Format: eBook

In 1902 at 7/7 Marchmont Crescent in Edinburgh, there is a sophisticated, yet elderly tabby cat named Grimalkin who spends his days observing the estate’s owner Mr. Calvert and his devoted maid Eilidah. Full of aches, pains and an itchy patch caused by fleas, one morning Grimalkin takes his last breath and is greeted by the mythical Cat-sith who informs him that as a cat, he has nine lives. Of those nine lives, cats have three lives when they stay, three when they stray, and three when they play. Having spent his first life “staying” and being cared for by Eilidah, Alex Howard’s The Ghost Cat takes the reader along on Grimalkin’s next eight ghostly lives and observational visits at 7/7 Marchmont Crescent and its various occupants over the course of the next one hundred and twenty years. Quietly curious and casually unhurried, The Ghost Cat is a unique historical fiction novel written from the perspective of a senior inquisitive cat that is simultaneously light-hearted while also being thought-provoking. While the title The Ghost Cat and its premise gives the book a fantasy sound at a first glance, the novel is instead almost entirely a historical fiction book with very…

The following review is based on a complimentary ARC provided by Sourcebooks Fire via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What if Mary, Queen of the Scots’ tumultuous reign and the surrounding scheming were influenced by the presence fae magic and other Scottish folklore? Sara Raasch and Beth Revis’s collaboration novel The Crimson Throne is an entertaining and straightforward YA romantasy novel as well as a liberally interpreted historical fiction story. Magical fae powers, cursed objects and weapons, historic grand castles and sweeping scenic landscapes, The Crimson Throne has all the right elements for a great fantasy story. Presented from dual perspectives, one a Scottish half-fae guardian of the crown and one an English spy sent to infiltrate said crown’s inner circle, the scene is set for a forbidden romance between two opponents meant to outplay each other with both the Scottish/England Kingdoms and the Fae Kingdom’s future at stake. An important note that is not clearly mentioned on early previews and listing at the time of this review for The Crimson Throne is that this is the first book in a brand new fantasy duology (the ARC received as well as Amazon’s presale store states it’s part of…

The following review is based on a complimentary ARC provided by Sourcebooks Landmark via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Beautiful, fit, smart, on the surface Lily Lennox appears to be the perfect seasonal employee and lifeguard of the exclusive Riovan Wellness Resort that celebrities, influencers, and the wealthy flock to in the pursuit of healthy “wellness”. While physically matching the social media curated brand look of the resort, Lily hides a hidden motive for her annual Caribbean summer job. A lifeguard when on-duty, vigilante killer of toxic and problematic people off-duty, her fifth year at Riovan starts out like every past summer. That is until an attractive and charismatic guest Daniel Black starts asking the wrong questions, complicating her annual tradition as well as causing her to question her actions, motives, and her hopes of “saving people.” Despite this novel being classified on paper under the romance genre, A Killer Getaway has so much more to offer outside of a possible tropical summer romance. Blending elements of the mystery thriller, crime thriller, literary fiction, and of course a bit of romance, Sienna Sharpe has crafted an extraordinarily well-rounded and ambitious Women’s Fiction/Contemporary drama story that was a consistently…

The following review is based on a complimentary ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Mixing elements from both holiday and light magical romance genres, Timothy Janovsky’s A Mannequin for Christmas novel is a light-hearted and cute story perfect for the holidays, though it’s still a solid read outside of the winter months (I read the ARC going into the summer, oops). A cross between the 1980’s movie Mannequin and the classic Disney movie Life Sized, paired with the wishing/midnight hour premise of Cinderella, the story has a charming whimsical feel despite clearly having the light spice and style of an adult romance novel. Likewise, the comedic and sillier moments are nicely balanced out with more serious and somber content, resulting in a well-rounded novel that’s far more ambitious than most holiday themed stories. The story follows Henry’s struggles and insecurities revolving around maintaining his Aunt Isla’s vintage items store as well as his recent breakup, and in a moment of despair, he makes a wish at the afternoon magic hour for a perfect man. Between Henry’s amusing horror at the mannequin/Aidan’s sudden appearance and Aidan’s childlike confusion at how to be a…

Entry #4 in Martha Well’s Murderbot Diaries series, by this point you’re likely a devoted fan of the series and should have a pretty good idea of what to expect; Murderbot’s sarcastically dry and witty humor, a healthy balance of thriller and political scheming plot, and good ol’ high sci-fi goodness. While the abbreviated novella format continues to limit the amount of worldbuilding and concurrent storylines Wells can run with simultaneously, Exit Strategy is by far the most serialized story yet and one of the most cohesive. Referencing and tying together all of the first three novella’s narratives, Exit Strategy is easily the most balanced entry that finds a happy medium between Artificial Condition’s undercover stealth movements and Rogue Protocol’s more action thriller flavor. Additionally, this novella also utilizes every narrative plot thread featured in the past three stories, filling in the previous gaps and question marks Murderbot and the reader experiences as the scope of the series and bigger picture takes to shape. Exit Strategy’s story feels like a direct sequel to the first novella All Systems Red while the other two novella’s stories add context and larger ramifications for Dr. Mensah and Murderbot’s ongoing survival. However, with only…