I've been on a real thriller, mystery kick lately, and this one has been on my TBR for a LONG time. When it was on sale on Google Books, I figured now was the time.
The premise is definitely fun: influencers, social media stars, jilted ex's, crazy stans and more all join together in a massive game of tag throughout London in pursuit of a cash prize. Only each is also there for reasons beyond just the money, and each is a suspect in the murder of a girl connected to the game master. 
Beyond the tech heavy game of tag and the influsion of a strange Pokemon Go type of ghost hunting game, there are challenges to gain additional points. The game itself is the backdrop, but its the tension and clues between the characters that make it interesting. Erin wants to escape her narcissistic mother, Grayson wants revenge on the guy he blames for his girlfriend leaving him, Charlotte wants to win the game masters love, and Emma wants a story worthy of her journalistic ambitions. Each character interacts with the others in a strange hate vs collaborate web, and it does leave you wondering who the murderer is until the end. 
While I did figure out the person beyond the 'ghost' pretty early, I'll admit I didn't look too closely at the person who did turn out to be the killer. It made sense in the end, but I think any of them could have been guilty.
Overall, a pretty good read. A little juvenile, even for YA, but easy to read. 

I love twisty murder mysteries, and this one had been on my Goodreads TBR for ages. When I saw that it was at my local library, I knew my time had come!
Lauren is escaping a tragic past, and ends up in Happy Valley (hate the name!), a town with it's own list of tragedies. Two dead girls, both in mysterious ways, and a pair of brothers each haunted by gossip of being guilty. 
Of course, Lauren knows none of this when she starts hooking up with the older brother Robbie. When she finds out, she intends to break it off, but of course everything begins to unravel when yet another tragedy hits....
Now, Lauren, Robbie and his best friend seek to solve the murder of three classmates, while dodging threats, friend drama, and their pasts. 
I'll admit, the murderer was on my maybe list pretty early, but Lundy did a good job leaving you guessing and questioning yourself throughout. But when it came to the reveal...it fell flat. There was no clear motivation, and it felt way too rushed. Hundreds of pages of 'who did it and why' only to end in, like, 2 chapters. Very anticlimactic for all the build up. And the romance between Lauren and Robbie felt unrealistic, and the trauma Lauren was running from could have been solved with a single conversation. 
It was good, but could have been better. 

Diana Urban is another one of my must read authors. After reading All Your Twisted Secrets, I stalk everything she writes. In line with Karen McManus, she is able to write twisty thrillers in unique settings that leave you on the edge of your seat. This latest one, set in the Paris Catacombs, was one I had been waiting for since it's announcement. And I loved it!
If you've ever been to the catacombs, you know the setting...dark, chilled, with thousands of eyes of the dead watching your every move. It is the perfect setting for a thriller, and when a group of teens find themselves trapped, the stakes are massive. The tension between each of the characters was great, each with their own secrets and motivations that add depth to the plot beyond just survival and escape. Ruby is relatable, Sean is a golden retriever who won't give up on her. The supporting cast is well rounded and each pull their own weight in the plot. 
The one thing I didn't jive with was what I suppose was meant to be the 'villains'. But it felt...unnecessary. There was enough motivation and conflict within the cast within the inclusion of *no spoilers* so I just kind of rolled my eyes when the villains were revealed...along with their strange motivation. 
Overall, I enjoyed the read, and would love to read more in this setting. 

This is another I had heard about over and over again, particularly on TikTok with women having their hockey men reading certain....spicy scenes. Eventually, I wanted to find out what all the hype was about.
Anastasia is a pairs figure skater with Olympic dreams and a horrible partner/friend in Aaron. Nate is a hockey star determined to keep his team out of trouble. Of course, trouble happens, throwing them into having to share a rink, constantly crossing paths, with sparks and fists flying.
It gave very 'The Cutting Edge' feels, with a ton of smut. Admittedly, I couldn't understand why Nate liked Anastasia....she wasn't a nice person, so his pursuit of her didn't make sense to me. Nate was a big Golden Retriever, and I loved him. Aaron was just a horrible human, with NO redeeming qualities. The rest of the supporting cast were what made this book for me, to be honest. Henry, JJ, Lola were great. 
There was a lack of real conflict other than Aaron's mere existence, and Nate's motivation was absent other than wanting Anastasia. And while I do enjoy spice, I need more than endless sex scenes to make a book a good read. 
Overall, this one was ok. 

I had heard so much hype about this book both before and after its release. It was one of the ones that kept coming across my screen, and when I came across a copy with STUNNING sprayed edges at my local Indigo, I decided to give it a shot. And it was definitely worth it.
This is a chosen one, forced proximity type tale, with Freya's magic being discovered by men who wish to use her to rule. She is 'fated' to bring the one who controls her fate to power, so of course, men assume they are the one meant to control her. It is so patriarchal it made me grind my teeth, especially when most of her actions were motivated by attempts to protect her horrible family, who most definitely did NOT deserve her protection. 
* Side note: I've read a few books lately with this plot thread of ungrateful, awful families, and it is definitely one that gets under my skin...people don't deserve your loyalty just because they are family!
Okay, rant aside, Freya finds herself tied to her second awful husband, but at least this one has a hot Viking son who is 'fated' to protect her. Their banter is hilarious, Freya's determination to fulfil her fate while also hating it at the same time is relatable and empowering. I figured one a twist about 2/3 of the way through, so wasn't too surprised when it was revealed near the end, but it definitely made me excited for the next book.
I loved this Scandinavian fantasy, the incredible world building and beautiful writing drawing you into the world. And of course, Bjorn.

Karen McManus is one of my 'must read' authors, and everything she writes ends up on my bookshelf the same week it releases. Her ability to create twisty YA thrillers is unmatched, and she leaves you guessing until the very last chapter.
While this one wasn't perfect, it was definitely a ride I enjoyed!
It what I can only describe as a new-aged Heartbreakers (2001 movie with Jennifer Love Hewitt), you follow Kat and her mother as they try to disentangle themselves from a life of crime under the thumb of the 'savior' Gem. In a dual POV with short term stepbrother Liam, you find he is simply trying to protect everyone from his toxic, catfishing father, who Kat's mother was married to in a dramatic 24hr slip in Vegas. 
The two meet again, each side navigating mutual schemes against an affluent Maine family, which leads to murder, secrets and more drama than I can write in a short review. While at times I couldn't really connect with the characters and their choices, I couldn't seem to put the book down, desperate to see who the real master mind was behind everything that was occurring, because if there is one thing I've learned about McManus' writing is 'it's never who you think'. 
This time, however, I figured it out near the end, although it didn't lessen the thrill of the final chapters. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves mysteries and hijinx.

It is rare that a sequel does the original justice. But this one was even better than the first, but in it's own unique way. Following Paedyn and Kai after the fallout of the final Trial and her treason, the enemies to lovers have returned to enemies (or so they think) as he is tasked by Kitt to hunt her down. 
Kai of course finds her, and the two are yet again thrown into forced proximity and fights for survival every step of the way as Kai tries to fulfill his duty, and Paedyn fights for her life. Of course, they can't deny their attraction and the feelings that developed in book one, and we finally get that kiss we were dying for. In fact, we get a few swoon worthy scenes that leave you breathless. You watch as their respective duties crumble in favor of their feelings, and by the time you reach the end you can't help but sigh in relief. 
Until that final chapter. A betrayal is woven through the book, but you don't realize the form it will take (only the puppet master at the helm) until the final pages, and everything comes crashing down.
Why?????? Why would be do that? Why would REDACTED have Kitt do that, knowing how Kai felt, knowing it made no sense!? I can't wait for book three to finally understand WHYYYY!!!!!!

I'd been hearing about this book on booktok for a while. Like ACOTAR and several other popular books, this one kept popping up on my feed, people raving about it. So I figured I'd give it a go, and I'm glad I did.
This is a typical power imbalance, forced proximity tale between an ordinary girl and a magical boy. Paedyn is strong willed and determined, Kai is cocky and haunted, each bound by very different fates. When they find themselves facing against each other in a trial of survival, they team up to make it to the end.
I don't normally like overly cocky MMCs but Kai had me kicking my feet and squeeing at his silver tongue. His declarations and flirtatious teasing left me grinning like an idiot over a fictional boy I wished was real. Paedyn was flawed and strong and loved her friends, and I enjoyed her as an MC....except with the whole Kitt thing. Yes, I understand why, but at the same time, hated what she did to him. I truly believed he could have been an ally, but he made him an enemy with her choices.
The similarities with Hunger Games were almost too obvious. Some scenes finding resolution too conveniently that it bordered on unrealistic (even for fiction) and that lessened some of the tension. But overall, I loved every minute of this ride and even ran out to buy the second book the next day. Definitely worth the hype. 

This book has been one of my most anticipated for quite a while. I've known the author since our Wattpad days, and couldn't wait to support her debut. I was definitely not disappointed.
Based on Chinese stories from her grandfather, brushed with a touch of modern twists, this is a thrilling, immersive story of survival and magic that exceeded my expectations.
The foundation is expected...a girl with a rare magic who wants nothing more than to survive and protect her family. Rome has invaded their world (through a rip in the sky rather than the historical practices of decimation) and taken control of much of her realm. After a chance meeting, Ruying is captured and must choose between being a traitor to her people, and protecting those she loves.
 What reaches beyond the typical survival story is the way Chang weaves such beautiful imagery and Chinese story lines into the tale, drawing you in with her masterful depictions. You root for Ruying while questioning her choices (would her sister really protect Ruying the way Ruying is trying to protect her?) and hope for her to harness her power and find the answers she is seeking. It isnt until the last few chapters that more is revealed that turns her world (yet again) on its head.
I can't decide if I believe the current trajectory set before us (is Antony the ruthless prince he is depicted? Or has Ruying been manipulated by her childhood friend?). I will have to wait for the sequel to find out. 

I have only a few automatic buy authors, and Ali Hazelwood is one of them. I will admit I was late to her fan club, only discovering her books in July 2023, but I've been hooked ever since. Her unique way of combining women in STEM with swoon worthy MMCs is unlike anything else on the shelves, and I can't get enough. So of course, I bought her latest the moment it hit shelves. And while I enjoyed it, it didn't live up to the rest.
One of the things I love about Hazelwood's books is the women in STEM....infusing science heavily into the plots, with the romance happening around it. Her FMCs are relatable (even if they're a million times smarter than me) and the science gives an original twist. But this book felt too light on the science, too heavy on the smut. And while I do enjoy smut (I read SJM, after all) it felt almost 50 Shades-esque and at times detracted from the true development of the story. 
Rue was flat and hard to relate to, while Eli was a bit of a simp...and not even in the endearing way. He fell too hard too fast with no understanding why, since Rue was so unlikable. I enjoyed the BFF character Tisha and the sassy sister more than I did the actual main character.
Overall, it was okay. Not her best, but not terrible either.