My Friends – Fredrik Backman

* I received a free eBook of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this book *

I love Backmans’ writing style and that didn’t change with his newest release, My Friends. You can tell that the story is really well thought out and that the author is in no rush to get to the ending, but that he is rather enjoying telling the story itself and allowing us to get to know the characters. He does divert and change topics throughout, then goes back to where he was originally in his story, which I usually hate in books as it feels a little all over the place. However, I actually loved how he did it in this book, as it felt natural, like an actual conversation, where you can divert from the story you’re telling to explain something else, in order to add to the main overall story and understanding references and people you’re about to be introduced to.

This whole story is centred around a painting, connecting what is currently happening to the memories of the past. I loved seeing how a painting was so important and what had to happen in order to create it. The memories that this painting stirred up and how it had an effect on the characters within the story, regardless of how young they were.  How we don’t learn the painters name until towards the end and how it was a great symbol of hope for the characters involved and future characters. As the title suggests, this book is about friendship and how important true friends are and how they can make your life feel so much better than what it may be and the impact they can have on your life.

This book is up there for me with A Man Named Ove, with how great the storytelling ability is and how it all came together at the end. The author does an amazing job at making you cry and emotional one minute, then making you want to laugh the next. Fredrik Backman has always been an auto read for me since A Man Named Ove and I’m so happy that I’m never disappointed in his books he is undoubtedly going to continue to be an auto read for me. 

Caught Up, #2 – Navessa Allen

I was extremely lucky to have received an early eARC of Caught Up by Navessa Allen, courtesy of NetGalley and Quercus Books in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the book.

Caught Up is the follow up book to Lights Out, which is a funny dark romance read, with some memorable spicy scenes. I personally didn’t find it as funny as Lights Out, which actually suited the characters more in this book, but this book still made me chuckle and I really enjoyed it. It did take me a little while to get back into this world, mainly remembering who the characters were and how the two main characters, Nic aka “Junior” and Lauren, were connected with the first book, but once I was in, I loved it. It did a great job at mixing a little bit of comedy with dark romance and spicy scenes, without it feeling too forced.

There were a load of Easter eggs in this book about the storyline and characters from the first book, Lights Out, so I would recommend reading that one first, just to get a better understanding of the characters and what happened to them, making for a more enjoyable read. Although on saying that, you can read this one as a standalone, but you would miss those snippets.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which is a relief as I was worried that this one wouldn’t hold up well in comparison, but I’m glad that I was wrong. I liked the two main characters in this book so much for different reasons, diving more into their backgrounds and getting to know them and their friends and family more. I liked how they merged the characters well from the previous book, while also making this its own book. I especially liked how the “stalker” element was used in this book, with the whole cam girl aspect.

The ending gave a massive clue as to which character the next book could be about, and even though I’m not a big fan of that character, which I don’t think we’re meant to be initially, I’m still excited for the possibility of a new book.

Catch Your Death – Ravena Guron

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this book*

Catch Your Death by Ravena Guron is a YA Murder Mystery Thriller that I instantly knew I wanted to read, as soon as I spotted it on NetGalley. I did receive a free eBook copy from NetGalley and Usborne Publishing, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the book.

Let me be honest, this was a complete cover read for me, loving the design of the cover, with it instantly making me ask myself “what happened?”. It instantly intrigued me, with me needing to know what happened, so well done on the cover design. However, this does mean that I knew very little about what this book was about before going into it, which is actually something I prefer, as sometimes descriptions can give too much away.

I liked the writing style, with this book being told through different perspectives, mainly our three FMCs and going back and fore from interview transcripts and the main story. The three main female characters didn’t really have their own voices though, which did lead to me being a bit confused when it came to separating those three characters. I also forgot that this was a YA read until the characters ages were mentioned and then a load of it made much more sense, especially the simplistic writing style. Although I do like the quick and easy writing of this one, I started liking it a lot better when I remembered that it was YA as it made more sense.

The storyline of this book was actually a good one, with twists on top of twists, with it giving off the feel of an actual murder mystery, in a who done it style. This was nice to read, especially as it played out inside my head like a movie while I was reading it. This book also gives off a claustrophobic and isolating feel to it, which I thought was clever, with the three FMC being strangers in this big family house,  wanting to do is to survive the night after a death takes place. The story takes place over the course of one night, with police interviews taking place in-between, showing the reader that something bad happened on that night, building right up until the end. 

I have seen a recent book from this author all over BookTok called Mondays are Murder, and even though I may have only given this book 3 stars, I am hoping to pick up that book because like I said, I do like her writing and I also do like a quick and fast paced read. Plus, 3 stars still means that I enjoyed the book.

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On A Dead Man)

I was so thankful to have had a eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this book!!

This is the second book following Vera Wong and I honestly loved it as much as I did the first book. It was nice already knowing a load of the characters, their quirks and background, while also introducing a load of new suspicious characters, while still being a funny and an emotional read.

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) follows a similar idea and layout of the first book, which isn’t a bad thing. If it’s not broke, why fix it. There are obviously differences, but I like the comedy, murder mystery feel this books provides in bulk. It did start a little slower and certain things made me want to scream at the characters during certain events within the book.

TikTok does play a part in this book, so do be warned as I know some people may not like this element. Personally, I think it was all done in a great way and actually fitted into the story. It added some additional layers and definitely allowed for more comedy and misunderstandings to take place.

I love the main character Vera Wong, she’s funny, blunt and also so loving and caring. Her interactions with other people and the banter is what made this book for me. I don’t understand why these books aren’t more popular and talked about more. I want more of these books and let’s face it, I want more of Vera, and I hope that there are more in the works. However, the ending was wrapped up well, so I’m not sure if there’s going to be more.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls – Grady Hendrix

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the book*

Grady Hendrix is such an easy buy for me whenever I see his books, instantly knowing that I have to read them, even if they’re not always an easy read. There are certain scenes within his books that always with stay with me, even if I would rather they didn’t, as some scenes can be a little on the graphic side.

I was  so excited for this book when I first heard about it as I loved the idea and premise of this book, plus with that title, it screamed READ ME, so thank you NetGalley! After reading this book, the story and the characters are definitely going to stick with me for a while and because of that my feelings towards this book have been changing the more that it lingers with me. This isn’t a bad thing, because I usually have a bad habit of forgetting what has happened a few days after finishing a book, and because this one is still lingering with me shows something. 

At the beginning of the story, it did drag, but I think it was meant too. I got to know and semi care for the characters and their situations, getting a deeper understanding of them all, separating them from each other and understanding why they may want to dive into witchcraft when the time came. You got to see how young they really were with how little they understood about their own bodies and pregnancies, the ludicrous things they were being told and believing, which also went to show the time this was set in. It made me want to jump into the story and help them, screaming the truth at them and to protect them. There were certain emotional aspects of this book, that I wasn’t expecting to feel and honestly broke me for a little bit, even more so because it felt real.

Once it got going and witchcraft was introduced, I was already invested and I was excited to see how this was going to go, especially with the countdown to the characters due dates. I liked certain aspects, but I also started to lose my attention at certain parts towards the middle. You get some scenes, which screamed Grady Hendrix to me, so if you know, then you know. But, it definitely picked back up and I was once again invested and excited for the ultimate climax of this book and what it had been leading towards.

I’m not sure how I feel about the overall ending of this book, once they jumped into the future. It felt rushed and like Hendrix was just trying to conclude what he could in the short amount of pages. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy seeing where the characters ended up and getting the little bit of each of their lives, but it left me feeling like I needed more from it. Like something was lacking.

I will still definitely be picking up and reading Grady Hendrix books as he releases them!

“The Watchers” and “Stay in the Light” by A.M. Shine

*I received a free audiobook version of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the book*

I originally planned on writing two separate reviews when it came to these two books in the series, but as I was writing the review for The Watchers, I found myself wanting to compare the two. So let’s see how this joint review turns out…

I saw the movie trailer for The Watchers and instantly was captivated by the premise of it. It looked good and it was actually nice to see Dakota Fanning back in horror films. So, of course when I discovered that it was a book, I had to read it first, which I did! I found the book spooky and creepy and mysterious in all the best ways and I honestly devoured it. It was full of shock and twists and that ending made me want to read the second book, almost instantly. I wanted to see where they were going to go and how it was all going to work. So I instantly hit up NetGalley and to my surprise, I got approved for the second book, Stay in the Light so quickly that everything was still fresh in my head.

What I loved about the first book; the creepiness, the slow build, the condensed amount of characters within the story and the mystery, just didn’t hit right with the second book. The creepiness wasn’t even there, there were new characters to learn about and I frankly wasn’t even interested in the same way because they weren’t developed in the same way. Even though there was a mystery and some slow burn, it just wasn’t right. It felt like it could have been seriously condensed down and made shorter, but overall that would have made it feel a lot better.

I wish I’d left it alone and just pretended that the first book was a stand alone, but then they go and throw in another cliffhanger and it’s making me want to pick up the third book, simply because of the characters we got to know in the first book. I completely understand that to make it feel fresh and to add something extra to it, you need the new characters and plot, but I wish they were introduced and written a little bit better, as I found myself wishing those chapters would end.

I do recommend the first book, but I would also prewarn you to go into the sequel with some lowered expectations. Maybe it’s because I enjoyed the first book and those aspects of it, that I went into the second book with higher expectations than I did the first book and therefore felt letdown. I do want to see where the characters I originally met end up and want to find out one thing in particular, so I could possibly end up picking the third one, but first I will need to find out if this is going to be a series or a trilogy.

FYI, I still haven’t seen the movie yet.

Wished by Sarah Ready

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this book*

I was lucky enough to not only get the ebook version of this book from NetGalley to review, but also the audiobook version as well, which was perfect for swapping back and forth.

This book screams and shouts Hallmark Vibes throughout it all!! This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the cutesy, cheesiness of it all was exactly what I was looking for at that time. I could picture everything so clearly while I was reading it, just like it was a Hallmark Movie, which made it really easy to get into the story and characters. It wasn’t a really deep read that made me think, but it was a read/listen that I devoured and finished in one day.

The ending was really predictable, but one that was still enjoyable and lead to me overall enjoying this story. The length was actually perfect, without too much time being wasted just to prolong the story and build up the page count, which I am really thankful for.

I didn’t realise until after I had finished this book, that it is in fact the fourth book in the Ghosted series and to be honest, I didn’t notice or feel like I was missing out on anything. I may dive into another one of these books, especially if I am fancying something light and easy to read, with gives off those comfy vibes.

The narrators did a great job at bringing the story to life and sucking you into the book, also being quite easy to swap between the audiobook and the ebook. They brought the characters to life and kept my attention while listening to it, making the dual narrators perspectives very clear. Same can be said with the ebook and the writing style, as each of the perspectives had very clear perspectives.

Even though I gave this an average rating, doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy it, because I did.

Mirrorland – Carole Johnstone

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this book*

I requested this book years ago and I honestly can’t remember why I had requested it. I am pretty sure that I had initially believed that this was going to be a dark and twisty horror novel, but that’s not what this is about at all, which was disappointing now that I have finally read it.

There were so many times during this book where I wanted to DNF it, followed by sections that sucked me straight back into it and compelled me to continue reading. Although there were times where I was so sucked into the writing and the story and didn’t want to stop reading, those sections were few and far and ultimately, this still ended up being a forgetful 2 star read for me and I kind of regret not just DNFing this particular book.

This book is more of a mystery thriller with it diverting into fantastical fiction during times, like a child’s imagination does best, which could be a little off putting if it’s not something you’re used to or were expecting. I was ultimately disappointed in this book because it had so much potential that was never reached.

There is another of Carole Johnstones books I would love to try, as it does sound good, called The Blackhouse but I would definitely go into it being more prepared and with held excitement, but still hoping the book is as good as the description suggests.

The Midnight Feast – Lucy Foley

*I received a free audio copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the book*

I decided to go for the audiobook version of The Midnight Feast over the ebook, as I’ve really been enjoying audiobooks a lot more lately and I loved the sound of this one. Plus it’s Lucy Foley, an easy auto read for me, or auto listen in this case!! This audiobook is narrated by five different narrators, which although seems like a lot, it’s also a good way of giving each of the character’s perspective their own voices and distinguishing them from each other. The voice actors did a fantastic job at bringing each perspective and character to life, even nailing the accents of each of the characters.

The story is told through two different timelines (future timeline after a body is found and the timeline of what leads up to that event), plus past journal entries. I came to the conclusion that there were some things that happened within this story that heavily relied on the readers not questioning things and taking everything at face value, which left me with questions sadly. It wasn’t a bad story, just a little confusing at times, as I feel like it wandered a lot and got a little boring at points. The writing was still good and even though the ending was a little predictable because of how it was dragged out, it was still an okay listen. There was so much potential, but it didn’t live up to it, which is what was mostly disappointing . I think it would’ve made a really good short story!

There are a lot of characters within this book and although some are written well and do have their own individual voices, there is a lot to keep track of. They can blend together easily if you’re not paying too much attention and some background characters can simply be forgettable. At first I thought this could’ve just been an audiobook or a me problem, but the more reviews I read, this seems to be an actual problem with the book. It was honestly one of the big downsides for me while listening to it, especially as there was only really one of the characters I enjoyed listening to. This character was Eddie, a staff member and a local, which kind of made him more relatable and a much more interesting perspective compared to the others.

I usually love the multiple character perspectives within Lucy’s books and maybe it was because I listened to the audiobook rather than read it this time round, that I was left dissatisfied. This wasn’t my favourite Lucy Foley book, but as I’ve previously read and enjoyed her other books, this won’t stop me from picking up future books of hers, but maybe this time in physical or ebook format.

The Ghost Tree – Christina Henry

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this book*

I have been a massive fan of Christina Henry ever since I first read Alice, a very dark retelling of Alice in Wonderland. The darkness mixed with the familiar, which was also so different, but just hit so right for me. Even though I loved Alice, the sequel Red Queen was not for me as the first half of it just felt daunting to read. Regardless, whenever I see a new release by Christina Henry, it is still an instant buy. So this was an easy choice. I requested this book instantly from NetGalley and before I even heard back, I had bought the physical version to add to my collection. So here was me hoping that I wouldn’t be disappointed…

I had so many expectations going into this book, because it sounded creepy and I love a good horror. This book did have so much potential that sadly just seemed to vanish the more I was reading it, which was ultimately a massive let down. Don’t get me wrong, it was still an interesting read, but was not one of my favourites by her as it was also trying to do too many things. It also felt more YA horror than I was expecting, more so with the simplistic writing and the young age of the protagonists.

It was still a good read and I was able to get immersed within the book and stay immersed quite quickly. I weirdly liked the predictability of the story and the common horror tropes within, but it did feel a little too long and could’ve done with being a little shorter.

Even though it wasn’t my favourite by Christina Henry, it definitely won’t stop me reading more of her books and she still may be an instant buy/read of hers.

It’s definitely making me want to reread Alice!!!