muddypages's reviews
197 reviews

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell 

 

First Line✏️”Libby picks up the letter off the doormat.” 

 

Libby returns home from work one day to find a letter, a letter that she has been waiting to open her entire life. 

 

Upon opening, she learns the identity of her birth parents but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on a coveted street in London. Everything about Libby’s life is about to change, but will it be for the better? 

 

Now step back in time. 25 years ago, the police were called to a home with reports of a baby crying. When they arrived they found a happy, healthy baby in a crib. However, downstairs in the kitchen laid three dead bodies, all dressed in black next to a note. 4 other children who lived in the home are also missing. 

 

I’m a new big fan of Lisa Jewell. Her books are incredibly fast paced, I am a fan of her writing style and find myself connecting and pulling for the characters. I didn’t have any expectations going into this book but I ended up being shocked with multiple turn of events and the ending left me with some questions; especially knowing book 2 (The Family Remains) is due out this month! 

 

The Family Upstairs gets a solid 4.5 stars from me. While I devoured this book, it does have some pretty heavy subjects that can be triggers for some. 

 

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 /5 

Goodreads Average Rating: 3.97/5 

 

• 340 pages
• Fiction/Thriller
• Dark/Mysterious
• Duel Timeline
• Medium/Fast paced read
• Shorter Chapters

 
**Some of these triggers may contain spoilers**
 

 
⚠️ Triggers/Warnings ⚠️ 


 

• Child Abuse
• Confinement
• Emotional Abuse
• Murder
• Death
• Physical Abuse
• Sexual Assault
• Cursing
• Chronic Illness
• Torture
• Suicide
• Gaslighting
• Adult/Minor Relationship

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The House Across The Lake by Riley Sager👀

First Line✏️”The lake is darker than a coffin with the lid shut”

Casey is recently widowed and has retreated to her serene family lake house in Vermont. With a pair of binoculars and several bottles of liquor she begins to pass the hours by watching the neighbors across the lake. 

Odd things start to happen and Casey if often left wondering if it was a figment of her imagination mixed with drunkenness or if what she saw was indeed very real. 

Alright. I’m a HUGE Sager fan. After seeing so many mixed reviews for this book when it first hit shelves I admit, I sat it on the back of mine.

I didn’t want to be let down. 

Here’s the great thing about books; one person can totally hate it and another can totally immerse themselves in it and love it. 

I read this book is two days. TWO. I binged it. I was engrossed in it the entire time. Parts of it were annoying yes lets face it. The repetitiveness of “the house across the lake” and the mention of bourbon and alcohol throughout was a bit much for me. Its not my favorite Sager book by far, but I think it’s still a good read! 

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️💫 /5

Goodreads Average Rating: 3.60/5

• 368 pages
• Fiction/Thriller
• Dark/Mysterious
• Duel Timeline
• Slow/Medium paced read
• Shorter Chapters

**Some of these triggers may contain spoilers**

⚠️ Triggers/Warnings ⚠️ 

• Alcoholism
• Murder
• Death
• Addiction
• Violence
• Domestic Abuse
• Suicide
• Drug Use
• Stalking
• Toxic Relationship
• Physical Abuse
• Kidnapping
• Grief

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center🐄 

 

First Line✏️”My mothers dying wish was for me to take a vacation” 

 

Hannah Brooks. Executive Protection Agent aka The Bodyguard. 

 

Hannah is not your average bodyguard. For starters, she’s a woman. A badass woman who could kill you with a pen, napkin or bottle opener. Who can flip you on your butt within seconds. Who notices small everyday things that can seem out of place in plain sight. She looks like everything BUT a bodyguard. 

 

She hits the jackpot and is hired to protect celebrity actor Jack Stapleton from a stalker. When Jacks mom becomes ill, he comes to the family ranch in Texas to help out. The last thing he wants is his family worrying about his stalker situation, so Hannah finds herself not only being his bodyguard, but pretend girlfriend. 

 

What could possibly go wrong? 

 

Friends, I loved this book so much! This was my first read by Katherine Center and now I want to read all her books. Her writing style is easy to follow and while this story started a bit slow for me, once it picked up I found myself unable to set the book down. 

 

Classic fake dating/One bed trope =🧑🏼‍🍳💋 

 

QOTD: Have you read any books by Katherine Center? 

 

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 /5 

Goodreads Average Rating: 4.22/5 

 

• 320 pages
• Fiction/Romance

 
**Some of these triggers may contain spoilers**
 

 
⚠️ Triggers/Warnings ⚠️ 


 

• Death
• Car Accident
• Cancer
• Stalking
• Death
• Domestic Abuse
• Gaslighting
• Alcoholism
• Suicide Attempt
• Violence
• Injury
• Panic Attacks
• Toxic Relationship
• Gun Violence 

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 Every Summer After by Carley Fortune🌊 

 

First Line✏️”The fourth cocktail had seemed like a good idea” 

 

6 Summers to fall in love. One moment to fall apart. 1 weekend to get it right. 

 

For 6 summers Percy & her family live at Barry’s Bay in a lake house. She spends her summers with the boys next door, swimming, reading and working at their family restaurant. Percy and Sam quickly become inseparable and with time, their friendship becomes so much more. Until it falls apart. 

 

Fast forward, Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mothers funeral. Old paths cross and old flames still burn. 

 

Hands down one of the BEST books I’ve read so far this year. Seriously, BUY IT. 

I loved the characters, the setting, the story, all of it! 

 

I’ve seen some reviews of folks not liking the “young love” aspect of the story - but that’s why I was able to connect to this book so quickly. I married my middle school sweetheart. 

 

5 stars from me & a new love for Carley Fortune! 

 

 

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5 

Goodreads Average Rating: 4.39/5 

 

• 320 pages
• Fiction/Romance
• Duel Timeline
• Shorter Chapters

 
**Some of these triggers may contain spoilers**
 

 
⚠️ Triggers/Warnings ⚠️ 


 

• Death
• Sexual Content
• Alcohol
• Panic Attacks
• Cancer
• Grief
• Cursing
• Infidelity 
• Bullying
• Toxic Friendship 

The Atonement by Kiersten Modglin

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.5

The Atonement by Kiersten Modglin🔪

First off, Thank you to @kierstenmodglinauthor for entrusting me with an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

Wow. Wow. WOW. The Atonement was the finale of Peter and Ainsley I didn’t know I needed!

There is not much I can say about this one without spoiling the first two books, so definitely make sure you read those BEFORE reading this one.
They are not stand alone books.

Peter and Ainsleys marriage is put to the test for the final time, will it survive an intense game of cat and mouse?

What secrets will be exposed along the way?

Friends, if you have not dove head first into the #kmod world here is your sign.
👇🏼
YOU. NEED. TO. 🪧

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 /5
Goodreads Average Rating: 4.76/5

* Fiction/Thriller
* Dark/Suspense
* Short Chapters
*Fast Paced Read
* Kindle Unlimited
* Book 3 of The Arrangement Series

**Some of these triggers may contain spoilers**

⚠️ Triggers/Warnings ⚠️

* Murder
* Stalking
* Toxic Relationships
* Drugs
* Confinement
* Kidnapping

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder

Hide by Kiersten White

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Hide by Kiersten White🎡 

 

✏️First Line: “Get lost in the fun!” 

 

I picked this up from my local library solely because I LOVED the cover and the synopsis sounded AMAZING. 

 

The Challenge? 

Spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park. 

The Prize? 

Enough money to change everything. 

Only Rule? 

Don’t get caught. 

 

I thought I had found what was going to be my favorite read of the summer with a gripping and enticing synopsis like this one, but I was SO wrong. UGH. Don’t you hate it when a book leaves you let down? 

 

Kiersten White is a new to me author and while I loved what she was reaching for here in this horror/thriller novel….it just missed that mark for me. 

 

This book jumped from character POV’s what seemed like every single paragraph which I found incredibly annoying. Third person narrative is often thrown in along the way which made the book even harder to follow. There were also so many back stories on all the characters I found it difficult to keep track of them all. Overall, its a “meh” rating from me, and who knows, maybe my mood was off. It felt completely garbled together. 

 

So, what did I like? 

The cover…I mean..COME ON. Its amazing. 

And the map on the inside of the book is…. 😍 

 

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️💫 /5 

Goodreads Average Rating: 3.50/5 

 

• 256 pages
• Fiction/Thriller/Horror
• Dark/Mysterious
• Medium Paced Read
• Longer Chapters

 
**Some of these triggers may contain spoilers**
 

 
⚠️ Triggers/Warnings ⚠️ 


 

• Death
• Suicide
• Blood
• Murder
• Violence
• Child Death
• Body Horror
• Animal Death
• Domestic Abuse
• Confinement 
• Grief
• Kidnapping 
• Gore
• Mental Illness
• Injury

Tinkering with Love by Aliyah Burke

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

 Tinkering with Love🏍 

 

✏️First Line: “It’s mandatory.” 

 

First off, Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. 

 

Honest Review here we go…. where to start. I didn’t care for this one, Im sad that it missed the mark for me. I went into Tinkering with Love with high expectations. 

 

Dawson accepts her dream job across the country, rebuilding motorcycles, only to arrive and discover that someone else has gotten the position she came for. 

 

Now, the entire company is off to a team building wilderness retreat and she’s stuck with Tully, the bearded, tattooed hot guy who stole her job. 

 

One thing I did love? The cover. I love seeing a curvy girl on the front pages of books. 

 

What I didn’t like? Tully falls WAY too freaking fast in this one. The story itself sounds promising and hilarious but I found it to be choppy and a whole lot of back and forth “I hate you, I love you”. I rolled my eyes…a lot. I also did not care for he nickname he has for her in this book. Their relationship as a whole was just not something I enjoyed watching unfold. 

 

This wasn’t the romcom/enemy to lovers I was hoping it would be. I am however curious to see what book two of the Rock Falls series holds. 

 

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️💫 /5 

Goodreads Average Rating: 3.20/5 

 

📚Publication Date: June 20, 2022 

 

• 269 pages
• Fiction/Romance
• Spice Level 🌶🌶
• Medium Paced Read
• Rock Falls Series Book 1

 
**Some of these triggers may contain spoilers**
 

 
⚠️ Triggers/Warnings ⚠️ 


 

• Toxic Relationship
• Sexual References & Situations  
• Swearing

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Children on The Hill by Jennifer McMahon🔥 

 

💫“ For all the monsters of my childhood, read and imagined” 

 

✏️First Line: “Her smell sends me tumbling back through time to before.” 

 

Confession Time: I picked this book up solely because of the cover and the title. I had ZERO idea who the author was. Now I want to read all her books! 

 

Picture this. 1978: A treatment center in Vermont. Run by psychiatrist Dr. Helen Hildreth who is acclaimed for her compassionate work with mentally ill patients. She lives on site in a separate home with her two grandchildren, Eric & Violet. Known to them as “Gran” she teaches them how to take care of their pets, prepares home cooked meals, homeschools them and provides the love and attention they need when not working at the Inn. 

 

One day, Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Iris is silent, skittish and does not behave normally for a teen child. Even so, Vi is excited to have a new friend in the home. She and Eric invite her to join their Monster Club, where they keep track of any and all monsters and ways to defeat them. Soon, iris begins to bloom. 

 

Fast forward to 2019. Lizzy Shelley is the host of a popular podcast, Monsters Among Us. She is traveling to Vermont where a young girl has been kidnapped but also where a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. The tale of Rattling Jane. Lizzy is determined to hunt it down because she knows better than anyone that monsters are REAL. 

 

 

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ /5 

Goodreads Average Rating: 4.01/5 

 

• 352 Pages
• Fiction/Thriller
• Duel Timeline 
• Dark/Tense
• Medium Paced Read
• Shorter Chapters 

**Some of these triggers may contain spoilers**
 
⚠️ Triggers/Warnings ⚠️ 

• Animal Cruelty
• Child Abuse
• Mental Illness
• Death of Parent
• Torture
• Murder
• Injury
• Medical Trauma
• Kidnapping
• Confinement 
• Fire
• Miscarriage 

The Dinner Guests by Kiersten Modglin

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The Dinner Guests by Kiersten Modglin 🍽

6 Friends.

Many Secrets.

One terrifying game. 

6 friends. They grew up together and now live next door to each other. Naturally, when the new neighbors move into the vacant house next door they all start scrambling to be the first to meet and greet them. It’s been days since the newbies moved in…but no one has seen their face. 

Unexpected invitations from the new neighbors arrive in the mail for a dinner party. Some are reluctant to attend.

 6 friends walk in, will 6 walk out? 

Drinks and dinner are served and the group quickly finds out this “dinner party” is anything but. 

Dinner party/escape room vibes…sign me up! 

Guys, seriously…. #KMOD is the queen of thrillers. She whips them out like crazy and they have never disappointed me! If you have not read anything by her yet, pick this one up - it’s incredibly binge worthy. (I think all her books are)

🎉PUBLICATION DATE: May 1, 2022🎉

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Goodreads Rating: 4.77/5

• Available on Kindle Unlimited
• 226 Pages
• Thriller/Fiction
• Mystery/Suspenseful 
• Short Chapters
• Binge Worthy

**Some of these triggers may contain spoilers**

⚠️ Triggers/Warnings ⚠️ 

• Toxic Relationship 
• Hostage Sitatuon
• Stalking
• Cursing
• Alcohol/Drug Use
• Murder

Hazard by Frances O'Roark Dowell

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

 

Hazard by Frances O’Roark Dowell

 

Hazard Stokes is a well known football player in his local county. When he makes a bad hit during the first game of the season, he gets thrown off the field and into therapy. Therapy standing in his way of getting back onto the field. 

 

Hazard denies that he has any anger issues or on going issues at home but there is a small problem…his dad is at Walter Reed Medical Center getting fitted for a prosthetic leg, one that he lost from an IED blast in Afghanistan, and refuses to let Hazard or his brother come visit. 

 

Over the course of the book, Hazard slowly comes to understand “how the body keeps score when bad things happen to the people you love, and how the anger and confusion one can fell can turn into violence.” 

 

First off, Thank you to #netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. 

 

This book was short but amazing. I felt emotion  for the characters and it really put into perspective what young children struggle to go through when a parent comes home injured from war. I think this book will make a relatable resource for children in todays world, and would make a great addition to any local library or school library. I love that it is written in verse which made it a quick read and easy to pick up and set down when needed. 

 

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️💫 /5 

Goodreads Average Rating: 4.04/5 

 

• 160 Pages
• Publication Date: May 10, 2022
• Fiction/Middle Grade
• Emotional/Reflective 
• Medium Paced Read
• Written in Verse

 
**Some of these triggers may contain spoilers**
 

 
⚠️ Triggers/Warnings ⚠️ 


 

• War
• Injury 
• Suicide
• Grief
• Violence