YVO’S SHORTIES #100 – The Death Of Mrs. Westaway & Circe

Time for another round of Yvo’s Shorties! Already shorties post number one hundred! and what better way to celebrate than with two fantastic backlist titles I both loved. The Death Of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware is probably my new favorite by the author and I absolutely loved my time with Circe by Madeline Miller. I love mythology stories in general and this one was brilliant.

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Title: The Death Of Mrs Westaway
Author: Ruth Ware
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: May 29th 2018
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Finished reading: May 7th 2019
Pages: 384

“You can’t influence fate, or change what’s out of your control. But you can choose what you yourself do with the cards you’re dealt.”

I’ve been meaning to read another Ruth Ware book for a while now… While I was tempted to finally pick up The Woman In Cabin 10, I decided to stick to my 2019 priority title list and read The Death Of Mrs. Westaway instead. I can’t say I’m complaining, because after a few disappointing reads I finally found something that managed to blow me away again. This might just be my new favorite Ruth Ware title… What a creepy and suspenseful read! The house in Cornwall is such an excellent setting for this story filled with secrets and lies, and gives The Death Of Mrs. Westaway that gothic atmosphere. It definitely sets the right tone for this story! The story starts out in Brighton where we get to know the main character of this story and her desperate situation. I was intrigued by Hal’s situation from the start and while she is without doubt a flawed character and sometimes difficult to like, you will find yourself rooting for her soon enough. The writing is engaging and beautifully crafted and the descriptions gave off that creepy and eerie vibe. There are a lot of secrets and lies involved in the Westaway family and its past, and while I admit I saw part of them coming, I never guessed the full truth. In short, The Death Of Mrs. Westaway was a delightfully twisty and eerie psychological thriller packed with secrets and a dangerous side. If you are a fan of the genre, you will most likely have a great time with this one.

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Title: Circe
Author: Madeline Miller
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology
First published: April 10th 2018
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Finished reading: May 9th 2019
Pages: 336

“I thought once that gods are the opposite of death, but I see now they are more dead than anything, for they are unchanging, and can hold nothing in their hands.”

I admit it was a pretty safe bet I was going to enjoy reading Circe, considering my love for Greek mythology stories in general and the fact that I loved her previous book The Song Of Achilles. My instincts turned out to be right, because I loved this story just as much as the gorgeous and shiny cover! If you enjoy (Greek) mythology retellings, Circe definitely is a must-read. Madeline Miller uses Circe’s immortal character to weave in a variety of different myths and stories about Gods and famous mortals alike. This is done exceptionally well and in a way that makes the story flow naturally. It’s true that time passes slower or more quickly at times and sometimes decades or centuries pass in a blink of the eye. But for me it only demonstrated the immortality of Circe and the way passes differently for her. The pace is slower at times, but I personally didn’t mind as it gave me more time to truly savour this little gem. I loved reading about Circe’s time living in the house of her father Helios and all the events that followed. You will find references to for example Daedalus, the Minotaur and the famous labyrinth, Icarus and his wings, Achilles and the Troyan war… The main secondary role is left for Odysseus though, as both him and his sons play a role during a big part of the story. We learn more about his adventures, his past and the influence he has had on Circe’s life. Witchcraft also plays a big role throughout the story, and I really enjoyed learning more about Circe’s gift. I can see why Circe wouldn’t be for everyone, but if you enjoy Greek mythology retellings and don’t mind a slower pace at times, you will most likely enjoy it as much as I did.

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW: The East End – by Jason Allen #blogtour

Hello and welcome to my little stop of the The East End blog tour! A huge thanks to Justine Sha for inviting me to be part of this blog tour. There was just something about the blurb of this story that caught my attention right away and I had no other option but to read it… And it was without doubt a great decision. Please join me while I share my thoughts on The East End!

Title: The East End
Author: Jason Allen
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction
First published: May 7th 2019
Publisher: Park Row Books
Finished reading: May 6th 2019
Pages: 304

“It’s much better to regret something you have done than something you haven’t done. Remember that.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Park Row Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

Like I said in the introduction, there was just something about the blurb of The East End that caught my attention right away, and it turns out my instincts were right about this story. What an intriguing and thought provoking read! It really shows that the author grew up in the Hamptons, as the descriptions of the area feel realistic and really transport you to the setting. The contrast of the working-class inhabitants of the Hamptons and the rich estate owners vacationing only for the season is fascinating.  The fact that they are only temporarily there, but not only have such a huge impact on life in town but also treat the locals in a certain way definitely leaves a lot to think about. Corey is a fascinating character, and I’m guessing here that part of his experiences and thoughts are inspired by the author himself back when he worked for wealthy estate owners himself when he was younger. Knowing this adds a whole different level to The East End and makes you wonder if little details were based on true events or if everything is indeed fiction. The fact remains that you will find a lot of flawed characters, secrets and lies in this mostly character-driven story. With a rich and elaborate prose, the author describes both setting and characters with a flourish and those characters without doubt provide for a lot of drama and suspense. I can’t say they were exactly likeable, but their flawed personalities were well developed and felt real. Trigger warnings are in place for abuse, addiction and alcoholism as well as violence and suicide… Oh yes, The East End has a lot of heavy topics for you in store. The main focus is on what happens that night in the mansion and the aftermath for the different characters though. The suspense and family drama is sprinkled with a little hint of romance, but this story mostly about secrets that might be revealed, a dead body on the property and an eternal struggle to find a way out. Fans of more character-driven suspenseful stories will have a great time with The East End.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason Allen grew up in a working-class home in the Hamptons, where he worked a variety of blue-collar jobs for wealthy estate owners. He writes fiction, poetry, and memoir, and is the author of the poetry collection A MEDITATION ON FIRE. He has an MFA from Pacific University and a PhD in literature and creative writing from Binghamton University, and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where he teaches writing. THE EAST END is his first novel.

SOCIAL LINKS

Author Website
Twitter: @EathanJason
Facebook: @jasonallenauthor
Goodreads

BUY LINKS

Harlequin // Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Books-A-Million // Powell’s

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YVO’S SHORTIES #97 – Before She Knew Him & These Broken Stars

Time for another round of Yvo’s Shorties! This time around a new release and a backlist title; a winner and a story that wasn’t for me. I’ve been wanting to read more of Peter Swanson ever since I finished The Kind Worth Killing, and I’m glad I finally did. I absolutely loved Before She Knew Him! On the other hand, I wasn’t sure if These Broken Stars would be for me as I feared it would be too heavy on the romance, and I definitely should have listened to my instincts.

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Title: Before She Knew Him
Author: Peter Swanson
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: March 5th 2019
Publisher: William Morrow
Finished reading: April 26th 2019
Pages: 320

“I’m on a small boat in the middle of a huge storm. I need to ride the waves and wait for it all to blow over.”

I’ve been meaning to read more Peter Swanson ever since I read The Kind Worth Killing back in 2017. When I saw the @criminallygoodbookclub on Instagram had chosen his newest story Before She Knew Him as their April read, I knew I had to join them and finally follow up on my intentions. I’m glad I did, because the story definitely lived up to expectations… What a read! After a string of reads that failed to blow me away completely, I finally found myself fully absorbed in a story again and posponed all plans until I had reached the final page. Before She Knew Him is well written, suspenseful and has an enormous plot twist bomb towards the end that will leave you with your mouth hanging wide open. With the help of different POVs we get an insight in the lives of Hen and her neighbor Matthew. Both are flawed and fascinating characters and the driving forces behind the story. I don’t want to reveal too much to avoid spoilers, but between the mental health angle and the unsolved murders, you will have a lot of suspense and intrigue waiting for you. The fact that Hen knows things early on, but nobody believes her because of her past with mental health (bipolar) problems, is both a very interesting and almost hardbreaking situation as people tend to judge without getting the full picture first. Not every character is all that likeable, but they feel real and their flaws are what makes Before She Knew Him so fascinating. This story also packs a HUGE surprise you won’t see coming at all… And I love it when a story is able to mislead me so well I actually yelled ‘WHAT?!?!’ when I stumbled across the reveal. If you enjoy the genre, Before She Knew Him is definitely a story not to miss.

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Title: These Broken Stars
(Starbound #1)
Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Romance
First published: December 10th 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Finished reading: April 27th 2019
Pages: 384

“Funny how I was old enough by sixteen to drink, fight, and vote, but eve two years later, I’m too young to respect.”

I’ve had this series on my TBR for a long time, never actually picking it up as I wasn’t sure the story would be for me. Let’s face it: the cover is a strong indicator that These Broken Stars would be very heavy on the romance… But after Across The Universe pleasantly surprised me earlier this month, I decided to risk it. Unfortunately, my instincts turned out to be right this time around. Because there is one thing that is certain, and that is that These Broken Stars is oozing with sappy romance scenes. What I hoped would be an interesting science fiction story set in space, soon turned into a survival story on a foreign planet after only a few chapters… The main characters more busy with ‘ignoring’ their feelings and the whole forbidden love vibe than actually exploring or having interesting things happening to them. The survival angle could have been interesting enough once you get over the fact you won’t be getting more space actions or a true explanation behind the crash, but to be honest I was rather bored instead most of the time. For such an interesting setting, nothing much was actually happening. The story instead focuses almost completely on Lilac and Tarver and their complicated relationship. The rich heiress and the poor soldier stranded on an unknown planet after a crash; a forbidden love bout to happen. Can it get any more cliche than that? The only reason I decided to stick it through until the end is that the writing itself is engaging and made it easier to keep turning those pages even though nothing interesting was happening most of the time. Overall These Broken Stars had some very interesting ideas and a promising setting, but sadly those elements weren’t developed or taken advantage of. Romance fans who enjoy a forbidden romance story with a space setting will probably appreciate this first book of the Starbound series a lot more though.

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ARC REVIEW: Little Darlings – by Melanie Golding

Title: Little Darlings
Author: Melanie Golding
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: April 30th 2019
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Finished reading: April 16th 2019
Pages: 304

“Look at someone every day for long enough and you stop seeing what everyone else sees. You start to see what no one else sees, what is kept hidden from most people.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

There has been a lot of buzz around Little Darlings lately, and not without cause. This soon-to-be-published debut of Melanie Golding is without doubt something special! Little Darlings is not your ordinary psychological thriller and instead offers a fascinating mix with folklore and fairy tale elements. A hint of the surreal is mixed with suspense and a mental health angle in such a fluid way that really makes the folklore stories come alive… It’s without doubt an intriguing mix of genres and different elements that will keep you wondering until the very end. Little Darlings is basically three different storylines in one: one one side we have detective Harper, her history and the investigation, on another side we have Lauren Tranter, her newborn twins and her home situations and as a third element we have the supernatural mixed with a mental health angle. This might sound like a bit much, but the plot is constructed and developed in such a a way that makes everything connect seamlessly. My favorite part of Little Darlings are the folklore elements, which give the story an unique touch as well as adding a healthy amount of suspense to the story. Is it all real? Or is it part of the postpartum depression Lauren seems to be suffering from? These questions will keep going round and round in your head and will keep you wondering ever after you reached the final page. Oh yes, Little Darlings has an ambiguous ending you can interpret both ways… And this time around, this technique really worked for me and added an extra mysterious vibe to the overall story.  As for the characters… I’m not sure I actually liked most of them (although I did like Harper and her stubborn insistence to investigate the case), but they do fit the story in general. I confess I had a strong dislike of Patrick though, and the final reveals involving his character and actions were not really satisfying. But that was only a minor blip compared to my general feelings for this wonderful mix of folklore and reality.

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YVO’S SHORTIES #93 – Daisy Jones And The Six & The Blue

Time for another round of Yvo’s Shorties! This time around a new release and a backlist title that both turned out to be excellent reads. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid has only reconfirmed my love for this author and The Blue by Lucy Clarke introduced me to a new author I will be wanting to read more of in the future.

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Title: Daisy Jones & The Six
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Historical Fiction, Music
First published: March 5th 2019
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Finished reading: March 30th 2019
Pages: 336

“I think you have to have faith in people before they earn it. Otherwise it’s not faith, right?”

I became an instant fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid‘s writing after reading The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo last year, and I’ve been waiting eagerly for the publication of her newest creation ever since. With this new story she has once again proven to me she belongs on my list of favorite authors. What a read! The first thing that stands out for me is the uniqueness of the format of Daisy Jones & The Six. The story is told through a series of interviews with the different members of the band and a few others close to them. This is done in a way that you start wondering if your memory failed you and there really was a band called Daisy Jones & The Six in the seventies… The different characters really came alive for me and it felt like a real biography of a rock band with a very colorful history. The format is one of the things that made this story into a success for me; the different characters remembering things in a different way and showing us that historical events are never objective. With this format, I’m sure an audiobook version would be absolutely fantastic! As for the characters… They are not exactly all that likeable and there are quite a few rock band cliches involved, but somehow this didn’t bother me at all as I was fascinated by how things would evolve. The dynamics between the different members are interesting and I liked how it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. More the other way around actually and darker themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction and sex are just as present as the music itself. Daisy and Billy are clearly the true stars of both the band and this book. The story mostly focuses on them and both their personal and professional development, although we see a little of especially Camila, Karen and Graham as well. The format does mean the character development isn’t as thorough as it could have been and some of the other band members are not all that fleshed out. Personally I found it easy to forgive that in exchange for a truly unique rock ‘n roll story that is ready to rock your socks off. The lyrics at the end of the story are a wonderful addition!

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Title: The Blue
Author: Lucy Clarke
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: July 7th 2015
Publisher: Harper
Finished reading: April 1st 2019
Pages: 391

“It was like staring into the sea for hours on end, searching: some moments you see things that aren’t there – and other times you miss the very thing that is right in front of you.”

This one was an impulse buy for me and I was definitely surprised when my copy arrived with a neon orange spine and details… It’s growing on me though. More importantly, The Blue turns out to have been an excellent choice. As someone who has been lucky enough to travel quite a bit in the past, I love reading travel related stories. Add a destination I haven’t been able to visit myself and that is another bonus… And if you combine it with one of my favorite genres (suspense), the book and me most likely are going to get along. This is exactly what happened with The Blue. Best friends Lana and Kitty travel to the Philippines, randomly meeting the crew of a yacht called The Blue. When they are invited on board we get a glimpse of what it would be like to be aboard and travel that way… (I was so close to doing something similar in Panama a few years back, but things weren’t ment to be). It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows though, as more than one of them seems to be hiding something. The point of view switches back between past and present, where we soon find out Lana is no longer on board of The Blue and something terrible has happened to the rest of the crew… And we slowly learn how everyone ended up in that situation. The writing is engaging and really flows; it shows the author is a travel fan herself and has investigated thoroughly; her descriptions of the setting make it as if you were right there with the characters on the yacht and discovering those wonderful places. The suspense and plot twists are well handled and will definitely keep you guessing. I could have done without the romance, but overall it wasn’t too much of a distraction… In overall, this was a very entertaining and suspenseful read where you will find yourself sailing through those pages.

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ARC REVIEW: I Know You – by Erik Therme

Title: I Know You
Author: Erik Therme
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: April 12th 2019
Publisher: Bookouture
Finished reading: March 23rd 2019
Pages: 217

“Whatever happened next was out of Bree’s hands… and that was the most terrifying thought of all.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I do love my psychological thrillers, and there was just something about I Know You that sparked my interest when I was invited to read it. While I found myself flying through this story, I do have to confess I ended up having mixed thoughts about it. There is no doubt that I Know You has a fast pace and lots of twists that make the plot keep moving. I managed to finish it in less than a day, which is always a good sign for me with books under 350 pages… The premise of the story is very interesting as well, and I like how this isn’t just another kidnapping case, but also a story about family bonds, flawed characters and mistakes. I can’t put my finger exactly on the why, but the execution didn’t manage to convince me completely though. Part of this feeling might have had to do with the plot, which I didn’t find all that credible as a whole and the story didn’t seem to flow all that naturally. What do I mean with this? Basically, I didn’t feel the different scenes were connected in a way that felt credible and the plot twists didn’t manage to convince me completely. I was surprised to find myself not all that invested in the story and characters, and I had a hard time staying focused at times. Which is strange in a way, because there is a lot happening to the Walker family and they sure have a heavy dose of hardship handed out to them. I think this feeling might be explained by the fact that I wasn’t able to connect to the characters as much as I hoped, and I would have liked to see them more developed beyond their visible and most pressing flaws. I Know You is by no means a bad read and it has some interesting elements, but overall I ended up having mixed thoughts about it. That doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it if you like a good mix of family drama and a kidnapping story though!

Bree Walker has always been looking out for her little sister Alissa, their absent parents forcing the role of her caretaker on Bree. Then Bree discovers sixteen-year-old Alissa isn’t spending time at her best friend’s place like Bree thought she was… And it turns out she has been missing for the last two days. To make things worse, Bree finds Alissa’s backpack abandoned on the steps of their trailer… And a chilling text confirms that something bad happened to her sister. How can Bree get her back?

I Know You is a story with an interesting premise and mix of different elements. I liked how the focus of this story wasn’t just on the kidnapping case, but also on the family drama and flawed characters in general. It is without doubt a superfast read perfect for when you need a little break from life and forget about your own problems. I personally ended up having mixed thoughts, mostly related to the credibility and lack of dept in and connection to the characters… But there is no doubt the story was still entertaining enough.

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YVO’S SHORTIES #90 – Then She Was Gone & Verity

Time for another round of Yvo’s Shorties! This time two psychological thrillers that have received a lot of hype since they came out… While neither turned out to be a 5 star read for me, I still found both to be very entertaining. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell and Verity by Colleen Hoover.

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Title: Then She Was Gone
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: April 17th 2018
Publisher: Atria Books
Finished reading: March 14th 2019
Pages: 369

“May was like the Friday night of summer: all the good times lying ahead of you, bright and shiny and waiting to be lived.”

I have enjoyed Lisa Jewell‘s books in the past, so of course I have been looking forward to read Then She Was Gone as well. With all the hype around this title, I thought it was best to wait a little while before picking it up though… I’m glad I did, because while I did find it an entertaining read in general I can’t say the story managed to blow me away completely. It was fast-paced and the writing is engaging and really flows, but I found the plot to be quite predictable and I saw most plot twists coming from a mile away. This lack of surprise was a bit disappointing, but because I was warned before starting Then She Was Gone I already saw this coming. It’s quite easy to guess most things and figure out what is coming, but there were also certain details I didn’t predict. The story switches between past and present as we slowly find out more what happened to Ellie back in 2005 and why and how the police haven’t been able to find any clues so far. The link to the present and the whole Laura-Floyd situation was a bit too farfetched and convenient for me. The outcome of the whole mystery just didn’t seem realistic to me and this took away some of the strength of this story. I can’t deny it was still a very entertaining read though and I had a great time discovering if my guesses were right.

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Title: Verity
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Romance
First published: December 7th 2018
Publisher: Hoover Ink, Inc.
Finished reading: March 14th 2019
Pages: 333

“If an attraction is present between two people, those two people an only be one of two things. Involved or not involved. There is no in- between.”

I have always had a love-hate relationship with Colleen Hoover’s books, but lately the scale has been tipping towards the love side and was hoping to get lucky again. Especially since she has crossed to the dark side and branched out to the suspense genre with Verity… Now I’ve had the chance to read it, I can definitely say that it was a success for me. While not my all time favorite CoHo, I still had an excellent time reading this story. Some parts were a bit predictable and I did see some twists coming, but I think the shock of that ending made me completely forget about that. What a way to mess with our minds and leave us hanging like that! It’s an open ending that will most definitely leave you wanting for more and second-guess what you just read and thought was true. And aren’t those just the best feelings when reading this genre? The writing is of the same solid quality as always and together with the fast pace I just couldn’t stop reading and literally finished Verity in one sitting. The fact that Lowen’s POV is mixed up with chapters out of Verity’s autobiography is a brilliant touch and definitely adds a lot of suspense to the story. Those chapters are seriously disturbing and twisted! The main characters are well developed and I enjoyed seeing them develop over time and react to the circumstances. There was a bit too much adult content to my taste (you all know my allergy to those scenes!), but surprisingly they weren’t that big of a turn off as I would have expected. I was just too distracted by the mystery around Verity and her family to focus on the details that normally would have bothered me more. Verity is a true pageturner and a disturbing romantic suspense story with an ending that will leave you with your mouth hanging wide open. Recommended if you enjoy the genre!

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