The Phantom Paragrapher

Review: Whispers of Deception - Liliana Rose Hastings - November 2024 One of my favorite things to read are YA thrillers and Whispers of Deception by Liliana Rose Hastings ticked that box. The book begins with Willow running for her life as someone or something is chasing her and then the book jumps to a podcast episode and news reports about Willow's body being found six months after she went missing and how she was the second one from their town to go missing - the first was a boy named Jacob whose body is still missing. Willow's friends are the main suspects in her murder as they were the ones who were the last to see her and have stuck to the same story each time asked, so much so that the police believe it is rehearsed. The friends though are about to get targeted as someone knows their deepest and darkest secrets including what happened to Jacob that fateful night and will begin to taunt the friend’s group with text messages, photos, and audio clippings. When Willow's...

Review: The Things We Leave Unfinished - Rebecca Yarros - February 2021 Before Rebecca Yarros took the world by storm with her Dragons and Romantasy series, she had written quite a few romance novels with a military background due to her family's knowledge of her husband in the military. Determined to continue clearing my print bookshelf, I grabbed this one which had been sent to me by a fellow bookstagrammer. This book gave me strong Nicholas Sparks vibes and I felt it could be likened to The Notebook with Allie and Noah's love being similar to Scarlett and Jameson's and then also Dear John with the letter writing and the military twist. Georgia's great-grandmother who raised her was famous for her romance novels and was like a fictional Danielle Steel. She has now died and Georgia on the end of a marriage divorce has returned home as she inherited everything in her Gran's will. She arrives home to discover her mother has pretended to be her and hired male novelist...

Review: The Housemaid Is Watching - Book #3 The Housemaid Series - Freida McFadden - June 2024 A couple of years ago I first discovered Freida McFadden with her books The Locked Door and The Gift. As a thriller fan , I found myself enjoying them and now I have read the majority of her backlist. The Housemaid is Watching is the third book in the Housemaid series featuring Millie and Enzo. The pair met in the first book and then they went their separate ways and reunited at the end of the second book. Now in the third book, the pair we discover have been married for 12 years and have two children Ava and Nico. The family have moved into a beautiful house and neighbourhood , but of course Millie knows to be wary of neighbours and especially the wealthy as her experience has taught her. What happens though when the next door neighbour Jonathan ends up murdered and the cops are narrowing their suspect pool to one person aka Enzo. Who is Enzo protecting as he confesses ? Has one of their ch...

Review: Christmas Off Script - Book #5 Foxbrooke Academy Series - Evie Alexander - November 2024 If you’re looking for Christmas cheer, a dose of chaotic family fun, and a swoon-worthy best friends-to-lovers romance, Evie Alexander delivers it all in this unmissable holiday romcom!”* Set against the backdrop of the charming and whimsical Foxbrooke Manor, *Christmas off Script* introduces us to Ella Chamberlain and Leo Foxbrooke—a duo whose friendship has stood the test of time, but whose hearts might just be ready for more. Ella’s life takes a spectacular nose-dive right before the holidays. Dumped, homeless, and in desperate need of a reset, she finds herself whisked into the safety of Leo’s world. Living at Foxbrooke Manor might seem like the perfect escape, but between her crush on her best friend and the unexpected role of Cinderella in the town’s annual Christmas pantomime, Ella’s life is anything but simple. Leo Foxbrooke is the dream package: kind, supportive, and d...

Review: The Love Position - Book #4 Foxbrooke Academy Series - Evie Alexander - July 2024 When archaeologist Sophia Hunter-Savage steps onto her yoga mat, she’s not just looking for peace , she’s looking to piece together her shattered life. But in walks Isaac Hayward, the hottest yoga instructor in existence, and suddenly, her inner calm goes up in flames. From the moment Sophia bends into her first pose, sparks fly, but Isaac’s vow of chastity creates a tantalizing tension that will leave you turning pages faster than you can say "downward dog." Evie Alexander masterfully weaves humor, heart, and heat into this standalone romantic comedy. Sophia is a relatable heroine with real-world struggles. Whether it’s her anxiety, her career in tatters, or the pull of new love, you can’t help but root for her. Isaac, on the other hand, is the ultimate yin to her yang – disciplined, introspective, and, oh, so dreamy. Watching him wrestle between his spiritual path and unde...

Review: Game Changer - Book #6 The Field Party Series - Abbi Glines - March 2022 This year, I was determined to make my way through Abbi Glines's series The Field Party and I did so well with only one book left :). Game Changer was different than the ones previously as all of the others ended up with the two main character's romances becoming a solid thing and the whole act of foreverness. For Asa and Ezmita their story is one of first loves as the pair meet each other and have an amazing night almost saving each other as she stops him from jumping off a bridge and he tells her to be brave and talk to her parents about college. The pair then due to life's circumstances go their separate ways as Asa heads to New Mexico to stay with relatives and Ezmita gets on with her life and is now dating Brett Duncan. The year is 2020 and a time that none of us will ever forget, a time when a disease struck not just one country but the whole world, a disease that caused people to die, an...

Review: Cruel Devil - Book #3 Devils of Sun Valley High Series - Daniela Romero - May 2021 As an avid reader, it’s easy for books to get lost in the shuffle—until one forgotten gem jumps out at you. That’s exactly what happened with Cruel Devil, part of Daniela Romero’s Devils of Sun Valley High series. Having enjoyed the previous books and several of Romero’s other series, I dived into this one and wasn’t disappointed.  Cruel Devil is a frenemies-to-lovers romance that toes the line between hate and love, telling the tumultuous story of Dominique “Dom” Price and Kasey “Baby” Henderson. Dom, a close friend of Kasey’s brother Aaron, shares a volatile dynamic with Kasey—one that shifts dramatically when tragedy strikes. In her grief, Kasey finds comfort and an emotional release with Dom, sparking a passionate yet complicated connection. Their relationship, built on raw emotion and physical attraction, faces its ultimate test when Aaron returns, and the boundaries between friends-wit...

Review: Final Kill - Book #1 Maggie Flight Series - Kate Bold - November 2024 Scrolling through my Kindle trying to find something to read, I was in the mood for a thriller read, and what better than a freebie I scored from Amazon. Criminal Profiler Maggie has been called in as someone is killing in Hollywood and leaving bodies in public view, they are also replicating famous unsolved murders like the Black Dahlia case. The other reason why Maggie has come back to LA is that she is looking for her brother Cole. They haven't seen each other in years after he ended up getting into a bit of trouble, she hasn't given up and when one of their suspects mentions him, she looks like she has a lead. Maggie has to be careful though as no one from the FBI knows about her past and her brother. What will happen though when Maggie catches wind of the identity of the killer and ends up on his tail? Will she be his last victim or can Maggie catch the bad guy? Final Kill was a good thriller ...