Yesterday the U.S. finally got to see the release of C. J. Cooke's novel, The Ghost Woods. It originally came out in 2022, the final in a trio of books she wrote surrounding themes of motherhood (the other two being The Nesting and The Lighthouse Witches). This Gothic novel follows two timelines, Mabel in 1959... Continue Reading →
Happy book birthday to Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley! This is the followup to Kilt Trip, this time following older brother Jack Sutherland and his second chance with Brooke Sinclair. They connected back in college, but a friendship-turned-romance ended badly. So badly that Brooke's dreams of being an author have crumbled. Now she's a... Continue Reading →
I'm a big romance reader, but I'm also a fan of horror, mysteries, curses, and the like. So when I learned about Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan, I knew I had to read it. An enemies-to-lovers paranormal-ish romance set in a Scottish castle, it follows an American curse breaker and an English archeologist. Both... Continue Reading →
There are two things that initially drew me to Plot Twist by Breea Keenan: Its setting in Ireland and Scotland, and that it's about two writers working on their books. This is the author's debut novel, and while there was sometimes too much going on, there's also a lot I enjoyed about this book. Special... Continue Reading →
Happy publication day to Alexandra Kiley's debut novel, Kilt Trip! This is a book I've been eagerly anticipating for months, and I was so happy to be able to join the ARC team for it. Kilt Trip is a contemporary romance between two workplace rivals, set against a backdrop of scenic Scotland and the tourism... Continue Reading →
October is a great time for spooky and Gothic books, and I was excited for Hazardous Spirits by Anbara Salam. Set during the 1920s spiritualist movement in Scotland, it has the right atmosphere... but does it live up to its potential? Eh, somewhat. Special thanks to Tin House and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of... Continue Reading →
One of the debut novels I've been looking forward to this year has been Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year by Rochelle Bilow. Set in the Scottish Highlands, it was giving me Outlander vibes... minus the time travel and historical setting, of course! Instead, it follows an American woman who's ready for a career change. She quits... Continue Reading →
Ruth Ware is an auto-buy author for me; I've loved her first six novels, and I'm always ready for whatever is next! Her latest release is The It Girl, a dual-timeline, dark academia thriller about uncovering who really murdered a best friend all those years ago. Because the guy who went to prison for it... Continue Reading →
This month my reading challenge is all about Dark Academia. Following The Betrayals, my second read was Madam by Phoebe Wynne. Set in a remote Scottish boarding school for girls, new teacher Rose Christie is aggravated by the many secrets coworkers and students alike are keeping from her. And is it just her imagination, or... Continue Reading →
June is Read Caribbean Month, and my first choice was the newly released A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera. I've been eagerly anticipating this book for months, so as soon as my pre-order arrived, I dove in. This is the first in the Las Léonas trilogy, and I already look forward to reading... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I bought The Guest List, the widely-read and award-winning second thriller by Lucy Foley. Though I still haven't read that one, I was excited when Book of the Month unexpectedly made her previous thriller, The Hunting Party, available two months ago. I decided to end 2020 with a time-appropriate book. As The... Continue Reading →
It was almost exactly one year ago that I picked up the Book of the Month edition of The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams. I'd been wanting to read something by Beatriz Williams for a few months - all of her books look intriguing - and when it was a June pick on BOTM, I... Continue Reading →
Following Ruth Ware's thrillers, In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, and The Lying Game, her fourth novel, 2018's The Death of Mrs. Westaway, presented a new, more gothic side to her storytelling. This theme carries over into Ruth Ware’s newest book, The Turn of the Key, released last month. I've decided to read... Continue Reading →
It looks like I'm entering into my next mystery/thriller phase, and this time Lexie Elliott's The Missing Years kicked it off. I came across this recently-published book a few months ago, and was instantly transfixed by both its title and its cover. There's something mysterious and intriguing about both, and they make you imagine a... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 