​Eleanor Churcher has spent her whole life trying to outrun the bone hunt that her parents had written into a book "The Golden Bones" which features a woman named Elinore whose bones were scattered and must be put back together again in order to return to her true love.  Gold bones were indeed scattered around by her parents with clues hidden in the book.  However, the Bonehunter community eventually turned to the real Eleanor and believed the last bone was the one in her body.  Now, on the fiftieth anniversary of "The Golden Bones" Nell has returned home with her family for an anniversary celebration where her father is going to reveal the final missing golden bone to put together the fictional Elinore.  However, when it's time for the reveal, a very real human bone appears instead of the golden bone.  The Churcher family is sent into a frenzy with a real skeleton in the closet, a missing gold bone and decades of family secrets revealed. 

The Skeleton Key is a complex mystery with interesting characters and a plot that keeps building.  With a storyline that moves back and forth through time and from the points of view of many different characters, I was kept on my toes with the mystery of the missing golden bone, the Churcher's history and the potential suspects.  I was entranced by the entire Churcher family and how their life seemed like a fairy tale from the outside, but was cracked and tearing the family apart from the inside.  It was interesting to see how the different family members dealt with living in such a prominent and sought after family, as well as how they dealt with the renewed interest and investigation surrounding the real skeleton.  With an interesting twist and unexpected ending, The Skeleton Key offers a mystery wrapped in a mystery with a cast of amazing characters. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Carmen Sanchez accepts a job overseeing the renovation of an old church near her hometown in Mexico.  She sees this as the perfect opportunity to have her two daughters, Izel and Luna visit their home country and experience the culture.  Soon after her arrival, Carmen begins to feel the hardships of being a woman running a construction site in the midst of men who don't trust her.  The city is also more dangerous than she thought and Carmen feels bad for leaving Izel and Luna on their own all day.  After an accident on the construction site that nearly injures Luna and opens up a part of the church with lost relics, Carmen and the girls head back to New York.  However, while in Mexico, Carmen was warned of an evil that has attached to Luna and it seems that it might have followed her back to New York.  

From the prologue, I was drawn into Piñata with the revenge of the Nahuas god and a culture that may not be as lost and forgotten as many believe.  The story is very character driven and Carmen's character is very well done.  I enjoyed her complexity and multiple viewpoints; she is a single mother, a Mexican woman, an immigrant and works in a male dominated field.  Carmen was very aware of her position and the very real dangers that could be in front of her.  The paranormal danger snuck in and built gradually throughout the story in a way that I wasn't quite sure if it was threatening or just a resurgence of what once was.  Through the glimpses into the past, I did like learning about the Nahua culture, food and practices.  There was horror built into the very real decimation of the culture by the Conquistadors as well as the story of the spirit that attached itself to Carmen's daughter.  A gruesome and satisfying ending rounds out an intriguing novel of ancient retribution. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

After the death of Wilder's Uncle Vernon, his family decides to use Vernon's cabin on the shore of Maine's Whistler Bay for a much needed summer vacation.  Wilder decides that he will make friends and maybe even find a girlfriend this summer.  He quickly finds friends in local teens, Nat and summer resident, Harper.  The group quickly becomes enamored with the local lore of drownings and the Dagger Man of Whistler Bay.  However, the fantasy soon becomes too real as Wilder, Nat and Harper find the victims and figure out that the perpetrator is someone close to them.  Still dealing with the impacts from that summer, Wilder sets off to college in Pennsylvania.  Suffering from panic attacks, Wilder finds a friend in Sky, who comforts Wilder and has a special interest in his trauma.  Years later, after Wilder attempts to put together his summer at Whistler Bay into a memoir, Sky publishes Looking Glass Sound, a bestseller based on Wilder's memories.  Wilder makes his way back to Whistler Bay in order to confront his memories and set the record straight. 

Looking Glass Sound  is a story within a story within a story that bends, stretches and tests the limits of what you believe is reality.  The three stories told in succession create an underlying current of unknowing, unease and suspense. With each of the characters warping slightly in each of the story retellings, I wasn't quite sure of who everyone truly was and it seemed like everyone was an unreliable narrator.  Everyone's story seemed like an atonement piece to try to rewrite their past with small bits of their true selves coming through.  While it seemed like the main character should have been Wilder, I think the real focus of the story was the first victim of the Dagger Man, Rebecca. I thought it was really interesting that Wilder interacted with the Dagger Man after he was caught, it was insightful to see the thought process of a murderer and how the meeting affected Wilder.  With many secrets, twists and unknowns, Looking Glass Sound is a unique horror experience.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Tara Boone fought for a place at Corbin College hoping to get into the esteemed Magni Viri academic society which provides a full scholarship.  However, Tara isn't accepted and is muddling through college with two jobs and a more practical academic track.  When one of Magni Viri's star pupils, Meridith Brown dies unexpectedly, Tara is offered her spot.  Tara readily accepts, with tuition and board fully covered, Tara no longer has to work and gets to move into Denfeld Hall with the rest of the Magni Viri students.  Now, with an automatic friend group and a semi-creepy initiation ceremony, Tara finally feels accepted.  She also has a lot more time to work on her writing.  Tara begins writing in the middle of the night, in a haze, she barely remembers what she wrote; if it wasn't in her own handwriting, she wouldn't believe it.  The writing also seems a lot more like Meredith's writing than her own.  Tara begins to believe that she is being haunted by Meredith's ghost and is being forced to finish her story.  As Tara learns more about Magni Viri and its members, she discovers something more disturbing about its membership and decides she must free herself from its grasp.  


All That Consumes Us is an atmospheric, gothic story set within a college secret society.  I was pulled in by the mystery of Magni Viri and their consistency in producing outstanding students.  Tara's character is at a point where she is desperate while being resourceful and diligent, making her a perfect target for Magni Viri's deeds. The writing builds the tension slowly as a student dies and Tara finally finds her place and her goals begin to seem realistic, but things simply don't seem right with the students of Magni Viri, their accomplishments or the novella Tara is writing.   As Tara continues in Magni Viri, obsession seems to overtake her and she is not herself.  The feeling of wanting what you can't have along with slipping from reality permeates Tara as well as Denfield Hall.  The quote "...some of the dead don't sleep.  They don't rest. They rise up from their graves to steal hours from the living," summarizes the atmosphere. I was really interested in the story that Tara was writing and would have loved to have more history behind that as well as the beginning of Magni Viri.  I would have also loved to see some of Tara's writing when she wasn't under the influence and how she infused the emotions she experienced into her craft.  Overall, a queer, gothic, ghostly coming of age story with amazing characters.  



This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

After a tragic fire kills the families in Douglas Jones' apartment complex, he is charged with murder.  Luckily, a good lawyer takes his case and offers Douglas and his mom a chance to start fresh at Regent Academy in Winslow, Vermont.  With an offer that seemed too good to be true, Douglas becomes the only black student at Regent.  Upon arrival, Douglas is warned not to go into the Atolas forest bordering the school, but that is difficult for Douglas since the forest seems to be speaking to him since he arrived.  After a student wanders into the forest and dies, everyone at the school forgets the student except for Douglas and Everett Everley, the son of the school groundskeeper. Douglas soon learns of a curse upon the town of Winslow and the descendants of the families that participated in a cruel act 300 years ago, an ancient vengeful god and the magic in the forest.  Douglas' abilities mean he is able to break the curse, but as Douglas learns more about the god, Etaliein and his story, Douglas doesn't believe that killing him is the answer anymore.

The Forest Demands Its Due is an immersive Young Adult horror with an intriguing mystery and wonderful characters.  I was pulled in from the beginning with Douglas hearing the forest and seeing a classmate injured in the forest only to have everyone forget about him the next day.  The writing engrossed me in the small town of Winslow, Vermont with the foreboding Atolas forest and formidable Regent Academy.  Douglass doesn't exactly fit in to Winslow, his past, his race and his lifestyle are all different, but the forest seems to reach out to him. I was really interested in the history of Winslow, the god of the forest, Etaliein and how the curse began.  As Douglas digs for answers, the mystery of the forest unravels, but I do wish there was more context and we could know Etalein before tragedy struck.  I enjoyed seeing Douglas and Everett's relationship grow as they went into the forest together.  The magic of the forest was captivating along with the Perversions and Emissaries, the creatures that protected the forest.  I loved that Douglas was able to help end the curse in his own unique way that shows that love can overcome.  






This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Andromeda Dianus is a vampire princess, heir to the Dianus Coven.  With her father's firm rule, Andromeda is not allowed to leave the Sanctuary.  Roan Silverthorne is the Alpha of the Silverthorne pack, still recovering from the Wolf Revolution.  they need a way to make money for their expanding pack and refugees.   When Roan visits Dianus Coven to see if they will sell their Moonshine, Roan feels his Mate in Andromeda.  Andromeda and Roan are both not in the mood for a mate, but when the Dianus Coven is attacked from within, Andromeda goes to the last place anyone would look for her, the land of her unwanted mate. 

The Enemy of Her Enemy is a fast-paced, racy, paranormal romance.  I loved these characters and the story and wish this was a longer book!  Told in alternating points of view between Andromeda, Roan and Arsenious, the writing absorbed me into the plot and characters immediately.  I loved Andromeda's determination and intellect and Roan's compassion and care for his pack.  Arsenious was an interesting character to throw into the mix, who has been locked away for centuries.  The intensity of the plot kept me in suspense as Andromeda is accused of killing her father and she seeks out help within the Silverthorne pack.  When Andromeda, Roan and Arsenious finally came together there were definitely fun fireworks.  I would have loved to know more about each of the character's backgrounds. ​

Alba de Gradi has been alive for about 200 years.  For the past 25 years, she has been the famous Joanna Kilkenny.  Alba is ready to move on and get out of the limelight. She has a plan to run away back to her home country of Italy with her rock star lover, Lorne and if she's lucky, her bodyguard, Jamie. Jamie doesn't know of her plans, but Alba suspects he'll go along with it.  Once in Italy, Alba helps the guys get alongs and makes sure they can satisfy her needs. 


Under the Sun and Sky is a very fun, paranormal, erotic, romp in Italy.  Alba's character is very confident and bold.  I enjoyed seeing her transform from Joanna back to her true self in Italy.  I would have loved to know more of Alba's origin story and life before becoming Joanna.  The guys are both complementary to Joanna in different ways, Lorne is very easy going and up for anything while Jamie slowly finds his footing in the relationship and finds exactly what he and Alba need.  I was very surprised at Jamie's willingness to tag along on Alba's adventure as well as his acceptance of her needs.  The spicy scenes were absolutely sizzling, especially in the private villa under the Italian sun. I do wish I could have explored more of the trio's antics in Italy with them. ​

​A reaper, a hellhound, a werewolf, a vampire and a mage go on a vacation to Hawaii.  Ava, a half-human, half-reaper has been feeling stressed between work and her four bickering partners.  Kase, Troy, Grant & Hunter do fight a lot, so they decide to take Ava on a trip.  However, in Hawaii they decide to compete to see who has the top billing in Ava's heart.  On each date that Ava attends with the men, tiny disasters keep happening.  When Ave figures out their plan, she is angered even more, and nobody wants an upset reaper.  Can the men figure out how to work together in order to keep the woman they love?

Summer Trips & Other Reasons To Get Naked is a super fun, sexy, polyamorous, paranormal romance. I really enjoyed the character development, especially within a short story with five main characters.  I got a good feel for everyone's unique personality and special traits.  I also enjoyed reading about each couple.  Everyone had a different type of relationship with Ava and she paired well with their individual needs and preferred activities.  Each date was entertaining, especially as things heated up between each couple.  The ending scene was absolutely amazing as all four guys finally figured things out.  I did get the feeling that I was missing something that happened between everyone in a previous book and sure enough, these characters are part of the Grave Concerns series, so I'll have to check that out as well. 

Jenna Munro is a librarian who sings backup in an oldies band.  Jenna loves music and puts up with her obnoxious ex-boyfriend Dale as their band leader.  At a summer concert, Jenna locks eyes with a man in the audience who ends up helping her out of a bind with Dale.  Peter Reynolds was a singer in the 1960's until he was in a devastating accident.  Now, Peter is a vampire and finds himself drawn to Jenna and her voice.  Human and vampire relationships are tricky, will Peter and Jenna bond or will they just have a summer fling?

Summer Sizzle is a spicy, fast-paced, paranormal romance. I liked that in this world everyone already knew that vampires existed, they were just not seen very often.  This allowed us to skip the explanations and disbelief.  Jenna's character is very sweet and Peter's presence helps her find her confidence and worth.  I was really interested in Peter's past and his singing career.  However, with this being a shorter book, the character development was not deep. Jenna and Peter's relationship moved super quickly and got extra steamy.  With a surprise ending, this Hot Bite story is perfect for a warm summer evening. 

​A girl is cursed from birth to be a carrier for a demon of death.  The parents know that death will follow the girl around and she will be a burden on the family.  So the parents ignore the girl, tell her she is worthless and instead put all of their resources into their son.  The girl knows that there is something different about her and especially her family.  As the girl goes through school, she strives to be the best in order to win her parent's affection, to no avail.  The demon makes itself known to the girl at the right time and tells her of her Filipino ancestors' history with Death and what it will mean for her when she embraces the demon inside. 

The Girl was a unique thriller documenting the childhood and young adult years of a Girl fated to carry a demon of death.  The device of never using the Girl's name made her seem ever more like a forgotten object.   Since her family knew of this curse, they ignored, abused and made her feel worthless.   Most of the story focused on the Girl's childhood and young adulthood growing up with this demon's voice in her head while dealing with her family's abuse.  It was very difficult to read about the Girl's abuse, but it was well written and realistic.  The Girl's methods of dealing with her situation were interesting to read, especially as she grew and matured, understanding more about what her family was doing.  Sprinkled throughout the story were foreshadowing of when the Girl and demon finally embrace one another and meet at the end of the book. I would have loved to see the full potential of the Girl and the demon working together.  I also enjoyed learning about the Girl's Philippine heritage and the battle of Lapu- Lapu and Magellan as the origin story of her family history with the demon.  I'd love to see what's next for the Girl. 
 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

Jack Kelly wakes up from a coma believing he is a married man with a wife and kids.  However, when Jack wakes up he is a thirteen year old child with vivid memories through adulthood and the accident that he believed that his brother suffered is now his own.  Along with the brain injury, Jack can now read people's minds, feel their emotions and see the ghosts and demons that linger in the city and pull people into the next world.  With an introduction to others like him, Jack begins to refine his gift and hones into one particular ghost in the apartment building across from his school.  The ghost and Jack have a connection, but the ghost does not want to leave.  A supernatural fight ensues as Jack tries to convince the ghost to move on.  


From the beginning, Jack's story pulled me into this intriguing supernatural thriller.  From the start, the demons and ghosts in the shadows were gripping, creating an intense and foreboding atmosphere.  I was very interested in Jack's family as an adult and how that experience shaped how he came back as a child.  Jack's reintroduction to life and his childhood after his coma were fascinating. Jack's character held the duality of being in a child's body with the memories and emotional control of an adult.  The writing switched between the points of view of Jack and the ghost, Kasper Greenstreet.  I was equally attracted to Kasper's storyline as Jack's.  Being able to read about Kasper's life and death created him as a full person.  I loved reading about his artistic process and the passion he put into his work.  As Jack's interactions with Kasper increase, so does the suspense, culminating in an exciting ending.  With many questions still unanswered, I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​A year ago, Jack Kelly woke up from a coma with a special set of abilities.  With those abilities, he was able to spiritually battle an enraged ghost in his friend's apartment complex.  The battle took a toll on everyone involved and Jack's friend, Peter, ended up in a psychiatric unit.   After returning, Peter decided he could no longer stay in the apartment, especially with the painting the ghost had completed in life.  While Jack knows that the ghost is no longer around, the painting still seems to have a strong pull and is receiving a lot of attention from a mysterious Mr. Phillips who insists on having the painting as his own.  Fifteen year old Jack knows that Mr. Phillips is not human and will use the painting for nefarious means.  Now, Jack must try to keep the painting safe and away from Mr. Phillips.  

The Book of Demons is a fast-paced sequel to The Book of Souls. I would definitely recommend reading The Book of Souls first in order to understand Jack's history, his abilities and his connection and the history of the painting. I was immediately pulled into the story from Mr. Phillips point of view and how he came to receive his strange powers.  I was excited to get back to Jack's story and see how he was dealing with life after the spiritual battle.  It was interesting to see him dealing with everyday high schooler issues alongside battling a necromancer and protecting the painting.  I actually would have liked to read more from Mr. Phillips point of view to know more about his powers and what he wanted in the painting. The ending wrapped up pretty quickly, and while I was happy for Jack, I wanted to know how he was able to return. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​"...myths are created by people, for their own reasons; a monster is a shadow cast by a human."


Virgil is sent to clean out their Aunt Deb's house.  Aunt Deb died of COVID, unlike many of Virgil's other family members who have just seemed to have disappeared. As Virgil begins to clean out Aunt Deb's attic, they begin to unravel the mystery surrounding the woods of the house.  There's something strange about the woods by the house and it might be coming for Virgil next.  

Family Curse-Field Notebooks (1880-2020) is a delicious bite of a horror story.  I absolutely wish that this was longer, and enjoyed that the story does lead you to think of the many possible routes for the lights in the woods. I adore writing in the form of journal entries and Family Curse does not disappoint with a turducken of journals from three family members and notes from Virgil.  It was interesting to see each family member's take on the disappearances and the lights in the woods- a serial killer, fairies, or aliens.  I was also intrigued by Virgil's family and how different neurodivergencies and gender non-conformities have presented and been tolerated throughout the years and how those people have seemed to attract whatever is in the woods.  

​On July 25th, 1969 a young black college student, Rosalie DuFreyne was murdered in Hunt's Landing, Alabama.  After a cursory investigation, she was forgotten. Now, Abbie Adams, a historian who has found her way into journalism is given Rosalie's murder as her first byline.  As soon as Rosalie begins digging into Rosalie's life and murder, she finds a connection to her former academic advisor, Frank Wexler.  Not only was Dr. Wexler the reason that Abbie's thesis was shot down, but the Wexler family controls money and power in Hunt's Landing.  As Abbie finds and interviews people who knew Rosalie and saw her that night, pieces begin to fall into place, but something is still missing.  When Abbie's witnesses begin to get killed off, she knows she is close to providing closure for Rosalie.  

The Dead Won't Tell is an exciting mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.  I was immediately taken in as the night of Rosalie's murder was described in Hunt's Landing, 1969.  The town was celebrating the NASA astronauts' successful return to Earth as Rosalie left a party at the Wexler house only to be found dead next to the Tennessee River with a train ticket in her pocket.  Abbie is a wonderfully built character as she dives head first into Rosalie's story.  With every bit of evidence Abbie uncovers, she is able to rebuild Rosalie and the accomplishments in her life.  Through investigating Rosalie's murder, Abbie is also able to come to terms with some of the damage the Wexler family has caused her as well.  The suspense builds gradually throughout the story as Abbie digs deeper.  It seems that Rosalie might be gone, but she is far from forgotten.  With an explosive and unexpected ending, The Dead Won't Tell delivers an exciting and thorough historical mystery.  


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.