reading_under_covers's reviews
1504 reviews

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

4.0

First off, 10/10 for this cover and the illustrations!! 🤩 

I would have absolutely devoured these as a middle schooler!

All I Want is You by Falon Ballard

4.0

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

4.5

Cate Kay is one of the most successful authors of her generation, but she doesn’t really exist. Growing up in a small town in New York, Annie and her best friend Amanda dreamed of leaving and becoming big-named actors. However, tragedy strikes and Annie flees, leaving herself behind and becoming someone new in the process. Changing identities and constantly running, it’s finally time for Cate Kay to return home.

THE THREE LIVES OF CATE KAY by Kate Fagan is a fictional memoir told from multiple characters’ POVs, which I found to be done in such a clever and effective way.

Compared to EVELYN HUGO, what we get is a story spanning decades, full of love, loss, heartbreak, and Hollywood. 

While I don’t think this book should have the “thriller” label attributed to it, I did find myself flying through this one thanks to the shorter chapters and the puzzle piece dropping that comes with the multiple points of view! It’s more of a fictional drama if anything and I ATE THIS SHIT UP!

Kate Fagan brings a beautiful new voice to fiction!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: January 7

Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin

4.5

This one really brought back a lot of the magic that was The Nature of Witches for me!

You Better Watch Out by James S. Murray, Darren Wearmouth

4.0

This book is dark and gorey and all set to the tune of You Better Watch Out.

I’m surprised by how much I found some of the characters to be so likable, but when people are being m*rdered in awful awful ways, it’s easy to hope someone will make it out unscathed 😅

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Blood, and Murder

The Christmas Cafe by Eliza Evans

3.5

I really enjoyed the grief aspects of this story - especially being so centered on the holidays!

I think the whole story would have been better off without the movie and movie star plot though 🥴

Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll

4.0

Jasper is coming home for the holidays for the last time. Determined to finally forge her own path away from her parents’ and the small town of Lake Prestine’s expectations, she has her final to-do list in hand and a December full of a whole lot of craziness (and a whole lot of love) ahead.

SOME LIKE IT COLD by Elle McNicoll was an exceptionally cute (if at times, frustrating) YA novel set around Christmas.

Our main character Jasper has autism and I really loved seeing this rep in such a strong light (making it an even greater read for younger readers)!

The small town of Lake Pristine felt very Stars Hollow-esque, which was one of my favorite aspects of the story, in addition to the enemies to lovers romance that slowly builds throughout.

Some of the characters were ~annoying~, leading to my earlier mentioned frustrations, but it made it all the more easier to root for Jasper.

A sweet holiday read with important messaging that I’d recommend picking up this time of year!

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

4.5

This book reminded me how much I love a good isolation thriller (throw in a snow storm and I’m golden).

This story started with the most intensely painful, biting cold imagery and leads to some gorey slaughters, which was a surprise to me being so new to Coates’ work still.

Packed with a cast of characters, there are plenty of people to root for and suspect and the ending wrecked me in all of the ways. 

Definitely a great thriller for the winter!!

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose

3.5

THE MISTLETOE MYSTERY by Nita Prose is a very low stakes, feel good holiday mystery 🥰 

 

Coming in at just under 130 pages, this is the perfect story to read in a sitting with a cup of hot cocoa and some cozy lights illuminating the pages! 

 

I loved seeing the Regency Grand Hotel at Christmastime and it was nice to get more of Molly and Juan’s relationship as well. 

 

This story did feel pretty surface-level, which is why I rated it the way I did, but if you’re looking for something cozy and festive, I think this one will fit the bill! 

Thanks to Ballantine for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

4.0

I really enjoyed the premise of this one (a couple of teens with ~pasts~ get recruited by the FBI for a special project) and the ensuing story was INSANE

I did have to suspend my disbelief because there is no way the FBI would really just let some teens all up in their business, but it was a fun (dark) read overall!