A copy of this book was granted to me by netgalley for an honest review. Thank you!

Love: I am a sucker for a good, gimmicky murder mystery and I love locked rooms (in theory, I'm claustrophobic so no way I'm getting in one). The Escape Game delivered the goods. Fast paced, almost constant action, fleshed out characters - each with their own detailed backstory, and great chemistry between the members of Team Helsing. I also really enjoyed the mystery within a mystery plot. I also loved how much detail was given for each of the locked room episodes. It actually felt like we were there solving the puzzles alongside the characters. The found family plot was great and I even teared up a little when they had their little Eureka! moment. Sierra and Beck definitely made the story for me.

Didn't Love: I had a really hard time with the ending. The "reason" for the murder fell flat for me. It came across as a bit rushed and that was a bit of a let down for me after such an exciting storyline. The actual murderer was also a let down for me because it felt like it came out of nowhere. I honestly expected a bit more. Finally, I also didn't realize that this was the first book in a series or at least a duology. I was hoping for more closure in this book.

A copy of this book was granted to me by @netgalley for an honest review. Thank you!

I was SO excited for this story. The premise was fantastic. Parapsychology experiments being conducted at a university in the 60s which ended when it's four subjects - all young women - disappeared? Yes please. And while this story had some great moments, I was left wishing there had been more.

Told in dual time frames (60s and present day) and multiple POV's, this story had a lot of plot holes, several of which were never explained. There were a lot of repetitive explanations - especially where Riley's life was explained, and in some scenes there was too much information while in other, possibly more crucial scenes, there was not enough information at all.

The story dragged a bit in the middle and then all of a sudden was being wrapped up quickly and too neatly.

While I didn't think Riley was all that fleshed out, Betty's POV was fantastic and I wish it had been told more from her POV.

All in all, a quick and interesting read but falls a little flat for a thriller.

Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this ARC!

The moment I read the description of Where Lost Girls Go, I knew I had to read it. Cult vibes? Check. Queer representation? Check. More mature themes in a YA novel? Check.

We are blessed with two POV's throughout the book. Iris in first person and Caela in third person. I won't lie, I was a little thrown off with Caela's POV's at first, which doesn't normally happen to me, but it was definitely important to the story to hide certain aspects of their identity. Once I caught on, I was fine. You may understand more once you read it.

That said, I absolutely loved the story line. A group of traumatized, mostly teenage girls, living with an older man in an isolated cabin with huge culty vibes. This is definitely a darker, edgier story than you usually see in YA and therefore I'd recommend it for older readers, not younger. Beautifully written, this story covers grief, manipulation, trauma bonding and predatory behavior. I was very thankful that I was wrong about Sol's intentions with the girls and where it might have gone. The twist did still surprise me a bit but it absolutely made sense.

The sapphic romance element was done beautifully and tastefully, not out of place as often happens with YA novels. There is also some violence throughout the story but it's not the most graphic.

What I loved most was the absolute strength and resilience that the author gave these female characters. Something that we don't see enough of, especially in YA books.

I fully recommend Where Lost Girls Go and I hope you love it as much as I did.

"It’s not that I don’t have more to say. It’s not that I don’t have sharper edges. It’s that I know how to package myself in ways men find manageable."

I received a free copy of this Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This was me dipping my toes into more horror types of stories and it definitely was a horror. Body horror is new to me and I didn't hate it.

Mia Ballard has a unique way of writing that is both beautiful and off-putting, which I feel set the tone perfectly.

Shy Girl is a quick, but extremely rough read. Gia endures some pretty horrific experiences and the way my jaw dropped when I read "Year One," and then proceeded to look back at the chapter listings, which then made my jaw drop further.

My biggest complaint is that Shy Girl is marketed as a feminine rage body horror and it truly needed more feminine rage. Gia wws both one of the strongest and weakest characters I've read about in a long time and it was infuriating. The ending was executed well, but I just wish we'd seen more rage throughout the story.

I did like the Author's Note at the end and I do think everyone should read that as well.

I received this ARC from @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sundown Girls by L.S. Stratton truly surprised me. I didn't fully know what to expect as I had never read anything by Stratton before. I knew it was about Sundown towns, which (rightly) terrify me. The fact that they existed at all (and still do). I knew that it was a supernatural horror thriller. And I knew that it involved missing girls.

This multi-layered, beautifully written story surprised me with it's eloquence regarding the horrors of racism and by basically being a splatterpunk YA horror that ties in family drama and kidnappings.

With a bit of a slow start, Sundown Girls explodes into a fast paced story that will grab you and keep you invested. My only disappointment is that the mystery behind the disappearances wasn't exactly surprising, and I wish it hadn't been so obvious, but aside from that, absolutely fantastic story. This was my first book by L.S. Stratton but it won't be my last. Highly recommend.

"I'm not leaving you.” “Good.” He yanks me against him, his eyes burning. “Because I'll never let you"

I actually give this story a 4.5 and a 5 for spice level. I am absolutely OBSESSED with this book. I haven't read a dark romance in a hot minute and I am so glad that Pretty Vicious was my reintroduction to the genre because it was fantastic.

Carrson is one of the best morally grey mmc's I've come across. A true leader with a heart of gold hidden deep within. Dangerous and intimidating. Everything we love to see In a dark romance man.

The setting was perfectly described. The banter between Carrson and Laurel was on point and the slow burn seduction gave way to 5 star spicy scenes. That party scene?! IYKYK.

Both characters hold a lot of (physical & emotional) pain and watching them make themselves vulnerable as well as healing one another as they slowly fall for each other? Absolutely perfectly executed. I went into this know it was part 1 and I CANNOT wait for part 2. READ THIS, ASAP.

I'm fine with taboo. Don't really have too many triggers. But that bonus chapter bullshit? Yeah, I'm not okay with pedophilic ideas/comments and had that been in the trigger warnings. I wouldn't have read it. Fuck that.