
merryanne paused reading...
16w

Phantasma
Kaylie Smith
Welcome to Phantasma. There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love. When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish. Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals. Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain. Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life. Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer. Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart… A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Caraval in this seductive fantasy adventure. With steamy romance, a sexy morally gray love interest, OCD rep and jaw-dropping twists, Phantasma is perfect for fans of Rebecca Yarros, Nisha J. Tuli and Carissa Broadbent. See why readers love Kaylie Smith’s romantic “I ABSOLUTELY ADORED IT. I AM OBSESSED WITH IT… I was completely HOOKED from the very first chapters… The characters are absolutely amazing… The embodiment of the perfect fantasy story for me… You will LOVE this.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A MILLION STARS! I don’t think I’ve had this much fun reading a book in a while. I fell in love with this cast of characters so fast. I loved all the banter, tension and friendships… I can’t wait for the next book!” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Absolutely stunning… The characters—my god these characters… I loved every single one of them… Had my mind going a million places at once, and I still didn’t see how this was going to end. I’m still not over it… wonderful.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wow. What a wild ride!... So entertaining! Exciting, dangerous, twisty, fast-paced, and so intriguing… gripped me from the beginning. I loved the characters and the angst, and the found family is the best.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Made me laugh, made me squeal, and made me cry. And the characters stuck with me even after I closed the last chapter.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Brimming with adventure, romance, and loveable characters you’ll gladly follow into the shadows of their vivid world." — Alexandra Bracken, NYT Bestselling author of Lore

merryanne finished a book
16w

The Villa
Rachel Hawkins
From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set at an Italian villa with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware. As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend. Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder. As Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind. Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge––and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.

merryanne started reading...
17w

The Villa
Rachel Hawkins
From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set at an Italian villa with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware. As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend. Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder. As Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind. Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge––and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.

merryanne started reading...
17w

Phantasma
Kaylie Smith
Welcome to Phantasma. There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love. When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish. Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals. Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain. Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life. Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer. Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart… A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Caraval in this seductive fantasy adventure. With steamy romance, a sexy morally gray love interest, OCD rep and jaw-dropping twists, Phantasma is perfect for fans of Rebecca Yarros, Nisha J. Tuli and Carissa Broadbent. See why readers love Kaylie Smith’s romantic “I ABSOLUTELY ADORED IT. I AM OBSESSED WITH IT… I was completely HOOKED from the very first chapters… The characters are absolutely amazing… The embodiment of the perfect fantasy story for me… You will LOVE this.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A MILLION STARS! I don’t think I’ve had this much fun reading a book in a while. I fell in love with this cast of characters so fast. I loved all the banter, tension and friendships… I can’t wait for the next book!” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Absolutely stunning… The characters—my god these characters… I loved every single one of them… Had my mind going a million places at once, and I still didn’t see how this was going to end. I’m still not over it… wonderful.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wow. What a wild ride!... So entertaining! Exciting, dangerous, twisty, fast-paced, and so intriguing… gripped me from the beginning. I loved the characters and the angst, and the found family is the best.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Made me laugh, made me squeal, and made me cry. And the characters stuck with me even after I closed the last chapter.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Brimming with adventure, romance, and loveable characters you’ll gladly follow into the shadows of their vivid world." — Alexandra Bracken, NYT Bestselling author of Lore

merryanne TBR'd a book
17w

The Awakening
Caroline Peckham
You have been selected to attend Zodiac Academy, where your star sign defines your destiny. If you're one of the Fae, elemental magic is in your blood. And apparently it's in ours. As twins born in the month of Gemini, we're a rare breed even in this academy of supernatural a-holes. Changelings were outlawed hundreds of years ago but I guess our birth parents didn't get the memo. Which means we're totally unprepared for the ruthless world of Fae. Air. Fire. Water. Earth. No one has ever harnessed all four of them, until we arrived. And it hasn't made us any friends so far. As the rarest Elementals ever known, we're already a threat to the four celestial heirs; the popular, vindictive bullies who happen to be some of the hottest guys we've ever seen. It doesn't help that they're the most dangerous beasts in the Academy. And probably on earth too. Our fates are intertwined, but they want us gone. They've only got until the lunar eclipse to force us out and they'll stop at nothing to succeed. We never knew we had a birthright to live up to but now that we do, we intend to claim our throne. We can't expect any help from the faculty when it comes to defending ourselves. So if the dragon shifters want some target practice, the werewolves want someone to hunt or the vampires fancy a snack then we have to be ready. But we've been looking after each other for a long time and fighting back is in our blood. Today's horoscope: totally screwed.