Review: Lumberjanes - Book #4 - Various Contributors - April  2026 There are some series that you enjoy, and then there are those series that feel like coming home and for me, Lumberjanes is absolutely one of those. In fact, I can safely say that this is my favourite graphic novel series ever! So, you can imagine how excited I was when I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Boom! Studios. Lumberjanes – Book #4 collects issues #37–48 and takes us straight back to the wonderfully weird and magical world of the Roanoke Cabin scouts. Just when you think things might finally calm down for our favourite campers, summer decides to throw even more chaos their way. From family visits and mysterious voices in the woods to strange time loops and, of course, a jackalope hunt with consequences nobody could have predicted, there is never a dull moment at camp. One of the things I love most about Lumberjanes is that, underneath all the magical mayhem, mythical creatures and completely bizarre ...

Review: Echo Road - Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot - July 2024 There are some authors whose books I will pick up without even needing to read the blurb, and Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot are definitely two of those authors for me. They are both among my favourite female thriller writers, so I was incredibly excited to dive into Echo Road. But what makes this book even more special is that it brings together two characters I already love: Mercy Kilpatrick and Bree Taggert. And honestly? This pairing was everything I hoped it would be. Mercy and Bree are both strong, intelligent, and determined women who are not afraid to put themselves in danger when justice is on the line. They also share something deeply personal: both women have found themselves raising their siblings' children after their siblings were murdered. That shared experience gives their connection an extra layer and makes their partnership feel natural rather than forced. These are two kick-ass women who will go to ...

Review: The Bad Guy - Celia Aaron - May 2017 Reading The Bad Guy by Celia Aaron felt a little like coming home. It transported me back to my early days of book blogging, back around 2017, when my blog was only seven years old. Fast forward to today, and The Phantom Paragrapher is now celebrating 16 years! I remember when Celia Aaron first burst onto the book world, and I loved her writing then. Even now, all these years later, I still find myself excited to pick up one of her books. And honestly? This book was exactly what I needed. Lately, I have found myself picking up books that just haven't quite hit the spot. You know that feeling when you're reading, waiting for something to click, but it never quite does? The Bad Guy was the opposite. From the moment I started reading, it just felt right. This is very much an anti-hero romance where the so-called bad guy might actually be the right guy, while the supposedly nice guy turns out to be... well, a complete jerk. Sometimes the...

VBT# A Murderer's Guide to Mardi Gras - Book #5 Vintage Cookbook Mystery - Ellen Byron - August 2026 There are some books that entertain you, and then there are books that take you by the hand and lead you straight into a happy memory. A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras by Ellen Byron did exactly that for me. It was a delightful reminder of two things I love: the comfort of a good old-fashioned cookbook and the wonderful memories I made in New Orleans. The first connection was the Edmonds Cookbook. For so many New Zealanders, the Edmonds book is more than just a cookbook , it is practically part of the furniture! It has been a staple in Kiwi homes for generations, with its well-loved recipes and familiar yellow cover. Reading about the food, cooking and characters in this cosy mystery gave me that same warm, homely feeling. There is something wonderfully comforting about a story where food, friendship and community are woven into the mystery. The second memory was much more persona...

Review: Love Overdue - Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus - July 2025 There’s something especially lovely about receiving a book as a birthday gift, and Love Overdue by Ali Berg and Michelle Klaus arrived in my hands courtesy of one of the Birthday Bookstagram groups I belong to. A paperback, a birthday present and a cute second-chance romance? It certainly sounded like a recipe for a cosy afternoon of reading. Lauren Green was once a frizzy-haired bookworm with big dreams of becoming a writer who got her heart broken . Twenty years later, she has swapped those writing dreams for a responsible life as vice principal of North Caulfield Primary School. Then Jamie Sultana the boy who broke her heart walks back into her life, and suddenly all those carefully shelved feelings aren't quite as forgotten as Lauren thought. I really enjoyed the second-chance romance aspect of this story. There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about reconnecting with someone who knew you when you were young, reme...

Review: Tragedy Girl - Christine Hurley Deriso - April 2016  There are some books that feel like they would be right at home on a quiet afternoon, curled up on the sofa with a cuppa and a blanket, and Tragedy Girl was one of those reads for me. What makes this one particularly interesting is that it was originally published a decade ago, back in 2016 . Picking it up in 2026, I found myself enjoying this little trip back to a style of YA mystery that feels both familiar and refreshingly uncomplicated. Anne has already been through more heartbreak than anyone her age should have to endure. Her parents have died in a car accident, leaving her trying to find her way through life while carrying that enormous loss with her. Then she meets Blake. He’s good looking, friendly and, perhaps most importantly, he understands grief. His girlfriend, Cara, drowned, although her body was never recovered. It seems almost inevitable that Anne would be drawn to him. After all, they have something in ...

Review: Connected - Rori K. Pierce - March 2021 There’s something wonderfully familiar about Connected . It feels like the kind of story that could be happening quietly in the house next door,  behind a bedroom door, in late-night messages, and in the complicated world of a teenager trying to figure out who she really is. Bethany  is a high school wallflower who has found herself caught in a relationship that has slowly become anything but healthy. Trevor started out as someone she fell for hard and fast, but his controlling behaviour gradually strips away pieces of the girl she used to be. He encourages her to distance herself from friends, experiment with drugs and make choices that leave her increasingly isolated. With Homecoming approaching, Bethany knows something has to change before she loses herself completely. What I particularly loved about Bethany is that her journey doesn’t feel magically easy. Breaking away from someone who has manipulated and cont...