ARC – She Had It Coming – Carys Jones

Link to book – She Had It Coming by Carys Jones.

Overall rating – 3 out of 5 stars.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the advanced copy to read and review.

I feel like this book needs a trigger warning for bitchy, borderline bullying teenage girls, because the second I opened this book I was hit with it and immediately I was taken back to my high school days, where I was bullied so that was FUN!

All that aside, something didn’t feel 100% right with this book, I think it was a mixture of everything… It was good but it lacked that little extra that made it thrilling.

Starting with the characters, I found it really difficult to get attached to any of them tbh, whilst I did think Pippa had some redeeming qualities (and I know firsthand how hard it is to be a teenage girl) I still struggled to feel anything for her throughout the book. I did think the way the author demonstrated motherly (and fatherly love to an extent) was cleverly done though.

And as I said above, I felt the atmosphere just really lacked that little bit of something that made it thrilling, for me until the last 4 or so chapters really.

Onto the writing now, I did think it was good but as the book was written in 3rd person I found it really difficult to keep track of which perspective the story was coming from. At points, it felt like Abbie was the lead character, but it was actually Pippa and then back to Abbie. It didn’t feel like the story every settled on one person and it wasn’t overly clear where the divide and change in the story was.

It was the same with the plot, I did enjoy the plot and I thought it had some real potential, but it felt kind of obvious what was going on and what was going to happen. I’m not sure if I’ve just read too many thrillers so I know what to expect or if it was just really transparent what was going to happen (I’m hoping for this books sake it was the first one!)

SPOILER ALERT.

I hated how the author threw in the whole sociopath and narcissist bit at the end of the book, there had been ZERO mentions of this throughout the rest of the book and it was like the author was just going for the shock factor without any consideration for what those words and definitions actually mean. It really annoyed me.

SPOILER ALERT OVER.

On the whole, I think this book had the right idea, it was a good plot and premise, it just needed a better execution and that lil extra something to make it a real standout 5 star read.

Until next time, Em xxx

ARC – Prep School for Serial Killers – Tara Platt.

Link to book – Prep School for Serial Killers by Tara Platt.

Overall rating – 3 out of 5 stars.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, and to an extent I did, but it did feel like this book didn’t really hit the mark for me. There wasn’t a moment though that went by when I was reading this book that I ever thought about not finishing it, so that’s a win for me!

Character wise, I just found it really hard to warm to Anathema, but that was actually a really good thing because I felt it lent itself well to the dystopian and emotionally unavailable vibe that the book had going on! The characters were meant to feel unavailable to us, they were meant to feel a bit off and a bit prickly and the author did that so well.

The writing was good and the story flowed nicely, but I did find the blocks of text to be too much, it needed breaking up a bit more. And this may seem really nit picky, but it really bugged me and kinda ruined my reading experience, but I feel the book would have benefitted from a better distinction between the main body of text and the journal entries.

On the topic of the journal too, I didn’t enjoy how long it took for the journal to become relevant to the story… It almost felt that until around the 55-60% mark it was just used as a space filler and I found it hard to see how it would fit into the book and provide value.

Plot wise, I did find it a little hard to follow at points, I felt the book got lost in itself and I found it difficult to keep track of what the story actually was. Which was really sad as I thought the premise of the story was good! A dystopian world where children are trained to become serial killers seemed SO cool but it just wasn’t executed (pardon the pun) in the best way.

It just felt like certain elements of the plot caused the book to lose its way, there were too many things going on and the author would have been better focusing on one or two of them.

I also really liked how the ending was left open, but on the other hand I felt a bit like I’ve just read the entire book for that ending? It really had a mixed vibe at the end 😦

Overall, I did quite enjoy Prep School for Serial Killers, it had a great premise and some really clever, well thought out story lines. I just feel it would have benefitted from a closer focus on one or two of those story lines and a little change in the writing and way the book was presented.

Until next time, Em xxx

[ARC] The Unbalanced Equation – H L Macfarlane

Link to book – The Unbalanced Equation by H L Macfarlane

Rating – 4 out of 5 stars

A huge thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC of this book to read for free in exchange for a review!

If you’re on the lookout for a women in science, workplace, enemies to lovers book then The Unbalanced Equation is the one for you! It has all of that, plus so much more that make this book a truly fabulous read.

Now to start, anyone who has read any of my blog posts knows that I’m an absolute WHORE for a split POV, especially in a romance novel, so when I saw that this book had split POV I was over the moon, it was like a dream come true. The feeling of which continued throughout the entire book.

The characters were the real stand out for me and having that split POV to see the story progress through both their eyes was just perfect.

Whilst we saw the book from Liz and Tom’s perspective (who I definitely have a crush on now I’ve read it, both of them that is) and they were just two wonderfully written characters. Their interactions with each other and the supporting characters in the book were excellently done and cannot be faulted. Just reading the chapters through their POV made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, they were just such fabulous characters.

And the characters were only further supported by the plot, which oh my god WAS SO GOOD. I love a good enemies to lovers situation and whilst it was maybe one sided enemies to lovers it was still so worth the read.

The story itself was just the perfect mash up of different elements and each aspect of the plot worked together to create this story that had be snorting with laughter, gasping in shock and left me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say if you like women in science (and enjoyed The Love Hypothesis, this is a book for you!)

And oh my gosh, the setting! Set in Scotland the author just managed to make the entire setting seem so beautiful and it definitely aided my enjoyment of the book.

The majority of that came from the authors ability to write such wonderfully crafted sentences and paragraphs that left me wanting to be in Scotland with our main characters, living their lives and experiencing everything they did. It was just a really easy book to get drawn into and enjoy, and that is all down to the authors writing.

On the whole, The Unbalanced Equation is well worth the read and I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to do a reread in the future!

Until next time, Em xxx

[ARC] Anybody Home? Michael J. Seidlinger

Link to book – Anybody Home? by Michael J. Seidlinger

Rating – 5 out of 5 stars

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Clash Books for the advanced copy of this book to read and review. 

Oh my god lord this book was fucking traumatising… I woke up at 4am one morning, and I was midway through reading this book and HONESTLY I thought we were falling victim to a home invasion, I genuinely was terrified and started to go through all these different scenarios in my head (turns out it was just my dad making loads of noise getting ready for work but this book put me on EDGE).

Seriosuly though, the entire book has made me want to just move into a lil house in the wilderness where no one knows I’m there.

Anybody Home? takes us through a home invasion, except it has a twist… It’s through the eyes of a director, a director who is instructing and advising the perpetrator on how to successfully undertake said home invasion.

I’d never read anything like it before, ever. Sure, I’ve watched a lot of horror films about home invasions, hell, some of them even scared me, but nothing, NOTHING, I’ve ever watched or read has been so excellently disturbing. It genuinely terrified me, I didn’t sleep and when I did sleep I had nightmares, it got under my skin in the best possible way.

From the get go the books intention was to put you on edge and build this atmosphere of fear and nerves and paranoia, and it certainly succeded in doing so… Despite us never actually learning the invaders names or really getting anything other than basic information about the family it still built this intense feeling of unease, and I personally think the ambiguity around the characters lent itself well to the story.

One thing I particularly enjoyed (if that’s the right word to use in this review!) was how the idea of the invaders doing these things just because they could or because they wanted to, it terrified me to my very core. It was the perfect way to keep us on edge whilst we were reading.

In the same breath, never truly knowing who the cults were that the narrator kept alluding to, and it being left open to interpretation was just the icing on the cake. Were they just horror lovers in need of a good scare? Were they people on the dark web, paying to watch? It just really added that layer of fear and unsease.

On the whole, Anybody Home? was an absolute masterpiece of writing and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Until next time, Em xxx

[ARC] Witch 13 – Patrick R Delaney

Link to book – Witch 13 by Patrick R Delaney

Rating – 5 out of 5 stars

As with another book I’ve read by this author I was absolutely blown away by the quality of this book. It was damn near perfection.

The writing was absolutely incredible and I cannot fault it, I was in complete awe. The characters, the plot, the atmosphere, the intrigue, everything was just perfectly crafted to create this story.

The entire book from start to finish was immersive, consuming and haunting. It was so atmospheric and at points I was terrified, it was eerie, dark and all encompassing. I’m pretty hard to scare, especially with books, so for this to scare me was no mean feat. 

Hand in hand with the atmosphere that the author built was the intrigue that was littered throughout the story, while I didn’t want the book to end I almost did, because I needed to have answers to my burning questions…

And the plot itself was just mind blowing, it was immersive and confusing and it felt as though I was feeling and reading everything at once, but in the best way. The plot didn’t always make sense at points, but I feel that just added to the vibe of the book.

I also thought the pace of the plot was well done, considering it was set in one night in one tiny town, it just felt like so much happened, but it didn’t feel overly busy.

I loved the mythical element of the story as well, witches and legends and mythical stories, it was just so perfectly haunting. 

On the whole, another incredible book from this author, that I cannot wait to reread.

Until next time, Em xxx

ARC – The Summer We Buried – Jody Gehrman

Link to book – The Summer We Buried by Jody Gehrman.

Rating – 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for the advanced copy of this book to read and review!

TW: Sexual assault and domestic violence within the book. Neither of these will be discussed within my review.

A very intriguing slow burn book that will have you addicted and needing to keep turning the pages late into the night…

From the get go I found The Summer We Buried to be an intriguing and atmospheric read, it had that addictive feel to it and worked it’s way under my skin, to the point where I needed to keep reading to find out what would happen to our characters. Coupled with an incredibly well done underlying tense feeling, it was the perfect recipe for a thrilling book.

For me, the characters really made this story what it was. They all had their own past and things to keep hidden, that gave them a real air of mystery… Coupled with the very real and natural relationships they were forming throughout the story, Tansy’s two minds about the past, Selene’s need to keep her daughter safe, Jupiter’s situation and Zack who seemingly gets caught in the middle of everything (until as we find out later, isn’t exactly as it seems).

Individually the characters were excellently written and together they formed a mismatched group that just worked. That carried the story to its completion and did a thoroughly good job of it too.

The writing also really impressed me, and while it was a slow burn book it didn’t feel boring. The author had this very descriptive, almost poetic way of writing, that was beautiful and really brought the book to life.

And the plot was good too, there were a few twists that I picked up on that weren’t brilliantly concealed, but on the whole the story was really good! The twists and turns weren’t outlandish and they all just worked really well together to form a truly good story.

While entertaining isn’t the best word to describe this book, I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a slow burn that will still give you a thrill…

ARC – The House Fire – Rosie Walker

Link to book – The House Fire by Rosie Walker.

Rating – 5 out of 5 stars.

TRIGGER WARNING – discussions of eating disorders within the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter for the advanced copy of this book to read and review.

There were very few things in this book that I didn’t like or enjoy, and they were so minimal (and likely my own personal fussiness) that I couldn’t rate this book any less than 5 stars…

The one thing that bugged me was the author could have used headings or chapter titles to date and timestamp who was delivering the story, just to make it slightly easier to grasp who was telling the story and when. But like I say, that’s probably just my own pickiness!

Other than that, The House Fire was an incredible book! Definitely a slow burner (pardon the pun) but I feel that helped the book, it allowed things to develop more naturally and didn’t overwhelm us with information and things going on.

It definitely managed to balance that slow burn with the intrigue though, and it was very difficult to put down! I had this urge to just keep reading constantly, fearful that if I didn’t I would miss something vitally important. The same with the atmosphere, which again was incredible considering the slower nature of the story.

I think all of that comes down to the author’s writing, I couldn’t pick a fault with how the author wrote this book, it was impeccable.

Which was also reflected in the plot, the story that was woven together with all of these different layers, leading us on a wild goose chase at points and making us question everything about everyone… The story was so well done and I think it was the best part of the book for me.

I would definitely recommend The House Fire to anyone who is looking for a slow and steady read that will knock your socks off!

Until next time, Em xxx

ARC – Meet Me in the Margins – Melissa Ferguson

Link to book – https://www.goodreads.com/

Rating – 3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I’m really in two minds about this book as there was aspects I absolutely adored and parts that I just felt didn’t work so well.

The characters were a big hit for me, our story was narrated by Savannah who clearly is having a hard time feeling like she’s the least successful of the family. Savannah’s character, whilst annoying at points I will admit, was like a breath of fresh air and I found it really pleasant to read the book from her POV.

I also liked our side characters, although I do feel the author could have taken a little more time to develop them and include them in the story more, it would have added real value for me.

The writing itself was another high point, as I felt the author managed to craft this glorious setting for Meet Me in the Margins… It’s set in a publishing house!!! Our main character is an editor!!! I honestly got so excited when I started reading it and I learnt this information. It felt incredibly real as the author was writing about an ARC room and how bookfluencers can get their hands on early release copies, it just felt like I’d been transported into a magical dream.

However, I did feel that the plot let this book down. It didn’t feel to me as if this book had a purpose or an end goal. I found myself struggling at points to really get stuck into the story and hooked on it. Which I think is part of the reason why it took me quite a while to read it.

And on the same vein, the romance aspect of this story just didn’t work. It felt more like an afterthought, as other than a few comments here and there about Savannah’s crush and her love life it only really came to fruition in the epilogue. It felt very rushed to me.

On the whole, Meet Me in the Margins was definitely a book I enjoyed reading! I just felt it needed a bit more on the romance side to really help this story elevate itself.

Until next time, Em xxx

ARC – The Evening’s Amethyst by M.K.Graff

Link to book – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59463678-the-evening-s-amethyst

Rating – 4 stars

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BOOKSGOSOCIAL FOR THE ADVANCED COPY TO READ AND REVIEW.

I want to start by saying I absolutely loved the cosy feel that this book had to it, it made me want to curl up in front of the fire with a cup of tea and just enjoy the mystery surrounding the story. It was just a really nice, easy read that made me feel like I was being wrapped in a warm blanket.

Character wise, I did start to struggle at the start with keeping track of who was who, it felt as if everyone merged into one, but the deeper we got into the story it became much easier to keep track. Mostly because every character brought something new to the story, they all added value in their own way and had their own well developed personalities.

The writing was also good, but that’s all it was… good. There were points that it felt basic, and as if things were being spelt out to us which really disappointed me as I was expecting more. On the same note, I think because there were things included in the book unnecessarily it became a slog to read at points and that’s when my frustration with some of the writing would begin to emerge.

However, the book completely redeemed itself with the plot. While the book had a cosy small town mystery feel to it, it certainly did NOT skimp on the drama or quality of the story!

The whole thing from start to end kept me on my toes and questioning everyone and everything. I loved how it was set in just a small town but still managed to seem like such a big story. We were led all over the place with the plot, red herrings thrown everywhere to make use really think about everything we were reading. It was so cleverly done.

I also have a real soft spot for the ending, it rounded the story off in somewhat of a happy way which is always a winner with me!

On the whole, I loved the cosy feel of The Evening’s Amethyst, I feel it lent itself well to the plot and the characters, I just wish the writing was a little better and didn’t feel basic at points.

Thanks again to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial who were kind enough to provide me with an e-arc of this book to read and review.

Em xxx

ARC REVIEW – The Rebound by Catherine Walsh.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Bookoturefor the advanced copy of this book to read for free in return for an honest review.

The Rebound by Catherine Walsh, published on 14.2.22. Read the synopsis here.

Overall rating – 4 out of 5 stars.

I really struggled to write my review of this book because I just enjoyed it so much and when I enjoy a book I find it really difficult to just not type OMG IT WAS AMAZING over and over again, which to be honest The Rebound was amazing!

The entire book was set in Ireland, so immediately I was sold and knew I would adore this story, and thanks to the authors ability to perfectly set the scene I felt as if I was there, alongside our characters.

I completely fell in love with our characters, they were possibly the highlight of this story for me. Not only were they interesting to read, had really likeable qualities and were just generally awesome, there was real character development and growth throughout the story from them.

Specifically, with Abby and her sister Louise, and I’m really glad the author allowed that to also be a focus of the story and how they came together through the book. It helped me not only feel more endeared to the characters but also made the story feel more realistic.

Oh and I’m also obsessed with Luke, sorry not sorry.

Whilst the story wasn’t exactly anything new, it just had this refreshing feel to it. I think the location and the scene setting really played a part in making this love story feel different. And with the authors ability to write a story that just draws you in and is easy to read, it was the perfect recipe for a book.

My only major criticism is the lack of spice in this book, like ya girl is obsessed with Luke we could have done with some more smut, PLEASE.

Overall, I adored this book, it had almost everything I could have wanted from a romance book and I would definitely recommend it!

Happy reading bookworms! Until next time, Em xxx