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Dark Corners

Dark CornersTitle: Dark Corners
Author: Megan Goldin
Series: Rachel Krall #2
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 341
Length: 10h 46m
Narrator: January LaVoy, Samantha Desz, André Santana
Reason Read: Book of the Month
Rating:

Also in this series: The Night Swim
My Thoughts

I thought DARK CORNERS was very interesting. I liked the little bit of romance between Rachel and Special Agent Martinez.

DARK CORNERS definitely felt much more thriller-y than THE NIGHT SWIM. I thought the mystery and thriller were fun to figure out and kept me guessing about certain aspects until the end. I’ll definitely read another installment if there are any in the future.

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First-Time Caller

First-Time CallerTitle: First-Time Caller
Author: B.K. Borison
Series: Heartstrings #1
Genre: Romance
Spice: 3 / 5
Format: Audio
Pages: 437
Length: 11h 55m
Narrator: Hathaway Lee, E.J. Bingham
Reason Read: Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

FIRST-TIME CALLER was such a cute Sleepless in Seattle type romance. I adored everything about it. I loved both Lucie and Aiden, and Lucie’s make-shift family. I loved the banter, the spice, and even the parts where I cried. I’m so glad I chose this as my February Book of the Month pick.

I listened to the audiobook, even though I have the physical book. I loved the audio! E.J. Bingham, who voices Aiden, sounds so much like Neil Patrick Harris.

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Phantasma

PhantasmaTitle: Phantasma
Author: Kaylie Smith
Series: Wicked Games #1
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Spice: 4 / 5
Format: Audio
Pages: 497
Length: 13h 14m
Narrator: Laura Horowitz
Reason Read: Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

I absolutely adored PHANTASMA. It read as a dark gothic romantasy. Yum! I thought the levels of Phantasma were a creative nod to Dante’s Inferno and the nine circles of Hell.

I loved the characters, especially Blackwell and Poe (even though Poe’s just a cat). I thought Smith’s depiction of Ophelia’s struggle with OCD was very realistic and enlightening of how true OCD affects its victims.

While some of the spicier scenes made me roll my eyes, I really adored the banter and tension between Ophelia and Blackwell. (I’m sorry but no guy’s penis is so big around that a 5’9” woman can’t grab it without encircling it completely. Well, unless she has such small hands that that’s all people would notice about her.)

Anyway, I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment.

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A Killing Cold

A Killing ColdTitle: A Killing Cold
Author: Kate Alice Marshall
Genre: Thriller
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 304
Reason Read: Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed A KILLING COLD. It was suspenseful and the cast of characters made for an intriguing tale.

I loved the setting and the unraveling of the story one thread at a time. The ending was a bit disappointing because I needed more comeuppance but it didn’t ruin the book for me.

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The Soulmate

The SoulmateTitle: The Soulmate
Author: Sally Hepworth
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 327
Length: 7h 44m
Narrator: Barrie Kreinik, Jessica Douglas-Henry
Reason Read: Book Club, Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

This is the second Hepworth book I’ve read. With both books, I really enjoyed the suspense, but I struggled with the mental health aspects. I feel like Hepworth uses diagnoses like Borderline Personality Disorder or Bipolar Disorder as a crutch to explain why her antagonists are psychotic. Also, the ending in this one wasn’t very satisfying.

Despite THE SOULMATE’s flaws, the story was intriguing. I liked the dual narrators and the back and forth between the then and the now. The suspense kept me reading because I wanted to know the whole story.