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lauriereadslohf's reviews
1518 reviews
Husk: A Contemporary Horror Novel by Dave Zeltserman
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
I have about 4 old Netgalley titles left on my dash that I need to clear out and I peeked at the reviews of them trying to decide what I wanted to read next. This one had several comments about it being a horror romance. Lots of folks think that is a bad thing and that’s ok because we’re all different. Horror romance blends are one of my favorite things, however! So I went in hoping they weren’t leading me astray.
Charlie Husk tells this story. He’s a young person (creature?) who is tasked with bringing back meat for his clan. You can guess what the meat is, right? He’s equipped with a van and burlap bags and has his routine down until the moment he witnesses a cute blonde - one of <i>them</I> - arguing with a man who ditches her at a rest stop. It should be easy pickin’s for him but he instantly goes all goo-goo eyed over Jill for some reason and instead of throwing her in a bag, he decides to drive her home and even he is confused as to why he does it. During the ride to NY he falls head over heels in the dreaded (if you’re me) insta-love. Ugh, not the insta-love *forever cries in frustration*. I kind of hate it but occasionally it turns out well and I’m able to go with the flow. Unfortunately, the romance part of this story did not work for me because we’re told this story through Charlie’s first person POV only and we never get to know what Jill is thinking at all. In fact, she rarely speaks early on. There is zero chemistry, banter or any of that sweet falling in love sort of feeling that I love to experience. Why is he in love? WHO KNOWS. It’s a little creepy and stalkery even though Charlie’s intentions are sweetly old-fashioned and terribly misguided. So as a romance this was a bit of a dud for me but I’ve read a LOT of romances and I’m super picky about them now.
Anyhow, most of this book is about Charlie trying to fit into Jill’s world. Looking for work in a world that demands a social security number and a birth certificate which he doesn’t have because his clan lives off the grid. This story portrays the struggle of an undocumented person very well and you feel for him because he has skills that he cannot use and has to take a shitty job with a shitty boss who cheats him. It’ll make you a little ragey, most likely. It made me a little ragey but I should probably say that a lot of things make me a little ragey right about now..
I contemplated quitting this book at about the halfway mark because to be honest I was finding it too slow, too mundane and the romance too one-sided but then some things started to happen. I’m not going to tell you about these things because SPOILERS. This is not an over the top gory book by any means but there is a strong sense of menace simmering behind many of the interactions that is done incredibly well. I kept going back to it for that reason and because I did find Charlie strangely endearing. Especially because he is not wrong. Some humans do deserve to be stuffed in the burlap bag 😹!
In the end, I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would after the first half or so. It’s worth a read if you want something a little different.
<i>This is a review of my personal reading experience. Yours may differ. Don't be blaming me if it does!</i>
Charlie Husk tells this story. He’s a young person (creature?) who is tasked with bringing back meat for his clan. You can guess what the meat is, right? He’s equipped with a van and burlap bags and has his routine down until the moment he witnesses a cute blonde - one of <i>them</I> - arguing with a man who ditches her at a rest stop. It should be easy pickin’s for him but he instantly goes all goo-goo eyed over Jill for some reason and instead of throwing her in a bag, he decides to drive her home and even he is confused as to why he does it. During the ride to NY he falls head over heels in the dreaded (if you’re me) insta-love. Ugh, not the insta-love *forever cries in frustration*. I kind of hate it but occasionally it turns out well and I’m able to go with the flow. Unfortunately, the romance part of this story did not work for me because we’re told this story through Charlie’s first person POV only and we never get to know what Jill is thinking at all. In fact, she rarely speaks early on. There is zero chemistry, banter or any of that sweet falling in love sort of feeling that I love to experience. Why is he in love? WHO KNOWS. It’s a little creepy and stalkery even though Charlie’s intentions are sweetly old-fashioned and terribly misguided. So as a romance this was a bit of a dud for me but I’ve read a LOT of romances and I’m super picky about them now.
Anyhow, most of this book is about Charlie trying to fit into Jill’s world. Looking for work in a world that demands a social security number and a birth certificate which he doesn’t have because his clan lives off the grid. This story portrays the struggle of an undocumented person very well and you feel for him because he has skills that he cannot use and has to take a shitty job with a shitty boss who cheats him. It’ll make you a little ragey, most likely. It made me a little ragey but I should probably say that a lot of things make me a little ragey right about now..
I contemplated quitting this book at about the halfway mark because to be honest I was finding it too slow, too mundane and the romance too one-sided but then some things started to happen. I’m not going to tell you about these things because SPOILERS. This is not an over the top gory book by any means but there is a strong sense of menace simmering behind many of the interactions that is done incredibly well. I kept going back to it for that reason and because I did find Charlie strangely endearing. Especially because he is not wrong. Some humans do deserve to be stuffed in the burlap bag 😹!
In the end, I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would after the first half or so. It’s worth a read if you want something a little different.
<i>This is a review of my personal reading experience. Yours may differ. Don't be blaming me if it does!</i>
The Thirteen Black Cats of Edith Penn by Sean McDonough
Do you like cats? Do you like cats who might be a little bit evil and who might want to take a little revenge on a jerk or twenty? THERE IS ONLY ONE CORRECT ANSWER AND IT ISN’T NO! 😹 Even if you answered incorrectly, I’m thinking you will still have tons of fun with this dark magical gory gem. I know I sure did!
I’ve read a few books by this author and they’ve all been what I’d consider fun gory B movies in book format and I love knowing I can step into one and forget all of the stresses of the world and enjoy them with unabashed dark amusement, taking glee and solace in watching some awful folks suffer.
So, the story begins when an old woman named Edith Penn is found dead. That’s nothing new, right? Many a book starts out in such a way so what’s the big deal? Well, this isn’t your ordinary recovering a dead body scene. This woman, the town witch, has been devoured by her 13 black cats who have been feasting on her flesh and who are found drenched in her blood and other bits, haha. How kind of Edith to give back to the earth and complete the circle of life, right?! I tell my kids that if I die a kooky old cat lady to please let my cats eat me instead of doing all that embalming nonsense and toxifying up the world and they think I am kidding. I am only half kidding, tbh, because the whole death industry makes my skin crawl. Anyhow, this scene was all kinds of nasty fun until I learned what they planned to do to the cats who have tasted flesh, and then I had a mini oh shit moment. Oops, maybe I’ll have to change my death plans after all! But there’s no need to worry here. These cats are wily and people are pervy and crooked and the cats are soon unleashed upon the town to wreak complete havoc on those who deserve it and also on a few who don’t (oops).
The story follows the cats as they cozy up in their new homes and several of their new caretakers. Before long strange things start to occur. I will not reveal any of them because you should discover all of it on your own. There is magic and evil afoot and lots of carnage! The book also flips back in time to tell the story of Edith, explain who she was and how she ended up the way she did. I found it all endlessly fascinating. I think I could’ve read an entire book about just her journey because she was such an interesting character.
This book is filled with murder and mayhem and it has some great moments of humor thrown in just where they’re needed. I always love it when an author can gross me out, force me to care about the characters, and also make me laugh. Dark and gloomy is fantastic but too many in a row can sometimes be a bit too much to handle so a book like this is refreshing - as weird as that may sound.
My only minor complaint, and it might be my too-stressed brain, are the number of characters who pop in and out. There was a time or two when I was a little confused about who was who but eventually I caught on. I’d recommend reading it in a sitting or two, if possible.
This book was so much fun. It was a gloriously evil tale with several scenes that I won’t soon forget. It went off in a few unexpected directions and even tried to break my heart a time or two. Very highly recommended if you like the wild gruesome stuff!
4 1/2 ? 5? I dunno. I'm bad at this. I really enjoyed it so I'm giving it a five.
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Do you like cats? Do you like cats who might be a little bit evil and who might want to take a little revenge on a jerk or twenty? THERE IS ONLY ONE CORRECT ANSWER AND IT ISN’T NO! 😹 Even if you answered incorrectly, I’m thinking you will still have tons of fun with this dark magical gory gem. I know I sure did!
I’ve read a few books by this author and they’ve all been what I’d consider fun gory B movies in book format and I love knowing I can step into one and forget all of the stresses of the world and enjoy them with unabashed dark amusement, taking glee and solace in watching some awful folks suffer.
So, the story begins when an old woman named Edith Penn is found dead. That’s nothing new, right? Many a book starts out in such a way so what’s the big deal? Well, this isn’t your ordinary recovering a dead body scene. This woman, the town witch, has been devoured by her 13 black cats who have been feasting on her flesh and who are found drenched in her blood and other bits, haha. How kind of Edith to give back to the earth and complete the circle of life, right?! I tell my kids that if I die a kooky old cat lady to please let my cats eat me instead of doing all that embalming nonsense and toxifying up the world and they think I am kidding. I am only half kidding, tbh, because the whole death industry makes my skin crawl. Anyhow, this scene was all kinds of nasty fun until I learned what they planned to do to the cats who have tasted flesh, and then I had a mini oh shit moment. Oops, maybe I’ll have to change my death plans after all! But there’s no need to worry here. These cats are wily and people are pervy and crooked and the cats are soon unleashed upon the town to wreak complete havoc on those who deserve it and also on a few who don’t (oops).
The story follows the cats as they cozy up in their new homes and several of their new caretakers. Before long strange things start to occur. I will not reveal any of them because you should discover all of it on your own. There is magic and evil afoot and lots of carnage! The book also flips back in time to tell the story of Edith, explain who she was and how she ended up the way she did. I found it all endlessly fascinating. I think I could’ve read an entire book about just her journey because she was such an interesting character.
This book is filled with murder and mayhem and it has some great moments of humor thrown in just where they’re needed. I always love it when an author can gross me out, force me to care about the characters, and also make me laugh. Dark and gloomy is fantastic but too many in a row can sometimes be a bit too much to handle so a book like this is refreshing - as weird as that may sound.
My only minor complaint, and it might be my too-stressed brain, are the number of characters who pop in and out. There was a time or two when I was a little confused about who was who but eventually I caught on. I’d recommend reading it in a sitting or two, if possible.
This book was so much fun. It was a gloriously evil tale with several scenes that I won’t soon forget. It went off in a few unexpected directions and even tried to break my heart a time or two. Very highly recommended if you like the wild gruesome stuff!
4 1/2 ? 5? I dunno. I'm bad at this. I really enjoyed it so I'm giving it a five.
The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
The Wrong Family is one of those books where everyone has a secret. That’s the kind of book my nosy self eats up. So you have a secret? He has a secret? Oh, that strange lady has a secret too? Oh noooo, now I NEED to know what everyone is hiding and I will keep reading to the very end to find out no matter what - even if I end up disappointed in the time it takes to get to the secrets or in the secrets themselves. It’s kind of a curse with me.
So this one was a decently entertaining read for me and I’d read this author again. I enjoyed the strange setup with the house and the old lady but the middle started to lag a bit and I got a little bored. It was all the mundane drama bits here that were a little tiresome for my personal tastes and then the end was a bit of a whole wild rushed mess that didn’t really sit right with me but I can’t go into it without spoiling things. The biggest secret wasn’t what I thought it was going to be and I love it when a book proves to me that I have no idea what’s going on sometimes.
I’m not even going to tell you what it’s about because there’s a blurb and because, IMO, you shouldn’t know anything but the fact that there are SECRETS (some of them ridiculously dramatic) to be had and that the book is filled with terrible people doing the terrible things that terrible people do. I couldn’t stand any of them by the end except maybe the too nosy for her own good old woman and the poor kid stuck in this mess but that’s truly the fun of these books, haha.
Anyhow, if you love these sorts of books you’re likely going to like this one. Maybe you’ll even love it. I recommend the audio, the narrator did a great job.
So this one was a decently entertaining read for me and I’d read this author again. I enjoyed the strange setup with the house and the old lady but the middle started to lag a bit and I got a little bored. It was all the mundane drama bits here that were a little tiresome for my personal tastes and then the end was a bit of a whole wild rushed mess that didn’t really sit right with me but I can’t go into it without spoiling things. The biggest secret wasn’t what I thought it was going to be and I love it when a book proves to me that I have no idea what’s going on sometimes.
I’m not even going to tell you what it’s about because there’s a blurb and because, IMO, you shouldn’t know anything but the fact that there are SECRETS (some of them ridiculously dramatic) to be had and that the book is filled with terrible people doing the terrible things that terrible people do. I couldn’t stand any of them by the end except maybe the too nosy for her own good old woman and the poor kid stuck in this mess but that’s truly the fun of these books, haha.
Anyhow, if you love these sorts of books you’re likely going to like this one. Maybe you’ll even love it. I recommend the audio, the narrator did a great job.
The Hidden by Melanie Golding
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
I was so excited for The Hidden having adored Little Darlings in 2019. That story was so incredibly creepy and I highly recommend it, if you haven’t read it already! The Hidden is a little different, a lot less creepy. I’d say it’s more of a straight up mystery/thriller/police procedural with a little selkie on the side. If you love that blend in a book, this one's for you!
I’m not up for rehashing the plot today and you should find out things as you read the book so I’ll only say it’s about a woman who meets a man after she’s caught spying on him doing some yoga in his apartment across the way. Turns out Mr. Sexy Yoga Man has a wife (?) and a young toddler but, ahem, they are “not together in that way currently”. Okay. Whatever. That’s not at all suspicious . . . Anyhow, Ruby gets involved with this weird couple despite it all and becomes enmeshed in their life and finds herself in the middle of a huge disturbing mess but I do suppose her life becomes much more exciting for it, haha.
I enjoyed the unexpected dynamic between Ruby, Constance and her daughter Leonie and the selkie lore was a great addition but I wish there had been more of it, if I am being completely honest. I would’ve loved to have learned more about Constance’s family history, home and rituals. I enjoyed the “Then” storyline and trying to figure out the strange mystery, the weird relationship entanglements and the drama but the “Now” storyline lost me a bit and that’s completely on me. I’m simply not a huge fan of police procedurals, and freely admit it, and the entirety of the “Now” storyline is basically all of that with some frustrating decisions made by an officer too involved with the case. With that said, it has some strong character growth along the way and I did love that. Relationships and children and parenting are all so very complicated and this story took an emphatic look at understanding those difficult choices with compassion.
I made a few guesses here early on about where this was going and thought some of the characters were leading me astray but I was WRONG and I love that too. I hate being proved right when I’m reading a book like this one. It may make me feel all smug and smarty-pants for a second but it’s not a fun reading experience when that happens. Thankfully this one didn’t do what I thought it might do!
This was a slow burn of a book and it felt longer than its 300+ pages, maybe because the villain was a little too boring for my tastes and the majority of the plot wasn’t able to grab me in the way that Little Darlings did? I’m not sure but I am sure that it has a lot of good going on and it’s a decent read and I can understand why so many are digging it even if it didn’t completely knock me over with it’s creep factor like Little Darlings did. So for all of those reasons above I’m giving it 3 stars. That means I liked it for those who want to scream at me about it and not read my precious and oh-so-important words 😆
I’m not up for rehashing the plot today and you should find out things as you read the book so I’ll only say it’s about a woman who meets a man after she’s caught spying on him doing some yoga in his apartment across the way. Turns out Mr. Sexy Yoga Man has a wife (?) and a young toddler but, ahem, they are “not together in that way currently”. Okay. Whatever. That’s not at all suspicious . . . Anyhow, Ruby gets involved with this weird couple despite it all and becomes enmeshed in their life and finds herself in the middle of a huge disturbing mess but I do suppose her life becomes much more exciting for it, haha.
I enjoyed the unexpected dynamic between Ruby, Constance and her daughter Leonie and the selkie lore was a great addition but I wish there had been more of it, if I am being completely honest. I would’ve loved to have learned more about Constance’s family history, home and rituals. I enjoyed the “Then” storyline and trying to figure out the strange mystery, the weird relationship entanglements and the drama but the “Now” storyline lost me a bit and that’s completely on me. I’m simply not a huge fan of police procedurals, and freely admit it, and the entirety of the “Now” storyline is basically all of that with some frustrating decisions made by an officer too involved with the case. With that said, it has some strong character growth along the way and I did love that. Relationships and children and parenting are all so very complicated and this story took an emphatic look at understanding those difficult choices with compassion.
I made a few guesses here early on about where this was going and thought some of the characters were leading me astray but I was WRONG and I love that too. I hate being proved right when I’m reading a book like this one. It may make me feel all smug and smarty-pants for a second but it’s not a fun reading experience when that happens. Thankfully this one didn’t do what I thought it might do!
This was a slow burn of a book and it felt longer than its 300+ pages, maybe because the villain was a little too boring for my tastes and the majority of the plot wasn’t able to grab me in the way that Little Darlings did? I’m not sure but I am sure that it has a lot of good going on and it’s a decent read and I can understand why so many are digging it even if it didn’t completely knock me over with it’s creep factor like Little Darlings did. So for all of those reasons above I’m giving it 3 stars. That means I liked it for those who want to scream at me about it and not read my precious and oh-so-important words 😆
The Cockroach King by Andrew Cull
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
A young mother and her toddler move into a new to them home and it should be a happy, exciting time but before long the gardener digs up some bones (ahhhh!) and then cockroaches start showing up to ick everyone out and things only get worse from there!
This story will make you feel all kinds of ways. The grieving mother and her desperation to do the right thing while fearing she's just dumped all of her mother's legacy into a nightmare? Ugh, so sad. The anger at some of these people for reasons I shall not expose made me want thrown them all into a pit of roaches for all of eternity. It's also really gross. If you, like me, watched that Creepshow cockroach episode as a kid and have been tormented by it ever since, this book is not going to make you feel better about those disgusting hell creatures. The ending, which I will NOT spoil, was perfection.
There are also two other short stories included here. Definitely worth a read if you want to get icked out!
<i>This is a review of <b>my personal</b> reading experience. Yours may differ. Don't be blaming me!</I>
CW:Dog death, a dog's life is put in peril!, grief
This story will make you feel all kinds of ways. The grieving mother and her desperation to do the right thing while fearing she's just dumped all of her mother's legacy into a nightmare? Ugh, so sad. The anger at some of these people for reasons I shall not expose made me want thrown them all into a pit of roaches for all of eternity. It's also really gross. If you, like me, watched that Creepshow cockroach episode as a kid and have been tormented by it ever since, this book is not going to make you feel better about those disgusting hell creatures. The ending, which I will NOT spoil, was perfection.
There are also two other short stories included here. Definitely worth a read if you want to get icked out!
<i>This is a review of <b>my personal</b> reading experience. Yours may differ. Don't be blaming me!</I>
CW:
Lovelorn by April-Jane Rowan
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
4.5
I will scream about April-Jane Rowan’s novella BENEATH A BETHEL forevermore. It was one of those stories that hit all the dark emotional notes exactly right and LOVELORN is another extremely dark read, this time following two characters into a magical forest filled with mayhem, atrocities, and adventure. If you’re into the darkest of character-driven fantasies this author is one you’ll want to check out.
The story begins one stormy night when a broken young man jumps on his horse for an invigorating ride. Feeling free and rebellious, Harry jumps a fence loaded with charms to ward off the fae and in that dark and ominous forest he is thrown from his horse and left to find his way in a place he absolutely should not be . . .
Mabel is the other outsider who enters the forest. She is crushed by the loss of her husband who may be dead or may have abandoned them. It doesn’t matter really, he’s gone and the grief is destroying her. In a moment of careless whimsy, she follows her young son into the same forest that swallowed up Harry. The rest of the book follows their separate misadventures in the magical, dying land called Lovelorn as they meet dangerous creatures, face and embrace their own faults and maybe come out the other side even more damaged but feeling just fine about it and that’s all I am saying about that.
I’m not the hugest fan of fantasy adventure stories but I’m always willing to make exceptions for a dark, grueling read like McKinley’s DEERSKIN or a haunting film like Pan's Labyrinth. The darker the better and this one succeeds in setting that mood perfectly. But an adventure story will lose me quickly if the characterization doesn’t grab me relatively fast. Many of the characters in this story have such terrible faults, they make bad choices, they do horrible things (prepare yourself!) but I could not stop reading to see how on earth this would all end. Never in a million years would I have guessed some of the grisly turns this book takes! There’s also a very painful portrayal of grief that’ll smack you in the heart time and again. I love getting my heart broken and having it pieced back together, sometimes I’m even ok with a writer leaving it shattered on the floor. This story may do both things to you.
This book isn’t screwing around and hiding from its horrors both physical and emotional and there are even some moments of humor and that’s what I love the most about Rowan’s writing. It’s filled with pain and beauty and has a darkly romantic thread running through it and I can’t wait to read more. Highly recommended to anyone who finds this type of dark world endly fascinating.
“Come mortal, take my hand, lie with me in my watery bed.”
CW: child death, mention of past abuse & non-consensual sex, crushing grief, disability
Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
Comfort Me With Apples had me feeling confused and off-kilter and I love that feeling! It ultimately went to a place that I guessed early on (having read someone else’s review with a little reference to something that flicked a switch right away) and when I finished all I felt was sad and a bit ragey at all the spoiled, entitled, selfish menfolk residing in this world. It’s fiction, yeah, but it also hits a nerve and I suppose that was the point of the story so it’s successful but I can’t say it was an experience I want to repeat any time soon. Days later I’m still feeling too grrrrr about it all!
I’m not saying much because saying anything about the reveal, even vaguely, can give it away. Sophia is a happy housewife, living in a gorgeous gated community, in her giant beautiful house and she has a group of eclectic neighbor friends. She loves her husband even though she never sees him because he’s so busy working - or something. “I was made for him” is her mantra and their life is perfect.
Until it isn’t.
She can abide by all of the HOA rules which get increasingly weirder as the book goes along but when she starts snooping where she shouldn’t snoop, as one will (I mean, COME ON, he’s locked the basement! How could you not?!), she finds some disturbing things . . .
This book is beautifully written and I understand why people are raving about it but I’m not entirely sure it worked for me. The ominous hints at something being completely not ok in this little community of perfection are done exquisitely well and I love a book filled with secrets but something here was off and after the first few chapters I found it a little bit of a struggle, to be honest. Part of that was the fact that the ARC had messy formatting but when I switched to the audio and began again I found I still had similar issues sticking with the story. The narrator is just this side of monotonous which didn’t help but I see why that choice was made. She comes to life in certain scenes (the friend meetup/luncheon was my favorite) and I always knew who was who but I caught myself drifting and rewinding several times which always signals a book isn’t working to hook me.
You’ll probably still be thinking about this story and putting all the little pieces together once you finish. I didn’t love it but that doesn’t mean I didn’t find parts of it enjoyable. It’s well crafted and if you’re a fan of a little dark mystery with a heavy dose of strangeness, you might want to check it out. Just do yourself a favor and go in completely blind.
I’m not saying much because saying anything about the reveal, even vaguely, can give it away. Sophia is a happy housewife, living in a gorgeous gated community, in her giant beautiful house and she has a group of eclectic neighbor friends. She loves her husband even though she never sees him because he’s so busy working - or something. “I was made for him” is her mantra and their life is perfect.
Until it isn’t.
She can abide by all of the HOA rules which get increasingly weirder as the book goes along but when she starts snooping where she shouldn’t snoop, as one will (I mean, COME ON, he’s locked the basement! How could you not?!), she finds some disturbing things . . .
This book is beautifully written and I understand why people are raving about it but I’m not entirely sure it worked for me. The ominous hints at something being completely not ok in this little community of perfection are done exquisitely well and I love a book filled with secrets but something here was off and after the first few chapters I found it a little bit of a struggle, to be honest. Part of that was the fact that the ARC had messy formatting but when I switched to the audio and began again I found I still had similar issues sticking with the story. The narrator is just this side of monotonous which didn’t help but I see why that choice was made. She comes to life in certain scenes (the friend meetup/luncheon was my favorite) and I always knew who was who but I caught myself drifting and rewinding several times which always signals a book isn’t working to hook me.
You’ll probably still be thinking about this story and putting all the little pieces together once you finish. I didn’t love it but that doesn’t mean I didn’t find parts of it enjoyable. It’s well crafted and if you’re a fan of a little dark mystery with a heavy dose of strangeness, you might want to check it out. Just do yourself a favor and go in completely blind.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting and Murder
Witch Please by Ann Aguirre
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
This was a ridiculously cute romance between a witch and a 30-something virginal bi-sexual baker. Yeah, it may be completely unrealistic but I’m not here reading my witchy fiction books for real-life angst and accuracy. It was sweet and he was a complete cinnamon roll of a character. Loved it. I haven’t read a ton of romances this year and this one was a lovely break from the heavy, dark stuff I’ve been immersed in.
Danica comes from a family of witches and she’s expected to keep the bloodline strong by marrying another witch and to hell with chemistry and true love and all that nonsense. Her mother gave up her magic for love and Danica isn’t about to follow in her footsteps. She loves her coven members and her magical powers and, well, who would want to give those up? Unfortunately for her, the male witches her Grandma fixes her up with are unappealing at best, and dicks at worst. Her last lover broke her heart and she’s still nursing the wound when the hunky baker down the road opens the door to her “Fix It” shop, walks in, and messes her hormones and her plans all the way up.
Titus is but a mere mortal but Danica is due a little fun, right? But from the moment he sees her, he decides she’s the one he’s going to marry (ok, that right there might’ve been a wee bit creepy even I’ll admit) and you can guess how this all goes if you’ve read a romance or two . . .
The romance was adorable. I give it all the stars. I loved these two together, sexy and funny and goofy and awkward and sweet. The family issues might even make your heart thaw if it’s frozen like mine. There is a cat character. There is a dog character. All of these things are my personal catnip. However (you probably saw that coming), the controlling Grandma was NOT my favorite and the world-building needed a little bit of work. A “witch hunter” is introduced but that plot-line kind of fizzled and died. I had a bunch of questions and the resolution didn’t really answer them. I think this is going to be a series so maybe this secret witch world will be made a little clearer then.
Anyhow, I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ava Lewis who does a fine job of injecting life into the cast of characters. She has a pleasant voice and a nice cadence but you’ll likely want to put in some headphones or be careful who is in the car listening along with you because the love scenes are spicy and this is no lie.
If you need some sweet and spicy fluff in your life, this one should do the trick!
Making Friends by Die Booth
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Earlier this year I read the collection Gothic Blue Book VI: A Krampus Carol and Die Booth’s story “When The Leaves Go” was one of my favorites in a collection full of dark little gems. It was whimsical and dreamy and just lovely. I didn’t want to leave that world. This collection, Making Friends, is a mix of whimsical, haunting and dreamy stories featuring characters looking for love, for trouble, for hope, some are dealing with past hurts or strange goings-on. Lots of strange goings-on and glances into dark corners. There’s a good mix of melancholy, adventure and quiet horror and even a little bit of humor which I always appreciate. There are a few longer pieces but quite a few are flash pieces and some of them ended a little abruptly for me. I’m going to focus mainly on the longer stories so I don’t give too much away.
Making Friends
Anna hopes to find her true love but instead finds nothing but a bunch of duds. So when she spots an ad at a bus stop claiming to help her find her love match she figures why not give it a go? Nothing can be worse than the string of losers she’s found on her own. This was one of my favorites and a great way to start things off. The setting feels like a place out of time.
Junk Medicine
In a dirty world, Donny has been saving up for something special, something beautiful for her girlfriend but nothing comes easy in their world.
Things the Sea Brings Us
Mary’s lover left her broken-hearted and now she’s surrounded by gossips spreading poisonous rumors. This one feels otherworldly too.
NIX
Two bored siblings looking for adventure find it in this creature feature! I was worried for them, not gonna lie, but sis is a wily one, haha.
Whole wide world
This is a painfully honest look at the hurt humans thoughtlessly inflict on those they’re supposed to love, support and protect.
Badass
A mishap occurs and it made me laugh for real. I’m not telling you what happens. You’ll have to find out for yourself.
The Headless Army of Charlie Close
This is a creepy tale about a day in the life of a young factory worker who discovers what she’s had a part in creating. Creeptastic!
The Cat In The Window
A man spies a stained glass cat in a window while walking to work and it haunts him. This one is a gem. It creeped me out the same way some of Charles L. Grant’s tales used to creep me out when I was a teen. It’s an understated tale of quiet horror and it will creep under your skin.
The Man Who Sticks His Head Up Petticoats
“I have a friend who sticks his head up petticoats.”
“It’s just the way he lives his life.”
Wtf! Haha, this little story just made me laugh and laugh and sometimes that’s all you need, right?!
I read a few of these stories every night for a week or so and enjoyed spending time in the eerie little worlds the author created.
Making Friends
Anna hopes to find her true love but instead finds nothing but a bunch of duds. So when she spots an ad at a bus stop claiming to help her find her love match she figures why not give it a go? Nothing can be worse than the string of losers she’s found on her own. This was one of my favorites and a great way to start things off. The setting feels like a place out of time.
Junk Medicine
In a dirty world, Donny has been saving up for something special, something beautiful for her girlfriend but nothing comes easy in their world.
Things the Sea Brings Us
Mary’s lover left her broken-hearted and now she’s surrounded by gossips spreading poisonous rumors. This one feels otherworldly too.
NIX
Two bored siblings looking for adventure find it in this creature feature! I was worried for them, not gonna lie, but sis is a wily one, haha.
Whole wide world
This is a painfully honest look at the hurt humans thoughtlessly inflict on those they’re supposed to love, support and protect.
Badass
A mishap occurs and it made me laugh for real. I’m not telling you what happens. You’ll have to find out for yourself.
The Headless Army of Charlie Close
This is a creepy tale about a day in the life of a young factory worker who discovers what she’s had a part in creating. Creeptastic!
The Cat In The Window
A man spies a stained glass cat in a window while walking to work and it haunts him. This one is a gem. It creeped me out the same way some of Charles L. Grant’s tales used to creep me out when I was a teen. It’s an understated tale of quiet horror and it will creep under your skin.
The Man Who Sticks His Head Up Petticoats
“I have a friend who sticks his head up petticoats.”
“It’s just the way he lives his life.”
Wtf! Haha, this little story just made me laugh and laugh and sometimes that’s all you need, right?!
I read a few of these stories every night for a week or so and enjoyed spending time in the eerie little worlds the author created.
Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was very worried about starting this book. I stared at it for several months before working up the nerve to crack the cover. It is very thick (but I’ve been reading a lot of novellas) and some of the reviews said things that made me go “uh oh, I might not like that very much either'' and also “uh oh, it has so many pages, what if it destroys my desire to read forever? WTF am I gonna do with myself then?” I admit the inside of my head is an overly dramatic place sometimes but this book scared me before I even read one of its words. It features the aftermath of something I try to avoid reading about most of the time because I don’t want to fall into a funk. Friends warned me so I waited for a time when I was ready and I’m glad I did (thank you friends, I love you for that). This book begins after an apparent suicide (not a spoiler, please don’t yell at me because it says so on the back cover and it tells you almost immediately) and it deals with the feelings of the very angry, very upset, very tortured young man who has been left behind. It’s raw and heavy stuff and the grief and resulting destructive behavior is pretty damn accurate. Save this one for a time when you have a few hours to sink into it.
Andrew had planned to meet up at a fancy University to move in with his best friend Eddie who left a few months earlier, settled in, began his research into regional occult folklore and then . . . died. Andrew is completely devastated by the loss when the book opens and heads out to discover exactly what happened because he simply can’t believe his best friend/adopted brother would do what he did. Following Andrew around like a black cloud along with his grief is the revenant of Eddie that haunts him. Andrew is thrown into a new world of fast cars, sexy new acquaintances and shady goings-on as he attempts to unravel the mysteries surrounding Eddie’s demise.
This story is drenched in grief but it’s also filled with mystery, some damn good sexual tension and an overall feeling of unease. I loved it. I was truly surprised by just how much I enjoyed it because I’m not a huge fan of car racing and had some worries after reading a few reviews but those scenes went by quickly for me and seemed to help burn off some of that wild energy surrounding these people. Some readers may dislike Andrew and the entire cast of characters here and I get that. They are a messy delight - or at least I thought so. But they are not for everyone and at times they reminded me a wee bit of the characters in Poppy Z. Brite’s LOST SOULS. They’re imperfect, sometimes frigging mean and mostly unlikable, they treat women badly but I couldn't hate them just as I didn’t despise any of the people in this story who sometimes behave the same way. Andrew is 22 or 23. He’s barely begun his life when he loses the one person closest to him. Yup he’s rude, he sure is! He’s also a self-centered jerk and he dismisses the people trying to help him and he’s all of those terrible things that people are saying about him but he’s also lost and in a tragedy spiral while struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. That is A LOT for one young person to handle and I couldn’t hate him for any of it once I realized what was going on in his head. He’s also being relentlessly haunted by the angry revenant of his lost friend for some added emotional trauma. Grief manifests in many ways and this feels like an accurate depiction during this small snapshot in time as he starts to come to terms with everything.
I mentioned above that some of the women in this story are treated badly but I also want to mention that the men and their bullshit get called out for it and can I tell you how much I loved that? Well, I’m telling you anyway because I loved that. We deserve to see more of that if you ask me.
It’s a wildly emotional read and I’m giving it all five of my angsty stars. Yeah, maybe some stuff could’ve been trimmed a little bit or maybe I’m just spoiled by the pace of novellas but even with that said I had a hard time putting it down when people bugged me and I wanted to keep going with it because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It may even become a comfort reread in the future. So, yeah, that’s a five for me.
Andrew had planned to meet up at a fancy University to move in with his best friend Eddie who left a few months earlier, settled in, began his research into regional occult folklore and then . . . died. Andrew is completely devastated by the loss when the book opens and heads out to discover exactly what happened because he simply can’t believe his best friend/adopted brother would do what he did. Following Andrew around like a black cloud along with his grief is the revenant of Eddie that haunts him. Andrew is thrown into a new world of fast cars, sexy new acquaintances and shady goings-on as he attempts to unravel the mysteries surrounding Eddie’s demise.
This story is drenched in grief but it’s also filled with mystery, some damn good sexual tension and an overall feeling of unease. I loved it. I was truly surprised by just how much I enjoyed it because I’m not a huge fan of car racing and had some worries after reading a few reviews but those scenes went by quickly for me and seemed to help burn off some of that wild energy surrounding these people. Some readers may dislike Andrew and the entire cast of characters here and I get that. They are a messy delight - or at least I thought so. But they are not for everyone and at times they reminded me a wee bit of the characters in Poppy Z. Brite’s LOST SOULS. They’re imperfect, sometimes frigging mean and mostly unlikable, they treat women badly but I couldn't hate them just as I didn’t despise any of the people in this story who sometimes behave the same way. Andrew is 22 or 23. He’s barely begun his life when he loses the one person closest to him. Yup he’s rude, he sure is! He’s also a self-centered jerk and he dismisses the people trying to help him and he’s all of those terrible things that people are saying about him but he’s also lost and in a tragedy spiral while struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. That is A LOT for one young person to handle and I couldn’t hate him for any of it once I realized what was going on in his head. He’s also being relentlessly haunted by the angry revenant of his lost friend for some added emotional trauma. Grief manifests in many ways and this feels like an accurate depiction during this small snapshot in time as he starts to come to terms with everything.
I mentioned above that some of the women in this story are treated badly but I also want to mention that the men and their bullshit get called out for it and can I tell you how much I loved that? Well, I’m telling you anyway because I loved that. We deserve to see more of that if you ask me.
It’s a wildly emotional read and I’m giving it all five of my angsty stars. Yeah, maybe some stuff could’ve been trimmed a little bit or maybe I’m just spoiled by the pace of novellas but even with that said I had a hard time putting it down when people bugged me and I wanted to keep going with it because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It may even become a comfort reread in the future. So, yeah, that’s a five for me.