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reading_under_covers's reviews
1584 reviews
The Better Sister by Alafair Burke
4.0
Here for the messy family drama!!
Excited to see how this is adapted to screen!
Excited to see how this is adapted to screen!
Off the Beaten Path: A Stone's Throw Mystery by Eloise Corvo
4.0
"The usual pastel color palette of downtown...is drained to a stark black and white this morning.
Covering every flat surface are flyers with MISSING PERSON plastered boldly across the top."
OFF THE BEATEN PATH is Eloise Corvo's debut mystery and it was riddled with charm and that small town feel.
Taking place in Michigan, this story leaned heavily into its Midwestern-ness, which I adored, and the main character being a park ranger was so fun as well - I love books that feature nature and parks and, paired with the small town atmosphere of Stone's Throw, this worked really well!
We have a quirky cast of characters (whom I couldn't help but compare to characters in Stars Hollow lol) and a cozy (yet bloody π) mystery to boot!
While the main character made some ~choices~ I found this book to be a great one to cozy up with for an afternoon or two!
Thanks to Eloise for the early copy for review - out April 29!
Covering every flat surface are flyers with MISSING PERSON plastered boldly across the top."
OFF THE BEATEN PATH is Eloise Corvo's debut mystery and it was riddled with charm and that small town feel.
Taking place in Michigan, this story leaned heavily into its Midwestern-ness, which I adored, and the main character being a park ranger was so fun as well - I love books that feature nature and parks and, paired with the small town atmosphere of Stone's Throw, this worked really well!
We have a quirky cast of characters (whom I couldn't help but compare to characters in Stars Hollow lol) and a cozy (yet bloody π) mystery to boot!
While the main character made some ~choices~ I found this book to be a great one to cozy up with for an afternoon or two!
Thanks to Eloise for the early copy for review - out April 29!
The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maritza Moulite, Maika Moulite
4.0
βIβm a zombie, not a saint.β
This story features a zombie or two, wealthy people getting their just desserts, and is interwoven with Haitian lore!
I could absolutely feel the emotion that the authors poured into this book and it touches on so many important topics - the opioid crisis in America being a big one.
It's meaty, will have your mouth watering, and will gear you up to fight the 1% alongside Brielle.
I highly recommend picking this one up - itβs out today ππ€«
Thanks to the publisher for sending me an early copy for review!
This story features a zombie or two, wealthy people getting their just desserts, and is interwoven with Haitian lore!
I could absolutely feel the emotion that the authors poured into this book and it touches on so many important topics - the opioid crisis in America being a big one.
It's meaty, will have your mouth watering, and will gear you up to fight the 1% alongside Brielle.
I highly recommend picking this one up - itβs out today ππ€«
Thanks to the publisher for sending me an early copy for review!
Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
4.0
"Sometimes, all an old lady wants is a murder to solve. Is that too much to ask for?"
Jesse Q. Sutanto has done it again with VERA WONG'S GUIDE TO SNOOPING (ON A DEAD MAN)!
We're back with Vera and all the friends she made from the first book in this series, but a new murder means new suspects (I mean, people of interest), and I loved watching this cast of misfits come together!
The food and tea descriptions were delectable and Vera's sass came out in full force once again! The mystery in this one was a bit intense, but I'm intrigued to see where Vera's crime-solving mind goes next (Paris, perhaps?!)
Thanks to Berkley Publishing for the free copy for review!
Jesse Q. Sutanto has done it again with VERA WONG'S GUIDE TO SNOOPING (ON A DEAD MAN)!
We're back with Vera and all the friends she made from the first book in this series, but a new murder means new suspects (I mean, people of interest), and I loved watching this cast of misfits come together!
The food and tea descriptions were delectable and Vera's sass came out in full force once again! The mystery in this one was a bit intense, but I'm intrigued to see where Vera's crime-solving mind goes next (Paris, perhaps?!)
Thanks to Berkley Publishing for the free copy for review!
Coram House: A Novel by Bailey Seybolt
3.5
An old orphanage sitting on a lakeside cliff and a true crime writer tasked with ghost-writing the events that took place there - seems straightforward enough until the bodies start to fall.
"You can leave Coram House but you can't leave it behind."
CORAM HOUSE by Bailey Seybolt is a debut that has all of the elements of a fantastic atmospheric thriller, but they were laid out in a way that didn't fully make it so.
Starting with the good (the great, even!) - I really loved the police transcripts that flashed back to Coram House and the kids that saw and experienced dreadful acts there. They added a fast pace to a story that often dragged, and added extra characterization (if shallow) to an otherwise single narrator-forward story.
The atmosphere surrounding this small Vermont town with a sordid history was eerie and extremely cold and I enjoyed seeing the lake play as big a role in this story as it did!
What didn't really work for me as hinted at above was the decision-making behind our main character and how her choices felt entitled, while slowing the story down immensely. Alex has obviously been through some stuff, but she very much had that "outsider coming in to shake things up" feel to her while everyone around her seemed to also fall in love with her?!
I genuinely think this story could have hit harder for me if the protagonist was stronger.
Either way, I'm intrigued to see what Seybolt's sophomore novel offers up!
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review - out now!
"You can leave Coram House but you can't leave it behind."
CORAM HOUSE by Bailey Seybolt is a debut that has all of the elements of a fantastic atmospheric thriller, but they were laid out in a way that didn't fully make it so.
Starting with the good (the great, even!) - I really loved the police transcripts that flashed back to Coram House and the kids that saw and experienced dreadful acts there. They added a fast pace to a story that often dragged, and added extra characterization (if shallow) to an otherwise single narrator-forward story.
The atmosphere surrounding this small Vermont town with a sordid history was eerie and extremely cold and I enjoyed seeing the lake play as big a role in this story as it did!
What didn't really work for me as hinted at above was the decision-making behind our main character and how her choices felt entitled, while slowing the story down immensely. Alex has obviously been through some stuff, but she very much had that "outsider coming in to shake things up" feel to her while everyone around her seemed to also fall in love with her?!
I genuinely think this story could have hit harder for me if the protagonist was stronger.
Either way, I'm intrigued to see what Seybolt's sophomore novel offers up!
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review - out now!
Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
4.0
This is my first read from the Eddie Flynn series and I had such a fun (and emotional) time with this one!
The immediate premise of two sisters pointing fingers at each other for their father's murder instantly hooked me in and I fell in love with Eddie as a character nearly just as quickly.
The side characters all felt fully fleshed out as well (I'm hoping to see more of them in other books in this series π) and the trial process was very fascinating to read about.
Would have never guessed Cavanagh wasn't a New York native while reading this!
Thanks to Atria Books for the ARC for review - out June 3, 2025!
The immediate premise of two sisters pointing fingers at each other for their father's murder instantly hooked me in and I fell in love with Eddie as a character nearly just as quickly.
The side characters all felt fully fleshed out as well (I'm hoping to see more of them in other books in this series π) and the trial process was very fascinating to read about.
Would have never guessed Cavanagh wasn't a New York native while reading this!
Thanks to Atria Books for the ARC for review - out June 3, 2025!
Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter
4.0
A timely story on the dangers/fears that come along with influencing, especially in regards to the mom-fluencers who put their kids online for all to see!
SUCH A BAD INFLUENCE was GREAT on audio. It was read by a full cast and the podcast elements of this story were brought to life in the best ways.
I absolutely flew through this story and am intrigued to see what Muenter comes up with next!
SUCH A BAD INFLUENCE was GREAT on audio. It was read by a full cast and the podcast elements of this story were brought to life in the best ways.
I absolutely flew through this story and am intrigued to see what Muenter comes up with next!
When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy
5.0
"No one will be spared when the wolf comes home."
One night, Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violent, bloody encounter with the boy's father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives.
WHEN THE WOLF COMES HOME by Nat Cassidy was a scary, sad, beautifully horrific road trip of a novel that will sit with me for A LONG TIME, if not forever.
Cassidy tends to put a lot of himself in his work and this one is his most tender yet. Weaving together monsters and humanity and the moments of overlap, WHEN THE WOLF COMES HOME will have you running for the hills and calling your parents all within the same breath.
There were also a few elements in this story that felt cherry-picked for me specifically (I won't go into any detail here as they were truly fun to meet head-on within the story without the prior knowledge, but just know that they were 10000% *chef's kiss*)
Catch me out here championing this book (alongside Stephen King lol) for the foreseeable future!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the early copy for review - out April 22!
One night, Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violent, bloody encounter with the boy's father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives.
WHEN THE WOLF COMES HOME by Nat Cassidy was a scary, sad, beautifully horrific road trip of a novel that will sit with me for A LONG TIME, if not forever.
Cassidy tends to put a lot of himself in his work and this one is his most tender yet. Weaving together monsters and humanity and the moments of overlap, WHEN THE WOLF COMES HOME will have you running for the hills and calling your parents all within the same breath.
There were also a few elements in this story that felt cherry-picked for me specifically (I won't go into any detail here as they were truly fun to meet head-on within the story without the prior knowledge, but just know that they were 10000% *chef's kiss*)
Catch me out here championing this book (alongside Stephen King lol) for the foreseeable future!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the early copy for review - out April 22!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
The French Honeymoon by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
4.0
This one is for all my scammer-loving queens!
THE FRENCH HONEYMOON is loaded with unlikeable characters, cons, and green card weddings?!
I loved the back and forth chapters of New York and then Paris, and Jouhanneau's use of flashbacks in building out the timeline was highly effective.
This slow burn story will have you shaking your fists and trying to guess what's to come next π
Overall, a really fun story that kept me hooked from chapter one!
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review - out April 15!
THE FRENCH HONEYMOON is loaded with unlikeable characters, cons, and green card weddings?!
I loved the back and forth chapters of New York and then Paris, and Jouhanneau's use of flashbacks in building out the timeline was highly effective.
This slow burn story will have you shaking your fists and trying to guess what's to come next π
Overall, a really fun story that kept me hooked from chapter one!
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review - out April 15!
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
4.0
I honestly loved so much about this story and completely understand the Evelyn Hugo comparison!
I will say the historical aspect of this story fell very flat to me - there was a point where Alice said "this book is going to need a detailed family tree at the start of it to keep track of everyone" and I said GIRL. I had a hard time connecting with the importance of Maragaret for a lot of the story as well.
With that being said, I loved all the small town moments and seeing the vignettes between Alice and her mom, and the love story of course!!
I will continue to read anything this woman writes!
Thanks to NetGalley Berkley Romance for an ARC in exchange for an honest review -out April 22!
I will say the historical aspect of this story fell very flat to me - there was a point where Alice said "this book is going to need a detailed family tree at the start of it to keep track of everyone" and I said GIRL. I had a hard time connecting with the importance of Maragaret for a lot of the story as well.
With that being said, I loved all the small town moments and seeing the vignettes between Alice and her mom, and the love story of course!!
I will continue to read anything this woman writes!
Thanks to NetGalley Berkley Romance for an ARC in exchange for an honest review -out April 22!