mackenzierm's reviews
1519 reviews

3.5 stars.

Alice and her partner, Joe, move to the sleepy and idyllic village of Penton, hoping to embrace country life and prepare for the birth of her first child. The rural bliss they'd hoped for doesn't quite pan out when a dead body is discovered at their prenatal class, and they find themselves amidst a murder investigation. Alice and her newfound pregnant friends set out to solve the murder and clear their names. As they investigate, more secrets and tensions are revealed than first met the eye, leaving Alice in way over her head.

THE EXPECTANT DETECTIVES took me a while to get into, and I nearly made the decision to DNF because I was struggling. Evidently, I persevered and ended up enjoying the story. It's a slow build-up as Alice, Joe, and the village of Penton are introduced, spanning many chapters before anything of true interest crops up. I also found Alice's internal monologue to be difficult to parse through - she comes off as very ditzy and I wasn't sure I could follow her along for the duration of this book. Once things started happening though, this became a non-issue as I was thoroughly interested in what mysteries lied within the village of Penton.

I soon began to adore Alice - she's quirky, always says the wrong thing, and finds her way into an enormous amount of trouble. She's a great main character for this story with her witty sense of humour. I also really liked her newfound pregnant friends: Hen, Poppy, and Ailsa. Each were well described and dynamic characters that developed a good bond with Alice. Ailsa, in particular, may be my favourite of Alice's new friends because she is so prickly and unafraid of putting others in their places whilst also maintaining a high level of secrecy around herself. Lastly, on the note of favourite characters: Helen. Helen is loaded with golden retriever energy and makes for a great companion for Alice. Both love snacking and seemingly get into the MOST trouble, whenever possible. I'm a sucker for a dog in a book, particularly a mystery, so Helen was quickly high in my esteem.

As for the mystery - Alice and her pregnant friends quickly find themselves in the midst of a murder investigation when a murder occurs during their prenatal class, leaving them all as key suspects. I loved seeing these pregnant women sleuthing through the town, discovering new secrets and long-old tensions in Penton. The mystery aspects of this story were well done and I enjoyed how each clue the women discovered led them onto another trail before all the clues came together to enable the reader to parse out the bigger picture. The ending was well done and I can't wait to see what book two has in store!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books, for a gifted digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.

Sloane and Rowan are two hunters who form an unlikely bond after a chance encounter. The rival murderers collide in an annual game that pits them against other serial killers across the country. As their friendship progresses into something more, there are some ghosts a few steps behind them that seek to claim more than their newfound love. 

BUTCHER & BLACKBIRD is a dark serial killer romance, which I can’t say that I thought I’d enjoy… but this was an excellent story. Don’t sleep on the trigger warnings though – this story gets fairly graphic. 

That aside, I absolutely loved this book – it’s got the perfect mix of spice, romance, and action/thrills. I loved the playful banter that Sloane and Rowan share over the course of their game, this was easily my favourite aspect of this novel. This story is, honestly, a lot of fun. I loved both characters – they’re both well written and interesting. The side characters were a lot of fun too and I can’t wait to see what’s next for this series. And that ending? I was so nervous! 

The audiobook narration is A+, particularly for Rowan’s character. That Irish brogue was fire. 

Nora dated Derek Pender in college, but she didn’t end things very gracefully at the time. Now her entire career as a sports agent rests is in his hands. Derek is a NFL tight end and he’s held a grudge. He plans on making Nora’s life miserable, but instead of giving in, Nora starts her own scheme. A wild night in Vegas leaves Nora and Derek waking up in bed together, married.

THE RULE BOOK is easily my favourite Sarah Adams book, without question! These two characters have my heart – Nora with her bubbly and enthusiastic personality, her sense of humour, and her kindness is so endearing. I absolutely loved her. Derek is one of a kind, stealing my heart from the beginning. I loved his kind and caring nature, his ability to roll with the punches, and just how much he loves Nora.

I loved the romance that developed between Derek and Nora – it was so well done. The spice, which is not Sarah Adams’ usual can be omitted if you follow the author’s note at the beginning of the book, is very well done with chemistry that’s off the charts.

I loved seeing cameos of Bree and Nathan from The Cheat Sheet making several appearances here which was a lot of fun. Can’t wait to see what Adams’ will write next!

3.5 stars.

Edith was tricked into moving into a nursing home, but she’s planning her escape. Patience cleans the nursing home and bonds with Edith, but Patience is lying about almost everything. Clio is Edith’s daughter and won’t speak to her. Twenty years ago, a baby was stolen from a stroller and now a woman has been murdered in a nursing home. These three women have every reason to distrust one another but they must find a way to solve a mystery that has three suspects, two murders, and one victim. 

This sounded like a book I would love but I don’t think it really lived up to the type of psychological thriller I was expecting to find. 

GOOD BAD GIRL is a story that is more about mother-daughter relationships and the lengths one will go for the other. It’s told in four POVS: Patience, Frankie, Clio, and Edith. The characters are well written and adequately developed, making them relatable and realistic. Each perspective was interesting and essential to the plot as each character holds secrets that are slowly revealed and lead to the reveal of the bigger picture. The plot is more of the slow burn variety and has a cozy mystery vibe with a steady pacing. 

 I think the ending was well done but, in the end, this wasn’t my favourite read by this author.  

One night, Lauren returns home to her flat in London and is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. The only problem – she’s not married, and she’s never sent his man before. Her friends, her décor, photos on her phone, indicate that they’ve been together for years. As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes up to the attic to change a lightbulb and disappears. A new man emerges with a slightly altered life forming around her. Lauren quickly realizes that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, making her wonder how to know if she’s taken the right path in life and when is it okay to stop trying to do better and simply live. 

THE HUSBANDS is Gramazio’s debut and features such a unique and interesting concept – a magical attic that creates an infinite number of husbands and slightly different lives, how cool right? I enjoyed this plot idea immensely but I felt the story was lacking a twist to make me really love it or lacking in execution. At a certain point, I was wondering when something would finally happen to give this story a point. So, this is an enjoyable story if you go with the flow, have no expectations, and enjoy a story that is mostly vibes. 

The ending did not end up being what I’d hoped and left me wondering what the point even was anyways. I think the audiobook version may be an easier way to enjoy this novel – the narrators do a great job in bringing the story to life. Overall, this was an interesting concept but was missing something to make me truly love it. 

Wren believes that if you pay attention, the universe will send you exactly what you need. The universe delivers her two life-altering blows that she didn’t see coming and she just wants to put this mess behind her. She discovers geocaching and it’s the only thing getting her out of bed and outside her own head. A weeklong solo geocaching adventure in Oregon seems like the perfect medicine. Marshall is a psychologist who is searching for a distraction as he works through a life-altering blow of his own. Wren meets Marshall on a hiking trail but initially blows off his attempts at small talk. She’s grateful when he rescues her from a terrifying encounter and accepts his offer to partner up for safety. As they get to know each other better, a platonic relationship starts to blossom into something more.

I saw @lattesandpaperbacks share this one on Bookstagram a few months ago and couldn’t help being intrigued. THE TRAIL OF LOST HEARTS is a sweet story that follows two characters, Wren and Marshall, who are experiencing loss as well as trauma and their journey through that loss, their grief, and what life looks like after. 

I adored both main characters – they’re both so well developed, kind, and realistic. Wren and Marshall are each going through a difficult time but are trying to find their way through it – their growth is very well done. The relationship that they develop together is beautiful and the romance they share is heartwarming and supportive. Their communication is effective, healthy, and respectful. I really enjoyed the mental health rep and thought it was done with care.

I loved the subplot of geocaching – I have never done it before, but it sounds like a lot of fun!

I will definitely be checking out other reads by this author in the future.

Ada has failed out of her interior design program and left the disaster of her short-lived marriage. She’s now crawling her way out of rock bottom, started her own business, and has just been hired to do the most important project of her career. Ada arrives in Meadowlark and meets a handsome cowboy at a dive bar whom she shares a kiss with that leaves her breathless. Weston feels like he hit the jackpot when he learns that the mystery woman at the bar is the interior designer for his dream project. Even though the walls around the Rebel Blue Ranch are falling away, Ada is convinced that she keep her own walls up and resist Wes’ charms. 

Let me start by saying that I absolutely adored Ada as the main character for this book. She felt like a soul sister from the first few pages. I loved her story and the spark that she shares with Wes that eventually leads to something more. Both Ada and Wes are the sweetest of people, so kind and caring. They’re also both so accommodating and respectful of one another – it was easy to ship them. The mental health rep was well done, and I very much appreciated it but think that it could have been elaborated upon more.

It was cool to see Wes’ dream project for his family’s ranch come to life over the course of this story and I was so happy to see how this dream blossomed into such a long-awaited accomplishment, although I would have liked to have this developed upon further. I also loved the sweet moments over the course of the story that are shared with Amos (Wes’ dad). The cameos of the previous book’s characters were perfection, and I adored seeing how Luke and Emmy’s relationship has progressed since book one left off. 

Can’t wait to see what book 3 brings for the Rebel Blue Ranch! 

Alizeh is the long-lost heir to the Jinn throne, and she might have found her crown and her people. Cyrus, the ruler of Tulan, has offered his kingdom to Alizeh with a twisted exchange – he will marry her, and she will kill him. This may be the only way for Alizeh to fulfill her destiny, but the more she learns about Cyrus, the more she questions whether the reputation that precedes him is true. Meanwhile, Prince Kamran has arrived in Tulan, prepared to exact his revenge. 

ALL THE TWISTED GLORY is a third installment in THE WOVEN KINGDOM series that feels like it is written only for the vibes. Don’t get me wrong, I feel like there’s more plot advancement here than within book 2 but still not enough to feel truly tangible. To me it reads like a prolonged recap of book two and the occurrences that take place with a lot of back and forth between Alizeh, Cyrus, and Kamran with the added tension of a potential love triangle.

The ending is by far the best part about this novel and is what has me eagerly awaiting the release of book 4. I really enjoyed learning more about the magic system, the continuous world building, and the secrets that each of the main characters has been hiding. 

Caz starts off the vacation of a lifetime with her love, Pete, by stepping aboard the RMS Atlantica. The first night is loads of fun with good food and dancing, whilst making new friends, but when Caz wakes up the next morning, Pete is missing. She quickly realizes as she steps outside her cabin, that she’s entirely alone on board with no crew or other passengers.

THE LAST ONE is a locked room thriller that requires a certain suspension of belief but is wholly enrapturing, nonetheless. Locked room thrillers are some of my favorite thrillers, so this was right up my alley.

This novel is told exclusively in the POV of Caz, which due to certain environmental circumstances and situations is somewhat of an unreliable narration. The quasi-unreliable narration certainly ups the ante though.

The plot of THE LAST ONE is twisty and honestly, freaky to consider. This book is slightly too long at almost 450 pages and could have afforded more editing as the middle part of the book does experience a lull. I very much enjoyed it though! I feel like the ending left some opening for a sequel, or perhaps simply an open-end for the reader’s own interpretation. Either way, a very compelling and interesting read!

Daphne always loved the way Peter, her fiancé, told their story. He was really good at telling it, right up until he realized he was in love with his best friend, Petra. Daphne is now thrust into her new story, where she's alone and stranded in Waning Bay with only her dream job as a children's librarian to keep her afloat. She finds herself proposing to be Petra's ex, Miles' roommate since he's in the same boat as she is. They mainly avoid each other, until one day, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. 

FUNNY STORY starts off strong with EmHen's classic humour and flirty banter that made me first fall in love with her writing. I adored both Miles and Daphne as the main characters to this story - they're both wounded souls in the aftermath of a big break up. Their characters are well developed, genuine, and relatable. Miles in particular is wholly endearing and a guy you can't help but want to be around. I am a sucker for fake romances so I absolutely loved the scenarios Daphne and Miles get themselves into and truly adored the friendship they developed.

This all sounds like it's a winning recipe right? Great characters, excellent banter, and a lovely setting (Waning Bay sounds magical) but it felt like there's something missing to make this story great.  It's around the 50-60% mark where everything falls apart for me, as the reader. It's slump city with no end in sight. I wanted more from the characters and way more from their relationship. 

FUNNY STORY tackles difficult family dynamics and difficult childhoods with care. EmHen does this really well in fact. However, I feel like part of this subplot really derailed the vibe of the overall story and ruined it for me. It does end on a cute note though and you'll still find me reaching for her next release.