it, and completely forgot about it. I saw that Sterling’s newest book is publishing this month and so I thought I would catch up. I remember being slightly annoyed by the main characters in the first book, but was still intrigued by the side characters to continue. In this one, we get a great larger mystery and some great sexual tension. Gwyn and Wells are such a great opposites attract couple. I loved seeing them spar throughout the first half of the novel. Once we get to the last third, the plot moves into high gear. I loved seeing how Gwyn and Wells worked together to save the town. And now I need to read the last one in this trilogy.

Graves Glen

• #1 The Ex Hex

• #2 The Kiss Curse

• #3 The Wedding Witch

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

Title: Unbury Carol

Author: Josh Malerman

Publisher: Delacorte Press 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Book of the Month October 2023

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’sdecades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

I read Young’s previous book, Spells for Forgetting, and enjoyed the atmospheric slightly spooky story. We picked her newest book as our book club selection for October. I immediately fell into the Farrow family lore and wanted to know more about their history. As June’s life becomes unraveled, I really started rooting for her to get her happiness. Once we are transported back in time, the storyline really gets moving and I was desperate to figure out all the secrets. I sped through the book and let out a contented sigh at the end. This was a great slightly magical book about a woman finding her place.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates

Title: Ghost Camera

Author: Darcy Coates

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press 2024

Genre: Horror

Pages: 352

Rating: /5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

When Jenine finds an abandoned polaroid camera, she playfully snaps a photo without a second thought. But there's something wrong with the image: a ghostly figure stands in the background, watching her.

Fixated on her.

Moving one step closer with every picture she takes.

Desperate, Jenine shares her secret with her best friend, Bree. Together they realize the camera captures unsettling impressions of the dead. But now the ghosts seem to be following the two friends. And with each new photo taken, a terrible danger grows ever clearer…

This is actually a reimagined version of one of Coates’ first stories. Ghost Camera is the novella included in this otherwise collection of short stories. Short story collections are not usually my favorite as they tend to be very uneven. This one isn’t an exception, but I still did enjoy most of the stories included. Ghost Camera is the stand out featuring a few very creepy scenes. I loved using the camera as a device to explore the creepy otherworld. Loved it.

Next up on the TBR pile: