The nitty-gritty: An outrageous, funny and feel-good story, Kiss Slay Replay explores relatable themes in a fresh, unexpected horror setting. “My story might not be a love story. But it isn’t a horror story, either. My story is mine, and it can be whatever I make it.” I can always count on Rachel Harrison for […]
The nitty-gritty: Small Town Slasher delivers some killer action, but the character development falls short and the story overall lacks any heart or emotion. Note: This is a review of the novella-length version of the book. Stephanie Rose is the owner of Death By TBR Books, a horror bookshop, and she’s also a writer and […]
The nitty-gritty: Weird, complex and bloody, The Calamities brings big mob energy to a supernatural tale about demons and those that worship them. Chuck Wendig never fails to deliver epic, emotionally charged stories, and The Calamities is no exception. This is a big, sprawling, multi-character story that I’m calling “Game of Thrones meets The Dark […]
The nitty-gritty: An uneven story with top notch body horror, Bestiary gets an A+ for the horror elements, but a C- for execution. Bestiary has some great ideas and plenty of gruesome body horror, and in that respect it worked well for me. Patrick Rutigliano is a solid writer (despite some awkward phrasing here and […]
The nitty-gritty: A thrilling space adventure with colorful, complex characters and non-stop action and danger, Havoc is the perfect wrap-up to Constance Fay’s addictive sci-fi romance series. And so with Havoc, the adventures of the crew of the Calamity and their significant others come to a close, sadly. I have enjoyed this series so much, […]
The nitty-gritty: A vampire decides to vacation in Italy but runs into a heap of trouble in Be Still My Unbeating Heart, an uneven story with some great ideas. Be Still My Unbeating Heart is another case of “the cover is better than the book,” unfortunately. I so wanted to love this more, but it […]
The nitty-gritty: While the writing and themes were beautifully done, the plot and the multiple timelines never really gelled for me. Mudlark had a lot of potential, but it lacked a few important things for me. Mostly, I never felt an emotional connection to the characters, so it was very hard to care about what […]
The nitty-gritty: A complex, fantastical coming-of-age story that explores fame, family ties and the blurred boundaries between fantasy and reality, The Children is a mesmerizing tale that will haunt readers with its sense of foreboding and wonder. “Her whole rib cage ached with understanding. There would be no going back. No earlier, softer place. Time […]
The nitty-gritty: Sara Raasch combines humor, sports and romance in her latest, a lively, sexy fantasy with lovable characters and thoughtful themes. This is the second book in Sara Raasch’s Magic & Romance series, and this time we follow a side character from the first book who ends up getting his happily-ever-after. This is a […]
The nitty-gritty: Magical, funny and surprising, The Book Witch is a delightful, “can’t miss” story that embraces the joys of books and reading. “All stories are love stories if you love stories.” Book lovers rejoice! The Book Witch might be the best love letter to books and readers I’ve ever come across, and while I’ll […]