reading_under_covers's reviews
1504 reviews

Ace, Marvel, Spy by Jenni L. Walsh

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4.0

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

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4.5

There isn’t much more praise I can offer this book than what’s already been sung by all of the early readers in the book community 😂

I read THE FAVORITES via audio and it was an addictive, full cast, dramatic spectacle! This story was incredibly easy to devour and, yeah, maybe I want to get into ice skating now - who’s asking?!?

Written in a very similar style to DAISY JONES AND THE SIX, this fictionalized account of an ice dancing duo will have you yearning for the Winter Olympics and the documentary-styled writing, itching for a tv show already.

This book has already taken readers by storm, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else Layne Fargo has in store for us!

Thanks to Libro.fm and Penguin Random House for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: January 14
The Darkest Night by Lindy Ryan

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4.0

There were some really fun stories in this one!

I really enjoyed some of the more morbid Christmas ones - Nat Cassidy, Kelsea Yu, and Jeff Strand, and the ones that really looked at relationships - Rachel Harrison, Kristi DeMeeseter, and Darcy Coates.

A pretty well-rounded collection that is perfect for this time of year.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

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5.0

My first five star of the year goes to none other than WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS by Grady Hendrix 🥳

Wellwood Home is a home for wayward girls - unwed mothers - to go to have their babies in secret and then have them taken away as if none of it happened. Fern finds herself there and powerless in the summer of 1970, but when a librarian sneaks her a book on the occult, Fern is ready to take back some power.

This horror novel was horrific for its historical accuracy and its haunting prose surrounding witchcraft. Hendrix really did the damn thing (*lots of research and even more listening) when he decided to write a book from the perspective of many pregnant girls and he captured it all in harrowing detail.

I found myself in a tornado of emotional whiplash and grew to love each one of our wayward girls and the power they found within themselves (rip my heart in two and feed it to the flames).

At just under 500 pages, every word felt necessary and added so much to Hendrix’s world and character building.

Huge thanks to Berkley Publishing for the early copy for review!

Publication Date: January 14!
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At Dark, I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca

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No rating because it’s not Eric (or At Night I’m Loathsome)’s fault that I’ve learned I don’t enjoy splatterpunk 😫

While I was really intrigued by the opening scene and that overall plot line that came with that, the story took a turn and ended up not being for me at all.
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Desperate Deadly Widows by Cate Holahan, Kimberly Belle, Vanessa Lillie, Layne Fargo

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4.0

Just as wild as the first one!!

I love how each of these characters have such distinct voices (despite having their widow status in common), and this book cemented in me the same feeling I had watching the show Good Girls - just some friends hanging out doing baddie shit! (While also keeping their households together).

A great addition to the WIDOWS universe!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC!

Out April 8, 2025.
Young Rich Widows by Cate Holahan, Kimberly Belle, Vanessa Lillie, Layne Fargo

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4.0

This was a really fun audiobook read and had a Finlay Donovan feel to it!
Spectacular by Stephanie Garber

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The illustrations and overall holiday cheer within the pages would’ve granted this book five stars, but the dubious consent/dark romance was not it and made me feel extremely uncomfortable 🙅🏼‍♀️
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The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty by Valerie Bauerlein

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challenging dark reflective sad tense

4.0

THE DEVIL AT HIS ELBOW by Valerie Bauerlain digs deep into the life of esteemed prosecutor Alex Murdaugh and what led to the murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

This book was hard to swallow.

The Murdaugh family is decades of corruption all bundled up in a yacht-sized bow. How does a man (and family for that matter) who has it all, end up at the forefront of a murder investigation?!

Valerie did a fantastic job researching this novel, and there were several moments throughout where I found myself in disbelief - the jury alone saw me with my jaw on the floor.

Definitely a great read if you’re a fan of the true crime genre (or want a reminder that most people in power are already in the pockets of other powerful people 🙃)

Thanks to Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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Only One Survives by Hannah Mary McKinnon

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4.5

ONLY ONE SURVIVES by Hannah Mary McKinnon follows the fictional girl band the Bittersweet from their beginnings to their tragic accident in the Catskills one stormy night ❄️ 
 
This book read like a TJR novel, but with all the thrills and tension thrown in! 
 
McKinnon incorporated interview and message board elements and also jumped timelines, which I really enjoyed! 
 
The latter half didn’t fully match up tonally to the first half, but this story will ultimately have you guessing and wondering just who you can trust by the end 👀