meganmreads's reviews
2022 reviews

Pucking Around by Emily Rath

2.0

Like I enjoy a good why choose (and I just read an Omegaverse with the same number of players that was equally spicy, so I don’t think it’s the number of dudes or the spice that bothered me) but this was not it. 

I guess I like my contemporary books to be more realistic and my spicy why choose books to me off the wall with either paranormal, dark, bully, or omega verse aspects? A real doctor walking around railing more than 1 person on the hockey team she works for and provides care to is just unacceptable and unprofessional. The Jake, Cay, Rachel vibe I could have maybe gotten behind, but the inclusion of Mars was just weird and off to me. The whole Doctor patient thing with Mars made it even more inappropriate and just.. why?

I seriously don’t get the hype with this one at all. 

How My Neighbour Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn

3.5

If you’re looking for a cheesy holiday hallmark romcom with a slow burn and spicy payoff, this might be the book for you. 

Personally, I found it to be much too over the top for me, but I did love the narrator sections and laughed a few times. I think I probably should have not signed up for an ARC because October is not the time to read this book imo and maybe I would have received it better in December? 

I think this will be a holiday hit, but you have got to be in the mood and ready for holiday mayhem and themes. 

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson

adventurous medium-paced

4.5

This was amazing. I love Mary E Pearson’s other books, so I couldn’t wait to read this. This book was fantastic. I read an ARC and also ended up requesting the audiobook ALC as I’m trying to branch out with my audiobook genres and I loved listening to the story even though fantasy can be harder for me on audio. 

What I struggle with these days when it comes to adult Romantasy/fantasy romance is finding a book that truly balances both and still makes you root for the couple while also being invested in a million other plot points. I think the author did a tremendous job with the balance in this book. It was a coming of age story about Bristol, a romantic journey, and also an adventure in a new world with conflicts, magic, secrets, and deceit. I felt invested in everything. 

This did have open door romance and wasn’t YA. Bristol was in her 20s, but I feel like the way the spice was written could be considered appropriate for younger audiences to some degree. It wasn’t closed door, but it also wasn’t graphic. I got the whole sense of what was happening without it being one of those books I have to turn down when I’m driving in the car. If you’re specifically looking for spice, this isn’t for you. It’s like black pepper, not chili peppers. I think this specific detail is important to know  since many Romantasy readers are specifically looking for chili peppers and will be disappointed that this has none and also that the romance does sometimes take a back seat to the plot. 

I highly recommend this book! I can’t wait to see what happens next in the series/duology. 

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens

2.5

An enemies to lovers romance set in a haunted castle?! This sounded right up my alley. 

I think I might need a break from contemporary romances or something because I felt annoyed by everyone’s behavior and immaturity. I know it’s supposed to be fun and lighthearted as well as creepy, but Penelope was kind of awful. 

I felt like I was beginning to vibe with the chemistry in the beginning, but their whole adventure in the castle felt choppy and weird. 

Amazing premise that unfortunately did not deliver in execution for me. I think people may still enjoy it because I can’t figure out if it’s just me not having as much fun with romcoms or if the book was truly as hodgepodged as I think. 

The Foul Out by Jenni Bara

3.75

This was a cute sports romance! I enjoyed that the book wasn’t hyper focused on the fact that Kyle was an athlete, yet baseball was a huge part of the book, especially since Piper enjoyed the sport and could rattle off stats. The book had some autism spectrum rep that was nice to see and even though I don’t love the whole single mom trope, I admit that it was adorable to see Kyle actually engage with her kids, even when they were on the rocks. So cute! 
I loved how it all ended and how Harper grew and made some friends instead of feeling so isolated. Def recommend this one if you like romcoms and sports romance. 

The Unraveling by Vi Keeland

3.5

This was a fun read! It was twisty and strange. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook and trying to put the pieces together to find out what happened with Meredith’s husband and why she felt so compelled to follow Gabriel around. 

I liked the story and the way it ended, but I feel compelled to warn others that it’s WAY over the top. There is just no way someone would make any of the decisions she made (especially professionally) and it was almost absurd. If I start to think too much about her actions, I want to knock off stars from my rating, but I have to admit that it was entertaining and fun, so I’m trying not to be harsh about Meredith and her behavior as an acting psychiatrist. 

If Harley Quinn could be a doctor and get seduced by the Joker, I guess I can cut Meredith some slack, right? 

Overall, it was a nice thriller and I would recommend it. 

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

3.0

First of all, if this is on your TBR, I highly suggest reading over listening, because the pictures really help with setting the whole scene and make it just a tad creepy! I almost borrowed the audiobook and my friend told me it was worth reading visually and I’m glad I listened! 

I really liked Hidden Pictures for the majority of the book and enjoyed trying to unravel the mystery of Teddy’s imaginary friend. 

I did get frustrated by Mallory because she was heading deep into looking crazy territory and she just didn’t seem to use her brain when it came to how others would perceive her. Like if you hide pics in your cottage, it absolutely looks like you’re the one drawing them. But horror stories always have main characters like that who make insane choices, so I just went with it. 

I loved unraveling the mystery of who Anya was and was pleasantly surprised by that portion of the story. 

I loved this book almost up until the end. I did enjoy parts of the twist/reveal, but I feel like Ted and Caroline had a complete personality shift and their decision to do with they did with Teddy made no sense to me. It was extreme and unnecessary when they also moved. 

I don’t necessarily think it was done to make any sort of statement politically, so I don’t hold it again the book or author in that way, but I can see why some reviewers were instantly put off by it. I think accusing this book of having a conservative agenda is a bit of an exaggeration for many reasons and this didn’t feel like a heavy handed story to me. I just feel like the whole thing with Teddy was mishandled and way over the top and the issue is a hot button one for many people and it opened the story up to so many holes and questions, mainly WTF they were thinking when it came to the long term?

The author could have just not done that ONE thing and this book would be like 4.5 stars for me. 

A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara

4.0

I loved this book. It was a murder mystery that was also heartwarming and funny. Kathy worked for an agency that moved souls from one plane to the next after death, but she stumbled upon a case that wasn’t making much sense. The boy insisted he’d been murdered, but had no tangible memories. Kathy’s life was falling apart around her and she hated taking risks or opening herself up, but something about the boy and his insistence had her agreeing to help him. Along the way, there were great characters, growth, and little bit of mayhem. 

I definitely recommend it if you’re in the mood for something a bit light and fun, but with some depth to it. It wasn’t dark or gruesome despite the subject matter. Definitely a perfect read for a cozy fall day! 

The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard

4.0

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It was told from the perspective and of Jim, a security guard who finds a bunch of copies of a new book on the shelves: The Nothing Man, a true crime memoir written by Eve, a survivor of one of the attacks. 

But Jim was not just an ordinary man curious about true crime. He was getting irritated and increasingly nervous because the book was about him. And the book was becoming popular, making Jim feel paranoid. 

Did Eve know who The Nothing Man was? 

I loved the different POVs and watching Jim grow slightly more unhinged. It was a clever thriller and I loved both narrators. The book was narrated by a male narrator for Jim and a female narrator for Eve that was reading from her book. 

I definitely recommend this! 

Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan

3.0

This was set in the same world as These Hollowed Vows. I read the duology, but I have no memory of it, so there were some references that itched at my brain and didn’t ring any bells. You don’t have to read the duology, but the author doesn’t re-explain much. I definitely could’ve used a recap and new readers who haven’t read the duology might be confused. 

I actually loved the premise of the book! I felt engaged and sometimes on the edge of my seat. I loved the dual POVs of Jas and Felicity. 

I have similar criticisms as I did for the duology and that is the decision making capabilities of characters, especially the Mab ladies. I’m irritated by Brie, as she dismissed her depressed sister. She never thought to question why she’s sleeping all day (like maybe she’s out all night trying to get revenge?!)

I understood Jasalyn’s motivations, but I was skeptical of the ring. I’m shocked she had no qualms about it and also absolutely no understanding. She didn’t want to be Fae, but… how about instead of thinking about what YOU are losing by getting the ring, you think about what someone ELSE might be gaining? It’s like magic bartering 101 and I don’t even have magic in my world! The conflict could have been avoided if she wasn’t so focused on herself and her emotions. 

There were some surprises, but overall the book was predictable. I was more interested in how the relationships would pan out once secrets were revealed and less on the plot twists, anyway.

The audiobook was good, but the Jas narrator trails off softly and I had to keep adjusting the volume in my car, so a heads up to my fellow car listeners! 

Overall, it was a decent story. I wish the author had given her teen characters just a little more credit.. so much hinges on the impulsiveness/lack of communication and it is just tiring. Like could you imagine being a 100 year old Fae ruler and some 17 year old comes bopping in with just complete chaos and destruction?