Review: The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens

The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Set in the 70s, Tom and Alice set out on a road trip to visit the beauty of Canada's wilderness on their way to the Olympics in an effort to reconnect and heal after a tragic loss.  They Americans have planned their stops and activities at various RV parks and campgrounds and National Parks, purchased an RV, and have their tickets for the Olympics secured.  During their first stop they run into a young couple who appear to be hitchhiking, and in a kind gesture invite them to dinner and use of their spare tent for the night.  Tom being hospitable offers to give the couple a lift to their next stop.  Alice doesn't get a great feeling from the teens, but she decides to let it go for now as she's been trapped in a state of depression for a long time.  At a quick stop for gas Alice discovers that their passengers are on the run from the law and not who they claimed to be.  This puts Tom and Alice in danger and instead of a fun sightseeing vacation sets them on a dangerous flight from authorities with two very unstable teenagers.

This is told mainly from Alice's perspective, but we also get insights from Jenny, the pregnant teen who's boyfriend is holding Tom and Alice prisoner in their RV.  From Jenny we learn how she and Simon met and why they are on the run together.  We learn why she is so loyal to him and about her messed up home life, and her lack of knowledge about the world.  From Alice we get all of the tension about being held at gunpoint while her husband is injured and constantly threatened by a crazy teenager who is scared of being caught, but also has also unlocked his violent side and wants to protect Jenny in his own irrational way.  This is action packed, violent and gruesome at times, and the tension remains high throughout the book.  Alice plays her part to keep herself and Tom alive, but she is always looking for a way to escape, while trying to convince Jenny that Simon is not a good person.  The ending was unexpected.

This is my first book by the author and I very much enjoyed it,  I'm looking forward to reading more from the author!

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Review: Mirage City by Lev AC Rosen

Mirage City by Lev A.C. Rosen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and an ALC of this book via Netgalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This is the 4th book in the Evander Mills series, however I have not read the previous books in the series and was able to follow along.  There are references to cases and relationship elements in Evander aka Andy's past that could have used more context, but they aren't relevant to the mystery aspect of the plot.  If you've read the prior books, I assume you would understand those references, and while I was confused at times I was able to follow along and would consider this able to be read as a standalone.  I do think I would recommend reading the series in order though.

This is set in the 50s when being openly queer was not acceptable, and while Andy has set up is private investigator business and found a home with people he can be his true self around in San Francisco the same is not true for everyone else.  He is hired to find some missing persons by a member of the secret Mattachine Society, a queer rights society.  The case takes him to his home town of LA where he runs into some unsavory characters and reunites with his mom.  His mother is a nurse who happens to work at a mental health clinic whose methods are not very humane.  Andy has kept alot from his mom, but he has to balance the case, his own true nature, and his love for her and his own morals before the end.  

I mainly listened to the audiobook and between the writing and the narration, this felt like an episode of Dragnet, a police procedural set in the 50s in LA, which I watched when I was kid.  While Andy is no longer a cop, I thought the author did a great job with the investigative elements and making this queer in a time when being queer was not OK in society.  

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Review: The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O'Neill

The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O'Neill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is not the typical type of book I read, however I do think that the author did a wonderful job evoking emotion and capturing family dynamics.  This was well written, and while not the type of topic I'm drawn to, the characters were well developed and the topics were well thought out and explained.  Please do check your triggers as this discusses religion, abortion, cheating, suicide, grief, and guilt quite heavily.

This follows the Ryan family as they get together for Thanksgiving in their Long Island home.  The story is told from the perspective of the three Ryan sisters who all have their own secrets and priorities.  The entire family harbors guilt, resentment, and other emotion but because of the way they were raised no one talks about anything.  Their closed off nature causes issues in their relationships with each other as well as their relationships with others.  It is also why they never speak about their late brother who took is own life.  Now all back in the same place, the sisters are all overwhelmed by their own issues, and everything bubbles over when everyone is stressed at the holidays.  Cait the eldest has flown in with her twins from England, and she is only focused on meeting up with her high school crush Luke.  She isn't the greatest mom, daughter or sister, but her trip home brings alot of things into perspective for her.  Alice the middle sister is overwhelmed by life.  As a stay at home mom she not only cares for her husband and kids, but she takes on the role of caretaker for her aging parents, and having recently gone back to work she realizes that she can't do everything.  She gets some surprising news that may upend her whole world, but she too gets some advice that sheds light on her situation.  Maggie, the youngest, is finally brave enough to bring her girlfriend home to meet her devout Catholic mother, but she is harboring a secret that is bigger than being accepted by her family that may stop her relationship in its tracks.  The Ryan family has a whirlwind Thanksgiving that causes them all to have many uncomfortable conversations that not only clear the air but bring them closer together as a family.

I had a hard time getting into this book mainly because I had a hard time connecting with the sisters.  I hated Cait for much of the book as she was really selfish and self-centered, she makes some really questionable decisions but eventually comes around in the end.  Maggie refuses to take accountability for her actions, and Alice's inability to ask for help irked me, all turns out well in the end when their realize they aren't alone and they have each other.  As the book went on I began to understand why no one in the family talked to each other about what happened and how they are feeling.  In the first half of the book, the author sets up the emotional turmoil they are all facing, then in the second half we find out more about events that took place in the past and why they felt they needed to hold their emotions in instead of working through them together.  The author does a great job of capturing the stress of a large family gathering when there are kids needing something every 2 minutes, loud conversations, people stressing about food and the weather, people causing drama, and others not feeling welcome.

This would be a great choice for a book club discussion as it covers quite a few sensitive topics but would also generate great conversations amongst the right group of people.  I was surprised to find out this was a debut novel, it is very well developed and the writing is that of a seasoned author.  

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Review: CORBIN: Wild Wolf Pack from the world of Gallize Shifters by Dianna Love

CORBIN: Wild Wolf Pack from the world of Gallize Shifters by Dianna Love
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

This is the second book in the Wild Wolf Pack series, however it reads as a complete standalone.  It is also connected to the League of Gallize, however you don't have to have read that series either.  There are characters from that series present, but the author does a good job giving enough information for the reader to understand what is going on.  If you are familiar with those books, you'll already know what's going on and who some of the characters are.

This was an entertaining read with a nice mix of action, romance, and suspense.  This is more focused on Corbin connecting with his wolf and reconnecting with Eirene a girl from his past who he always believed was his mate.  After having been apart for many years and both holding a grudge since high school, their relationship felt a bit insta-love like and all was forgiven without much thought after a short conversation.  I did appreciate that there was no more angst between them after that though, once they were together that was it.  There were other factors trying to get in their way.

I always look forward to seeing what Love has in store for us when it comes to shifter romances.  This one took me a while to get into, something about the dialog between the characters bothered me but I can't pinpoint why, but overall I found it entertaining

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Review: Daedalus Is Dead by Seamus Sullivan

Daedalus Is Dead by Seamus Sullivan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided both an ARC and an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I love Greek mythology, and I'm a huge fan of the retellings that have been coming out recently.  This follows Daedalus, who is often mentioned as a side character in other tales.  This novella focuses on Daedalus' relationship with Icarus, but it also weaves in the tales that Daedalus supports.  We get to experience the creation of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, the invention of his famous wings and loss of Icarus, and his journey through the underworld in a new light.  The author takes some liberties with this retelling when it comes to Daedalus and his choices, some where creative and supported the darker narrative and other's were questionable.  I enjoyed the portrayal of the Minotaur in this retelling.

I found parts of the story confusing as the timeline shifts back and forth in time and between 1st and 2nd person POV.  The present time is during Daedalus' time in the underworld with the past being during his time in Crete under Minos' rule.  The story is told by Daedalus to Icarus after Icarus flies too close to the sun.  Daedalus is an unreliable narrator as he tells the story of Icarus' life from birth through childhood, his death at this hands of his father's invention, and then Daedalus explains his slow descent into madness due to his grief.  Icarus was a beloved child and his loss drives his father to make some questionable decisions especially after his own death.  Daedalus ultimately wants to know "why" Icarus flew too close to the sun, which drives him to reflect if he was a good man and a good father?  I enjoyed the dreamlike way the author develops Daedalus' version of his history to Icarus, in which he defends his actions as a way to deal with his grief.

Overall I enjoyed this.  The cover is stunning and the audio narrator was excellent.

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Review: A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal

A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This picks up where book 1 leaves off so I don't recommend reading this as a standalone. Much like in the first book, this follows the same group of characters as they struggle with their new reality. There was alot of information revealed in the first book which left the reader with quite a few unanswered questions. This book answers those questions as Arthie, Jin, Flick, and Matteo plot and maneuver to expose the Ram and defeat her sinister plans. I don't want to spoil too much if you haven't read the first book. This has a ton of plot twists and some very emotional moments, some that will make you very happy and some that will make you want to throw the book across the room.

The pacing is a bit inconsistent and certain phrases are used repeatedly. Parts of the book are very fast moving especially at the end and feel rushed while others are a bit on the slower side and almost feel like they take too much time. I think part of that is because there is alot of character development especially with Flick. Much of the storyline centers on Flick and her feelings toward her mother and her life before she met Jin and Arthie. Arthie and Jin are also coming to terms with their new reality and what that means for their relationship and future. Arthie has always relied only on herself, but now she has people she trusts to help her execute her plans. Trust doesn't come easy for her but through the found family aspect, we really see her come to lean on her crew to thwart the enemy.

Overall I really enjoyed the conclusion to this YA duet. I love Faizal's writing style and the characters she creates.

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Review: What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher

What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the 3rd novella in the Sworn Soldier series, and follows Alex Easton to America to assist long time friend Denton to find a missing person.  Denton's cousin Oscar has gone missing while mining coal in West Virginia, and from Oscar's last correspondence something strange and possibly paranormal is going in in the mine.  Denton and Easton have faced plenty of horrific things in war, but even more strange things at Usher house (book 1).  Despite Easton's reluctance to visit America, they are the best person to solve the mystery of what is going on in the strange mine and where Oscar has gone.

As Easton and their crew search for the missing Oscar, they uncover strange things in the mine.  The atmosphere is claustrophobic (as it should be) and the horror elements are unique and well executed.  The characters have great banter adding a hint of humor to the mystery and horror vibes.  I don't want to say any more or it would spoil the story.

Each of the novellas follows a different plotline and can be read as a standalone.  The characters overlap and there are elements from previous books mentioned, however you can read each of them independently.

The narrator is excellent, and does a great job voicing Easton and the other characters in the novel.  Avi Roque has narrated all 3 novellas to date and always brings the eerie and creepy vibes and the right emotion into every scene.

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