Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Atlantic Books in exchange for an honest review.

Having previously read a thriller by this author and been really impressed, I was hoping for so much more from this book. Rewind is the story of Audrey, a protagonist so inconsequential she didn't even appear on the blurb or in anyone else's reviews. But while the blurb claims this is the story of Natalie, in reality she doesn't play much of a part in it aside from being murdered. Audrey is the wannabe reporter investigating her disappearance and what I would consider the true protagonist. Natalie is an influencer and our murder victim, a woman who gets attacked while investigating somewhere she thinks her husband might have cheated on her at.

Rewind is ultimately a fairly boring story with a needlessly confusing setup. The blurb got me pretty excited and I normally don't mind stories told out of time, but the way this is set up makes it a little pointless. The PAUSES, REWINDS, FAST FORWARDS do little apart from indicate that the story is taking place in the present or the past. The video aspect of the murder is extremely straightforward and not really part of the actual plot at all. There aren't any twists, nothing surprised me and I didn't really care about any of the characters. It was all so generic.

Ultimately, I can't recommend this thriller. It's a shame because it has a lot of elements I love (I really like thrillers based around social media influencers, and that's a pretty hot topic atm) but everything was so dull and straightforward. If you prefer very linear thrillers, you might like this one but otherwise there isn't much to recommend.

Overall Rating:

The House Mate by Nina Manning

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Boldwood Books UK Audio in exchange for an honest review.

I was pleasantly surprised by this thriller! The House Mate is the tale of Regi, a woman suffering from OCD who moves into a student houseshare after mysteriously uprooting her life. She quickly becomes obsessed with an Instagram cleaner, as well as a troll of said cleaner who won't stop posting nasty comments.

Firstly, I really liked the unique set up of this book. I've never read a thriller set in a student houseshare and Regi herself was a really interesting character to read about. There were so many unique elements which really made this stand out as a thriller and kept me paying attention. I normally zone out or miss details when listening to a thriller audiobook, but that didn't happen here. Manning is a skilled thriller writer and I definitely want to check out her other work now. I also found the OCD rep pretty decent on the whole, although it is a relatively minor part of the book.

Sadly this book was a little let down by the fact it had so much going on. Whilst reading it, I liked this element a lot but when you reach the conclusion and find out what's going on, there are large plot points which don't seem to matter much at all. The houseshare elements trailed off towards the end and the book became more generic without them. A lot of the earlier tension is lost as characters or plot points just disappear, and it's a shame to learn how much didn't really matter in the end. It's still a good read and I'm glad those elements were there, I just wish they'd been better woven into the story.

Overall, The House Mate definitely stands out as a thriller and has some really engaging, interesting stuff going on. It falls a bit flat near the end but it is still worth the read and it certainly won't be a book I forget in a hurry. It also works really well as an audiobook and I would recommend listening to it if you're so inclined. I look forward to reading Manning's other work.

Overall Rating:

.5

Hot to Trot by M.C. Beaton & R.W. Green

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Blackstone Audiobooks in exchange for an honest review.

I am a little behind on the Agatha Raisin series but the good thing about these books is you can usually jump in and there isn't much of an ongoing story. As per usual Agatha is between men, with the potential rekindling of her relationship with James being interrupted by Charles' impending wedding to a rather horrible woman. When said horrible woman is murdered, Agatha finds herself a suspect and is forced to investigate to clear her name,

What I like about these books is you always know what to expect. They make for easy reading and even easier listening, and I really enjoyed experiencing an Agatha mystery as an audiobook. It has inspired me to go back and relisten to the whole series.

As for Hot to Trot itself, it is an enjoyable romp. These mysteries are never very complex or deep, but I always enjoy going along with Agatha for the ride. This one has a lot of travelling and a cast of interesting characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you're a fan of Agatha, this installment won't disappoint.

Overall Rating:

The Charmed Wife by Ogla Grushin

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review.

The Charmed Wife poses an interesting question: what happens when the magic goes out of Cinderella's marriage? Feeling unloved and embittered by the false dream she has been sold, our main character seeks out a witch to cast a spell to kill her fairytale prince. Just as they are about to cast it however, the fairy godmother shows up and urges her to look back on her relationship and whether things are as bad as they seem.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this book. It has a dreamy, fairytale style sprinkled with humor and thought-provoking imagery. It takes an interesting look at what life for Cinderella would actually be like, and I particularly enjoyed the asides about the saga of her two pet mice. That honestly was my favourite part of it and I wish it had continued throughout the entire book.

Halfway through however, this book changes gear and here it got a bit less enjoyable for me. A lot of different fairytales start appearing and this was great at first but quickly became crammed and a bit tiresome. I felt like the plot had gotten away from the author and I wanted to get back to it. The ending I cannot discuss without spoilers so highlight the text to see: I think the decision to have it all be a potential delusion could have worked a bit better but it was woven in so messily into the multiple fairytale stuff that was going on, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. And personally I would have preferred to stay in the fairytale world as I found that more insightful and that it worked better as a metaphor. The final scene with the prince revealing he never got what he wanted either is very powerful, and it doesn't need the real world muddying the waters.

Having said that, this book was incredibly creative and I found myself very absorbed and invested in the story. It is unlike anything I have read before in a really great way, and I was completely enchanted seeing where it would go. It's definitely a powerful book and one I know will stick with me for a while.

Overall Rating:

How Love Actually Ruined Christmas by Gary Raymond

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Parthian Books in exchange for an honest review.

I have no strong attachment to Love Actually. I saw it for the first time two years ago and found it pretty ridiculous but one of the better Christmas movies (honestly there are few Christmas movies I actually like, which in itself is a kind of crime). The second I saw this book though, I was excited. I love sarcastic takedowns of romcoms and honestly, one of the things I love about the genre is how insane the plots can get and how unrealistic they are. I was not disappointed with this book!

This review will be short because honestly, the cover tells you everything you want to know. I was worried this book would be bitter, an adult man cheerlessly tearing apart a movie aimed at women with no awareness of his lack of a place in doing that. Thankfully this book was extremely funny and one of the reasons the author dislikes the movie is the misogyny contained in the film so there was no trace of 'girl hate'. The best way to describe this book is imagine you're watching the movie along with a funny friend who hates it. It is framed as a scene-by-scene recap with comments inserted about the film/plot/production. No deeper analysis is offered particularly (except for a brief intro dissecting the cultural impact of the film) but it isn't needed. This is clearly a book written for entertainment rather than academic merit.

Overall, if you want a fun nonfiction Christmas book to entertain you while the TV shows Love Actually for the fourth time this year, then you can't go wrong with this. I loved the light, humorous style and I think the author did a fantastic job of getting the balance right between hatred and entertainment.

Overall Rating:

Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.

It is no secret by now that I am obsessed with the Wayward Children series. I have yet to read an installment I didn't like and Across the Green Grass Fields is no exception. This is a standalone in the series which is always appreciated, and this book follows the story of Regan, a horse-loving girl who finds her door after a particularly traumatic incident at school. Behind this door is a world of centaurs and unicorns, where humans have a destiny they must fulfill. Regan however just wants to enjoy life with her newfound family.

This is a brilliant installment in the series and I definitely recommend it if you have enjoyed the others. The usual entertaining writing style is here, as are the engaging characters and great worldbuilding. I will say that I found this plot a little lacking compared to the others. I'm not sure what it was but there didn't feel a huge amount going on and the ending left me wanting. This is possibly my least favourite of the books so far, but that really isn't saying much given my love of the series. It's sort of the same as saying light roast is my least favourite coffee-it's still all great.

That aside, there is plenty here to like for fans of the series. Regan gives us a brilliant intersex protagonist. The world is as creative and as fun to explore as ever. I 100% recommend this book and this series for anyone who wants a whimsical but poignant fantasy series with tons of great rep and even greater stories.

Overall Rating:

Beach Read by Emily Henry

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin Books (UK) in exchange for an honest review.

Oh boy. I am a fussy romance reader but damn, did this book knock it out of the park! Beach Read is the story of January (I promise her name is not indicative of the type of book this is) a romance author who is struggling to pen her latest work after a shocking truth about her dead father is revealed. Having lost her faith in love, she goes to her father's secret beach house in the hopes of being able to finish her latest book. Whilst there, she runs into an old college crush/rival, Augustus. Gus pens only cynical literary fiction so in a bid to stimulate her creative juices, January bets him they can't write a book in each other's genres. Hijinks and sexual tension ensue.

The best way I can describe the romance in this book is to compare it to Pride and Prejudice. You have the reserved, somewhat grouchy male love interest and the bright, judgmental female determined that he has already dismissed her and so she has nothing to lose in teasing him mercilessly. It is obvious from the start that January has misjudged Gus but the slow build of their friendship and their sexual tension is utterly delicious. This book made me swoon, cry, turned me on and put me on tenterhooks. In short, exactly what I want from my romance fiction.

In summary, everything good you've probably already heard about this book is true. It 100% deserves the hype and I only have the most minor of gripes with it. Firstly, I think the title of Beach Read works well on the surface but the beach setting is almost never used within the story and also they never really make the link in-text to romance novels being 'beach reads' which is a shame. Secondly, it becomes comical how often the characters are interrupted right when they are about to have sex. Apart from these incredibly minor niggles, Beach Read is amazing and I recommend it to anyone who wants a genuinely good, well-written and engaging romance.

Overall Rating:

.5

The Magpie Society: One for Sorrow by Zoe Sugg and Amy McCulloch

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin Random House Children’s UK in exchange for an honest review.

I was definitely intrigued by this book. I've actually read a previous book by Zoella but while that was a fluffy tween romance, this was marketed as a mysterious tale of a secret society at a boarding school. My hopes weren't hugely high as it was a series and YA thriller series tend not to work for me, and sadly I was right.

Firstly, there is nothing hugely wrong with this book. It sets up a decent enough mystery and has some really cool moments. I think its biggest flaw is the characterisation. We have two main narrators, Ivy and Audrey. Ivy has been at the school for several years whilst Audrey is an american who has recently moved to the UK and joined the school. At first, both characters are fairly distinct and bring their own personalities to the table. As soon as the mystery starts though, they both turn into protagonists of an Enid Blyton book. I stopped being able to tell who was speaking, who was narrating and the whole thing became an ode to Famous Five mysteries and the like.

When the mystery changes pace again, some of their original personalities came back but again, they stopped being so distinct. That's when they also started to make some really dumb decisions. After finding a huge clue about the potentially accidental drowning of one of Ivy's friends, Audrey suggests going to the police. Ivy...insists they don't and burns the evidence. Sure, maybe she has a mysterious reason for doing that. But that's not explored in this book which means in the context of this book, it's at best a dumb decision and at worst, should ring major alarm bells for Audrey.

Overall, this series is fine if you belong to the age group its aimed at. I wish the characters were more distinct and interesting because I would probably read at least the next book if that were the case. Alas, this is not a series I am interested in continuing on with as the mystery just isn't strong enough to keep me invested.

Overall Rating:

Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book almost completely blind and I actually wish I'd heard the premise beforehand because it's genuinely very original and cool. This is a YA thriller centered around a live action roleplay game. A group of five teenagers, all dealing with their various struggles, meet up at a cabin in the woods for one final LARP session before they go their separate ways. Once the game begins however, things start to go very wrong after one of the characters dies in-game and then vanishes in real life.

This book manages to do a lot of difficult things well and it deserves credit for that. Firstly, it manages to be a compelling YA thriller without being over the top and campy. Secondly, it manages to juggle 5 narrating characters in a short space of time and keeps most of them fairly distinctive. I don't think there was enough time for me to really bond to the characters but I enjoyed reading about them and I never confused them with each other, which is a huge bonus. Finally, there is good solid representation here which is woven seamlessly into the narrative (specifically trans and nonbinary rep if you're curious).

I enjoyed this book a lot but there was just something missing to stop me from loving it. I think it was that personal attachment to the characters which just wasn't there, although they were better written than most characters in YA thrillers. Having read a book by this author before, I think it isn't so much a flaw as it is a product of their style. I also struggled a little bit to keep track what was going on, not in terms of complexity but more clarity. Again, because I didn't feel that attachment to the characters, my mind would often drift and I had to reread parts several times to really absorb it.

Having said that, I still recommend giving Even If We Break a try. It's really cool to read a book centered around LARPing, especially a thriller, and that premise is used to great effect. I suspect the fact that this book is about LARPing isn't advertised because the publishers are afraid it will either alienate people or turn them off, but I genuinely think it's the strongest aspect of the story. I'm glad I'm drawn to books about games anyway because otherwise I probably wouldn't have picked this up and that would have been a shame.

Overall Rating:

.5