Today is my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours for the thrilling conclusion to the AGGGTM series: As Good as Dead by Holly Jackson. Special thanks to Delacorte Press for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Be sure to click on the banner above to check out the rest of the amazing bloggers on tour!
The highly anticipated, edge-of-your-seat conclusion to the addictive A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series that reads like your favorite true crime podcast or show. By the end, you’ll never think the same of good girls again.
Pip’s good girl days are long behind her. After solving two murder cases and garnering internet fame from her crime podcast, she’s seen a lot.
But she’s still blindsided when it starts to feel like someone is watching her. It’s small things at first. A USB stick with footage recording her and the same anonymous source always asking her: who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears? It could be a harmless fan, but her gut is telling her danger is lurking.
When Pip starts to find connections between her possible stalker and a local serial killer, Pip knows that there is only one choice: find the person threatening her town including herself–or be as good as dead. Because maybe someone has been watching her all along…
Someone wanna tell me how it’s already October?! 😭
Not a whole lot happened in September but the month has literally passed by in a blur so I don’t even know if I’ve caught up yet mentally as I’m still at the start of the month but it’s already October? How?
I’ve still mostly stayed home but I took an exciting trip to Ikea for some Swedish Meatballs and new lux sheets early on in the month and I’m not mad about that! The parents also came back and we got to spend mum’s birthday together last weekend, which was nice 😊 Other than that it’s just been a slog of working, reading, occasionally painting, watching shows, and chilling to some good new tunes. I’ve been playing Montero repeatedly since it released and it’s a rare no-skip album for me and it just might be my favourite new release in 2021!
Goodreads Reading Challenge: August Update 137 of 150 books
I’ve just counted how many books I’ve read in September and it’s a whopping 28 books! I think this is the most books I’ve read in a month in 2021 and it’s most likely because a lot of these books were romances and it’s so easy to binge those. I found my first 5-star read in Good Girl, Bad Blood after months of not having one and I couldn’t think of a book that deserved it more!
I have to also mention two other favourites this month: The Wolf’s Curse(MG SFF) and The Sweetest Oblivion(Adult Romance).
I joined The Magical Readathon in September and had hoped to finish books for all seven prompts but sadly only got through five. Out of those, only two were reads I picked out for my “possibility pile” and that’s how truly awful I am at sticking to TBRs of any kind! 😂 Here’s what I managed to complete for the prompts:
The Novice Path Entrance – A book with a map:Lost Girl by Leia Stone
Ashthorn Tree – A book that keeps tempting you: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
The Mist of Solitude – A standalone:The Wolf’s Curse by Jessica Vitalis
Ruin of the Skye – A book ft. ghosts/haunted house or other supernatural elements:The Dark Bite by Leia Stone
Obsidian Falls – A thriller or mystery book:Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
Pip is not a detective anymore. With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.
But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.
The police won’t do anything about it. And if they won’t look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town’s dark secrets along the way… and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it’s too late?
So, we’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: Freebie (Come up with your own topic or do a past TTT topic that you missed or would like to do again)!
I always struggle when it comes to freebie topics but I decided to keep things as simple as possible and share the first few lines from ten of my favourite reads this year! I surprisingly don’t have very many five-star reads this year but looking through my read list, I had a hard time choosing just ten from the ones that had me feeling all the feels! I would definitely recommend checking out these reads though so maybe these first lines will entice you to pick them up?! 😉
When the heart is afire… By his own admission, Lord Ernest Brook is a rake. With sapphire gaze, sinfully handsome looks and a duke for a brother, the pleasures of London have come with ease…apart from one. Ever since the gauntlet of her first wintry dismissal was thrown, the widowed Hebe Lock has stirred his deepest desires, but just what would it take to woo such a woman?
Sparks will fly. Hebe Locke has vowed to never again fall for a scoundrel after her brief marriage to one left her broken and haunted. Now she finds comfort with paintbrush and canvas, but as a female artist in a male world, commissions are as rare as a ballroom without rakes.
A castle of enchantment. As the heat of late summer warms the land, an ancient, moated castle plays host to a widow and a rake, both concealing passions contrary to their reputations. But as Lord Ernest awakens Hebe’s desire and thaws her frozen emotions, can she hold true to her vow? Or can this rake win the one heart he yearns for?
Sensual Regency romance with warmth and wit, this tale also includes a disreputable aunt with a secondary love story, Cotswold country fairs, sinful masquerades and…a goat.
TL;DR: After meeting Ernest in his brother’s story, The Duke of Diamonds, and getting a glimpse of the potential romance between him and Mrs. Locke, I had a feeling that I’d love their story and I wasn’t wrong! Who knew that a rake could be so devastatingly sweet? Honestly, if Ernest had pointedly looked at me over the top of his glasses across the table, I’d probably have swooned into my pudding too! 😂 I found the writaing just as full of wit and warmth in this book and there were some great laugh-out-loud moments as well, especially as Hebe and Ernest playfully antagonise each other at the beginning!
Although their romance isn’t necessarily different to a lot of regency romances, I loved their characters as they were easy to root for and their banter made it so entertaining to read! Hebe and Ernest both put up a front when they are in London in front of the ton but neither of those fronts is entirely true to their hidden characters, and I loved watching both of them shed those facades the longer they spend in the country and get to know each other! My heart broke for Hebe, who was in an abusive marriage until her husband’s death, but the scars run deep and have changed her into a young woman who feels like she doesn’t know herself anymore. Art is what brings her joy and what she finds comfort in so she turns her attention to that as she resolves to never open her heart to a man again, especially not to a rake.
Then enters Ernest, a dashedly handsome and deviously charming man, known by all from London to the country for his rakish ways that are regularly splashed on the gossip pages. Yet little does anyone know how Ernest longs for the wildness of the country and the connection he has to the land, animals and people there. He’s so much more down-to-earth than I expected and I loved his character more for it!
It was so satisfying to watch them come out of their shells and I loved how art played a part in that. It is their love of horses (and animals in general really) that bring them together and as Ernest watched Hebe paint them so full of life, they are able to connect through their understanding and compassion for the animal, and it is also what makes them realise that there’s more than meets the eye to either of them. There were some delightfully swoon-worthy moments as they become more vulnerable with each other, and paired with their banter and sizzling chemistry, it resulted in some great steamy scenes! 🥵
In addition to their story, there was a bonus romance between Hebe’s aunt Beatrice and Ernest’s stable master, Redmond. This sweet second-chance-romance didn’t detract from the main romance between our H/H, and though it was a little bit angsty, their connection after all these years apart was undeniable! I loved aunt Beatrice, who was such a cheerful and supportive presence in the story, so it was great to see her also get a HEA with the love of her life. Other than aunt Bea, there were other great supporting characters in this story who I found endearingly charming, quirky and witty, too. Grampy Tom was a particular favourite and I loved his ‘mysterious’ teachings relating to life and the weather and anecdotes about life.
Overall, I’m really enjoying this regency romance series and I’m looking forward to reading the next story in the series, although I have no idea when that will be (sad panda)!
Have you read The Rake of Hearts or is it on your TBR?
We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!
I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday night in bed with Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson. It’s the second book in the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series and I’m looking forward to reuniting with Poppy and seeing what’s on the cards for her this time around!
More dark secrets are exposed in this true-crime fueled mystery.
Pip is not a detective anymore. With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.
But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.
The police won’t do anything about it. And if they won’t look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town’s dark secrets along the way… and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it’s too late?
Today is my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours for The Wolf’s Curse by Jessica Vitalis. Special thanks to Greenwillow Books for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Be sure to click on the banner above to check out the rest of the amazing bloggers on tour!
Goodreads:The Wolf’s Curse Publisher: Greenwillow Books Publication Date: 21 September 2021 Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Panda Rating: (4.5 pandas)
“The path ahead isn’t easy. It will be filled with darkness and despair, and you will almost certainly regret your decision, just as I regret mine.” ~Narrator, The Wolf’s Curse
Twelve-year-old Gauge’s life has been cursed since the day he witnessed a Great White Wolf steal his grandpapá’s soul, preventing it from reaching the Sea-in-the-Sky and sailing into eternity. When the superstitious residents of Bouge-by-the-Sea accuse the boy of crying wolf, he joins forces with another orphan to prove his innocence. They navigate their shared grief in a journey that ultimately reveals life-changing truths about the wolf––and death. Narrated in a voice reminiscent of The Book Thief and Lemony Snicket, this fast-paced adventure is perfect for fans of literary fiction fantasy such as A Wish in the Dark and The Girl Who Drank the Moon.
In the coldest flint, there is fire… Casper Brook, the eighth Duke of Rothwell, has forever spurned frivolous pleasures, his restless emotions remaining buried beneath duty and command. Yet when a titian-haired minx perches upon his ducal desk and claims to know the whereabouts of his one burning obsession, a game of wits and passion erupts…
Fire ignites from a spark… Miss Evelyn Pearce possesses naught but a frail young sister and an ebony-black cat. Left destitute by her baronet father’s spendthrift ways, fate and talent hand her the opportunity to seek escape from the dangerous alleys of London town. The cold Duke of Diamonds holds the key, and all Evelyn must do is resist his not-so-cold kiss…
A dance of flaming desire… A passion forged on secrets can never be satisfied, but as guises fall and plots unravel, will the duke’s controlled façade shatter to reveal his searching heart within? Regency romance with warmth and wit. This book contains sensual scenes.
Credence Publisher: Penelope Douglas LLC Pub Date: 13 January 2020 Genre: New Adult Dark Romance
Panda Rating: (4.5 pandas)
📖SYNOPSIS
Three of them, one of her, and a remote cabin in the woods. Let the hot, winter nights ensue…
Tiernan de Haas doesn’t care about anything anymore. The only child of a film producer and his starlet wife, she’s grown up with wealth and privilege but not love or guidance. Shipped off to boarding schools from an early age, it was still impossible to escape the loneliness and carve out a life of her own. The shadow of her parents’ fame followed her everywhere.
And when they suddenly pass away, she knows she should be devastated. But has anything really changed? She’s always been alone, hasn’t she?
Jake Van der Berg, her father’s stepbrother and her only living relative, assumes guardianship of Tiernan who is still two months shy of eighteen. Sent to live with him and his two sons, Noah and Kaleb, in the mountains of Colorado, Tiernan soon learns that these men now have a say in what she chooses to care and not care about anymore.
As the three of them take her under their wing, teach her to work and survive in the remote woods far away from the rest of the world, she slowly finds her place among them.
And as a part of them.
She also realizes that lines blur and rules become easy to break when no one else is watching.
One of them has her.
The other one wants her.
But he…
He’s going to keep her.
*Credence is a full length, stand-alone romance suitable for readers 18+.
⚠️CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS
Dubious consent, bullying, violence, taboo relationships, death of parents (recounted), parental negelect (recounted), misogyny, domestic abuse & violence, suicide (recounted)
TL;DR: This book is not going to be for everyone but I’m glad I gave Penelope Douglas another try with this book. It’s taboo AF and there’s a lot of outrageous things that won’t sit well with many readers (I highly recommend viewing the content/trigger warnings before deciding to read this)! That said, I thought Penelope Douglas does a great job setting the scene in the remote mountains and it really does feel like anything can happen—and it obviously does. PD also does something with these characters that had me fully invested in their story that I literally stayed up all night to finish this almost 500-page book.
We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!
I spent part of my Sunday finishing up The Duke of Diamonds by Emily Windsor. I’m still on that romance kick and have been diving (sorta) deep into the supernatural romances, so I decided to change things up and read a regency romance! This was a slow-burn romance but the hero/heroine are easy to like and the writing was so witty and it made me laugh quite a bit. Looking forward to reading the next in the series (which is on Kindle Unlimited, if you’re interested)! 😉
In the coldest flint, there is fire… Casper Brook, the eighth Duke of Rothwell, has forever spurned frivolous pleasures, his restless emotions remaining buried beneath duty and command. Yet when a titian-haired minx perches upon his ducal desk and claims to know the whereabouts of his one burning obsession, a game of wits and passion erupts…
Fire ignites from a spark… Miss Evelyn Pearce possesses naught but a frail young sister and an ebony-black cat. Left destitute by her baronet father’s spendthrift ways, fate and talent hand her the opportunity to seek escape from the dangerous alleys of London town. The cold Duke of Diamonds holds the key, and all Evelyn must do is resist his not-so-cold kiss…
A dance of flaming desire… A passion forged on secrets can never be satisfied, but as guises fall and plots unravel, will the duke’s controlled façade shatter to reveal his searching heart within?
Regency romance with warmth and wit. This book contains sensual scenes.
dinipandareads 