Review: The One - T.A Caldwell - December 2024 Sometimes you need a book that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go, especially during those exhausting weeks when your brain is too fried for anything requiring deep contemplation. T.A. Caldwell's "The One" delivered exactly what I needed – a pulse-pounding thriller that kept me turning pages despite my work-weary state. The story wastes no time establishing its dark premise. We meet billionaire Marcus Sterling in a moment of murderous rage, having just discovered his wife Karyn's infidelity. T.A Caldwell's decision to open with this brutal scene immediately sets the tone and lets us know we're dealing with a man capable of unspeakable acts. The three-month time jump to Marcus prowling New York bars, hunting for his next victim, creates an ominous sense of inevitability. Emily Hanson emerges as our unwitting protagonist – intelligent yet vulnerable, the "perfect" target in Marcus's twist...

  VBT# Blue Arrow Island - Book #1 - Brenda Rothert - August 2025 There are few things in the book world that bring me more joy than discovering an author whose writing consistently delivers, and Brenda Rothert has become exactly that kind of treasure for me. After having the absolute pleasure of meeting her at RT2017—honestly one of my top five life experiences and what I still consider one of my best days ever—I knew she was not only a phenomenal writer but also the kind of genuine, down-to-earth person you'd want to grab coffee with. So when Blue Arrow Island landed on my radar, my excitement was through the roof. From the very first page, I was completely hooked. Brenda Rothert wastes no time throwing readers into a world that feels disturbingly plausible—a dystopian reality born from a virus that decimated most of humanity. As I read about this plague, I couldn't help but think of COVID, imagining this as our world's potential dark future. It's a chilling thought ...

Review: Influencer Island - She Died Famous Universe - Kyle Rutkin - July 2022 As I started reading this book, I was reminded of an earlier book and I had to flick through my reviews to remind me as the cover with the gold blindfold and then one of the early characters named Kelly Trozzo sounded very familiar. As I scrolled through, I came across the book I had been thinking about "She Died Famous" and noticed there was a connection. Influencer Island is set in the same universe as She Died Famous and is set after the book. In this book, we meet Cal - a podcaster and a journalist who is obsessed with a famous painter who rivals Banksy - Wyatt James. However, this painter takes his painting to the extreme as everyone he paints is dead. This book starts with a crazy competition that entices Influencers with a chance to become famous on an exclusive island. The thing though that what these influencers don't realise is that if they fail at a challenge, then death is the pun...

Review: The Island - Natasha Preston - February 2023 When I saw that Natasha Preston had a new YA novel out, I just knew I had to read it as she is one of my favorites for YA thrillers. I have read most of her backlist, I only have a couple more to go. The Island starts with a familiar theme these days in books, especially since the boom of social media. These days with technology we live in a world of influencers- be it make-up tutorials, gaming, books, crime - all sorts are streaming these days and if you end up hitting the right audience and becoming popular, you can earn a good living too. It also helps if you come from wealthy parents like the influencers do in this book as you can focus all your energy and buy the top equipment needed. There is a new gothic exclusive theme park opening up on the island and six influencers have been invited for a preview weekend before it opens to the public. This is an opportunity of a lifetime as the park will cost $6000 a night per person to ...

Take one ex-bride recovering from a nuptial disaster and one workaholic who doesn’t know how to relax, and you’ve got a romantic comedy for the ages! How to Honeymoon Alone, a steamy, meet-cute, opposites-attract romantic comedy from Olivia Hayle, is available now! A paradise island. Two strangers. The attraction they never saw coming… When Eden dumped her cheating ex before the wedding, the last thing she expected was to go on their tropical honeymoon alone. But with no refunds possible, she packs her budget guidebook and broken heart, and sets off. She plans to relax on the beach, swim in the ocean, and drink cocktails until she feels like herself again… or falls over. Whichever comes first. What she’s not expecting is the brusque, handsome stranger who sits down at her table on the first night. Philip Meyer is a grumpy workaholic, and so irritatingly cynical that it makes her forget she’s grieving just to prove him wrong about the world. The two hav...

A Terror Triptych Kasey Fallon Publication date: January 2023 Genres: Adult, Horror Three stories. One island. No hope. A triptych ~ three parts of one whole, reflecting your worst fears. The new boy in school is finally making friends. On an island with centuries-old secrets, the numerous missing persons flyers are the least of Ryley’s problems as vengeance blurs the lines between then and now in The Sleepover. A sister goes to an insane asylum, caring for her sister after a disastrous incident. But strange moments lead to terror inside the ward as she realizes she might not be able to get back out. Can she escape being The Visitor forever? Tai and his group of friends are on the perfect vacation; blue skies, perfect waves, and a beautiful island. The brochures didn’t mention how many people died or went missing there every year, but the locals know to never go into The Copse; a grove of trees where people vanish. When Tai is forced to enter the forest he’ll do anything ...

Review: Family of Liars - Book #0.5 We Were Liars Series - E. Lockhart - May 2022 It has been a week since I read this book and to be honest, I still don't know exactly what to write in this review as the book just felt like a confusing mess. It felt like it was all over the place, yet it followed a linear timeline. I wasn't sure what to expect but had been putting it off as I remembered that the original read, We Were Liars was a crazy twisted ride and left you feeling WTF did I read? Family of Liars was the same as I felt like I was left hanging. The book goes back to when our main protagonist in We Were Liars was a child and the first death of her sister and the crazy summer that followed one year later. Family of Liars is a story of family loyalty, betrayal, secrets, and lies. I have to admit, only read this book if you have read, We Were Liars and feel a strong passion to read the prequel as, to be honest, it did feel disjointed and unnecessary to a point. In a way, this ...

The Island of Summer Sunsets Susan Sands Publication date: June 8th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance Sail away with this heartwarming beach read about hope, family, and finding out who was meant for us. Among the dunes and salty spray, off the South Carolina coast, where the daily tide swells and the minnow counts are the only news in town, something big might just change Janie Brooks’s life forever, for better or worse. In the small southern village of Fripp, Janie’s life is moving along at about the same slow pace as the island—exactly the way she wants it. After the death of Janie’s husband, unable to find her own way, she spends her days with the seagulls and swallow-tailed kites, in the serene bliss of the Atlantic coast. Until newcomer Ryan Kennedy and his teenage daughter move into the rental down the street, shaking up Janie’s well-ordered, simple life. Ryan has enough to deal with, being a single dad. All he wants is to move into a brand-new house in this ...