whenimreading's reviews
1034 reviews

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

I’m so glad I picked up this book, trying to get into more horror and this delivered a very interesting story. While I wasn’t sure where the plot would take me, the setup was  intriguing and dark from the start. It really goes an extra mile to add thought provoking, scary, and jarring situations. The world building and vampire lore really appealed to me, there’s a prophecy plot, which is usually a big hit for me, and after the 50% mark, the story just takes off. I really enjoyed it!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook copy, narrated by Imani Jade Powers. I thought her delivery fit the atmosphere of the story. However, I noticed many re-recorded parts of the book, it’s understandable with copy edits but there were many instances throughout the whole recording. 

Monstrous Nights by Genoveva Dimova

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.0

We are back with Kosara in Chernograd, after the Zmey has been dispatched, life should go back to normal. But a witch ends up dead, snow falls in the summer and Foul Days monsters appear at night. Kosara and Asen will join forces to get rid of the Zmey once and for all. 

What I like about this series is its atmosphere, it’s cozy but gritty, and the characters are smart and interesting. The side characters add lovely interactions and few memorable moments (cake and wirkolak book club). 

Slow burn romance between Kosara and Asen had me rooting for their happiness throughout. I also love all the magical moments and monsters, overall I’m a big fan of fantasy based on Slavic folklore! Looking forward to read more from Genoveva in the future. 

Dual audiobook narration by Zura Johnson and Tim Campbell had great flow and I’m a huge fan of the accents, especially by Zura. It makes the story very believable and I wouldn’t want it performed any other way. Great use of voice acting to show emotions and distinguish each character, well done!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook to review. 

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

4.5

I'll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

The emotional opening chapter of this book had me immediately invested in this story. The atmosphere was just right - it was psychological and eerie.

Anton’s tragic passing and his ghost saying the last words to Nicola is what compelled me to continue this book. Being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis from a young age, she always believed she’d be the first to pass in their relationship. Now jumping from séance to séance in hopes of contacting Anton on the other side. 

Nic was an unreliable narrator at best, the flashback scenes to her younger days added another mystery layer to uncover. I enjoyed all the debunking of paranormal events as they begin to happen. I did not see the final sequence of events coming and that made the book very rewarding, almost like a movie. 

I loved Jennifer Pickens’ moody audiobook narration, it built up the ambience of the novel, adding that extra ominous feeling to the experience. 

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook to review. 

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

mysterious slow-paced

3.0

This was an entertaining book and it had my full attention. I thought the story was very intriguing and I almost figured out where it was going but the twists were slightly unexpected. The first half was slow with setting up Frank’s POV and the estranged relationship with his daughter Maggie, as she’s about to get married in a lavish affair. 

Many of the characters were shady and perfected the art of evasive maneuvers. It was frustrating but the mystery of it was rather fun, albeit slower to build and without much fanfare. 

Like many others, I adored Abigail, the ten year old girl Frank’s sister, Tammy, was fostering. A last minute guest to the wedding. She was super cute, had many witty and funny comments throughout. Her arc is my favorite subplot!

The atmosphere was almost like The Stepford Wives meets Ready or Not, typical rich people dalliances, etc. The grounds where the wedding was taking place sounded like a really great location. 

I really enjoyed the narration by John Pirhalla and how he portrayed Frank’s personality. To me, he was likable but maybe a little gullible, he really would do anything for his child (and Abigail), and that’s admirable in itself. 

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook to review. 

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson

slow-paced

3.0

I thought the synopsis and opening chapters of this book were really great. It reminded me of early 2000-10s fae fantasy and I enjoyed that bit of a throwback.

We meet Bristol and her sisters as they navigate life after their father’s death. Trying to make ends meet by selling his artwork and working minimum wage jobs. A mysterious aunt surfaces out of the blue and the news of her father being alive sets Bristol on a new path that’s quite literally out of her world. 

The audiobook narration by Brittany Pressley is what got me through this book. She delivers great voice and pitch changes, with fun accents thrown in, that make the story pleasing to the ear. 

I really liked the atmosphere of the book overall, it had many fantasy aspects I like, as well as good world building…

However, for the most part the pacing didn’t work for me and made the book a huge drag. There was a lot of filler in a sense that Bristol joins what’s basically a fae school. It leans very heavy YA with some minor adult content thrown in, an insta-love relationship, and just not enough character development. 

Truth is, not a whole lot happens in the plot. There was a great scene around the 50-60% mark that had some tension and action, but other than telling us “fae world = big bad scary” - it doesn’t show any of it. This book should have been much shorter and concise, with a better climax or juicer cliffhanger to set up the next story. I wish there were flashback scenes of the parents, instead of some of these random POVs, I think the book would have benefited from that extra history. 

Ultimately, this was a bit average for me but it has interesting potential to become a series. 

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook to review. 

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

The Mistletoe Mystery: A Maid Novella by Nita Prose

emotional lighthearted

5.0

Christmas at The Regency Grand Hotel with Molly, Juan Manuel, and all their friends. This was so cute and wholesome! Lovely story spreading warm holiday cheer with signature Molly mystery, one that she couldn’t crack herself 😉

I absolutely love these characters and this novella had quite a bit of plot packed into it. Molly’s distinct storytelling and Gran’s memory is my favorite part of this series. So fun to see all the hotel staff and the great bond they created with Molly as Head Maid. Cannot wait to read the next book!

Thank you Ballantine Books for the review copy. 

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.5

The best fantasy that ends up being my favorite is when I have no idea what’s going on, and this was just exactly that!

I kept meticulous notes on characters, places, and events through the first half of this book. When the plot finally revealed itself, I couldn’t finish it fast enough. 

Fantastic storytelling and world building. I really liked Sirsha and Aiz from the start. Quil’s history had an emotional impact and I loved putting all the clues together. There’s some political intrigue woven into the story but it really takes on another theme in the second half. The tension had a slow build and was really neat overall. The romance felt very natural and I appreciated the connection I was able to make. I got very invested in these characters and cannot wait to see where the story will go next. 

Although I’ve read Ember in the Ashes, I do not have recollection and might go back to that series and see if I’ll enjoy it more now. For anyone familiar, you may see some characters you’ll recognize from that series here. 

4.5⭐️

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

I love this book, the end. 

I had so much fun reading Somewhere Beyond the Sea, the characters have a special place in my heart and I love the wonderful messages created by the author. 

The audiobook narration is unmatched. Daniel Henning adds real magic into this story and I cannot recommend it enough. If you have not read this series with audio, you must remedy that immediately! The voices he creates really bring these characters to life. 

I laughed and I cried, this had so many memorable scenes, one favorite was the Phee and Arthur moment 🧚🏼‍♀️🐦‍🔥

The kids went through a rollercoaster in this book but, wow are they resilient. Any time Arthur or Linus were worried, the kids surprised them and I loved that growth.

Sal as the oldest had a really powerful arc, so did Lucy! All the silly moments with Chauncey (FRAAAANK!) were really to die for. I loved Talia and Lucy from the first book, and they had some zingers in the sequel BUT David stole the show for me. I laughed at every line, it was silly and wonderful and just brought me so much joy. I’m so glad he joined the family. Comical situations with the kids are no surprise, I loved the undertone and what the author depicted relating to our real world, also that finale reveal was icing on the cake💕

*The acknowledgements are not to be skipped (FUJKR)

10 Stars forever in my heart 💛🧡💚💜💙