Category: ARC

ARC, Four Star Book, LGBT, retelling, thriller, ya

She’s Too Pretty to Burn ARC Review

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An electric romance set against a rebel art scene sparks lethal danger for two girls in this expertly plotted YA thriller. For fans of E. Lockhart, Lauren Oliver and Kara Thomas.

The summer is winding down in San Diego. Veronica is bored, caustically charismatic, and uninspired in her photography. Nico is insatiable, subversive, and obsessed with chaotic performance art. They’re artists first, best friends second. But that was before Mick. Delicate, lonely, magnetic Mick: the perfect subject, and Veronica’s dream girl. The days are long and hot―full of adventure―and soon they are falling in love. Falling so hard, they never imagine what comes next. One fire. Two murders. Three drowning bodies. One suspect . . . one stalker. This is a summer they won’t survive.

Inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, this sexy psychological thriller explores the intersections of love, art, danger, and power.

– Goodreads

4.5 stars for this twisty thriller! Unreliable narrators abound, you never know who you can trust. Mick, Veronica, and Nico are all messed up. You could see any and all of them being the killer at some point.

I read Wendy’s Kill Club and loved it, so I was super excited to delve into her YA work! This is an amazing YA thriller. The character read at a teenage level. There’s problems with parents, friends, sports teams. All this on top of installation art – which happens to be illegal, and oh yeah, murder. Multiple murders.

I read this in less than a day, which is a feat for me. I could not put it down. I couldn’t figure out who to trust, and that just made me want to read it more and more.

The ending was great. It wrapped up nicely, but still left you wondering. I don’t know if that makes sense, but I felt it was the perfect ending.

Definitely recommend if you love unreliable narrators or ya thrillers!

Will you be checking out She’s Too Pretty to Burn on March 30, 2021? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time..

ARC, fantasy, Four Star Book, LGBT, ya

Scapegracers ARC Review

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Title: Scapegracers
Author: Hannah Abigail Clarke
Publisher: Erewhon
Publish Date: Sept 15, 2020
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and Erewhon for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An outcast teenage lesbian witch finds her coven hidden amongst the popular girls in her school, and performs some seriously badass magic in the process.

Skulking near the bottom of West High’s social pyramid, Sideways Pike lurks under the bleachers doing magic tricks for Coke bottles. As a witch, lesbian, and lifelong outsider, she’s had a hard time making friends. But when the three most popular girls pay her $40 to cast a spell at their Halloween party, Sideways gets swept into a new clique. The unholy trinity are dangerous angels, sugar-coated rattlesnakes, and now–unbelievably–Sideways’ best friends.

Together, the four bond to form a ferocious and powerful coven. They plan parties, cast curses on dudebros, try to find Sideways a girlfriend, and elude the fundamentalist witch hunters hellbent on stealing their magic. But for Sideways, the hardest part is the whole ‘having friends’ thing. Who knew that balancing human interaction with supernatural peril could be so complicated?

Rich with the urgency of feral youth, The Scapegracers explores growing up and complex female friendship with all the rage of a teenage girl. It subverts the trope of competitive mean girls and instead portrays a mercilessly supportive clique of diverse and vivid characters. It is an atmospheric, voice-driven novel of the occult, and the first of a three-book series.

– Goodreads

4/5 stars for this new witchy series!

Sideways is the weird kid. She does magic under the bleachers for a can of coke. Then, the coolest girls of the school invite her to a party and pay her $40 to do some magic. Things get wild, and the girls get closer than they ever thought they would.

I loved the relationship between this new coven – The Scapegracers. It seemed so authentic to a teenage friendship. Sideways never really had friends, so while she relishes their attention, she is also questioning why they want her around. Do they really like her, or want her for her magic? It made me remember some of the teen friendships I had and how I felt. The language used in the book felt very authentic too. Just the slang and terms they used. It was very 2020’s teenager.

The magic system was very interesting. There were witchchasers, who aim to take magic, and girls who hunt witches, too. You don’t really know who you can and can’t trust.

I can’t wait to see where book 2 takes our new coven! Definitely recommend if you like witchy books, strong female friendships, and something spooky!

What’s your favorite witchy book? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, Four Star Book, Historical Fiction, Horror, ya

The Haunting of Beatrix Greene Review

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Thank you to Netgalley and Serial Box for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beatrix Greene has made a name for herself in Victorian England as a reputable spiritual medium, but she’s a fraud: even she knows ghosts aren’t real. But when she’s offered a lucrative job by James Walker—a scientist notorious for discrediting pretenders like her—Beatrix takes the risk of a lifetime. If her séance at the infamously haunted Ashbury Manor fools him, she will finally have true financial freedom. If she fails, her secret will become her public shame.

But James has his own dark secrets, and he believes only a true medium can put them to rest. When Beatrix’s séance awakens her real gift—and with it, a vengeful spirit—James finds that the answers he seeks are more dangerous than he could have imagined. Together, with a group of supernatural sleuths, Beatrix and James race to settle the ghost’s unrest before it strikes— or else they might not make it out of the haunted manor alive.

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins, along with Ash Parsons and Vicky Alvear Shecter, weaves darkness, death, and a hint of desire into this suspenseful mystery for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Crimson Peak.

– Goodreads

The Haunting of Beatrix Greene was a perfect book to start off the spooky season!

Beatrix is a fake. She pretends she can see and talk to spirits. People pay her to talk to spirits for them, but she rationalizes it by saying she’s giving them comfort.
So what happens when Beatrix is hired for a job at a haunted house – and realizes her powers are real?

This horror story was so well balanced. There was character developments, friendships, and even a romance.

The first 30% is definitely slower paced, but didn’t read slower. Once they got to Ashbury Manor the action really picked up and it was so hard to put down. Three people wrote this novel, but it was so seamlessly done you couldn’t tell.

Definitely recommend for horror lovers or those who want something spooky this fall!

Preorder link here!

Are you planning on reading The Haunting of Beatrix Greene? What’s your favorite spooky read? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, Horror, mystery, ya

October TBR

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Okay. Trying this again!! So this month, Words & Whimsy Reading Challenge has added in reviews for points! During our chat with Amie Kaufman and Meghan Spooner, they said the best way to support authors (for free!) is to write reviews – especially on merchant sites! I’m very excited about this edition and can’t wait to write some reviews!

I’m about 50% into my first book of the month, The Haunting of Beatrix Greene. I am loving it so far and can’t wait to see what happens the last half! Here’s the rest of the books I plan to read:

So as you can see, a lot of witchy and murder books! Our theme at Words & Whimsy Reading Challenge this month is Something Wicked! Plus, witchy, spooky books are one of my favorite ways to celebrate fall!

What’s on your fall TBR? Any spooky books I should add? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

adult, ARC, Four Star Book, Memoir, true crime

Behind the Murder Curtain ARC Review

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Thank you to Netgalley and Post Hill press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

When Veterans Hospital patients on the road to recovery suddenly die in increasing numbers, it’s up to VA Special Agent in Charge Bruce Sackman to find out why. His shocking discovery rips open the hidden world of what goes on behind the bedside curtains when a killer doctor or nurse decides a patient must die.

Behind the Murder Curtain is the true story of Bruce Sackman, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. Sackman’s main responsibilities had been investigating white-collar crimes such as embezzlement when he is drawn into the macabre world of doctors and nurses who murder their patients. Sackman evolves from an investigator of routine cases to the world’s leading expert on Medical Serial Killers—MSKs—doctors and nurses who ply their evil trade hidden behind the privacy curtain at a patient’s bedside.

Behind the Murder Curtain tells how this dedicated investigator brought down four MSKs in Veterans Hospitals while developing the RED FLAGS PROTOCOL, which is now taught to investigators and forensic nurses throughout the world as a tool for stopping an MSK. 

– Goodreads

I was super excited to get an ARC of this true crime, and I am so sad it took me so long to get to! I am a huge true crime fan, especially when it comes to medical crimes, so this was right up my alley!

This is Bruce Sackman’s memoir about his time spent with the VA. He started out investigating fraud cases, but then got called to investigate a suspicious doctor. This turned into a lifelong journey in learning the best ways to catch MSK – Medical Serial Killers.

As a nurse, it amazes me that people can go into this profession with intent to harm. I remember how upset I would get if a patient of mine died. I cannot imagine killing them on purpose! And the doctors and nurses were usually well liked among their comrades. Just goes to show you never really know a person.

I loved seeing how Bruce’s process changed from his first case to the last. He even created a manual that they use to teach today! MSKs beware!

I recommend this to any true crime fan, especially if you are in the medical profession!

What is your favorite true crime book?

Until next time..

ARC, fantasy, New Adult, Romance, three star book

The Weaver ARC Review

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Thank you to Netgalley and The Parliament House for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Most writers choose the endings to their stories . . . most writers are not Weavers.


Laney Holden is a freshman at Madison College whose life goes from normal to paranormal in a matter of seconds. When the antagonist in the book she’s writing shoves her down the stairs at the subway station, she learns she is a Weaver. Weavers bridge the narrow gap between fantasy and reality, bringing their words to life.
Laney soon meets William whom she also suspects is a character from her book—one she’s had a mad crush on since her pen hit the paper. But he’s in danger as her antagonist reveals a whole different ending planned for Laney’s book that involves killing William. Laney must use her writing to save the people closest to her by weaving the most difficult words she will ever write.


THE WEAVER is the first installment of The Weaver trilogy. It is an NA paranormal romance set in a small town on the north shore of Boston. It will leave you wanting more.

– Goodreads

I had so many conflicting thoughts about The Weaver. I wanted to love this story, however, it was more of an eh like. The book wasn’t bad by any means, but by the end I wanted it to be over. It was only 238 pages.

The characters were the biggest issue for me. They all seemed flat and overdramatic, if that can even be a thing? None of them were likable. I felt the two male MCs were boring and stereotypical. Just a normal jock and a normal guy from the 1700s. Nothing special. All of Laney’s friends were annoying. Laney was whiney. I feel like if the characters ahd something to set them apart it would have worked much better.

I loved the premise of a writer being able to weave her story to life. It’s such an interesting concept – one that will probably have me looking for the second book in the series even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters.

The Weaver Trilogy by Heather Kindt
#1 The Weaver
#2 The Watcher
#3 The Ender

Have you read The Weaver Trilogy? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

adult, ARC, blog tour, thriller

👭 Sister Dear BLOG TOUR 👭

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👭 Title : Sister Dear
👭 Author : Hannah Mary McKinnon
👭 Publisher : MIRA
👭 Publish Date : May 26, 2020
👭 Genre : Mystery, Thriller
👭 Pages : 400

Thank you to MIRA for an invite to the blog tour!

In Hannah Mary McKinnon’s psychological thriller, SISTER DEAR (MIRA Trade; May 26, 2020; $17.99), the obsession of Single White Female meets the insidiousness of You, in a twisted fable about the ease of letting in those who wish us harm, and that mistake’s dire consequences.

The day he dies, Eleanor Hardwicke discovers her father – the only person who has ever loved her – is not her father. Instead, her biological father is a wealthy Portland businessman who wants nothing to do with her and to continue his life as if she doesn’t exist. That isn’t going to work for Eleanor.

Eleanor decides to settle the score. So, she befriends his daughter Victoria, her perfect, beautiful, carefree half-sister who has gotten all of life’s advantages while Eleanor has gotten none.

As she grows closer to Victoria, Eleanor’s obsession begins to deepen. Maybe she can have the life she wants, Victoria’s life, if only she can get close enough.

– MIRA

The premise of this book sounds SO GOOD! It starts off with secrets and they seem to get deeper and deeper! Can’t wait to dive into Sister Dear? Here’s an excerpt!

Chapter 1

The police didn’t believe me.

A jury wouldn’t have, either, if I’d gone on trial, and most definitely not the judge. My attorney had more than a few reservations about my story. Ms. Allerton hadn’t said as much. She didn’t need to. I saw it in her eyes, could tell by the way she shuffled and reshuffled her papers, as if doing so might shake my lies clean off the pages, leaving only the truth behind in her inky, royal blue swirls.

After our first meeting I’d concluded she must’ve known early on—before she shook my hand with her icy fingers—that I was a liar. Before she’d walked into the room in shiny, four-inch heels, she’d no doubt decided she’d heard my excuses, or a variation thereof, from countless clients already. I was yet another person claiming to be innocent. Another criminal who’d remained adamant they’d done nothing wrong, it wasn’t their fault, honest, despite the overwhelming amount of evidence to the contrary, a wall of impending doom surrounding me.

And still, at the time I’d believed the only reason Ms. Allerton had taken on my case pro-bono was because of the amount of publicity it gave her firm. Reducing my sentence—for there would be one—would amplify her legacy as a hot-shot lawyer. I’d accepted her help. There was no other option. I needed her knowledge, her expertise, saw her as my final hope. I now know her motivations were something else I’d miscalculated. All hope extinguished. Game over.

If I’m being fair, the judgements Ms. Allerton and other people had made about me weren’t completely wrong. I had told lies, some, anyway. While that stripped away part of my claim to innocence, it didn’t mean I was entirely guilty. Not of the things everybody said I’d done. Things I’d had no choice but to confess to, despite that being my biggest lie of all.

But I’ll tell you the truth. The whole truth and nothing but. I’ll start at the beginning, and share everything that happened. Every last detail leading up to one fateful night. The night someone died because of me. The night I lost you, too.

I won’t expect your forgiveness. Our relationship—or lack thereof—will have gone way beyond that point. No. All I can hope for, is that my side of the story will one day help you understand why I did the things I did.

And why I have to do the things I’ve not yet done.


Excerpted from Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon, Copyright © 2020 by Hannah McKinnon. 
Published by MIRA Books

Do you need more Sister Dear right away? Click below to buy!
Harlequin | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
Books-A-Million | Powell’s

Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favor of writing, and is now the author of The Neighbors and Her Secret Son. She lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons, and is delighted by her twenty-second commute.

Have you read Sister Dear? Is it on your TBR? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, blog tour, contemporary, Erotica, fantasy, ya

⛱️ June TBR ⛱️

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I could not bring myself to set up a tbr this month. I mean, I kind of have one? I have 21 books I want to read. I mean, I know I’ve been reading 12 a month, so that’s a little over half, but dang. I just can’t decide! Too many good things!

First let’s take a look at this month’s Words & Whimsy Reading Challenge!

I am so excited to be on the Autumn Court! We had a twist this month – it’s actually Seelie vs Unseelie! Unseelie FTW! Now, let’s get into these books I can’t wait to read.

There you have it. My super huge tbr. What do you think? Do we share any of the same books? What is your first book for June? Let me know in the comments below!
I’m starting with Seven Endless Forests!

Until next time…

adult, ARC, blog tour, contemporary, fantasy, mystery, New Adult, Romance, Sci-Fi, thriller, ya

🌞 May Wrap Up 🌞

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Guys I am so proud of myself this month! For the first time ever, I finished all my arcs releasing this month! This is giving me a huge boost of motivation to keep it up!

I competed in both Words & Whimsy Reading Challenge and the Bookemon Readathon. I finished criteria in WWRC, which I’m always excited about. I ended up reading 12 books again this month! I also read a few books over 600 pages, which is kind of unheard of from me!

My favorite read this month was From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout. I couldn’t put it down. My least favorite was probably The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea. I just had a lot of trouble with the pacing and found myself getting bored.

Here’s what I ended up reading this month!

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞
Great conclusion to the series! It made me sob in the shower.

The Stone of Sorrow by Brook Carter
🌞🌞🌞
I still can’t get over this cover.

Sisters of the Perilous Heart by Sandra L Vasher
🌞🌞🌞
The virus in this book was SO interesting!

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin
🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞
This was a second close to being my favorite read of the month!

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
🌞🌞.5
I wish I liked this one more than I did. I really wanted to.

This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf
🌞🌞🌞🌞
My fave thriller of the month! It got CRAY!

Breath like Water by Anna Jarzab
🌞🌞🌞🌞
This book was so beautifully written. The descriptions were swoon-worthy.

Out Now by Saundra Mitchell
🌞🌞🌞🌞
Such a fun grouping of LGBT short stories!

The Dark In-Between by Elizabeth Hrib
🌞🌞🌞🌞.5
This is an AMAZING debut! I loved it!

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout
🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞
The only way to describe my fave read this month : 🔥🔥🔥

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon
🌞🌞🌞
Blog tour excerpt coming June 2!

Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally
🌞🌞🌞🌞
Super cute, quick contemporary!

🌞 Stats 🌞

🌞 Goodreads Goal : 53/120. I am FOUR books AHEAD of schedule! WHAT?!
🌞 I read 12 books again, same as last month, but I read 5025 pages! Almost 1k more than last month. I had some chunkers! My average rating was also up from last month – 3.88!
🌞 Genre wise, I read six fantasies, two contemporaries, and two thrillers, and one each of scifi and anthology!
🌞 This was a very YA fantasy heavy month – 5 of them! In total I read 9 YAs, two adult and one new adult book.
🌞 And my ARCs! I am so proud to say I finished all eight May arcs! I have 10 next month. I think I can do it!

🌞 Yearly Goal Check In 🌞

🌞 Goal of 10 books a month : I passed this again with 12! I hope to keep up the momentum!
🌞 TBR Posts : I missed last Sunday! I’m still trying to figure out a system for blogging and working out and cooking all with a three year old. My husband helps, but let’s face it. My kid is a momma’s boy! I’ll get there eventually!
🌞 Words & Whimsy : I got to chat with a great MG author this month, Sarah Mlynowski! It was so much fun and she was so knowledgeable!
🌞 Words & Whimsy Reading Challenge : Team Gaia won the Broken Worlds edition! Next month is a theme everyone is sure to love – be sure to check it out!
🌞 Mithah Reads : This poor little blog. I have so much to catch up on! I’m going to make more of an effort this month, I pinky promise!

What did your May reading month look like? What was your favorite read? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

Anthology, ARC, blog tour, Four Star Book, LGBT, ya

🌈 Out Now Blog Tour 🌈

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🌈 Title : Out Now
🌈 Author : Saundra Mitchell
🌈 Publisher : Inkyard Press
🌈 Publish Date : May 26, 2020
🌈 Genre : LGBT, Anthology
🌈 Book Form : E-ARC
🌈 Pages : 416
🌈 Dates Read : May 17 – May 19
🌈 Rating : 🌈🌈🌈🌈

Thank you to Inkyard Press for an invite to this blog tour and a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

A follow-up to the critically acclaimed All Out anthology, Out Now features seventeen new short stories from amazing queer YA authors. Vampires crash prom…aliens run from the government…a president’s daughter comes into her own…a true romantic tries to soften the heart of a cynical social media influencer…a selkie and the sea call out to a lost soul. Teapots and barbershops…skateboards and VW vans…Street Fighter and Ares’s sword: Out Now has a story for every reader and surprises with each turn of the page!

This essential and beautifully written modern-day collection features an intersectional and inclusive slate of authors and stories.

– Inkyard Press

Before I get into these stories, I just want to say you do not need to read All Out in order to enjoy this! These are all short stories spotlighting various LGBT characters and are all amazing in their own right! There were 16 short stories in this anthology. They explored so many sexualities.

My favorite story was a tie between What Happens in the Closet and The Coronation. What Happens in the Closet is about vampires who crash a homecoming dance. Austin gets locked in a closet with his arch-nemesis while hiding from them. They are not the sexy vampires we know and love. Of course, while in the closet, they find love.
The Coronation is about a trans boy and girl who are being given to the Gods but they decide to fight back. This read very much like a fantasy that picked up right when the action started. Once it ended I was yearning for a whole book!

There weren’t any bad stories in this book. There were some that featured gods and goddesses, some that read like ya contemporary love stories, and fantasies. There is something for everyone in this book! It was 416 pages long, but didn’t feel like it. I flew through it!

I recommend this to anyone who is LGBT, loves their stories, is an ally, or who wants to learn more about different sexualities. You will be sure to find a story you love.

Can’t wait to get your hands on Out Now? Order it here!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound
Books-A-Million | Apple Books | Google Play

Saundra Mitchell has been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture deliverer and a layout waxer. She’s dodged trains, endured basic training and hitchhiked from Montana to California. She teaches herself languages, raises children and makes paper for fun. She is the author of Shadowed Summer and The Vespertine series, the upcoming novelization of The Prom musical, and the editor of Defy the Dark. She always picks truth; dare is too easy. Visit her online at www.saundramitchell.com.

Until next time…