The Hollow Places

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

The Hollow Places is a scientific fantasy book of parallel worlds, portal fantasy, and terrifying creatures with a hint of horror and Comedy.
The story starts when a young woman Kara, goes to live with her Uncle Earl. After a painful divorce without having any aid, she had nowhere to go. When her uncle earl offers her to work at his Museum, Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders with a place to stay, she gladly accepted.

She was happy having her life back together but soon it turned upside and down When Earl has to take a leave for a few weeks to get knee surgery and leaving Museum at kara's hand.

This story is full of adventure taking readers into a fantasy world with unexpected horror. This is my first reading by T. Kingfisher and I enjoyed her writing style, characters/world building. But I wish this story has more creepy/horror elements.

Overall I enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone who likes to read fantasy books with light horror.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this free copy to read and review in exchange for an honest opinion.

View all my reviews

A House at the Bottom of a Lake

A House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She’d heard of people, adults usually, intentionally turning a good thing into a bad thing. When things were going good, adults liked to ruin them. Her own mom called it a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy.’ And you did it to prove to yourself that it wasn’t so good to begin with.”

When 17 years James meets Amelia at his dad's Hardware store, they fell in love, and both been attracted to each other they decided to go on a first date. Instead of going on a typical first date two 17-year-olds go, They decided to venture out on a lake in a canoe with the expectation to enjoy. But the sweet date changed to an exciting adventure when they found a hidden lake behind two lakes and it is not just a lake, it's a lake with a house at the bottom.
This is one unique book with a mixture of horror, mystery, thriller, and fantasy element and the entire story is full of eerie, haunted vibes that I could not stop reading the book.
Also, this is my first reading of Josh Malerman's books, and I enjoyed the author's writing style, the setting, and the world-building a lot. He was able to build this mysterious world in readers' minds with the full of ominous.
But the ending was a little bit disappointing and I wished this could be a pure horror novel instead of more fantasy.
I will be definitely picking more books from the author in the future and highly recommend this book if you like Fantasy/YA genre.

View all my reviews

After Midnight

After Midnight by Teresa Medeiros
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“Perhaps it’s time you learned, Miss Cabot, that beneath the silk waistcoat of every gentleman beats the heart of a beast.”

With him looming over her in the moonlight, his voice a smoky growl, that claim wasn’t difficult to believe.
“Even beneath yours, Lord Trevelyan?” He leaned even closer, his brandy-scented breath grazing her lips.

“Especially beneath mine.”
________________________________
Caroline Cabot is the elder of three sisters of the Cabot family and has been taking care of her two younger siblings since their parents died. She loves her sisters dearly and worries about their financial status and finds suitors for her sisters.

when she received a letter from her sister, Viviane saying that she is about to marry Adrian Kane, the notoriously mysterious Viscount Trevelyan, her younger sister, Portia tells her that Viviane is being courted by a vampire.
Initially, Caroline dismisses the stories/Gossips about Adrian but it is more difficult to deny the mounting evidence against him and she is about to find the truth before it's too late.

This story is a mix of Historical Romance with paranormal elements and the first book of the Cabot series.
Also, the May pick for#therakeappreciationsociety and I was so intrigued to read the story after seeing the synopsis.

The things I like most about this story are the characters and the setting. Adrian is a swoon-worthy hero with his mysterious and seductive personality. Caroline is a strong and courageous woman who goes above and beyond to make her sisters happy.

But sadly the story does not focus much on romance between two leads but the caroline's process to find out whether Adrian is a vampire.
Also, from time to time I was confused with the plots where it jumps from one scene to another without any indication and the villain barely exists in the story and showed in the last 100 pages.

So overall, I think this story had great potential but was poorly constructed but not too bad to be my first reading experience with Teresa Medeiros's Books.
I did enjoy the reading journey and curious to read the next book.

View all my reviews

The Endearment

The Endearment by LaVyrle Spencer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I enjoyed LV’s writing a lot and one of my favorite. I love Karl he is honest, hardworking, and has a heart of a Saint.
My favorite character was James, the little boy who had full of courage and willingness to learn and survive in Frontier.😘
I wish I could like anna more. My heart was broken when she started lying one after another and hide the truth from Karl even when she had a chance to come forward. I fully understand the situation she was in and the hardships they have to concur. but I wished she could be fully honest with Karl before they enter into the marriage.
throughout the story, the author did a great job by showing many sides of the main characters and show us how they worked together to make the marriage work. I was impressed by anna’s courage, determination to make things right, and Karl’s caring, forgiving, understanding nature. I think the moral of this story is No marriage is perfect and all sunshine but two people can share one umbrella and survive the storm together and At the end of the day, what matters most is the love we have for each other.❤️

Overall this was an emotional yet good reading. I learn a lot about flora &fauna in Minnesota 😀 and I can't wait to read her next book.
|

View all my reviews

The Good Sister

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I'm not sure I have read the same book as everyone else who gave this book 5 stars and I don't think this is a 100% thriller/Mystery book. because this is super duper predictable. I would say this story leans more towards women fiction with family drama, a hint of thriller/Mystery/Suspense.
The story is about twin sisters, Fern, Rose, and their twisted relationship.
The first half of the book is boring nothing happens and the real actions start mostly in the last 100 pages. The story is told from Fern’s POV and Rose's Diary entries in two timelines and page by page story unravel the real state of these two sisters.

This is a commonly used plot in most Mystery/Thriller books nothing new, nothing unpredictable. If you read "Hurry Home" by Roz nay it's a similar plot with a different setting.

This is my first reading by Sally Hepworth and Overall I enjoyed the story even though I see the ending/plot twist miles away and It was a quick read.
I liked the story but I didn’t love it.

View all my reviews

The Residence

The Residence by Andrew Pyper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Residence is a terrifying story based on true events that happened in 1853 surrounded by US 14th President, President Franklin Pierce, and his wife, Jane in the white house.
Unfortunate events start to happen when President Pierce's only living son, Benjamin Franklin killed by a train cash their En route to Washington D.C.
After the tragic death of the son, both parents were heartbroken especially First Lady Jane. Been so hard to part with her dead son and face reality, she sets up a bedroom for Bennie, complete with toys, at the White House spending hours in this room.

soon the unexpected, disturbing events start to happen, Strange sounds seem to come from the walls and ceiling, ghostly voices echo out of time itself, and visions of spirits crushed under the weight of American history pass through empty hallways, and they were greeted with her dead son again.
This is a gothic sad story full of thiller/Suspense and a hint of horror. Most of the time I felt sad, sympathy, and grief but not horror, fear, and super scary, and If you want a true horror story this is not the story for you.

Overall I enjoyed the story, the Author's writing style, and the characters.
I'm looking forward to reading more books from Andrew Pyper especially his horror/Thriller novels.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books/ Skybound Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchanging my honest opinions.


View all my reviews

Texas Glory

 

Texas Glory by Lorraine Heath
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

🐎Arranged Marriage
🐎Western Romance

"I'll never love any of them as much as I love you. I know that as surely as I know the sun will come up in the morning."

After reading the first book of this series(Texas Destiny) I was so intrigued to continue the series and This is the second book in the Texas Trilogy and the story of Dallas Leigh, the elder brother.

I loved the story and the atmosphere. Lorraine Heath's Writing style and how she builds the character and gave them colors. Even though I enjoyed the story immensely, Most of the plots were driven by a lack of communication and misunderstanding.
I did not get along with the character, Cordelia McQueen.
I tried to like her character but got annoyed most of the time.
Her thinking always wants freedom even though she had plenty after marriage, too fearful to be around Dallas even he acts like a saint made me annoyed.
But I liked how she able to gain her courage and grow her self-esteem and finally be an ambitious woman. Once they get along with each other the Romance kicked in and I was so happy for them.
I wish Dallas and Cordelia had a better foundation and he deserves a better happy ending. Reading this story is like I wish I love more but somehow something was not right.
Overall this story is very heartbreaking, very emotional, and I'm Looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Austin's Story.

TW: Miscarriage, Chile Abuse, pedophilia, Violence

View all my reviews