Category: book review

The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: January 30th, 2024

Genre: Horror, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Adult, Mystery Thriller, Supernatural, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | AbeBooks | Kobo

Goodreads Synopsis:

The next high concept horror novel from NYT bestselling author Christopher Golden.

Across Italy, there are many half-empty towns, nearly abandoned by those who migrate to the coast or to cities. The beautiful, crumbling hilltop town of Becchina is among them, but its mayor has taken drastic measures to rebuild—selling abandoned homes to anyone in the world for a single Euro, as long as the buyer promises to live there for at least five years. It’s a no-brainer for American couple Tommy and Kate Puglisi. Both work remotely, and Becchina is the home of Tommy’s grandparents, his closest living relatives.

It feels like a romantic adventure, an opportunity the young couple would be crazy not to seize. But from the moment they move in, they both feel a shadow has fallen on them. Tommy’s grandmother is furious, even a little frightened, when she realizes which house they’ve bought.

There are rooms in an annex at the back of the house that they didn’t know were there. The place makes strange noises at night, locked doors are suddenly open, and when they go to a family gathering, they’re certain people are whispering about them, and about their house, which one neighbor refers to as The House of Last Resort. Soon, they learn that the home was owned for generations by the Church, but the real secret, and the true dread, is unlocked when they finally learn what the priests were doing in this house for all those long years…and how many people died in the strange chapel inside.

While down in the catacombs beneath Becchina…something stirs.

First Line:

The rats are like fingers.

The House of Last Restort by Christopher Golden

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Medium until the last few chapters, then it’s fast.

POV: 3rd person

There are scenes of dementia, anxiety & anxiety attacks, alcohol consumption, blood and gore scenes, dead bodies and body parts, death of a grandparent and parent, grief & loss, building collapse, cults, knife violence, attempted murder, physical assault, earthquakes, animal attack, animal death, demonic possession, and exorcisms (past and present). If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book.

Language: There is moderate swearing in The House of Last Resort. There is also language used that could be offensive to some people.

Setting: The House of Last Resort is set in Becchina, Italy.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Tommy and Kate couldn’t believe their luck when they found out about a program to repopulate villages in Italy. For one Euro, they can buy a house with the only stipulation that they live there for five years and update the home. They were even more thrilled when they found a home in the same village where Tommy’s Nonna and Nonno live.

But, when they arrived, they felt something was off with the house. The door would open when closed, there is an annex to the house that wasn’t disclosed in the original plans, and people seem to be whispering about them and the home. Then Kate makes a discovery that appears to explain everything. Hoping to turn her discovery into a money maker, Kate sets about renovating the house against Tommy and some of the village’s wishes.

What secrets does this house have? Why are people so afraid of it? What Tommy and Kate find out is the tip of a conspiracy involving the Church and going back generations.

Characters:

The main characters in The House of Last Resort are Kate and Tommy. They were well-written and well-fleshed-out characters. I was surprised by the character growth that they both did—now, saying that I was not too fond of either of them.

Kate got on my one last nerve the entire book. She was rude, dismissed Nonna’s views of the house, and was out to make a buck on the house’s tragic past. In other words: She was your stereotypical American. But that alone didn’t make me like her (it did annoy me). Nope, it was her treatment of Tommy and her obsession with the catacombs. I thought her treatment of Tommy was horrible until the end of the book when her attitude did a 180. Who prevents their husband from visiting with their dying grandfather? Kate did. She just wasn’t likable. And that is why I found it very hard to believe her change in personality and treatment of Tommy towards the end of the book. It didn’t fit in with what I was presented with.

I pitied Tommy. But I also felt he was a pushover for most of the book. He had reservations about moving to Italy and the house. His inactions allowed Kate to become the way she was, and it was too late when he took action to reel her in. From the middle of the book, every decision he made directly contributed to the events at the end.

My review:

I was excited to read The House of Last Resort. The blurb had gotten my interest piqued. I mean, a book written about a house in Italy with a past with the Church? I was very interested in it. Then I read it, and it fell flat, which was disappointing.

The main storyline of The House of Last Resort centers around Kate and Tommy, their house, and the secrets they find out about it. That storyline was well written and did keep me tuned into the book. The author did have me guessing what would happen and why Kate and Tommy were picked out (explained at the book’s end). I was also surprised by what the house was used for in the past and its connection to Tommy’s family.

The storyline was a slow build. Everything that happened was written off as “Oh, the house is old” or “Oh, the house didn’t have residents in it for a long time.” But the book starts to build up speed when Kate finds the catacombs and the bodies. It was speeding along when the earthquake happened and when everything was revealed. I was horrified, and at the same time, I couldn’t put my darn Kindle down!!

The horror aspect of the book comes into focus when Nonno and Kate have that interaction. And even then, it was very understated. But then the author introduced the one animal I have a phobia of: rats. The author used the rats very interestingly, bolstering the storyline and making it even more creepy (Tommy’s trek through the other catacombs has been etched into my brain forever).

The end of The House of Last Restort did surprise me. I wasn’t expecting the book to end the way it did. It was a disturbing ending that made me feel for Tommy.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Christopher Golden for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The House of Last Resort. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The House of Last Resort, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Christopher Golden

Playlist (generated by ChatGPT)

  1. “Tubular Bells” – Mike Oldfield (from The Exorcist)
  2. “Main Title” – Bernard Herrmann (from Psycho)
  3. “Red Right Hand” – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
  4. “Danse Macabre” – Camille Saint-Saëns
  5. “A Night on Bald Mountain” – Modest Mussorgsky
  6. “Darkness on the Edge of Town” – Bruce Springsteen
  7. “Thriller” – Michael Jackson
  8. “Sympathy for the Devil” – The Rolling Stones
  9. “Black” – Pearl Jam
  10. “Eyes on Fire” – Blue Foundation
  11. “Paint It, Black” – The Rolling Stones
  12. “The Killing Moon” – Echo & The Bunnymen

The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: January 30th, 2024

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Adult, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit, Humor

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sometimes, when you ask the universe for your soulmate, you wind up with your hate mate instead.

On Nami’s 30th birthday, she’s reminded at every turn that her life isn’t what she planned. She’s always excelled at everything – until now. Her fiancé blew up their engagement. Her pride and joy, the tech company she helped to found, is about to lose funding. And her sister, Sora, is getting married to the man of her dreams, Jack, and instead of being happy for her, as she knows she ought to be, she’s fighting off jealousy.

Frustrated with her life, she makes a wish on a birthday candle to find her soulmate. Instead, the universe delivers her hate mate, Nami’s old high school nemesis, Jae Lee, the most popular kid from high school, who also narrowly beat her out for valedictorian. More than a decade later, Jae is still as effortlessly cool, charming, and stylish as ever, and, to make matters worse, is planning a hostile take-over of her start-up. sharp elbows and even sharper banter as the two go head-to-head to see who’ll win this time. But when their rivalry ignites a different kind of passion, Nami starts to realize that it’s not just her company that’s in danger of being taken over, but her heart as well.

First Line:

I hate birthdays like most people hate toilet paper hoarders.

The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of The Takeover is fast.

POV: The Takeover is told from Nami and Jae’s 1st person POV.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Takeover has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Death of a parent (mentioned)
  • Bullying (adult and workplace)
  • Grief

Sexual Content:  There is moderate sexual content in The Takeover.

Language: There is moderate swearing in The Takeover. There is also language used that could be offensive to some people.

Setting: The Takeover is set in Chicago.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Nami is dreading her 30th birthday. Her life hasn’t gone the way that she planned. Her company, a tech company that she poured her blood, sweat, and tears into, is about to lose funding. Her ex-fiance has moved on quickly, getting engaged almost immediately after the breakup. And her sister, well, her sister, is planning her wedding to the man of her dreams. Nami wonders where she went wrong. So, on the night of her 30th birthday party, Nami makes a birthday wish for a soulmate.

Instead of the soulmate she wants, Nami renews a rivalry with her childhood nemesis, Jae Lee. She hadn’t seen Jae since high school, but he was the same annoying jerk who had one-upped her at everything. Now, he is part of the acquisitions company looking to buy her company. Desperate to save her company, Nami finds herself going head-to-head with Jae. No one is more surprised than Nami when their hatred turns to passion. And just when she dares to let herself believe that she could have love, it is smashed, leaving her heartbroken. It is up to Jae to show Nami that she is his forever. Can Jae do that? Can he win Nami over and have their happily ever after? Or will Jae’s actions (or inactions) hinder that?

Characters:

The main characters in The Takeover are Nami and Jae. I found them to be well-written, well-fleshed-out characters. Their interactions had me laughing out loud while reading. Their enemies-to-lovers trope was interesting, and I liked how much history Nami and Jae had together. The sparks were apparent from the beginning, and as I read the book, I couldn’t wait to see those sparks ignite.

I did go into The Takeover with a preconceived notion about Nami. In The Second Your Single, she is portrayed as a Bridezilla with control issues. It wasn’t until the end of the book, when Sora needed her, that I saw who she was. So, I was a little shocked by how much I initially liked her.

I wasn’t a massive fan of Jae. Honestly, he came across as super arrogant. I wouldn’t say I liked how he got enjoyment over taking over Nami’s company. But then he started hanging out with Nami and became more human (if that makes sense).

I loved the secondary characters in this book. They were excellent, and they had Nami’s back. There was an amusing secondary storyline involving Del (who was a dink), his costly office chair, and a chair napping by someone on staff. It was hilarious, and I loved how it ended (and everyone in the company got involved). The lesson learned from this: don’t piss off your employees because they will get you back.

My review:

As I stated above, I went into reading The Takeover gingerly. I remembered Nami from the previous book and was very interested in how the author would portray her. It took me about a chapter before it registered that this wasn’t the Bridezilla from The Second Your Single. I decided to drop anything I felt about Nami then and went into this book, determined not to hold her to the first impression I had of her. I am glad I did because Nami in this book was excellent.

The main storyline follows Nami and Jae as they battle it out over the acquisition of her company. I enjoyed the witty and often snappy dialogue between Nami and Jae. But I also liked the personal relationships that Nami had. She cared for her employees, and if that meant dipping into her savings to pay for Breakfast Monday to make them happy, she did it. Her reaction to Jae was what I thought it would be (big rival from high school). I was surprised, though, when she started having feelings for him. I shouldn’t have been because this is a romance, but I was.

The romance angle of the story was interesting. Like I said above, I was surprised at and by it. Mainly because Nami was so nasty to Jae and vice versa. But hate is often a cover for love, and that was the case here. I liked the gradual build-up in their relationship (it wasn’t sudden or a surprise). The same goes for when they started their sexual relationship. It wasn’t a surprise (I knew it was coming). I wasn’t a massive fan of the sex scenes. It didn’t do it for me, which is the only complaint I had for this book.

The end of The Takeover was interesting. I loved how the author resolved Nami’s company issues. It was something I should have seen coming (the reason was mentioned a few times), and it delighted me! I also liked the resolution to Nami and Jae’s relationship. I can’t say anything except they did get their HEA.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Cara Tanamachi for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Takeover. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Takeover, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Cara Tanamachi

Playlist (generated by ChatGPT)

  • “Eye of the Tiger” – Survivor
  • “Power” – Kanye West
  • “Radioactive” – Imagine Dragons
  • “Stronger” – Kelly Clarkson
  • “Thunderstruck” – AC/DC
  • “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake
  • “Uptown Funk” – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
  • “Lose Yourself” – Eminem
  • “Titanium” – David Guetta ft. Sia
  • “Believer” – Imagine Dragons
  • “Roar” – Katy Perry
  • “Happy” – Pharrell Williams

Of Hoaxes and Homicide (Dear Miss Hermoine: Book 2) by Anastasia Hastings

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: January 30th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adult Fiction, Historical

Series: Dear Miss Hermoine

Of Manners and Murder—Book 1

Of Hoaxes and Homicide—Book 2

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

The second in the delightful Dear Miss Hermione mystery series from Anastasia Hastings—when you represent the best-loved Agony Aunt in Britain, fielding questions from both irate housekeepers and heartbroken mothers is par for the course…

“Dear Miss Hermione—what is a mother to do?”

Sensible Violet Manville and her very ladylike half-sister Sephora are absolutely bored, thank you very much. And though neither of them would ever admit it aloud, they’re missing the thrill of playing detective.

So when Violet receives a letter from “A Heartbroken Mother” sent to her alter-ego, the Agony Aunt known to the world only as Miss Hermione, her pulse can’t help but quicken. The daughter in question has gotten caught up in a cult: the Hermetic Order of the Children of Aed. Rumors of human sacrifices, mystical doings, and a ghost in the ruined Alburn Abbey where the Children pray have gripped the public conscious, helped along by a series of novels about the group, written by the mysterious Count Orlando, and clearly this girl has fallen prey.

Miss Hermione’s investigation soon collides with very real life when Violet discovers that the runaway daughter in question is Sephora’s dearest friend Margaret. Violet sets off to the Children’s compound in Nottintham to convince her to return to London. But with the dashing-but-frustrating Eli Marsh running around and a member of the Children found poisoned to death, Violet and Sephora—along with their ever-trusty housekeeper Bunty—may have more intrigue than they can manage.

First Line:

It is a sad day, indeed, when even an orgy does not interest me.

Of Hoaxes and Homicide by Anastasia Hastings

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of Of Hoaxes and Homicide is medium.

POV: Of Hoaxes and Homicide is told from Sephora and Violet’s 1st person POV.

Series: Of Hoaxes and Homicide is the second book in the Dear Miss Hermoine series. You can read this as a standalone.

Trigger/Content Warning: Of Hoaxes and Homicide have trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Sexism & Misogyny
  • Drugging
  • Dead Bodies
  • Cults
  • Disappearance of a loved one
  • Poisoning

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Of Hoxes and Homicide.

Language: There is no swearing in Of Hoaxes and Homicide. Some language could also be considered offensive to readers who are triggered easily.

Setting: Of Hoxes and Homicide is set in London and Nottingham, England.

Age Range: I recommend Of Hoxes and Homicide to anyone over 16.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Violet and Sephora are mind-numbingly bored. While Sephora heads out, Violet answers letters that come to the advice column she took over from her aunt. While looking over the letters, she reads one different from the usual trivial questions of how many teapots one serves or how many aprons one needs to wear in one day. This letter asks for advice about a daughter caught up in a cult: the Hermetic Order of the Children of Aed. When Violet attends a meeting in a park with the cult members, she is in for a shock. The girl mentioned in the letter is her sister’s best friend, Margaret. Violet travels to Nottingham with that information, determined to get Margaret out. But, soon after her arrival, a man is found dead of saltpeter poisoning with Margaret hovering over him. Violet must find evidence to prove Margaret’s innocence and take down the cult. With the help of Sephora and their resourceful housekeeper, Bunty, Violet is on the case. But can she solve this case? Can Violet unearth the real killer? Or will Margaret go to jail for a crime she did not commit?

Main Characters:

The main characters of Of Hoaxes and Homicide are Violet and Sephora. While I enjoyed Violet’s character (with her longing for Ezra and her sharp mind), I found Sephora immature and a hindrance to Violet at times. Bunty should have been the ying to Violet’s yang and Sephora as one of the leading secondary characters. Regardless, I liked the characters.

My review:

When I started to read Of Hoaxes and Homicides, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I entered the book knowing it was a cozy mystery and the second book in the series. So, my expectations weren’t too high when I started reading. This book did surprise me with how much I liked it.

Of Hoaxes and Homicides main storyline is centered on Violet, and the cult, her investigation into the cult, and the murder. The storyline was well-written and kept my attention throughout the book. I did think that the POVs from Sephora were a little “meh,” but they did add extra information to Violet’s investigation.

There are secondary storylines that add extra context to what was going on with the main storyline. I found those storylines less well-written but just as enjoyable to read.

The mystery angle of the book was very well written. I liked how Violet, Sephora, and Bunty put together not only who was behind the murder but why and where that person came from. To say I was surprised was an understatement. I also expect that person to appear in later books because of their background.

There was a slight romance angle in Of Hoaxes and Homicide. It mainly focused on Violet and Ezra. For a large part of the book, her affections were one-sided. But then things happened that made me think twice about that.

I loved the letters that were sent in. What they were about were things women in that era were concerned about. I loved that Violet’s responses became grumpier the more the book went on.

The end of Of Hoaxes and Homicides was interesting. The author wrapped up the main storyline in a way that I liked. But she left something unfinished. That made me wonder (along with Violet’s letter) if that foreshadowed book 2.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Anastasia Hastings for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Of Hoaxes and Homicide. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Expectant Detectives, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Anastasia Hastings

It Takes a Rake (Rouges to Lovers: Book 3) by Anna Bennett

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Date of publication: January 23rd, 2024

Genre: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Adult

Series: Rogues to Lovers

Girls Before Earls—Book 1 (review here)

One Duke Down—Book 2 (review here)

It Takes a Rake—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

She’s about to face her biggest challenge yet…

Since she was a girl, Miss Kitty Beckett has been adept at finding trouble: sneaking brandy, running away, and getting under the skin of the boy who, like her, was an apprentice to an architect. Now Kitty’s a talented heiress who can take a dry building plan and breathe life into it with her pencils and paints. Also? She can spot a rake at a hundred yards—and she won’t be tricked or charmed into marriage. Certainly not by a man who might interfere with her dreams. When Bellehaven Bay announces its first ever architectural design contest, she vows to win—with a little help from her childhood rival.

Turning her buttoned-up nemesis into a certified rake.

Leo Lockland, a hardworking architect with a gift for numbers, has returned home after a few years in London, and he has secrets. The biggest? He’s been in love with Kitty since they were both apprentices. She refuses to give her heart to any man, but Leo’s determined to beat the odds—even if it means learning how to be a rake. Fortunately, Kitty’s willing to tutor him in the nuances of fashion, flirtation, and seduction in exchange for his help with the contest. But the whole plan would fall apart if she knew how he felt, so he’ll have to be very convincing.

Let the lessons begin…

Leo proves to be a surprisingly quick study in the ballroom, on the beach, and in the bedchamber. Before long, he’s softening Kitty’s hard edges with his wicked words and kissing his way past all her defenses. Perhaps she’s a bit too skilled at teaching, because her lessons are threatening to backfire, putting her closely guarded heart in grave danger…

First Line:

Forty-eight months and seventeen days away from Bellehaven Bay should have cured Leo of his infatuation with Miss Kitty Beckett-the beautiful, talented heiress who considered him her nemesis.

It Takes a Rake by Anna Bennett

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of It Takes a Rake is medium.

POV: It Takes a Rake is told from the 3rd person POV of Leo and Kitty.

Series: It Takes a Rake is the 3rd book in the Rogues to Lovers series. You can read it as a standalone, but I suggest reading books 1 and 2 to understand Kitty’s backstory.

Trigger/Content Warning: It Takes a Rake has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Death of a parent
  • Infidelity
  • Sexism & Misogyny
  • Bullying
  • Grief & Loss Depiction
  • Near Drowning
  • Bigamy

Sexual Content:  There is moderate sexual content in It Takes a Rake.

Language: There is no swearing in It Takes a Rake. There is also language used, while correct for the period, that could be considered offensive to some people.

Setting: It Takes a Rake is set in the fictional coastal town of Bellehaven Bay, England. There are a couple of later chapters that are set in London.

Age Range: I recommend It Takes a Rake to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

After being away for four years and living in London, Leo Lockland has returned to Bellehaven Bay. Leo is an architect taking over his grandfather’s business and settling his recently deceased father’s affairs. He wasn’t expecting his feelings for Miss Kitty Beckett to be as strong as they were four years earlier.

In the four years that Leo had been gone, Kitty has become a talented architect in her own right. She is also looking for a husband. She refuses to marry for love, seeing what that did to her parents, and has set her sights on marrying a reformed rake. With her and Leo’s rivalry not as heated as it once was, Kitty decides to teach straight-laced Leo how to become a rake. And Leo, hopelessly in love with Kitty, agrees.

With an architectural contest that Kitty is determined to win looming soon, can Leo help Kitty win it? Will he also be able to convince Kitty that taking a chance on love is the right thing for her? Will Kitty realize what she feels for Leo? Or will she let the one person who makes her happy slip through her fingers?

Characters:

The main characters in It Takes a Rake are Leo and Kitty. There are several secondary characters, including characters from past books, but the focus is mainly on Leo, Kitty, and their relationship.

I will be in the minority here, but Kitty was a little intense. For more than half the book, she annoyed the living crap out of me. I wasn’t a fan of how Kitty immediately decided to take up her and Leo’s rivalry when she saw him again. But, when she started interacting more with Leo (for the contest and his lessons), her true self shone through. Her battle not to love Leo saddened me, but I got it. She saw what her parents went through and didn’t want that.

On the other hand, I loved Leo. I adored that the author was upfront with his emotions for Kitty. It was refreshing to see a male character that was in touch with and acknowledged his feelings. I did like that he tried so hard to be a rake for her. Those scenes did make me laugh because it went against everything that he was. But he did it because he loved her. When the author finally explained why he was so angry at his father, I thought my heart would break.

As always, the secondary characters added more depth to the storyline. I liked that the author brought back characters from the previous two books, and I saw what was happening with them. She also introduced new characters, good and bad.

My review:

It Takes a Rake’s storyline centers around Kitty and Leo, their romance, and the contest. The storyline was well-written. It grabbed me initially, and I couldn’t put this book down. I loved that the author was upfront about Leo’s feelings for Kitty and Kitty’s desire to marry without love. Add in the contest Leo’s issues, which made for an exciting read.

The romance angle was wonderfully written. As stated above, I loved (and found it refreshing) that the author was upfront with Leo’s feelings for Kitty. At first, I was a little “eh” when Kitty decided to give Leo lessons on being a rake. But how the author set that up and panned out was terrific, and I got over that “eh” feeling reasonably early in the book. I liked seeing Kitty fight her feelings for Leo. At one point, I thought she was a lost cause, and I gave Leo many props for standing his ground.

The sexual tension between Leo and Kitty was off the charts. So, I wasn’t too surprised when the storyline took that turn. The author kept the tension between them between their lessons.

I liked that the author did something different with Kitty and made her work in a predominantly male-dominated field. Before anyone says anything, remember that this is a historical romance, and female architects were few and far between. So, it was refreshing to see a woman in that field during that era. The author did keep true to the Regency era of sexism and misogyny. While Kitty was allowed to enter, it was revealed that she wasn’t going to win because of her sex (no matter how talented she was). Of course, how the author wrapped that storyline up was terrific.

The end of It Takes a Rake was your typical HEA. I was concerned that Leo and Kitty weren’t going to get theirs. The author did cut it a little close to wrap it up. But, all well, that ends well. I also loved the epilogue!!!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, NetGalley, and Anna Bennett for allowing me to read and review this ARC of It Takes a Rake. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to It Takes a Rake, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Anna Bennett

Recommended Playlist for It Takes a Rake

This is a new section that I decided to add. I will be upfront and admit that I used ChatGPT to generate the list. I also know that the list doesn’t stick to the Regency themes of the book (it wasn’t found in their database). But, I feel that the songs do suit it. So, listen while or after you read.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven – “Moonlight Sonata”
  • Ed Sheeran – “Castle on the Hill”
  • Taylor Swift – “Love Story”
  • Nat King Cole – “L-O-V-E”
  • Adele – “Someone Like You”
  • Lana Del Rey – “Young and Beautiful”
  • Elton John – “Your Song”
  • The Beatles – “Something”
  • Frank Sinatra – “Fly Me to the Moon”
  • Norah Jones – “Come Away With Me”
  • Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
  • Regina Spektor – “Samson”
  • John Legend – “All of Me”
  • Alicia Keys – “If I Ain’t Got You”
  • Snow Patrol – “Chasing Cars”
  • Leon Bridges – “Coming Home”
  • Ella Fitzgerald – “Cheek to Cheek”
  • The Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
  • Louis Armstrong – “La Vie En Rose”
  • Michael Bublé – “Feeling Good”

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands (Emily Wilde: Book 2) by Heather Fawcett

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: January 16th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adult, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Historical Fantasy

Series: Emily Wilde

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeires—Book 1 (review here)

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands—Book 2

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.
 
Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.
 
Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage. Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.
 
And she also has a new project to focus a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.
 
But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

First Line:

The foot would not fit in my briefcase, so I wrapped it in cloth and wrestled it into an old knapsack I sometimes carry with me on expeditions.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands has a medium to fast pace.

POV: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is told from two POVs. It is told from Emily’s (and, in one chapter, Wendell’s) 1st person POV. But, it is also told from a 2nd person POV (the entire book is journal entries.)

Series: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is the 2nd book in the Emily Wilde series. It would help to read Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries before reading this book.

Trigger/Content Warning: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Violence
  • Injury/Injury Detail
  • Animal Death
  • Murder
  • Animal Cruelty
  • Gore
  • Blood
  • Body Horror
  • Chronic Illness
  • Poisoning

Sexual Content:  There is very mild sexual content (mainly kissing, but there are hints of more) in Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands.

Language: There is mild swearing in Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands. There is also language used, while correct for the period, that could be considered offensive to some people.

Setting: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is set in various places. It starts in Cambridge, England, then shifts to a mountain village in Austria. Several journal entries also detail Emily’s time in The Borderlands and Wendell’s kingdom: Court of Silva Lupi in the Faerie Realms.

Age Range: I recommend Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands to anyone over 16.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Emily Wilde is off on another adventure. But this adventure has a sense of urgency. Wendell Bambleby, her former rival and exiled Fae king, is being targeted by Fae assains sent by his stepmother. One of the assassins succeeds in poisoning Wendell at a birthday party, and he is slowly dying. He needs to get back to his realm to heal and is having problems finding a door to the realm.

Meanwhile, Emily is trying her hardest to keep the head of her and Wendell’s department, Dr. Farris Rose, from expelling her and Wendell from the college. Everything comes to a head when assassins attack Wendell while lecturing, forcing him to use magic to defend himself. By doing that, he exposes himself as Fae, and Rose is livid. He wants Wendell and Emily gone but will forget everything if Emily takes him on her expedition to the Austrian mountains.

Emily, who doesn’t back down from anything, reluctantly agrees. She plans to complete her map and look for Wendell’s door; two extra people will hold her back. But Emily didn’t expect the village to be surrounded by the Fae or to start seeing apparitions of a discredited scholar and her friend while in the mountains. It will take all of Emily’s knowledge and resources to cure Wendell, find his door, figure out the mystery of what happened to the scholars, and complete her map. Can she do it?

Characters:

The primary and secondary characters were well-written and well-fleshed out. The author was able to keep surprising me by introducing different nuances into characters already introduced (mainly Wendell and his love for Emily).

Emily, who is the main character, is deliciously grumpy and cantankerous throughout the book. I did expect her several times during the book to whip out her umbrella and smack Rose with it (he deserved it). I also didn’t expect her to go to the lengths she did for Wendell.

My review:

It isn’t often that the sophomore book in a series blows me away. So, I was shocked when I ended up loving Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands. I could not read this book fast enough and had it finished within a day. I loved everything about it. I couldn’t get enough of Emily and Wendell’s relationship with the Fae, Emily’s relationship with people other than Wendell, and her absolute determination to save him.

The main storyline of Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands centers on Emily, Wendell, his sickness, her map, and the search for his door. I found the storyline to be well-written. As stated above, it captured my attention. The storyline had twists, turns, and a few surprises along the way.

My only quibble with this book is that I wished the author had stayed more in Wendell’s court: The Court of Silva Lupi. But, because of the duration of the visit (only a couple of journal entries), she was able to pique my interest. With what happened, I hope there is more of this court in future books.

The fantasy angle of the book was terrific. I liked how the author took fairytales and mythical creatures and put her spin on them (the satyrs will forever be etched into my memory…and not in a good way). Returning to the Faerie Realm, I was fascinated by every person/creature in that realm. There was so much lore and information that it was almost hard to process.

The romance angle was also interesting. I did think that Wendell’s affection was one-sided until halfway through the book. Then it started to spice up. But, when Emily talked to Wendell’s stepmother, his stepmother said something, making me wonder exactly why Wendell was with Emily. I hope it is addressed in the next book because it was disconcerting to read.

The book’s angle with the two missing scholars was interesting up to a point. After they came out of Faerie, I started to lose interest. And besides, I thought that the woman was a complete jerk to Emily (who had a bad case of hero worship up to that point).

I am also interested in seeing how Ariadne will figure into upcoming books. She was an absolute sweetheart in this book, and she was also fearless.

The end of Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands was interesting. I liked how the author wrapped up the main storyline. But there was so much kept open. I am eagerly looking forward to book 3!

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Heather Fawcett for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Heather Fawcett

Wanted (Poster: Book 2) by Amy Kulp

Publisher: Amy Kulp

Date of publication: January 1st, 2023

Genre: Suspense, Thriller

Series: Poster

Missing—Book 1 (review here)

Wanted—Book 2

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | AbeBooks

Goodreads Synopsis:

What will bring down the most notorious female criminal in the world?

Meet “Y,” FBI’s third most wanted criminal best known for being cunning, intelligent and unknown to most a mother of a young boy. She is a criminal for hire on the black market of human trafficking..

But a new job brings with it a new dynamic that she’s never had to face. Working with a team but not just any team – a first of its kind even for a seasoned criminal like Y.

An all women team. Riddled with too many strong personalities, loose guns and a new target that triggers something at the core of Y she has ignored for way too long.

Trust is not something you can lean on in her world and when her son goes missing, Y will do just about anything. Suddenly everything is not gonna go according to plan.

Will Y find her son in time or is this her strange twist to live with?

First Line:

The van ride back is always quiet.

Wanted by Amy Kulp

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Wanted has a fast-paced storyline.

POV: Wanted is told from Y’s 1st person POV.

Series: Wanted is the 2nd book in the Poster series. While you do not need to read book 1 to read this book, I suggest it. Book 1 explains Y’s backstory and how she ended up where she is now.

Trigger/Content Warning: Wanted has trigger and content warnings (most in this book are graphic). If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Bullying
  • Sexism & Misogyny
  • Slut-Shaming
  • Rape
  • Sexual Assault
  • Sex Slavery
  • Sex and Human Trafficking
  • Domestic Abuse & Violence
  • Drugging
  • Miscarriage
  • Pregnancy
  • Forced separation of mother and child
  • Body Horror
  • Blood
  • Dead bodies
  • Brainwashing
  • Scars
  • Captivity & Confinement
  • Car Accident
  • Gun Violence
  • Kidnapping
  • Murder & Attempted Murder
  • Physical Assault

Sexual Content: There is sexual content in Wanted. Because of the nature of the book, I will warn you that some of Y’s memories involving sex and its being used for punishment can be graphic.

Language: There is moderate to explicit swearing in Wanted.

Setting: Wanted is set in and around New York City.

Age Range: I recommend Wanted to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Y is used to being the best. In 10 years, she has never failed to deliver what her bosses want: people to sell on the human trafficking black market. After another successful procurement, Y is surprised by another target when she returns home. She is even more surprised when she sees her new team. It is made up entirely of all women. Her target is the biggest one yet: the daughter of a famous comedian. With only a certain number of days to acquire the girl, Y needs to whip her team into shape. Something doesn’t sit right with her about the team, but she will deliver. She always does.

Can Y deliver the girl? Will her team become a cohesive unit? Or will Y’s perfect streak go down the drain, and her life shatter into a million pieces?

Main Characters:

The characters in this book were not likable. But, I did pity them, considering everything they had gone through and would continue to go through. Even the “good” guys (and I use good loosely) were not likable, which surprised me. I wasn’t expecting the police and FBI to be shown in the way that they were, and honestly, the descriptions are probably more realistic than what people think.

Y, who is the main character, was realistically written. She is someone who was brainwashed into forgetting her past. She took pride in kidnapping people and couldn’t care less about what happened to them after she dropped them off. She was kept in line with threats of rape and torture. She had no hopes or dreams other than living for the moments when she could see her son. But there were cracks, which widened as the book went on. By the end of the book, I pitied her. But where she ended up wasn’t where she needed to be.

My review:

While I did enjoy reading Wanted, I was also very disturbed by it. Human trafficking is a huge problem everywhere. As the mother of 2 girls and a boy, I had nightmares of my kids ending up like those shown in the book. My range of emotions reading this book went from horror to sympathy to horror and then disbelief.

The storyline of Wanted was interesting. Wanted takes place ten years after the events of Missing. It follows Y, her team, their target, and what happens when a unit fails. It also follows Y as she slowly begins to remember who she was before she was trafficked and her rush to find her son. Both storylines were well-written and well-researched. While the storyline did disturb me on so many levels (see the first paragraph), I did feel the need to keep reading. I wanted to know if Y would ever regain her memories, find her son, or get captured by the police (she was #3 on the FBI’s most wanted list).

I really can’t go much into the storyline without giving away spoilers. Spoilers hinder me from writing the review the way I want. There is so much I want to talk about but can’t because of spoilers, some of them being major.

The end of Wanted both enraged and saddened me. Where Y ended up was the last place she needed to be. What was done and said to her by her husband made me want to go through the book and throttle him. But I am looking forward to reading book 3. There were a lot of storylines left up in the air.

Many thanks to Amy Kulp for allowing me to read and review Wanted. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Other books by Amy Kulp

Phantom Reunion (Hailey Arquette Murder Files: Book 4) by Reily Garrett

Publisher:

Date of publication: December 29th, 2023

Genre: Paranormal, Mystery, Thriller

Series: Haily Arquette Murder Files

Perfect in Death—Book 1 (review here)

Deceptive Silence—Book 2 (review here)

Unlikely Justice—Book 3 (review here)

Phantom Reunion—Book 4

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N

Goodreads Synopsis:

Casper Decuir’s psychic gift allows her to communicate with spirits, all fine and good until one wakes her up in the middle of the night to demand her time as intermediary with the police. As the younger half of H&C Investigations, she is tasked with finding an assassin who leaves no trace of his presence other than a corpse.

When a student at the Gifted Elite School is threatened, Casper’s first lead takes her to a shifter with a mysterious connection to the murder victim.

Whispers of Hailey Arquette’s heritage includes Vodou priestess, psychic, and all around pain in the butt. When a group of shifter assassins targets her partner, she must choose those worthy of trust and those most likely to betray them all.

First Line:

“Go to Texas,” they said. “It’ll be exciting and open your life to new adventures.” Casper ignored the spirit’s impatient hand gestures to exit her sleek Camaro in favor of finishing her breakfast sandwich.

Phantom Reunion by Reily Garrett

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Phantom Reunion’s pace is medium fast.

POV: Phantom Reunion is told mainly from Hailey and Casper’s 3rd person POV. There are also snippets from Trenton and Dante’s POV in the book.

Trigger/Content Warning: Phantom Reunion has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Foster Care (mentioned)
  • Classism
  • Blood
  • Dead Bodies
  • Gun Violence
  • Murder & Attempted Murder
  • Organized Crime
  • Physical Assualt

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Phantom Reunion.

Language: There is light to moderate swearing in Phantom Reunion.

Setting: Phantom Reunion is set in and around Hamchet, Texas.

Age Range: I recommend Phantom Reunion to anyone over 16.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Casper’s psychic gift of communicating with the dead didn’t bother her until a very insistent spirit woke her up. One who only wants Dante and who refuses to talk to Hailey when she arrives at the murder site. Both Casper and Hailey are surprised to see that there is no trace of a killer left behind.

While they are looking into that murder, Casper follows a lead that takes her straight to her school: the Gifted Elite school. When the niece of a top donor is killed, Casper follows the clues the spirit has given her to a pack of shifter assassins.

But what is the connection between the first murder and the murder of Casper’s classmate? And how do the shifter assassins, Dante and Casper’s mysterious past, figure into everything?

Main Characters:

The main characters of Phantom Reunion are Casper and Hailey. But, this book focuses more on Casper and her investigation into the two murders. Hailey, Trenton, and Dante, while a big part of the book, are more in the background.

My review:

I enjoyed reading Phantom Reunion. While the ongoing storyline and the two murders are the book’s focal point, I liked that the attention was on Casper and her search for her parents. I loved how it was woven into the storyline.

Phantom Reunion’s storyline was a filler book. Don’t get me wrong; it is well written and filled with Casper’s snarky humor and her and Hailey’s habit of getting into trouble. But, it was also a book explaining and revealing the answers to questions in storylines from The Guardian Series (mainly: who are Casper’s mother and father and what happened to them).

Call me crazy, but I was thrilled that the author added other types of animal shifters to this universe, not including Casper’s boyfriend (who can shift into any animal). There were coyotes, cougars, and tigers. There might have been bears, too. I was over the moon about that. The shifter angle of this series and The Guardian series (it came later on in that series) was always a favorite of mine. I can’t wait to see if the author expands on this!!

I was puzzled as to why Dante didn’t tell Casper upfront about her parents. Several times, she had made it clear that she wanted to know names and reasons. But once he explained everything, I understood. I felt horrible for him, and the guilt must have been overwhelming.

I was intrigued by the tease of another group of psychics in this universe. I hope the author expands on that also (as well as Hailey’s developing psychic abilities).

The mystery and thriller angle of Phantom Reunion was well written. I liked how the author tied both murders together. I feel we will be seeing more of the person behind everything fairly soon.

The end of Phantom Reunion did pull at my heartstrings. But it also got me very excited for book 5. It should be one heck of a ride!!

Many thanks to Reily Garret for allowing me to read and review Phantom Reunion. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Phantom Reunion, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Reily Garrett:

Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: January 16th, 2024

Genre: Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Adult, Suspense, Crime, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Magnetic, addictive. Bold and dangerous. Especially for Margot, who meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year at a liberal arts college in South Carolina. Margot is the shy one, the careful one, always the sidekick and never the center of attention. But when Lucy singles her out at the end of the year, a year Margot spent studying and playing it safe, and asks her to room together, something in Margot can’t say no—something daring, or starved, or maybe even envious.

And so Margot finds herself living in an off-campus house with three other girls, Lucy, the ringleader; Sloane, the sarcastic one; and Nicole, the nice one, the three of them opposites but also deeply intertwined. It’s a year that finds Margot finally coming out of the shell she’s been in since the end of high school, when her best friend Eliza died three weeks after graduation. Margot and Lucy have become the closest of friends, but by the middle of their sophomore year, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door has been brutally murdered… and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.

A tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal—another gripping novel from an author quickly becoming the gold standard in psychological suspense.

First Line:

One day we were strangers and the next we were friends. That’s usually how it works with girls.

Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Only If You’re Lucky had a medium-fast pace.

POV: Only If You’re Lucky is told from Margot’s 1st person POV.

Trigger/Content Warning: Only If You’re Lucky has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Death
  • Grief
  • Murder
  • Toxic Friendship
  • Infidelity
  • Vomit
  • Alcohol
  • Drug Use
  • Stalking
  • Gaslighting
  • Animal Death
  • Domestic Abuse
  • Eating Disorder
  • Emotional Abuse
  • Misogyny
  • Rape
  • Toxic Relationship
  • Injury/Injury Detail
  • Mental Illness
  • Physical Abuse
  • Sexual Assault
  • Violence
  • Blood

Sexual Content: There is moderate sexual content in Only If You’re Lucky.

Language: here is moderate swearing in Only If You’re Lucky. There is also language used that might make some readers uncomfortable or offend them.

Setting: Only If You’re Lucky is set in and around the college town of Rutledge, South Carolina. There are also some scenes set in The Outer Banks.

Age Range: I recommend Only If You’re Lucky to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

When her best friend, Eliza, dies three weeks after graduation, Margot can barely function. She spends her freshman year hiding in her dorm, studying and playing it safe. That is until Lucy Sharpe bursts into Margot’s life. Loud, brash, and magnetic, Lucy demands attention wherever she goes. And for some reason, Lucy has honed in on Margot as a friend. Before she knows it, Margot starts coming out of her shell. Soon, she is best friends with Lucy and moves into the house Lucy rented with two other girls. But, things start to unravel when a member of the fraternity (who owns the house and shares a backyard) is murdered at the end of a week of pledging. Soon after, Lucy goes missing. What does Margot know? Why was the frat boy killed? Why did Lucy go missing? And who was Lucy?

Main Characters:

The main characters in Only If You’re Lucky are Margot and Lucy. I will offer advice about Margot (since the book is told from her POV): She is a very unreliable narrator. I couldn’t tell, throughout the book, if she was holding back the truth on certain things or just lying. Her grief (and guilt) over Eliza’s death colored her view of certain events and people.

Lucy, on the other hand, was an enigma. She was a whirlwind of activity and seemed to have her hand in everything. I was surprised by her background when it was revealed. But, in a way, it did make sense.

My review:

Only If You’re Lucky is the second book I have read by Stacy Willingham, and it has cemented her as a favorite for me in this genre. I enjoyed reading this book and was utterly surprised at the twists (and yes, there are several) that the author reveals at the end of the book.

The main storyline centers around Margot, her grief over Eliza’s death, her flashbacks to the events leading up to Eliza’s death, Lucy, and the events leading up to and past Lucy’s disappearance. The storyline was well-written and did keep me on my feet. The layers that it had was excellent. Once I peeled back one layer, the author revealed another.

The thriller/suspense angle of Only If You’re Lucky was terrific. The author didn’t hesitate to throw Margot into the thick of things when she started living with Lucy. There was a point where I did think that maybe she was a little crazy (because of her intense dislike of Levi). Let’s remember the twists. Those twists made the book. I figured out one, but the others took me completely by surprise. Like, my mouth dropped, and me saying, “No freaking way,” surprised.

The author switches back and forth between the present day (during the police investigation into Lucy’s disappearance) and the events leading up to everything. I found it a whirlwind, but it worked. The author kept those two storylines apart until the end, when she merged them. And the way she combined them was pretty crafty.

The end of Only If You’re Lucky was terrific. I was surprised by the things that were revealed about Lucy and Margot. Things I didn’t even see coming and that I, like Margot, thought Levi did. I was also surprised at the very end events of the book, where the author explained Lucy’s disappearance. And that was the biggest surprise of them all.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Stacy Willingham for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Only If You’re Lucky. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Only If You’re Lucky, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Stacy Willingham:

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: January 9th, 2024

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Adult, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Gothic

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will—and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

First Line:

There should be some kind of warning when your life is about to change forever.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of The Heiress is fast.

POV: The Heiress is told from two POVs. It is told from 1st person POV through Jules and Camden’s chapters and 2nd person POV through Ruby’s letters to an unknown person. There are also snippets told from newspaper/magazine articles.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Heiress has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Murder
  • Domestic Abuse
  • Death
  • Suicide
  • Kidnapping
  • Death of a parent
  • Classism
  • Alcoholism
  • Gun Violence
  • Physical Abuse
  • Toxic Relationship
  • Violence
  • Injury/Injury Detail
  • Bullying
  • Grief
  • Pregnancy
  • Child Abuse
  • Blood
  • Grief
  • Fire/Fire Injury
  • Gaslighting
  • Abandonment
  • Alcohol
  • Adoption
  • Anxiety & Anxiety Attacks
  • Boating Accident
  • Electrocution
  • Poisoning

Sexual Content: There is mild and implied sexual content in The Heiress.

Language: There is moderate swearing in The Heiress. There is also language that could be triggering to some people and considered offensive.

Setting: The Heiress is set in Tavistock, North Carolina. Some chapters are also in Denver, Colorado, Paris, and South Carolina.

Age Range: I recommend The Heiress to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

When his adoptive mother died, Camden McTavish became her sole heir, which angered his great-aunt, uncle, and cousins. But, to their surprise, he refused to do anything with the money, the house, or the town where he grew up. That all changes when he finds out that his uncle has died, and his cousin emails him and asks him to come home. With the support of his wife, Jules, Cam goes home. There, he is reminded of exactly why he left ten years earlier.

Jules, Cam’s wife, has her own mysterious and messy past that she must deal with. She is also determined for him to claim the inheritance he rejected. As she gets to know his cousins and great-aunt and uncovers secrets they would rather keep buried, Jules becomes even more determined for Cam to claim the inheritance. But Jules’s secrets and her past threaten her plan and her marriage.

On the other hand, Ruby remains the mysterious woman she was while alive. But her secrets threaten to be exposed by her nephew, great-nephew, and great-niece. What are these secrets, and how do they connect to Cam and Jules? Will Cam keep Ruby’s deepest secret? Will Jules’s past and secrets destroy her marriage? Will Ruby’s relatives get her inheritance?

Main Characters:

The main characters of The Heiress are Ruby, Cam, and Jules. These characters were either battling echoes of their pasts, were deeply flawed, or had secrets they could and would not let come out. They were each well-written and well-fleshed out.

My favorite character in the book was Ruby. The letters she wrote, explaining the situation around her kidnapping, the deaths of her four husbands, and her relationships with her family and Cam, were tabloid-worthy. She was smart, proved by how she made money and other things I can’t mention because of spoilers.

The secondary characters did flush out an already great storyline. I couldn’t stand them, but I could understand where they were coming from. Except for the hatred of Cam. That baffled me because he was the only true innocent (well, up until Ruby’s death) in this book.

My review:

I can’t even express how excited I was to read this book. Rachel Hawkins has been on my radar since I reviewed The Villa. So, when I saw The Heiress start showing up on blogs, I knew I wanted to read it. And when St. Martin’s Press sent me the widget, I was over the freaking moon. Now that I have read The Heiress, Rachel Hawkins has become one of my favorite authors.

There are two storylines in The Heiress. One takes place in the present day and features Cam, Jules, Cam’s family, and why Cam came back. The other storyline is letters Ruby wrote that explain everything from her kidnapping to events right before her death. Those two storylines were intertwined but kept separate (if that makes sense). They came together at the end of the book in a way that I didn’t see coming. It was a huge twist that surprised the heck out of me.

The mystery angle of the book was interesting. The author was upfront with everything that had happened (with Ruby) and what was going on (with Cam, Jules, and the family). It was unconventional, but I liked it. I saw everything with Ruby unfold as Cam dealt with the house and his treacherous relatives. A couple of twists in both storylines took me by surprise. One involved who the letters were to (and no, it is not who you think it is), and the other involved the events at the end of the book and what Cam and Jules did afterward.

I do want to mention Jules’s mystery. The author was sneaky about slipping Jules’s past and secrets into the storyline. I was surprised (but nothing like what I said in the above paragraph). But it did explain why Jules was so gung-ho about restoring the house and staying in North Carolina.

The end of The Heiress was jaw-dropping. The author revealed things that I did not see coming. Events also happened that I did not see coming. It was chaotic, and you know what, it suited the book perfectly. Of course, there was the colossal bombshell dropped about Ruby. I liked how the book ended when the dust settled from everything. The author wrapped everything up nicely.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Rachel Hawkins for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Heiress. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Heiress, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Rachel Hawkins

Northwoods by Amy Pease

Publisher: Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Date of publication: January 9th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Family,. Suspense, Adult Fiction, Mental Health, Adult

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

The dark underbelly of an idyllic Midwestern resort town is revealed in the aftermath of a murder with ties to America’s opioid epidemic in this unputdownable and thrilling debut. William Kent Krueger, and Mindy Mejia.

Eli North is not okay.

His drinking is getting worse by the day, his emotional wounds after a deployment to Afghanistan are as raw as ever, his marriage and career are over, and the only job he can hold down is with the local sheriff’s department. And that’s only because the sheriff is his mother—and she’s overwhelmed with small town Shaky Lake’s dwindling budget and the fallout from the opioid epidemic. The Northwoods of Wisconsin may be a vacationer’s paradise, but amidst the fishing trips and campfires and Paul Bunyan festivals, something sinister is taking shape.

When the body of a teenage boy is found in the lake, it sets in motion an investigation that leads Eli to a wealthy enclave with a violent past, a pharmaceutical salesman, and a missing teenage girl. Soon, Eli and his mother, along with a young FBI agent, are on the hunt for more than just a killer.

If Eli solves the case, could he finally get the shot at redemption he so desperately needs? Or will answers to this dark case elude him and continue to bring destruction to the Northwoods?

First Line:

Eli North stripped off his clothes and waded into the water.

Northwoods by Amy Pease

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Northwoods‘ pace is medium.

POV: Northwoods is told mainly from Eli’s 3rd person POV. But, there are also 3rd person POVs from Marge, Alyssa, and Cal. There is one heartbreaking scene from Ben and Caitlin’s POV (the day of Ben’s murder).

Trigger/Content Warning: Northwoods have trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Gun Violence
  • Alcoholism
  • War
  • Addiction
  • Drug Abuse
  • Mental Illness
  • Panic attacks/Disorders
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Suicidal Thoughts
  • Blood
  • Kidnapping
  • Grief
  • Death of a parent
  • Murder
  • Alcohol
  • Injury/Injury Detail
  • Classism
  • Domestic Abuse (not on page but mentioned to Eli by his mother)
  • Death
  • Drug Use
  • Toxic Relationship
  • Medical Content
  • Medical Trauma
  • Suicide Attempt
  • Amnesia & Memory Disorders (Eli cannot remember what happened after he entered the hallway of a house he entered in Afghanistan)
  • Depression
  • Hospitalization
  • Car Accident
  • Knife Violence

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Northwoods.

Language: There is moderate to explicit swearing in Northwoods. The language used could also be considered offensive to readers who are triggered easily.

Setting: Northwoods is set in Shaky Lake, Wisconsin.

Age Range: I recommend Northwoods to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Eli North is battling his demons. His drinking is out of control, and his marriage is over. The only job he can hold down is a deputy under his mother, the sheriff of Shaky Lake. And even then, he is skating on thin ice because of his drinking. So, he thinks it is no big deal when he responds late to a noise complaint at a local campground. Instead of finding tourists partying, Eli finds the dead body of a teenage boy. The resulting investigation leads to a missing teenager, the boy’s girlfriend. The resulting investigation takes Eli from the mansions that line Shaky Lake to the people with an addiction who buy opioids to a pharmaceutical salesperson who is going to blow the whistle on a miracle drug that is killing people. While Eli follows the clues, his life is imploding. Can he hold it together long enough to solve the case? Or will Eli succumb to his demons?

Main Characters:

Eli North is the main character in Northwoods. His well-written, well-researched character made my heart bleed for him. What I liked the most about him was that he was very self-aware of his faults. There were times when I didn’t think he would be able to finish the case and one time when I thought he was going to end his life. If I had to label him, I would say that he was more of a morally gray character and only because he was so tortured by what happened overseas.

There were a lot of secondary characters, and they each added depth to the storyline (and to what Eli was going through).

My review:

Northwoods is Amy Pease’s first book; I can’t wait to read more from her. Northwoods is well-written and well-researched. I was captivated right from the beginning (when Eli was swimming) to the end, which offered so much hope for Eli. I will be on the lookout for more books by this author.

The main storyline centers around Eli. It follows him during the investigation into Ben’s murder. But it also shows a very realistic look into what it is like living with PTSD. To say Eli wasn’t coping well was an understatement. He turned to alcohol to numb himself and to deal with the severe panic attacks that he got (which could be triggered by anything). Everyone knew something was up, but no one wanted to say anything, including his mother. But he did manage to investigate Ben’s murder (and Caitlin’s kidnapping) while battling those demons.

There were a few secondary storylines (centered on Ben’s mother, her drug use, Caitlin’s father, and his work). I was curious how the author was going to tie everything in with Ben’s murder and Caitlin’s disappearance. Well, I wasn’t surprised with how everything was connected. It made sense in a weird, roundabout way. It also paved the way for the end of the book.

The mystery and thriller angles were both well-written. I was kept in suspense over what would happen next during the investigation. I was also shocked at not only who the murderer/kidnapper was but why that person did what they did.

The end of Northwoods was a little bittersweet. I can’t get much into it, but it was good. There was a twist with who the kidnapper/murderer was, and it took me by surprise. I found it interesting that the author didn’t end some of the storylines. Instead, the people behind the killers were still out there. I wondered if there was going to be another book.

Many thanks to Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, NetGalley, and Amy Pease for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Northwoods. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Northwoods, then you will enjoy these books: