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Book Review

Title: Girl Forgotten by April Henry

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Publishing Date: March 28, 2023

Synopsis:

Piper Gray starts a true-crime podcast investigating a seventeen-year-old cold case in this thrilling YA murder mystery by New York Times bestselling author April Henry. 

Seventeen years ago, Layla Trello was murdered and her killer was never found. Enter true-crime fan Piper Gray, who is determined to reopen Layla’s case and get some answers. With the help of Jonas—who has a secret of his own—Piper starts a podcast investigating Layla’s murder. But as she digs deeper into the mysteries of the past, Piper begins receiving anonymous threats telling her to back off the investigation, or else. The killer is still out there, and Piper must uncover their identity before they silence her forever. 

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Book Review

Title: Blue Moon by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Book 8)

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance

Rating: 4.25 Stars

The opening to Blue Moon was great as we learn Richard has been arrested on an attempted rape charge and his brother has phoned Anita for help despite their rocky relationship because the full moon is in less than five days. Anita immediately offers to help but Jean Claude informs her the master of that area has barred them entry to his lands and going will risk a war between them but Anita can’t abandon Richard who is their third because she still loves him despite loving Jean Claude as well. Eventually she ends up going anyway and taking a number of shifters with her for protection but I have a feeling this novel is going to fast paced as Anita is on a time limit to free Richard and potentially work out their issues as well.

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Book Review

Title: Drowned Country by Emily Tesh (The Greenhollow Duology Book 2)

Genre: Fantasy, LGBT

Rating:  3.75 Stars

After really enjoying the first book I couldn’t wait to get into the Drowned Country and return to the story of Tobias and Henry and their romance. The opening to Drowned Country didn’t hit the same way as the first book since Henry has been sulking and letting his power run wild but when his mother requests help with a case her and Tobias are struggling with he is unable to say no. This Henry seems very different in personality from the first book and he doesn’t even treat Tobias the same way when they get to Rothport to deal with an ancient vampire.

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Book Review

Title: Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh (The Greenhollow Duology Book 1)

Genre: Fantasy, LGBT

Rating: 4 Stars

Now I wasn’t expecting much when I picked up Silver in the Wood but I have heard good things about this duology and it was short to boot. This entire story centres around the Greenhollow wood and the mythical creatures that dwell within. When ownership of the wood passes to Henry Silver, he ends up meeting the gamekeeper, Tobias Finch, who unknown to Henry has been guarding and caring for the woods for over 400 years. Henry immediately flirts with Tobias and the pair end up becoming friends but there is more to that on both ends but Tobias has a job to do first.

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Book Review

Title: Love and Other Dead Things by Astrid Addams

Genre: Short Stories, Horror

Rating: 4.5 Stars

My reviews for short story collections tend to be shorter than my other reviews, purely because I don’t want to spoil the stories for other readers. Horror short stories are also hit or miss for me, because of the length of the stories some have a huge impact, while others completely fall flat. The first story, Jimmy Fucked Up was good and a nice introduction to the collection as it looks at revenge and parenthood in an interesting way with plenty of horrific moments from Jimmy himself and others but it felt a little rushed which isn’t uncommon with short stories but I will see where the collection goes.

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Book Review

Title: Parallel by Matthias Lehmann

Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical, LGBT

Rating: 5 Stars

I didn’t know much about the novel or the author before requesting it on NetGalley but the premise following an LGBT couple in 1950s Germany when homosexual relationships were illegal really drew me in especially since we are following older characters who have other lives including wives and families. We are introduced to Karl Kling as he is retiring as an old man, he discusses his terrible relationship with his daughter who he hasn’t seen for eight years but doesn’t go into detail as to why but it is clear to the reader. Karl then begins to look back on his life and where things went wrong for him, it seems he was a young man in the Second World War and he seemed to have a crush on a fellow soldier and friend, Willi but he never returned from the war. Karl denies even to himself that he is gay but he makes stupid decisions when drunk especially since he can be killed for being gay.

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Book Review

Title: Sweet Berries by C.M. Nascosta (Monster Bait Book 2)

Genre: Erotic, Romance

Rating: 4 Stars

I read Morning Glory Milking Farm back last year and really enjoyed it so when I finish got copies book Sweet Berries and the third book I couldn’t wait to get into them. We are introduced to Grace who moved into the Creek after the breakdown of marriage and subsequent divorce to work on the blackberry farm planning weddings for a living but she is struggling with single life. This isn’t because she isn’t happy by herself but she misses the passion and intimacy that comes with being with someone. One of the people she works with has been hitting on her for a while and while she sees no potential relationship with him she almost gives in just to have sex with him and feel wanted by someone else but pulls back at the last minute and returns home. There she attempts to take care of her problem only to realise that there is someone watching her from outside which turns her on more than it should.

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Book Review

Title: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (Nevermoor Book 1)

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Mental Health

Rating: 4.5 Stars

After Game of Thrones took up so much time for the book club to read and I also put it down due to my mental health at the time we decided for something easier to read for March and that was the first book in the Nevermoor series. The opening to The Trials of Morrigan Crow was interesting as we are introduced to Morrigan, a cursed child, meaning she is going to die on her 12^th birthday and she is also the daughter of an important politician, Corvus Crow but neither he or her stepmother seem to care about Morrigan and her impending death. Despite this her father does let her attend bid day, where children receive bids from the wealthy for further education and she ends up receiving four bids which has never been heard of, especially for a cursed child. Corvus believe this is a prank since no one turned up to interview Morrigan but she was speaking with a man said to representing Ezra Squall, the more important man in the kingdom but this was also a ruse. However, the season is changing which means Morrigan is going to die in a few hours but a mysterious man named Jupiter North turns up to escort Morrigan to her new home as her patron and helps her escape the Hunt for her. Right now things are a little confusing but I have a feeling that things will begin to make sense soon.

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Book Review

Title: Menage a Trois by L.M. Mountford (Sweet Temptations Book 3)

Genre: Erotic, Romance

Rating: 5 Stars

This is the final book in the Sweet Temptations series and I couldn’t wait to see how Alice’s revenge plays out after everything Richard has been getting up to in the previous two books. The way book 2 ended leaves us with Richard walking in on his wife, Alice and their babysitter, Rebecca in bed together and I couldn’t wait to see what happens between the three of them.

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Book Review

Title: The Boss’s Daughter by L.M. Mountford (Sweet Temptations Book 2)

Genre: Erotic, Romance

Rating: 4.25 Stars

After finishing The Babysitter and enjoying it enough to see where the series is going to go I couldn’t wait to get into this one. We know from the synopsis and the first book this is going to focus more on Richard and his flirtation with his supervisor, Scarlet who also happens to be the CEO’s daughter. In book one we see her hitting on him very aggressively much to the displeasure of his wife, Alice but he’s already cheated once with their babysitter, Rebecca so what’s another one. While I don’t condone cheating in any fashion these kinds of books are my guilty pleasure especially when the wife gets her own revenge in the end which I am expecting in book 3.

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