The Phantom Paragrapher

Review: You Are Fatally Invited - Ande Pliego - February 2025 As someone who devours locked room mysteries like they're going out of style, I practically squealed when I spotted "You Are Fatally Invited" on the Whitcoulls website. The premise hit every single one of my reading sweet spots: a mysterious host gathering unsuspecting guests for revenge, an isolated setting with no escape, and the delicious meta-twist of thriller authors becoming victims of their own fictional murders. Sometimes the book gods smile down on us readers, and this felt like one of those moments. Ande Pliego has crafted something wickedly clever here. Six thriller authors receive invitations to an exclusive writers' retreat hosted by the enigmatic J.R. Alastor—a reclusive author whose identity remains shrouded in mystery. What begins as a dream opportunity quickly morphs into a nightmare as our literary protagonists realize they haven't been gathered for inspiration, but for retribution. E...

Review: The Thrashers - Julie Soto - May 2025 When I spotted The Thrashers during one of my voucher-shopping trips, I knew I had to have it. The premise immediately reminded me of Kara Thomas's razor-sharp YA thrillers like The Cheerleaders, and honestly, who could resist that cover? (Yes, I'm absolutely guilty of judging books by their covers, and this one had me completely smitten.) Julie Soto delivers something slightly different than what I expected, though no less compelling. While I went in anticipating a full-throttle thriller, what I found was more of a legal drama with YA sensibilities—think courtroom tension meets high school hierarchy. It's edgy without being exploitative, which is a delicate balance that Soto manages beautifully. Set at New Helvetia High (and yes, the font connection came to mind), the story revolves around the school's most powerful clique: The Thrashers. Named after their charismatic leader Zack Thrasher, this group—consisting of Zack, J...

Review: When Gracie Met the Grump - Mariana Zapata - September 2022 For months, this chunky tome had been giving me the stink eye from my bookshelf, practically screaming "Read me!" But I'll admit, I was intimidated. Mariana Zapata has earned her reputation as the undisputed Queen of Slowburn Romance, and her books don't mess around – we're talking 600+ pages of pure, unadulterated tension before our leads even hold hands properly. True to form, When Gracie Met the Grump delivers exactly what Mariana Zapata fans expect: approximately 500 pages of sizzling foreplay, razor-sharp banter, and chemistry so thick you could cut it with a knife, before finally – finally – letting our characters crash together in the last 100 pages. And you know what? It works. Mariana Zapata's writing style is so engaging that the slowburn never feels like a drag. She's mastered the art of making readers desperate for that payoff. This particular story offers a fun twist on the ty...

Too Good to Be True A.S. Kelly Publication date: July 23rd 2025 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance Seth Graham needs help. His eccentric job and troubled past will not help him get custody of his nephews. With their grandmother now stepping in to claim them, Seth needs a solution. Seth can’t bear another loss. He has already said goodbye to too many people; he can’t give up the only family he has left. Rowan Kennedy doesn’t need anything, especially not another lost cause. His career is finally taking off, and the last thing he has time for is helping a young single father desperate to keep his kids. He has no interest in getting caught up in a custody battle, especially when he’s never even had a real family of his own. He doesn’t know what it’s like to have someone willing to fight for you with everything they have. But Seth is desperate, and Rowan seems to be his only chance, and these children need a home, love and something Rowan never had: a father who would...

Seven Hundred Beachfront Ligia de Wit Publication date: July 22nd 2025 Genres: Adult, Magical Realism, Romance, Women’s Fiction Some places hold memories. Others have opinions. I didn’t mean to run again. But when life gets tangled, I untangle it by leaving. And this time, my escape came with strings attached: a five-year-old brother I never signed up to care for, a seaside town I barely remember, and a tattered house on stilts that belongs in Renter’s Hell. I told myself it was just for the summer. A break. A pause. A way to escape the people I care about but can’t seem to fit with anymore, and the choices I don’t know how to fix. But the sea doesn’t let you stay distant for long. Then there’s him. Quiet. Grumpy. Mysterious. The kind of man who doesn’t ask questions, but somehow sees more than he should. I don’t even like talking to him, and yet… here we are. Sharing long silences. Unexpected moments. Maybe even something more. And as for the house? Let’s just say it ha...

Wicked Ambition: The Lost Treasure Patti O’Shea (The Paladin League, #7) Publication date: July 21st 2025 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense Ayla Desmond never takes risks, but when she senses her twin is in trouble, she boards a plane to Puerto Jardin—a country teetering on the edge of chaos. As a Public Relations specialist at the Paladin League, she’s used to spin, not bullets. But this mission plunges her into a deadly game where trust is scarce and danger is everywhere. Special Forces Sgt. Oziah “Wizard” West is the king of one-night stands, but he hasn’t been able to forget the last woman he hooked up with, a mysterious blonde who slipped away from his hotel room. When he spots her in Puerto Jardin, he knows there will be trouble. Oz rushes to her side, determined to keep her safe. Ayla wants nothing to do with Oz. He’s a mistake she’d rather forget, but circumstances force them together. Surrounded by mercenaries and stalked by mobsters who believe she hol...