The Croning by Laird Barron

I had heard some pretty good things about The Croning by Laird Barron and with such an intriguing cover, I thought okay, let’s give this a shot. I needed something to listen to at work and I liked the narrator’s voice. Turns out, I should’ve dug a little deeper because this was absolutely the most boring and pointless ‘horror’ novel I’ve read in ages.

Lights Out by Navessa Allen

Lights Out by Navessa Allen was a good erotic kink romance, but left a lot to be desired if reading as a dark, stalker romance. Don’t go into this expecting good plot.

No Road Home by John Fram

No Road Home by John Fram had me absolutely feral while reading. This was an amazingly perfect example of American Gothic literature and had everything I want in a novel. Great characters, clues that you don’t realize until after the fact, tragedy so real it hurts, and amazing sense of pacing.

Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber

I was super excited when I was offered a copy of Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber. Not only have I been wanting to read her work, but I am always looking for good gothic, vampire, latine fiction so to have all of that in one seemed like a great package deal. And it was, for the most part!

Double Pucked by Lauren Blakely

As a hockey romance, Double Pucked by Lauren Blakely was a real letdown. From poorly fleshed out characters, to the lack of hockey, it fails at anything other than MFM erotica.

Lovely Bad Things by Trisha Wolfe

I picked up Lovely Bad Things by Trisha Wolfe when I was searching for interesting dark romances a few months back. The cover looked gorgeous, the narrators sounded great, and I thought the concept was interesting. An investigator teaming up with a murderer to solve some wild killings while falling for him. In reality, it […]

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke was an absolutely rollercoaster ride of a book. I didn’t know what to expect when I began but was hooked instantly and as the mystery of the House, of Piranesi, and of the book itself began to unravel, so did my emotions. It is an absolutely beautiful story told from the point of view of a beautifully broken man.

Brooklyn Cupid by Lexi Ray

Brooklyn Cupid by Lexi Ray was a major bait and switch from BookTok hype. Lacking tension and suffering pacing issues, it felt unnecessarily long. Jace and Lu’s romance struggled amid distracting Wattpad story segments. Lu’s influencer backstory and Jace’s bounty hunter role lacked coherence. The sudden action in the last quarter couldn’t salvage the overall disappointment. A struggle to get through, it fell short of expectations.

January 2024 Book Bracket

A new month, a new year, a new set of books to face off against each other to find the best read of January! There is a good collection of books reviewed this month, so it’s going to be super hard to find a favorite. Let’s get to the bracket!

A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab

“A Darker Shade of Magic” by VE Schwab, a fantasy masterpiece, captivates with intricate worldbuilding. Schwab crafts four distinct Londons, each with a unique essence. The plot, subtle and compelling, unfolds with well-placed foreshadowing. Pacing improves as the story snowballs, leading to an emotional journey. Memorable characters like Rhy and Kell shine, but Holland steals the spotlight. An unmissable entry in the fantasy genre. Pick it up and immerse yourself in this masterclass of new fantasy storytelling!