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elialoves's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This was sooo unexpected. I don't want to spoil the fun, but this was a creepier read than I thought it would be. I enjoyed it still, but I was just underprepared for the scares haha. It was well written though and I enjoyed the romance and emotional growth between the two MC's.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Blood
Moderate: Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical content, and Murder
Minor: Vomit
adderh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
katiehawkes's review against another edition
4.0
Spicy lesbians investigating a weird culty small town? Works for me!
mischievous_monkey's review against another edition
4.0
Just What I've Been Missing
As I've been reading books this year for Jae's Sapphic Reading Challenge I've sorely missed books in the horror genre. I like some of my reads to have more than one type of bump in the night and this book filled the bill
As I've been reading books this year for Jae's Sapphic Reading Challenge I've sorely missed books in the horror genre. I like some of my reads to have more than one type of bump in the night and this book filled the bill
kdavies93's review against another edition
1.0
I still question why I finished this book. It's shockingly terrible, it's now became funny.
The author could have wrote an amazing story about the cults and the damage they can inflicted, however
instead it was a ridiculous story about a monster in a cave who impregnates women. The two FBI agents are questionable, and quite unlikable.
The author could have wrote an amazing story about the cults and the damage they can inflicted, however
bexy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Wild book, like gay criminal minds meets x-files. Paige is such a loveable character and CJ sucks; her personality does not match her back story which is frustrating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, and Incest
banrions's review against another edition
4.0
Well holy shit.
I did not realize that this was a paranormal-esque story until very late in he game, I thought that a lot of the (slight spoilers but I think you kind of know what your getting into in this regard pretty early on) cult stuff with the town was leading up to some non paranormal explanation but no!! What a wild fucking ride that was.
I listened to this because Abby Craden was the narrator, and I’ve heard this authors name floated around, but never read anything by her before. I’m a lot of ways, I’m glad the paranormal and mystery stuff took more focus because boy am I sick of stories about cops.
Said cops, I have mixed feelings about. I LOVED Paige, I wasn’t really into CJ. i get that she has a (very tragic, spoiler heavy but important to note CSA abuse history) but a lot of how she acted around Paige rubbed me the wrong way. This is a fake romance tale, peppered into the investigation, cult, paranormal stuff, and while I LOVE me a fake romance, I didn’t like how often CJ pushed Paige’s boundaries physically for their cover AND just to get under her skin, especially after she explicitly told her to stop multiple times. It felt really antithetical to her history and backstory. I also just have to say “you can’t take the lead, you have painted toenails” shit the fuck up. Truly, one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to butch characters in fiction.
That said, I did end up enjoying their dynamic a bit, and the overarching mystery really grabbed my attention. I loved Fiona, and I really loved her friendship with Paige. and it left on a real cliffhanger that leads me to absolutely want to know what happens next. So I can’t rate it any lower, it really sucked me in despite having some faults for me, personally.
I did not realize that this was a paranormal-esque story until very late in he game, I thought that a lot of the (slight spoilers but I think you kind of know what your getting into in this regard pretty early on) cult stuff with the town was leading up to some non paranormal explanation but no!! What a wild fucking ride that was.
I listened to this because Abby Craden was the narrator, and I’ve heard this authors name floated around, but never read anything by her before. I’m a lot of ways, I’m glad the paranormal and mystery stuff took more focus because boy am I sick of stories about cops.
Said cops, I have mixed feelings about. I LOVED Paige, I wasn’t really into CJ. i get that she has a (very tragic, spoiler heavy but important to note CSA abuse history) but a lot of how she acted around Paige rubbed me the wrong way. This is a fake romance tale, peppered into the investigation, cult, paranormal stuff, and while I LOVE me a fake romance, I didn’t like how often CJ pushed Paige’s boundaries physically for their cover AND just to get under her skin, especially after she explicitly told her to stop multiple times. It felt really antithetical to her history and backstory. I also just have to say “you can’t take the lead, you have painted toenails” shit the fuck up. Truly, one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to butch characters in fiction.
That said, I did end up enjoying their dynamic a bit, and the overarching mystery really grabbed my attention. I loved Fiona, and I really loved her friendship with Paige. and it left on a real cliffhanger that leads me to absolutely want to know what happens next. So I can’t rate it any lower, it really sucked me in despite having some faults for me, personally.
desidarling's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
thosemedalingkidsss's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe a 3.25 or 3.5 star?
Overall I think I enjoyed this?? I've been trying to find more FF/FX romantic suspense or crime mysteries with romance subplots and it looks like Gerri Hill has quite a catalogue?
Two FBI agents on the same team end up going undercover to a creepy town where women keep disappearing. Their cover is being a lesbian couple who work nearby. They also had a one night stand a while back that neither talk about which adds to the sexual tension/awkwardness. So there's a fun fake relationship/playing house/only one bed situation going on along with the actual case.
The romance and sex scenes were great - no glossing over, fade to black, or euphemisms, which is appreciated. There's also some vulnerability and cute moments, which was a good break from the bleak plot.
What I'm still confused on is the actual case, since it wasn't completely wrapped up, and there's a supernatural monster and creepy magic intertwined in, without this being a pnr/fantasy story. There also was a lot of trauma, cultist creepy behavior, unknown creepiness, and vivid descriptions of childhood trauma (CWs below) that were rough to get through, and didn't really add to the plot or help define the characters more? This book ended on a cliffhanger, with kind of a hfn and the case wrapped up as well. Just a bit confused at the stopping point in this, but there is one more book.
CW: the r slur was used, there's a F/? (Man and monster?) R*pe of a secondary character (the man is also maybe her bio dad??) discussions of childhood trauma including: domestic abuse, parental neglect, incest, & a father r*ping his daughters, suicide, and child pregnancy. Murder, cultist behavior, a creepy lizard reptilian style monster chasing people in the woods.
Just a FYI - this book also has multiple POV's from both the two heroines and many secondary and side characters for those who don't love multiple random POV's.
The jury is still out on if I really did like it, or was glad for a crime/mystery + solid FF romance story.
Overall I think I enjoyed this?? I've been trying to find more FF/FX romantic suspense or crime mysteries with romance subplots and it looks like Gerri Hill has quite a catalogue?
Two FBI agents on the same team end up going undercover to a creepy town where women keep disappearing. Their cover is being a lesbian couple who work nearby. They also had a one night stand a while back that neither talk about which adds to the sexual tension/awkwardness. So there's a fun fake relationship/playing house/only one bed situation going on along with the actual case.
The romance and sex scenes were great - no glossing over, fade to black, or euphemisms, which is appreciated. There's also some vulnerability and cute moments, which was a good break from the bleak plot.
What I'm still confused on is the actual case, since it wasn't completely wrapped up, and there's a supernatural monster and creepy magic intertwined in, without this being a pnr/fantasy story. There also was a lot of trauma, cultist creepy behavior, unknown creepiness, and vivid descriptions of childhood trauma (CWs below) that were rough to get through, and didn't really add to the plot or help define the characters more? This book ended on a cliffhanger, with kind of a hfn and the case wrapped up as well. Just a bit confused at the stopping point in this, but there is one more book.
CW: the r slur was used, there's a F/? (Man and monster?) R*pe of a secondary character (the man is also maybe her bio dad??) discussions of childhood trauma including: domestic abuse, parental neglect, incest, & a father r*ping his daughters, suicide, and child pregnancy. Murder, cultist behavior, a creepy lizard reptilian style monster chasing people in the woods.
Just a FYI - this book also has multiple POV's from both the two heroines and many secondary and side characters for those who don't love multiple random POV's.
The jury is still out on if I really did like it, or was glad for a crime/mystery + solid FF romance story.
magnetgrrl's review against another edition
3.0
I read a bunch of lesbian romance novels this year. Most of them very early in the year, in like January-February. This one I read sometime in the fall I think.
This was... OK. I can't remember a ton of detail about it. I remember it was an opposites attract / "we act like we don't get along but it's only because we are so tortured about how much we like each other but know the other one would never feel the same way" romance setup. I don't remember any sex scene at all - if it was there, maybe not memorable?
What I DO remember is that it's also sort of a cop-drama police book, set around a mystery at a girls school in a very weird town, and the story takes a cultist-y turn with Lovecraftian undertones that I found surprising.
I can't believe this is part of a series because I'm not sure where one would go with these characters next now that you've got them together at the end of book one. Maybe I'll give one a go though just to find out. I like mysteries and crime novels in general.
This was... OK. I can't remember a ton of detail about it. I remember it was an opposites attract / "we act like we don't get along but it's only because we are so tortured about how much we like each other but know the other one would never feel the same way" romance setup. I don't remember any sex scene at all - if it was there, maybe not memorable?
What I DO remember is that it's also sort of a cop-drama police book, set around a mystery at a girls school in a very weird town, and the story takes a cultist-y turn with Lovecraftian undertones that I found surprising.
I can't believe this is part of a series because I'm not sure where one would go with these characters next now that you've got them together at the end of book one. Maybe I'll give one a go though just to find out. I like mysteries and crime novels in general.