Saturday, December 20, 2025

Week 51 Reviews: Killman Creek, Wolfhunter River


From Goodreads:
Every time Gwen closed her eyes, she saw him in her nightmares. Now her eyes are open, and he's not going away.

Gwen Proctor won the battle to save her kids from her ex-husband, serial killer Melvin Royal, and his league of psychotic accomplices. But the war isn't over. Not since Melvin broke out of prison. Not since she received a chilling text…

You're not safe anywhere now.

Her refuge at Stillhouse Lake has become a trap. Gwen leaves her children in the protective custody of a fortified, well-armed neighbor. Now, with the help of Sam Cade, brother of one of Melvin's victims, Gwen is going hunting. She's learned how from one of the sickest killers alive.

But what she's up against is beyond anything she feared—a sophisticated and savage mind game calculated to destroy her. As trust beyond her small circle of friends begins to vanish, Gwen has only fury and vengeance to believe in as she closes in on her prey. And sure as the night, one of them will die. 

From Goodreads:
A Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller.

She can't ignore a cry for help. But in this remote hunting town, it's open season.

Gwen Proctor escaped her serial-killer husband and saved her family. What she can't seem to outrun is his notoriety. Or the sick internet vigilantes still seeking to avenge his crimes. For Gwen, hiding isn't an option. Not when her only mission is to create a normal life for her kids.

But now, a threatened woman has reached out. Marlene Crockett, from the remote town of Wolfhunter, is panicked for herself and her daughter. When Gwen arrives in the small, isolated rural community, Marlene is already dead—her own daughter blamed for the murder. Except that's not the person Marlene feared at all. And Gwen isn't leaving until she finds out who that was.

But it may already be too late. A trap has been set. And it's poised to snap shut on everyone Gwen loves. Her stalkers are closing in. And in a town as dark as Wolfhunter, it's so easy for them to hide…

My first review of Killman Creek, Wolfhunter River
My Review:


Author: Rachel Caine
Series: Stillhouse Lake #2, 3
First Read: January 9th, 9th, 2022
Read: December 19th, 19th, 2025
Source: Bought
Reason Why: Love her writing, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Books!
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: January 24th 2018, April 23rd 2019

Killman Creek:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Wolfhunger River:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 51 Reviews: Gone, Hunger, Lies



From Goodreads:
In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young.

There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your 15th birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

The second book in Michael Grant's New York Times bestselling Gone series, Hunger is a thrilling, action-packed story that is impossible to put down. It's been three months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. Food ran out weeks ago and starvation is imminent. Meanwhile, the normal teens have grown resentful of the kids with powers. And when an unthinkable tragedy occurs, chaos descends upon the town. There is no longer right and wrong. Each kid is out for himself and even the good ones turn murderous. But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them. The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry. 

From Goodreads:
It happens in one night: a girl who died now walks among the living, Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach, and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most - Drake. But Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness - or so they thought. As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake. And the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza, are preaching that death will set them all free. As life in the FAYZ becomes more desperate, no one knows who they can trust.

My Review:


Author: Michael Grant 
Series: Gone #1, 2, 3
First Read: 2008, 2009, January 1st, 2011
Read: December 18th, 19th, 19th, 2025
Source: Own 
Reason Why: Rereading, and they're 2025 Dystopia Books and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Book 
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Published: June 24th 2008, May 26th 2009, May 4th 2010

Gone:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Hunger: 
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Lies:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 51 Reviews: A Tempest of Tea, A Tempest of Tea Bonus Epilogue, A Steeping of Blood



From Goodreads:
From Hafsah Faizal, New York Times–bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame, comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated new fantasy duology about an orphan girl and her crew who get tangled in a heist with vampires, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows.

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can't do the job alone.

Calling upon a band of misfits, Arthie formulates a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not every member of her crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

From Goodreads:
The bonus epilogue is a preorder gift to A Tempest of Tea (campaign available to US and Canada residents only).

Arthie Casimir's had her tea. Now she's out for blood.

White Roaring is sharpening its fangs after the deadly night that left the city in shambles. The press are dead, the public is calling for justice, vampires are in danger, and amid the turmoil, the Ram announces a celebration.

Still reeling from the bloodshed, Arthie Casimir has no time to mourn anyone's death, let alone her own. She has no time for love, either, even though it saved her life. As Arthie navigates new emotions and new allies, she must reassemble her scrambled crew and scrape together what little they have left to fight one last time—and she will need to face the ghosts of her past to do it.

In Ceylan.

After the jaw-dropping ending of #1 New York Times bestseller A Tempest of Tea, Hafsah Faizal crafts a deliciously twisty and seductive sequel that will leave readers breathless until the very last page.

My first review of A Tempest of Tea
My Review:


Author: Hafsah Faizal
Series: Blood and Tea #1, 2
First Read: February 7th, 2024
Read: December 18th, 18th, 2025
Source: Own, Online, Bought
Reason Why: Rereading, and they're Historical Fiction 2025 Books and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Books, and A Steeping of Blood is a End of Series 2025 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), Hafsah Faizal
Published: February 20th 2024, February 20th 2024, September 23rd 2025

A Tempest of Tea:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








A Tempest of Tea Bonus Epilogue:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








A Steeping of Blood:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: Such a Perfect Family

From Goodreads:
A man with a deadly past marries into the perfect, most respectable family in this riveting thriller from New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh. . . .

A woman buried.
A woman broken.
A woman crashed.
A woman burned.
And the man who knew them all.

Love at first sight, a whirlwind Vegas wedding, a fairy-tale romance.

For forty-three days, Tavish Advani has been the happiest man in the world—until his new life turns to ash, his wealthy in-laws' house going up in a fiery explosion. His badly injured wife lies in a coma, her family all but annihilated.

Tavish thought he'd left the sins of his Los Angeles life behind, but it's not so easy to leave behind an investigation into the deaths of several high-profile women—all of whom he'd professed to love. Tragedy and death follow him no matter where he goes . . . but this time, he knows he's truly innocent.

Desperately trying to clear his name as the authorities zero in, Tavish begins his own investigation into the fire—and learns that his wife's picture-perfect family may have been nothing but a meticulously constructed mirage. The truth is much darker than anything Tavish could've imagined.

My Review:


Author: Nalini Singh
Read: December 17th, 2025 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded so good, and it's a SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Berkley
Expected Publication: January 27th 2026
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 51 Reviews: Sapphire Flames, A Misunderstanding, Pay Me, Rogan and the 9 Month Stomach Bug, Sgt Munoz Had to Go, Emerald Blaze, The Cool Aunt, Ruby Fever, Regina, Corporate Agility, Marty, the Electrical Ferret











From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrew comes an enthralling new trilogy set in the Hidden Legacy world, where magic means power, and family bloodlines are the new currency of society…

In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend's mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina's teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro's true motives are unclear, but he's drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.

To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart. 

Some days just suck, especially when your Grandma and your cousins take matters into their own hands, and then you have to take these matters away from them, because the family can't afford to be sued and your House is not made of money.

Timeline: A deleted scene from Sapphire Flames, told through Arabella's perspective.

A deleted scene involving Catalina & Arabella.

Timeline: Takes place during Emerald Blaze, with no spoilers for the book, and is told through Catalina's perspective.

Nevada - Hidden Legacy.

The Nevada pregnancy announcement snippet to be shared again. I know we have all been yearning to read that again- this was a deleted scene from Sapphire Flames.

Tuesday word count starting: 108,273.

Tuesday word count ending: 107,142.

Progress. Sadly Sgt. Munoz had to go. I really liked him, too.

Now then, we promised you that we will post deleted scenes. Here it is. Sorry, it's Munoz again but if we posted the rest of our deleted words, it would go something like this: is is will that will something know will is which that that that is.

From Goodreads:
As Prime magic users, Catalina Baylor and her sisters have extraordinary powers—powers their ruthless grandmother would love to control. Catalina can earn her family some protection working as deputy to the Warden of Texas, overseeing breaches of magic law in the state, but that has risks as well. When House Baylor is under attack and monsters haunt her every step, Catalina is forced to rely on handsome, dangerous Alessandro Sagredo, the Prime who crushed her heart. 

The nightmare that Alessandro has fought since childhood has come roaring back to life, but now Catalina is under threat. Not even his lifelong quest for revenge will stop him from keeping her safe, even if every battle could be his last. Because Catalina won't rest until she stops the use of the illicit, power-granting serum that's tearing their world apart. 

One minute you are doing your make up and making plans, and the next your oldest sister is giving birth to a baby who awakened as a Prime mage while in the womb. You think Exorcist is scary? Connor and Nevada's baby says, "Hold my milk. You ain't seen nothing yet."

Timeline: Takes place at the end of Emerald Blaze. 

From Goodreads:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews is back with the newest book in the exciting Hidden Legacy series—the thrilling conclusion to her trilogy featuring fierce and beautiful Prime magic user Catalina Baylor.

An escaped spider, the unexpected arrival of an Imperial Russian Prince, the senseless assassination of a powerful figure, a shocking attack on the supposedly invincible Warden of Texas, Catalina's boss... And it's only Monday.

Within hours, the fate of Houston—not to mention the House of Baylor—now rests on Catalina, who will have to harness her powers as never before. But even with her fellow Prime and fiancé Alessandro Sagredo by her side, she may not be able to expose who's responsible before all hell really breaks loose.

From Goodreads:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews is back with the newest book in the exciting Hidden Legacy series—the thrilling conclusion to her trilogy featuring fierce and beautiful Prime magic user Catalina Baylor.

An escaped spider, the unexpected arrival of an Imperial Russian Prince, the senseless assassination of a powerful figure, a shocking attack on the supposedly invincible Warden of Texas, Catalina's boss... And it's only Monday.

Within hours, the fate of Houston—not to mention the House of Baylor—now rests on Catalina, who will have to harness her powers as never before. But even with her fellow Prime and fiancé Alessandro Sagredo by her side, she may not be able to expose who's responsible before all hell really breaks loose.

We are treating you to a deleted scene from Ruby Fever.

From Goodreads:
A large Augustine snippet.

From Goodreads:
A small moment in the life of Matilda Harrison and her father.
When a very determined ferret decides he is not coming out of an electrical conduit, it falls to Matilda and Cornelius to coax him back to safety. A quiet, heartfelt scene about family, loss, and the creatures we love.
My second review of Sapphire Flames, Emerald Blaze
My Review
:

Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Catalina Baylor Trilogy #1, 1.1, 1.2, 2, 3, Hidden Legacy #4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 5, 5.1, 5, 6, Arabella Baylor Series #0.5
First Read: August 27th, 2019, July 7th 2019,  August 23rd 2019, September 1st, 2020, September 14th 2020, August 23rd, 2022
Second Read: July 17th, 17th, 17th, 17th, 17th, 2022
Read: December 15th, 15th, 15th, 15th, 15th, 15th, 15th, 16th, 16th, 16th 16th, 2025
Source: Own, Online
Reason Why: Rereading, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Books! And Ruby Fever is a End of Series 2025 Book!
Publisher: Avon, Ilona Andrews
Published: August 27th 2019,  July 7th 2019,  August 23rd 2019, July 28th 2022, March 20th 2019, August 25th 2020, September 14th 2020, August 23rd 2022, February 14th 2022, October 13th 2025, November 26th 2025

Sapphire Flames:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








A Misunderstanding:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Pay Me:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Rogan and the 9 Month Stomach Bug:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars









Sgt Munoz Had to Go:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Emerald Blaze:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








The Cool Aunt:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Ruby Fever: 
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Regina:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Corporate Agility:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Marty, the Electrical Ferret:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars