3.5 stars Super cute contemporary romance that happens to feature a ghostly heroine, in the vein of My Roommate is a Vampire. This one tries much hard3.5 stars Super cute contemporary romance that happens to feature a ghostly heroine, in the vein of My Roommate is a Vampire. This one tries much harder to make her earthbound plight central to the plot, however, and as a bonus is set in a cute little Stars Hollow-like town.
With such a wholesome plot, I struggled a bit with the ickiness of his past relationship and professional ethics, however, and maybe the chemistry/romance could have been punched up even more. And it gets a little bogged down in the middle.
But I’m a sucker for humorous books and the banter here is really fun. Also making allowances for this being an indie romance—what’s here is very enjoyable, and I’d very very interested in seeing what happens if this author gets an editorial assist at some point. ...more
3.5 stars Overall, this was very enjoyable. I wish the gothic/horror elements had been more vivid, and I The cover is so creepy! SHE'S SMILING AT YOU.
3.5 stars Overall, this was very enjoyable. I wish the gothic/horror elements had been more vivid, and I thought I was going to love the ending (view spoiler)[I got excited when she returned to the villa because I thought omg, this is shades of Eleanor and The Haunting of Hill House and it would have been a much more worthy spiritual successor than A Haunting on the Hill(hide spoiler)], but the plot ended up being a bit more conventional than I had initially hoped. And while there are flashes of wry humor and some zingy comebacks, I wouldn't call this "wickedly funny," either. The humor is actually a bit tricky, because I'm not sure the balance with the darker stuff was there or was sustained in a consistent way, though it certainly does have its moments. (view spoiler)[The thwarted Italian ghost following her around was especially amusing. (hide spoiler)]
The dysfunctional family stuff is so well done, though, and I have a lot of affection for and identify with Anna in many ways. And after The Villa, my takeaway is that we Americans should think twice about renting massive vacation homes in Italy with our loved ones.
Audio Notes: I liked narrator Andi Arndt's calmness, and I am no fan of screechy hysterics, but when there were actual creepy things going on, I would have appreciated a little more technical skill in showing emotion now and again. ...more
Agents, you should be taking Keri Lane to lunch if she’s interested, because this lady deserves a book deal. Books like this are exactly the reason whAgents, you should be taking Keri Lane to lunch if she’s interested, because this lady deserves a book deal. Books like this are exactly the reason why I still pick up indies now and again, because the excitement of potentially finding a fresh new voice is always there.
So funny, so sexy, so fun, with perhaps one of the best examples of how to write a relationship where the love interests are on opposite sides of the fence about an issue—-in this case, whether ghosts exist. I liked that they passionately defend the nuances of their positions, particularly her standing her ground on her beliefs and what it means if he doesn’t respect them. (His relationship with his best friend gets a hat tip as well.) The arguments are fierce, their banter is witty, and the way they eventually come together (view spoiler)[ HAH (hide spoiler)] is believable and cute.
Already so well-put together (frankly better than a lot of traditionally published books that have the benefit of betas and agents and editors and proofreaders and marketing), but it will be so exciting to see what happens in the future if this author gets picked up.
Currently free on Kindle Unlimited. If you enjoy cute, light-hearted contemporary romance with zingy dialogue and great chemistry, don’t miss this one!...more
3.5 stars Such a hard book to rate. The first 40% or so, I was enjoying it so much I kept thinking it would be at least a 4.5, but it sort of became u3.5 stars Such a hard book to rate. The first 40% or so, I was enjoying it so much I kept thinking it would be at least a 4.5, but it sort of became undone as the story got more complicated.
First off: the book cover and marketing are all wrong. WRONG. It is a book that sort of blurs category lines, but it is not at all a typical thriller and the expectations set up by the artwork and synopsis don’t do it any favors. Much of it is written like a slightly demented cozy mystery, which is super fun. The protagonist is a woman in her fifties, who has learned to live with the blood pouring down her walls and the ghosts that inhabit her house during the month of every September. Fans of Anna Dressed in Blood will appreciate the creepiness of the apparitions, as well as the offbeat humor throughout the story.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but for me, it’s when you begin to doubt what’s going on that I became less enamored. (Of note: this is the writing debut of a psychologist.) In a way, the serious questions raised and the back story with her husband had too much time spent on them, but not enough depth; they are impossible to ignore, so the less than satisfactory execution of serious, sensitive subjects—abuse, denial, mental illness, etc.—were worrisome and distracting. One of the few cases where I think I would’ve enjoyed a simpler story you could take more at face value, or at least one that took a second look at how some of this was portrayed. ETA: I had many of the feelings as described here, which is why it’s on my problematic-but-compelling shelf. (Potential spoilers, obviously.) https://lithub.com/whats-unreal-is-re... This is done effectively here (maybe too effectively), but in 2023 it’s difficult to look on stories like this without acknowledging what we have collectively learned when it is so central to the plot.
I also found too many familiar elements from other stories, among them The Others, The Birds, The Shining, and many more. They’re incorporated well, but it’s better when authors trust in their own originality rather than borrowing from such iconic scenes and characters.
But I do so love Elias, the feral ghost boy who leaps out and savagely bites at our protagonist whenever she gets near him. And I’d check out the author’s next book, with the hope that it’s less referential and better thought out.
Audio Notes: Narrator is a little stridently chipper, but it’s okay for the most part since it’s the POV of an older woman, albeit one that feels like a fairly dated idea of a middle-aged woman. But she uses pretty much the same voice and speech patterns for her daughter and the other secondary voices aren’t standouts either (acknowledging that the writing here could’ve been improved), so I think another reader would elevated the material a little more....more
The paleontology is interesting, but the paleontologist is not. And unfortunately, the science takes a back seat to a mystery that is never enga*yawn*
The paleontology is interesting, but the paleontologist is not. And unfortunately, the science takes a back seat to a mystery that is never engaging, supernatural elements that are neither scary nor exciting, themes that are undeveloped, and personal backgrounds and relationships that fail to incite any emotion. ...more
Enjoyably low-stakes cozy mysteries (this one with a touch of the supernatural) have become pleasant palate cleansers between more complicate3.5 stars
Enjoyably low-stakes cozy mysteries (this one with a touch of the supernatural) have become pleasant palate cleansers between more complicated thrillers. Sort of the Harlequin Presents to regular romance. ;)
Will definitely read the next one! I liked the audiobook narrator, too....more
This does not work as suspense, thriller, romance, erotic fiction, or ghost story and is written in strangely stilted prose and dialogue. I Ugh, wtf.
This does not work as suspense, thriller, romance, erotic fiction, or ghost story and is written in strangely stilted prose and dialogue. I literally checked the 2019 publication date four times, because I cannot believe this wasn’t one of Tess Gerritsen’s republished early romances. Maybe it was a long-buried manuscript dug up and barely modernized? I am a big fan of the majority of the Rizzoli and Isles crime series (way before it was even called that, post-tv show) and Gerritsen’s early standalone, mostly medical thrillers, even the slightly more out there ones (check out her space thriller, yo), so to come across this half-baked book is an unwelcome shock. It reads like the few early romances of hers that I’ve read, and to put it politely, I just don’t think category romance is her forte.
Here’s hoping the three R&I books I need to catch up with are better. DNF, trading this paperback in, cannot get it out of the house fast enough....more
2.5 stars Some nicely creepy moments, and along the lines of what I'd hoped for from Welcome to the Dark House--sort of a mad funhouse type of caper. 2.5 stars Some nicely creepy moments, and along the lines of what I'd hoped for from Welcome to the Dark House--sort of a mad funhouse type of caper.
But the four kids' stories start running into each other and don't really go anywhere (I think it would have been better to cut down on the number of kids or to explore the stories more deeply), and the creep/tension aren't pushed far enough. The style of the black and white photographs and the set-up make it feel a bit like a very facile, slick middle grade version of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
Nearly downrated the star rating because it was also annoying that the book ends abruptly, and apparently there's a sequel. No need for either. With more development, this could have been a perfectly good horror book on its own....more
Great atmosphere, but lost a little bit of steam and punch towards the end, and I think the plot would have been much stronger without the (v3.5 stars
Great atmosphere, but lost a little bit of steam and punch towards the end, and I think the plot would have been much stronger without the (view spoiler)[reincarnation (hide spoiler)] aspects.
Fact and fiction are woven together in the infamous Whitechapel murders, ghosts, and the peculiar case of London H4.5 stars Love love love love love.
Fact and fiction are woven together in the infamous Whitechapel murders, ghosts, and the peculiar case of London Hospital's The Elephant Man, all from the perspective of a girl who has been severely disfigured by phosphorous necrosis. This story doesn't shy away from the gruesome nature of the crimes nor the rough realities faced by a woman without position, or a man who was put on display as a sideshow attraction. And yet it is imbued with a transcendent awareness of human dignity, and the beauty of soul and intellect.
Writing is textured and sharp, yet exquisitely restrained, the setting is vivid, and the historical details are seamlessly integrated. (I had such a good time looking up various figures and events referenced in the story!) I hope this author writes more historical fiction, because he has a knack for storytelling, an ear for dialogue, and an empathy for his characters that gives readers the rare sense of being completely immersed in the world he created. I felt the same level of excitement when reading this book as I did when reading my first Marcus Sedgwick and Sarah Waters novels, and I don't say that lightly.
Review to come. If you liked certain elements of THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER or THIS MONSTROUS THING, you'll love this. ...more
Wendy Darling
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