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VBT# The Sleepwalker - Ian Blackwood

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Review: The Sleepwalker - Ian Blackwood - May 2025 Lately, I’ve been riding a thrilling wave of psychological suspense, and thanks to Zooloo’s Book Tours—who specialize in gripping thriller reads—I’ve discovered some absolute gems. One standout is The Sleepwalker by Ian Blackwood, an ARC I couldn’t put down. This intense psychological thriller reminded me of Anna O by Matthew Blake with hints of Megan Goldin’s Stay Awake —a chilling mix of sleep disorders, unreliable perception, and dangerous secrets. Dr. Ellie Thompson is the kind of protagonist who pulls you in immediately. A successful doctor, Ellie has always battled vivid nightmares. But now, those nightmares are seeping into her waking life. She finds blood on her hands, shards of glass in her bed, and knives under her pillow—without any memory of how they got there. As her grip on reality loosens, Ellie becomes desperate for answers, yet fearful of seeking help. After all, speaking to a therapist could mean suspension from h...

VBT# The Dream Wedding - Renita D'Silva

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Review: The Dream Wedding - Renita D'Silva - May 2025 What should have been the happiest day of Sam’s life turns into a nightmare — and sets her on an unexpected, dangerous path. In The Dream Wedding, Sam is about to marry a wealthy Indian man at a luxurious seven-star resort in Cornwall, a far cry from the life she ever imagined for herself. But Sam is hiding a dark secret: her real name is Maisy, and she once served time in prison for the murder of her parents — or so she has been led to believe. Renita D’Silva delivers a slow-burning psychological thriller packed with gaslighting, deception, and class tension. Sam has been doing her best to live quietly, until her world is upended by falling in love with a wealthy playboy who seems to worship her. Yet as their wedding approaches, anonymous threats about her hidden past begin to surface. Should she tell her fiancé the truth? Would he still love her — or would he walk away, shattering her world once again? Meeting her soon-to-be m...

Review: One of Those Faces - Elle Grawl

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Review: One of Those Faces - Elle Grawl - December 2022 Have you ever finished a book and sat there thinking "What on earth did I just read?" That's exactly how I felt after turning the final page of Elle Grawl's psychological thriller "One of Those Faces." This novel had all the ingredients for a gripping, edge-of-your-seat read - a traumatic childhood, a twin's death, mistaken identities, and a string of murders. Yet somehow, these elements never quite come together in a satisfying way. The story follows Harper Mallen, a children's book illustrator living in Chicago who's haunted by her past. When Harper was ten, her twin sister Issie died, and her father forced her to assume Issie's identity - a psychological trauma that sent her running from home. Now, Harper exists in a perpetual state of sleep deprivation, plagued by nightmares of her sister. The plot thickens when women start turning up dead across Chicago - women who all bear an unc...

Review: Two Wingmen and a Baby - Daisy Prescott

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Review: Two Wingmen and a Baby - Book #3 Wingmen Short Story - Daisy Prescott - October 2016 Listen up, fellow bookworms! When my alarm went off this morning, I found myself in that dreaded reading slump where nothing on my TBR pile was calling my name. You know those days—when you desperately need a literary fix but nothing seems quite right? That's when I reached for Daisy Prescott's delightful short story "Two Wingmen and a Baby," and let me tell you, it was exactly the reading prescription I needed! Hold onto your ovaries, because this story features the irresistible Tom Cat Donnely and his wingman John Day looking after sweet Baby Day. The premise is simple but oh-so-entertaining: two alpha males convinced they can handle babysitting without breaking a sweat.  What these men lack in baby-wrangling skills, they make up for in heart. The story playfully explores that age-old question—can two grown men survive an afternoon with an infant without anything going si...

Review: Blown - Nolon King

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Review: Blown - Nolon King - May 2022 As a devoted thriller fan always hunting for that next adrenaline fix, I stumbled upon "Blown" while doing my usual late-night Kindle scroll. The cover practically screamed "edge factor," and honestly, I'm a sucker for a great cover . Little did I know I was about to embark on a white-knuckle journey that would keep me up as I read the ebook in one sitting! Nolon King introduces us to Alison, a character whose moral compass doesn't just point north—it's practically welded there. This is a woman who side-eyes people taking Panadol for a headache, so when she's summoned to her daughter's school over a weed incident, her world begins to fracture. But that's just the appetizer to her catastrophe banquet. Returning home to find her husband Tom murdered? That's the main course of chaos that Nolon King serves up with brutal efficiency. What follows is a masterclass in "how quickly can a normal life ...

Review: Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

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Review: Yours Truly - Book #2 Part of Your World Series - Abby Jimenez - April 2023 OMG you guys!!! I have FINALLY found a book that broke my reading slump! If you've been following my reviews lately, you know I've been struggling to find a romance that actually makes me FEEL something. After trudging through what felt like a desert of mediocre reads, "Yours Truly" by Abby Jimenez arrived like an oasis of everything I needed! Let me just say, this book HIT DIFFERENT. Like seriously, I was not prepared for how much it would wreck me in the best possible way. The minute I met Jacob, I literally saw myself in him. That awkward feeling when you're in a crowded room? CHECK. The way he sneaks off to eat by himself in quiet corners because social situations are exhausting? LITERALLY ME. As someone who constantly feels like I'm saying the wrong thing in social settings, watching Jacob navigate these same challenges while still being completely lovable was honestly s...

Review: Blood in the Water - Silver Donald Cameron

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Review: Blood In The Water - Silver Donald Cameron - May 2021 In "Blood in the Water," Silver Donald Cameron masterfully chronicles a shocking murder that rocked the small Cape Breton community of Petit de Grat in June 2013. The book delves into the circumstances that led three respected fishermen—Craig and James Landry and their skipper Dwayne Samson—to commit the cold-blooded killing of Phillip Boudreau, a notorious local troublemaker whose body was never recovered after they shot at him and deliberately rammed his boat. Silver Donald Cameron's investigative prowess shines as he untangles the complex web of community dynamics that culminated in this tragic event. The author presents Phillip Boudreau as someone who was simultaneously feared and oddly appreciated, a man who "would steal the beads off Christ's moccasins ,then give the booty away to someone in need." For two decades, Phillip Boudreau had been a disruptive force, repeatedly vandalizing fishin...