Book Review: The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim

Title: The Eyes are the Best Part
Author: Monica Kim
Genre: Horror 
Date of Publication: June 25, 2024
Publisher: Erewhon Books

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Synopsis

Feminist psychological horror about the making of a female serial killer from a Korean-American perspective.

Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her mother, distraught. Her younger sister, hurt and confused. Her college freshman grades, failing. Her dreams, horrifying… yet enticing.

In them, Ji-won walks through bloody rooms full of eyes. Succulent blue eyes. Salivatingly blue eyes. Eyes the same shape and shade as George’s, who is Umma’s obnoxious new boyfriend. George has already overstayed his welcome in her family’s claustrophobic apartment. He brags about his puffed-up consulting job, ogles Asian waitresses while dining out, and acts condescending toward Ji-won and her sister as if he deserves all of Umma’s fawning adoration. No, George doesn’t deserve anything from her family. Ji-won will make sure of that.

For no matter how many victims accumulate around her campus or how many people she must deceive and manipulate, Ji-won’s hunger and her rage deserve to be sated.

A brilliantly inventive, subversive novel about a young woman unraveling, Monika Kim’s The Eyes Are the Best Part is a story of a family falling apart and trying to find their way back to each other, marking a bold new voice in horror that will leave readers mesmerized and craving more.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

The Eyes are the Best Part is an eerie, compelling, and poignant story of the making of a Korean-American serial killer. 

Kim has managed to write a book that’s both thoughtful and propulsive. I read it all in nearly one sitting. It’s gory at times, funny at others, and intensely stressful throughout. The book is almost a drama or literary fiction–but for Ji-Won’s unhealthy mental deterioration that is depicted by her growing obsession with eating eyeballs. Yummm…

Book Review: The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

Title: The Rom-Commers
Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Romance, Rom Com 
Date of Publication: June 11, 2024
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

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Synopsis

She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies—good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates—The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!—it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone—much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script—it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter—even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules—and comes true?

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

This book has it all–humour, heart, and a happily ever after! 

The book features one of my favourite tropes–the roommates reluctantly falling for each other. Emma is a screenwriter who writes rom coms, but before she had the chance to launch her career, there was a terrible accident that killed her mother and left her father disabled. For the last ten years, she’s been his sole caretaker while her sister finishes her education. But now, there’s an opportunity for her that she just can’t ignore. Charlie Yates, a famous, award-winning screenwriter who’s best known for his action films, has been tasked with writing a rom com–and the result is terrible. His manager is also Emma’s manager, and he convinces her to go to LA to work with the reclusive screenwriter as a ghostwriter. The catch that she only finds out after she’s knocking on his mansion door? Charlie doesn’t know she’s coming. And he doesn’t want her help.

I find that the publishing industry has been pretty liberal with the word “comedy” in romances, saying that books that are more of a typical “contemporary romance” are rom coms. But in this case, The Rom-Commers is actually a rom com, and had numerous parts that had me giggling hysterically. 

Book Review: Nestlings by Nat Cassidy

Title: Nestlings
Author: Nat Cassidy
Genre: Horror
Date of Publication: October 31, 2023
Publisher: Tor Nightfire

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Synopsis

Nat Cassidy is at his razor-sharp best again with his horror novel Nestlings, which harnesses the creeping paranoia of Rosemary’s Baby and the urban horror of Salem’s Lot, set in an exclusive New York City residential building.

Ana and Reid need a break. The horrifically complicated birth of their first child has left Ana paralyzed, bitter, and struggling―with mobility, with her relationship with Reid, with resentment for her baby. Reid dismisses disturbing events and Ana’s deep unease and paranoia, but he can’t explain the needle-like bite marks on their baby.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

Nestlings is a masterpiece of literary motherhood horror. Ana and Reid win the apartment rental lottery and score a reduced-price apartment in the Deptford, a prestigious and exclusive New York building. But right away, things aren’t as idyllic and serene as they’d hoped. Their one-year-old baby, Charlie, cries incessantly. Ana has been in a wheelchair ever since her daughter’s birth, and she struggles with the apartment’s accessibility. 

The author’s writing style is unparalleled, and I was hooked right from the very first pages. The story takes its time, leisurely weaving a story full of tension and grotesque metaphor, masterfully blending real-world struggles, like paying bills and navigating a new disability, with paranormal horror. The plot is slow, but the narrative is rife with a rich history for the Deptford, backstory for the characters, and eerie imagery. 

Book Review: Peril in Pink by Sydney Leigh

Title: Peril in Pink
Author: Sydney Leigh
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Hudson Valley B&B #1
Date of Publication: March 19, 2024 
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

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Synopsis

Everything is coming up rosé for innkeeper Jess Byrne until a murder on opening weekend gives her B&B’s killer vibe a whole new meaning.

Schitt’s Creek meets Only Murders in the Building in this sparkling debut mystery.

It’s the grand opening of The Pearl B&B in Hudson Valley, and owner Jess Byrne has prepared the ultimate, Insta-worthy welcome, complete with her ex-boyfriend—reality singing sensation Lars Armstrong—performing live. As guests check in and mimosas are poured, Lars arrives with his stepdad-turned-manager Bob in tow. But things go south when Bob is found dead, and Lars is the prime suspect.

After a desperate plea from Lars, and knowing the reputation of her B&B is at stake, Jess agrees to help clear Lars’ name, but the more she digs, the less sure she is that he’s innocent. Especially when he’s found at the scene of another murder.

With the guests under lockdown, the B&B in the press for all the wrong reasons, and a killer on the loose, Jess is in over her head. With the help of her best friend and business partner Kat, Jess is determined to uncover the truth before Lars is put behind bars and The Pearl is permanently cancelled.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

A cozy mystery for millennials! 

This is a fun cozy mystery for the younger generation. It’s full of pop culture references (lots of nods to one of my favourite podcasts–”My Favorite Murder!”). The book even uses a lot of the “millennial” slang. This isn’t just in the dialogue, but in the inner thoughts of the narrator. While this feels like a strength, it also felt very odd to read. I’m used to cozy mysteries being written by older folks, and they typically have a conversational, yet still somewhat old-fashioned way of speaking–even when they’re writing from the POV of a younger character. Any time the heroine of this book said “cringe” or “shook”, I was… shook (haha). As is expected with cozy mysteries, this book has a lighter tone with some humour. I appreciated that the main character is delightfully snarky.  

Book Review: Not in the Plan by Dana Hawkins

Title: Not in the Plan
Author: Dana Hawkins
Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
Date of Publication: Jan 31, 2024
Publisher: Storm Publishing

Synopsis

Free-spirited coffee shop owner meets uptight coffee addict. Is an opposites-attract match brewing… or burning?

Crushed under the weight of writer’s block and a looming deadline, Mack escapes from New York to Seattle. She meets Charlie, a beautiful, generous, nearly bankrupt coffee shop owner recovering from heartbreak. For the first time, Mack has a muse. And then Mack starts using Charlie’s private stories in her novel…

When a storm traps Mack and Charlie in the coffee shop, they share a mind-bending, knee-shaking kiss. But Charlie is an eternal optimist who sleeps with fairy-lights on, while Mack is an ironing-at-5am worrier who sleeps with… everyone. They could never turn this chemistry into something real, right?

And if Charlie finds out what Mack has been doing, turning Charlie’s most intimate secrets into a juicy page-turner, will they even have a chance to try?

A swoony, steamy queer romcom perfect for fans of Ashley Herring Blake, Casey McQuiston, and Alexis Hall.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

Not in the Plan is a sweet and upbeat romance.

Despite its light and airy tone, the book does dive into some deeper themes, with the occasional light sprinkling of angst. Mack is a one-time bestselling author with severe social anxiety and writer’s block. Charlie is a social butterfly with abandonment issues. 

This is the ultimate case of opposites attract. One of them is a hopeless romantic who had her heart broken, and the other doesn’t do relationships. However, Mack and Charlie have more in common than you’d think. They’re both having issues with their jobs. Mack’s already spent the advance on a second book she has yet to write, and Charlie is in debt and her cute little coffee shop is one bill away from going bankrupt. They’re both having familial issues – though in very different ways. 

I loved how their problems bring them closer together, and even before they get together, they wind up helping each other navigate these difficult times. 

I adore the author’s writing style. Her way of describing the characters, the coffee shop, and Seattle is fresh and exhilarating. Mack is an author, and I particularly enjoyed the little snippets from her work in progress, particularly as she is using Charlie as her unexpected muse. This is a very adorable romance, with a little steam and fade to black romance scenes. 

I can’t wait to read more romance stories from Dana Hawkins! 

*Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ebook to review*

Find the book:

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Review: Behind a Closed Door by J. D. Barker

Title: Behind a Closed Door
Author: J. D. Barker
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Date of Publication: May 13, 2024
Publisher: Hampton Creek Press

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Synopsis

50 SHADES meets David Fincher’s THE GAME.

Would you kill a total stranger to save someone you love?

Sugar & Spice is the latest app craze taking the world by storm, but for Abby and Brendan Hollander, downloading it leads to a dangerous game of life and death. When the app assigns them a series of increasingly taboo tasks, they soon find themselves caught up in a twisted web of seduction and violence in this sexually charged dark thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Fourth Monkey—master of suspense, J.D. Barker.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

Brendan and Abby are having marital problems, so they book an appointment with a couple’s therapist. She recommends an app – Sugar and Spice – to bring adventure back into their romantic lives. A sexy version of truth or dare, it starts off innocently enough, but the app’s demands quickly go off the rails. 

Would you kill for the one you love? 

Behind a Closed Door takes a fun concept and gives it a sinister twist. Throughout the book, we primarily follow Brendan and Abby, but there are other characters who get POVs, including the mysterious Romeo and Juliet. Their scenes were fascinating to read, and I do wish we’d gotten more of the story written from their perspective.

As much as I wanted to love this book, it required a few suspensions of disbelief that were a little too out there. I’m not talking about anything that the app made them do, or all the drama that occurs later in the book. I found it incredibly difficult to believe Brendan, who is a professional working in investigation and security, would download this app in the first place. The red flags were flying high when the program required them to provide access to their microphones and cameras. They had to enable location services and tracking across other apps. The very first thing that the app does is book them a date at a restaurant that’s very difficult to get into, and covers the bill for them. Nothing is free. If an app doesn’t charge you money or make you watch ads, then you’re the commodity. It’s profiting off your data. 

Brendan uses this phone for work, so even if he didn’t care about his own cybersecurity, he would know that his career could be on the line by compromising a device he uses for work. 

There’s also something that the app does very early on in the book that didn’t sit right with me. Not because of what happens, but because of how the husband reacts. It was at that point that I knew for certain “JD” is a man, because a woman would never be so casual about SA in a book like this. If I were Brendan in this situation, I would have insisted we delete the app immediately. 

Despite these plot holes/inconsistencies, the book was a fun read, with many great twists along the way. 

*Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ebook to review*

Find the book:

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Review: Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh by C. J. Weiss

Title: Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh 
Author: C. J. Weiss
Genre: Horror
Date of Publication: October 23, 2023
Publisher: Bowker

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Synopsis

A historically malevolent haunted house threatens to end a line of paranormal guardians. Will the family’s latest addition tip the scales in their favor or hurtle them toward their demise?

Garrett Mueller proposes to his girlfriend, Marie Renault. She rejects him, distressing him until he learns why. Her family watches over a haunted house, where every several years a Breach opens to the world of the dead. Everyone related by blood or oath must return, or the Breach widens, endangering the family and world at large.

To marry Marie, he must also bind himself to that house.

The Renaults estimate a week until the Breach opens, offering Garrett a short trial period. Despite the risks, he will try it for the woman he loves. The Renaults are professionals when it comes to the supernatural, and they’ve always prevailed.

Only, as the week progresses, the family discovers this Breach is shaping up to be one of historically dangerous proportions. Risks mount higher as secrets leak out, threatening to divide the family. And even if Garrett changes his mind, it might be too late to leave.

Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh combines atmospheric haunted house horror with dark family drama, topped with a layer of unsettling worldbuilding. Readers who like smart characters taking on smart foes, deep delves into the supernatural, and twisty psychological narratives will feel right at home. This novel is part of the Virulent Nightmare Origins series and can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in any order.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

“Secrets eat us alive. I was tired of having my flesh gnawed on.”

I was swept into this story right from the very first page. Garrett intends to propose to the love of his life, Maria, before she has to leave for a mysterious family obligation. It turns out, Maria’s family history is rife with secrets, and the desire to find out more gnawed at me as I flipped through the pages. Garrett decides to tag along with Maria, not only meeting her family (and extended family), but learning all about their dark responsibility, and just what it means for humanity, should they fail… 

This is a unique and compelling twist on the haunted house story. The novel starts as an easy read and gradually grows deeper and deeper as the author introduces the complex worldbuilding that features throughout the setting and plot. 

The book itself explores different types of ghosts and hauntings, and quite a bit of it reminded me of playing the videogame “Phasmophobia,” where there are numerous types of spirits that manifest in different ways, and you need to understand that in order to survive. 

I loved the writing style, which features quite a bit of description, but with a little bit of humor to break up the horror. Weiss employs a lot of grotesque imagery and metaphor to increase the tension of an already claustrophobic and stressful read. 

There’s also a helpful glossary of terms at the end of the book, which, naturally, I didn’t find until I finished the book. This is a habit for me, and I don’t expect I’ll learn to check anytime soon. 

I recommend this book to those who enjoy haunting horror stories that feature elaborate world building that has strong mythology/legend vibes.

*Thank you to the author for the ebook to review*

Find the book:

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Review: Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren

Title: Tangled Up In You
Author: Christina Lauren
Series: Meant to Be #4
Genre: Romance, Romantic Comedy, Retelling (of Tangled)
Date of Publication: June 25, 2024
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue 

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Synopsis

A witty and deeply romantic modern reimagining of Disney’s Tangled, by the New York Times bestselling author duo Christina Lauren, part of the acclaimed and bestselling Meant to Be collection.

She has a dream. He has a plan. Together they’ll take a leap of faith.

Ren has never held an iPhone, googled the answer to a question, or followed a crush on social media. What she has done: read a book or two, or three (okay, hundreds). Taught herself to paint. Built a working wind power system from scratch. But for all the books she’s read, Ren has never found one that’s taught a woman raised on a homestead and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years how to live in the real world. So when she finally achieves her lifelong dream of attending Corona College, it feels like her life is finally beginning.

Fitz has the rest of his life mapped out: graduate from Corona at the top of his class, get his criminal record wiped clean, and pass himself off as the rich, handsome player everyone thinks he is. He’s a few months short from checking off step one of his plans when Ren Gylden, with her cascading blonde hair and encyclopedic brain, crashes into his life, and for the first time Fitz’s plan is in jeopardy.

But a simple assignment in their immunology seminar changes the course of both their lives, and suddenly they’re thrown out of the frying pan and into the fire on a road trip that will lead them in the most unexpected directions. Out on the open road, the world somehow shifts, and the unlikely pair realize that, maybe, the key to the dreams they’ve both been chasing have been sitting next to them the whole time.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

The Tangled retelling we’ve all been waiting for! 

This is a reimagining of a movie based on a fairytale. I saw the Tangled movie back when it first came out. I loved it, but I haven’t seen it since. I remember parts of it, and this book has some great easter eggs back to the original movie, but you don’t have to have seen the movie to appreciate the book. If you’re a fan of rom coms, you should still check it out! 

Book Review: Ghost Tamer by Meredith R. Lyons

Title: Ghost Tamer 
Author: Meredith R. Lyons 
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Date of Publication: September 19, 2023
Publisher: CamCat Books

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Synopsis

Death is one thing, it’s what you do afterward that matters.  Aspiring comedian Raely is the sole survivor of a disastrous train wreck. While faced with the intense grief of losing her best friend, she realizes that someone is following her―and has been following her all her life. Trouble is, no one else can see him. For a ghostly tag-along, Casper’s not so bad. He might even be the partner Raely needs to fight the evil spirit hell-bent on destroying her. Raely and her friend must learn why this demonic spirit is haunting Raely and how she can stop him before he destroys her life―and her soul. Which, much to her chagrin, means she needs the help of a psychic (although she’s sure they are all charlatans) and must rid herself of the pesky ghost hunter who’s interested in exploiting her new abilities.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

Ghost Tamer is a genre-bending thriller with lots of humour, heaps of heart, and a little bit of horror. 

After a horrific train crash kills her best friend and nearly kills her, Raely walks away with the ability to see ghosts. She meets a spirit who claims to have followed and protected her for her entire life. But her newfound abilities put her in the crosshairs of another ghost–an evil spirit that wants her soul. 

I adored the dynamic between Raely and her friendly ghost. He doesn’t remember who he was when he was alive, and he doesn’t even know his name, so she calls him Casper, which is perfectly indicative of their close and humorous relationship. Their banter is perfection, and it provides a nice break from some of the darker, heartrending themes of the book. The story has thrilling and funny twists and turns in the plot, especially when Raely tracks down a team of ghost hunters that might not be entirely adequate at their job.

Raely makes for a relatable and likable protagonist. She’s a stand-up comic, but it’s not all laughs with her, particularly as she’s grieving the loss of her best friend. Nevertheless, she does pipe in with the perfect comment at the most opportune times! 

All in all, this is a fun, yet touching read and I recommend it to those who are looking for a paranormal thriller that’s emotional, yet not horrifying!

Find the book:

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Review: The Queen of Days by Greta Kelly

Title: The Queen of Days 
Author: Greta Kelly
Genre: Fantasy
Date of Publication: October 24, 2023
Publisher: Harper Voyager

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Synopsis

For Balthazar and his family of thieves, stealing a statue during the annual celebration of the god Karanis was just a good bit of fun…or a way to stick it to the governor who murdered his parents. And yeah, the small fortune in reward doesn’t hurt—even if his boss also hired the mysterious Queen of Days to join the crew as “the weapon of last resort…”

Whatever that means.

But Bal doesn’t know the ceremony isn’t simply empty words and dusty tradition; it’s true magic. The kind of magic that rips open a portal for the god himself. Only the idol that Karanis planned on using for a body now lies broken at the Queen of Days’ feet. And half of it is missing.

With the aid of a lovable brawler, a society lady turned bomb maker, a disgraced soldier, and a time-eating demon, Bal must hunt down the missing half of the statue if he has any hope of earning his money, keeping his crew alive…and perhaps even saving all of humanity. But as his journey sends him racing through the city—and across realities—he discovers that doing all this might just doom the city.

The city be damned. It’s time to kill a god.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

The Queen of Days is a richly developed fantasy story that features a band of misfits that intend to embark on the heist of a lifetime. Balthazar is convinced that this heist will be their last, and that the windfall will fund their early retirement. The only thing is, he’s been asked by his patron to recruit the mysterious and unpredictable “Queen of Days” to their team. Nevertheless, he’s convinced that the heist will go off without a hitch, giving him both the money and the revenge he craves. But you know what they say about the best laid plans… 

The strength of this story lies in the rich worldbuilding that’s inserted into the text so casually amidst the action. The story leaps off the pages in lyrical prose, with vivid settings and a complex magic system. The story is told in first person, past tense, both from the point of view of Balthazar, the crew’s leader, and the mysterious Queen of Days. It’s immediately apparent that the Queen of Days is not human–at least not entirely–and without spoiling anything, one of my favourite character arcs of the entire story is hers. While I loved Balthazar, his younger sister, and the Queen of Days, I wasn’t as enchanted by the other characters. They weren’t quite as well developed. This makes sense for a novel with a complex plot and setting to not spend as much time focusing on secondary character development. 

This book is about revenge and relationships with blood family, but it’s also about found family. It’s heartfelt, but features lots of fighting and action scenes to keep the blood pumping.

This novel is a standalone, but there’s potential for a sequel, or maybe even a series set in this world. I know the author has other fantasy books, but I’m not sure if they’re set in this world. Regardless, you can go into this book without any familiarity with the author’s other work.

All in all, this book is recommended for those who enjoy a fantasy heist novel with an emphasis on worldbuilding.

*Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ebook to review*

Find the book:

Goodreads | Amazon