bookish_aly_cat's reviews
330 reviews

No Road Home by John Fram

4.0

This was such a good read! This atmospheric, thriller grabbed my attention right away and had me in a hold until the very last page. There was so much going on in this story, but it all worked together so perfectly. 

In this book Toby marries the granddaughter of a Televangelist. They go to her family house and a storm has them all trapped there. Weird things start happening and the patriarch of the family gets killed. The family tries to pin the death on Toby, and he sleuths around to figure out who did what. 

Read this if you like:

→ Gothic atmosphere 

→ Supernatural elements 

→ Locked room 

→ Family drama 

All of the characters seemed to have hidden agendas, which created a lot of mystery and drama. This one is definitely worth picking up!

Thank you @atriabooks for sending me a gifted copy of this book.

Saving Ellipsis by Ben Ffrancon Davies, Laure Dargelos

4.0

This was such a unique and entertaining read! The world the author created was quite intriguing and unlike anything I’ve read about before. It was a very whimsical and interesting murder mystery to say the least. 

In this book, the small town of Ellipsis exists between the lines of a manuscript and life revolves around the text. The town does what they can to preserve the words the author wrote and abandoned years ago. When a dead body is discovered at Prosperina’s shop, and parts of Ellipsis start falling apart for no reason, she tries to save her town before it collapses. 

Read this if you like:

📖 Adventurous plots 

📖 Cozy mystery stories

📖 Literary references 

📖 Grumpy/Sunshine 

This was a quirky and fun one, definitely written with book lovers in mind!

Thank you @rivkapublishing for sending me a gifted copy of the book. 

Mated to the Wolves by Ophelia Black

4.25

This is the first book in the Pack Pledged series and it really hooked me in. There was quite a bit packed into this short book and the storyline was really intriguing. 

This book was had Norse Mythology and a FMC who was responsible the fate of her species. 

After leaving the pack to pursue a college education she was brought back home to choose between her childhood bully, her ex, a shunned pack healer, and her dead father’s best friend as a mate.  

I found the dynamic between all the main characters to be interesting and diverse, as each of the chosen mates has some connection to the FMC in some way. 

Read this if you like: 

🐺 Werewolves 

🐺 Why choose 

🐺 Age gap

🐺 Ex boyfriend 

🐺 Enemy turned mate

🐺 Norse myth 

This one definitely left off on a cliffhanger and I’m anxiously awaiting to get book two in my hands. 

What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell

3.0

I love the A Twisted Tale series, but this one was not my favorite. I had a hard time getting into the story partly because it was on the slower side and because it seemed to read a little young. 

I liked the idea of the twist on the original story and how Rapunzel’s power was tied to the moon cycles. This was something that was unexpected. 

I didn’t care for the chapters where the brother was telling “this” story to his sister. I think I would have enjoyed the story more without those thrown in. It almost felt like it broke up the story too much once I would actually find myself getting into the book. 

I don’t think this book was bad, it just wasn’t my favorite retelling out of the ones I’ve read in this series so far. 

Where He Can't Find You by Darcy Coates

4.0

This was an interesting one! This young adult book had an intriguing mystery about a serial killer who makes people in town disappear and leaves them stitched back together in ways that are rather unnatural. 

This one wasn’t as fast paced as I expected it to be, but it still had me completely captivated. I was very invested in the mystery surrounding the Stitcher. 

I especially enjoyed the comic strips at each new part of the book. That was a fun surprise and added a nice touch to the story.

Read this if you like:

🧶 Small town

🧶 Creepy vibes 

🧶 Disappearing people 

🧶 Found family 

🧶 Mystery 

This is a good one for the spooky season. 

The Blood Prince by Ayla Marie

4.25

This was such a good fantasy read! The world building really drew me into the story with this one. The story was slow to build, but it was so captivating it was hard not to get hooked. The writing style was very descriptive and made you feel like you were right there alongside the characters. 

I really liked the siblings interactions with each other and following them throughout the book. There was strong character development which was nice to see. I love getting to know the characters and seeing them change and grow as the story progresses, which is what you experience here. 

Read this if you like:

📕 Found Family

📕 Fated Hero

📕 Antihero

📕 Hidden Kingdom

📕 Slow Burn

📕 Morally Grey MC’s 

📕 3 POV’s

This one is definitely worth the read, especially for fans of fantasy. 

The Unseen by Lilla Glass

4.0

This was such a good fantasy read. This story was well paced, it was action packed, and the world building was completely immersive. I enjoyed the magic system and the whimsical fairytale components tied into this fantasy adventure story.

I absolutely loved the characters and getting each of their unique points of view. I also appreciated the romantic subplot, even though it was subtle. 

Read this if you like:

→ Found family

→ Multiple POVs

→ Fairytale elements 

→ Assassins 

The Unraveling by Vi Keeland

4.0

This was quite an intriguing thriller. The story was slow to build, but that made it even more shocking when the story would deliver a twist and take an unexpected turn. 

This book is about a therapist who just went through a major life tragedy. One day she runs into someone who also shares a part in this same tragedy. The story gets all kinds of crazy from there. 

I appreciated the dual timeline and I think seeing what took place in the past was important to make sense of what was happening in present time. This was the case especially where the characters are concerned. 

I didn’t think that the twists were all that unpredictable, but I still really enjoyed reading this one. 

Thank you @atriabooks for sending me a gifted copy of the book.

Elizabeth of East Hampton by Emily Harding, Audrey Bellezza

4.0

This was a fun, quick, refreshing read. Elizabeth of East Hampton is a modern retelling of the classic Pride and Prejudice.

I think that the characters are what made this book such a joy to read. Not only were the individual personalities of Elizabeth and Will great, but the side characters really had moments to shine too. 

Read this if you like:

🌊 Pride and Prejudice 

🌊 Enemies to lovers

🌊 Close proximity 

🌊 Family business 

🌊 Banter 

🌊 Dual POV 

This is definitely a book worth picking up for the perfect summer read. 

Thank you @gallerybooks for sending me a gifted copy of the book.

The Wife App by Carolyn Mackler

medium-paced

4.0

This was quite an entertaining read! I loved the overall premise of the book and thought it was rather original.

This book is about three friends who come up with a new app, The Wife App. The idea behind the app is that it would allow wives to hire someone to do all the tedious tasks for them that wives typically do without getting paid. 

I loved the sisterhood between these three women showcased throughout the book. Even though they all had a lot going on in their personal lives, they really were there for each other through it all, which was nice to see. 

Even though there were a lot of heavier topics covered in this story, there was enough humor there to help balance it out. 

Thank you to @simonbooks for the gifted copy of the book.