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squirrelbrain
Havoc | Rebecca Wait
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Pickpick

Whilst I liked this I‘m *really* disappointed to say I didn‘t love it. I usually adore campus novels and, with such high expectations for this author, this just fell a bit short.

There were too many characters with at least one unnecessary storyline, meaning there wasn‘t the emotional heft of previous books.

It felt too matter-of-fact, with a lot of the book taken up with faxes between medical professionals ⬇️

#netgalley
Pub 3rd July in the UK

squirrelbrain which, while interesting, also detracted from the emotional side of the book. There also wasn‘t enough exploration of the MC and her supposed ‘difficult‘ new roommate. 6h
TrishB Pre- warned 👍🏻 6h
sarahbarnes Oh no - I just found out she has a new book AND that I need to temper my expectations of it all in one post! 😂 1h
45 likes3 comments
review
BookmarkTavern
Among Ghosts | Rachel Hartman
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Pickpick

After escaping his abusive father, Charl & his mother find refuge in a small town. Life becomes more complicated when a dragon comes into town hunting them, a plague sweeps through, & Charl can suddenly see ghosts.

Lovely.I was enraptured & felt angry when I had to stop reading to go back to work. I adore Hartman‘s world building. Charl was a wonderful protagonist. He acts his age, but is also kind. Need to dive back into the world.🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

BookmarkTavern Release Date: June 24th, 2025 #ARC #NetGalley CW 👇🏻 20h
BookmarkTavern General warning for child death, death, plague, brief references to domestic violence (edited) 20h
llwheeler New Rachel Hartman!? I didn't know! Exciting 🙂 10h
50 likes2 stack adds3 comments
blurb
Tove_Reads
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review
sebrittainclark
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Pickpick

3/5

Isabella Nagg acquires the local wizard's magic book and begins a journey to change her generally unpleasant life as the wife of an unsuccessful farmer who she doesn't particularly like to something new and magical.

There were many things about the book that I loved: Goblins being a type of fungus, Bottom the talking Donkey, and the grimalkin. There were some pacing issues, but I still thought it was a fun and engaging book.

#netgalley

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Cupcake12
Untitled | Untitled
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#ARC #netgalley
Currently in bed with the fan on full blast. My room is still 35c 🥵
#heatwaveintheuk

LapReader Send it to Australia please. It‘s freezing here! 2d
kezzlou85 Oh wow that is hot. We got to 28 here but the breeze kept it from being too oppressive. Hope you cool down soon. 2d
MemoirsForMe Stay cool! 1d
26 likes3 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Bodies | Sam Lloyd
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Pickpick

In the early hours one morning, Joseph Carver finds his teenage son, Max, in the kitchen frantically trying to clean his bloodied hands. Max says there's been an accident - he killed someone with his car, tried to help them but when it was obvious they were dead, he panicked & fled the scene with the body. Joseph promised his late wife that he would always protect Max so he decides to cover it up & helps Max bury the body.

OutsmartYourShelf It's all sorted until Joseph finds out that Max lied to him about the accident as the car doesn't have any damage & he swore he didn't know who the victim was & yet Joseph found a wallet in Max's room. If Max lied about that what else could he be lying about? A few days later Max calls Joseph saying he needs his help & when he arrives there's another dead body.... 2d
OutsmartYourShelf Wow, this was a non-stop, fast-paced ride! It's intense, gripping, & almost gives the reader whiplash with the switch-back reveals. With the decisions Joseph makes, you're sitting there thinking “Really?!“, but there's no denying it grabs the attention. The reader has a front seat view into Joseph's mind as he starts to crumble from the pressure of it all. 2d
OutsmartYourShelf If you enjoyed the author's previous books 'The Memory Wood' & 'The Rising Tide' you'll love this one. 4.5🌟

TWs: [major] violence, murder / [minor] animal death

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Random House UK/Transworld Publishers/Bantam, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7595169546
Read 17th-18th Jun 2025

#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
(edited) 2d
20 likes3 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

When 90-year-old care home resident, Daphne St Clair, confesses to being a serial killer, everyone wants to be the one to break the story. Why would someone who has gotten away with decades of murders suddenly confess? Podcaster, Ruth King, is the person Daphne chooses to tell her story, but as they get to know each other during the interviews, it becomes clear that neither of them are telling the whole truth.....

OutsmartYourShelf This is a great read! Daphne is a mix of an even more ruthless Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind, & Debbie Jellinsky from Addams Family Values - scheming & marrying her way out of poverty & disposing of her rich husbands when they outstay their welcome. Daphne also has a very droll sense of humour about it all & is really quite unrepentant. It neatly skewers the double standards back then & also highlights the constant pressure on women 3d
OutsmartYourShelf to make being the perfect wife & mother their whole personality, without complaint.

The author doesn't shy away from making Daphne completely unlikeable in a lot of ways, yet the reader can't help but tag along to see what she does next. Unfortunately Ruth suffers from being in the bright light of Daphne's all-encompassing personality & seems rather drab & dull in comparison. It was a fascinating look at a female serial killer,
3d
OutsmartYourShelf albeit a fictional one, which isn't afraid to look at the darker aspects of ordinary life.
4🌟

TWs; sexual assault, murder, misogyny.

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Headline/Mountain Leopard Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7424270826
Read 14th-16th Jun 2025

#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
3d
OutsmartYourShelf albeit a fictional one, which isn't afraid to look at the darker aspects of ordinary life.
4🌟

TWs; sexual assault, murder, misogyny.

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Headline/Mountain Leopard Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7424270826
Read 14th-16th Jun 2025

#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
3d
DieAReader 🎉Fantastic!! 3d
31 likes1 stack add5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

The prequel to 'The Final Hunt' & 'The Last Hunt' is set in 1985 & is about the making of a serial killer. Weaving in parts of the story from the real-life Green River Killer, this one has pace & some surprising twists. Like Cameron (the female MC in the main two books), Holly Sparks is a lead character that the reader can't help rooting for & you really want her to find the evidence to uncover her sister's killer. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf The development of John from an unwilling witness to becoming the Teacher Killer (not a spoiler!) is very well done, but I'm still conflicted on whether the twist concerning Det. Tanner Mulholland was a twist too far or not. If you like fast-paced thrillers with sympathetic main characters & haven't read this short series yet, I recommend you do. 4🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, BooksGoSocial, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
5d
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 5d
31 likes3 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

Isn‘t this the most gorgeous cover?!

20 year old Thomas is a ‘shanker‘ - he collects shrimps in an unnamed beach town, in mid-20th Century Britain, still using a horse and cart. One day a charismatic American arrives, offering money and requesting help that only Thomas can offer.

Will he be able to break away from his lonely drudgery or is it all too good to be true?

#netgalley Pub 17th July in the UK.

BarbaraBB Super attractive cover indeed! 6d
Cathythoughts Sounds beautiful ( cover is too ) stacked. ❤️ 6d
TrishB Oh I love that cover ♥️ 1d
70 likes2 stack adds3 comments