The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

The Berry Pickers is an immersive and stunningly written debut novel by Amanda Peters.

Synopsis

Every summer, a Mi’kmaq family travels from Nova Scotia to Maine to pick berries. A few weeks into the season, the youngest child, Ruthie, vanishes without a trace. Her older brother Joe was the last person to see her. That fact will sit heavy with him for years to come.

Norma grows up in a wealthy household but is plagued with dreams that she cannot understand. And her loving but controlling mother refuses to discuss them. As Norma grows older, she realizes her parents are hiding something from her.

The Berry Pickers

Review of The Berry Pickers

This beautifully written novel follows Joe and Norma’s perspectives. This is a moving and powerful story with sprinkles of Indigenous humour here and there.

It discusses the loss of language and culture, the threat of residential schools, and MMIW. But it also shines a light on the importance of family. Even with the heavier topics, there is a sense of hopefulness by the end.

The story slowly drew me in, and by the end, I wished there were more pages. Both of the main characters completely captured my heart.

I highly recommend adding this wonderful debut to your TBR as soon as possible.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 04 April 2023

Thank you to Harper Perennial for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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For past reviews, click here.

The Lost Wife by Georgina Lees

Georgina Lees excels at writing character-driven thrillers, and The Lost Wife is no exception.

Synopsis

A woman is on the run with a wounded arm, a bloody veil in the passenger seat, and a child in the back seat.

Review of The Lost Wife

I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot because it would be easy to give something away.

This psychological thriller has two timelines. The tension and secrets build with each chapter. The reader feels all the oppressive anxieties the characters do.

It discusses difficult parent/child relationships, gaslighting, and control.

This novel has a lot of brutality and a violent scene that may trigger animal lovers.

Many of the problems could have been resolved if the characters had tried communicating with one another rather than keeping everything locked up.

I feel like Georgina Lees is an underrated author. But she is quickly becoming my go-to thriller author.

If you enjoy evenly-paced, character-driven thrillers featuring characters that might not always be likeable, then you may enjoy this novel.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 07 April 2023

Thank you to One More Chapter for providing a widget via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

I had high hopes for The Soulmate. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me.

Synopsis

Pippa and Gabe moved to their dream house on the coast. The only drawback is that the cliff on their property is where people go to end their lives. Gabe has become something of an expert at talking them down, away from the edge. Until one makes it past him, and it turns out he knew the victim. The cracks begin to show in this seemingly perfect family.

Review of The Soulmate

This domestic suspense follows two POVs and two timelines. The short chapters make it a quick read. Although I thought the story went on for longer than it needed to.

This book discusses mental health, shady business deals, and loyalty.

Pippa’s character didn’t make much sense to me. She’s a lawyer, but she chose to ignore so many red flags. If you were to tell her to forget about something suspicious, she would.

While I didn’t love this book, it did successfully pull me out of a reading slump. It’s a compelling read if you just go with it.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 04 April 2023

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc via Netgaley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill by Rowenna Miller

The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill is a magical story of two sisters who would do anything for each other.

Synopsis

Decades ago, the Fairborn family struck a bargain with the fae granting them ownership of acres of land on Prospect Hill. Today, the family still resides there, taking care of their farm.

Delphine is about to marry into a wealthy and influential family and will soon depart from Prospect Hill.

Alaine and her husband, Jack, never intend to leave their home on the hill. While Delphine prepares for her future, Alaine quietly struggles to keep the farm afloat, making increasingly risky bargains with the fae to pay the bills.

Shortly after the wedding, Delphine realizes her husband is not the man she thought he was. And Alaine will go to great lengths to keep her sister safe.

Review of The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill

This book is a magical, lyrically written feminist fantasy. It follows Delphine and Alaine’s perspectives.

It discusses domestic abuse, women’s suffrage, and classism.

While the writing was beautiful, it was a good way through the book before the plot took off. And while I don’t need to relate to characters, something about the writing style made me feel distant from the characters.

If you like fae stories, then you’ll probably enjoy this one. It goes over familiar lore about the fair folk, but effortlessly keeps it intriguing and even a bit frightening.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Expected Publication: 28 March 2023

Thank you to Redhook for sending me a physical arc in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

A Likely Story by Leigh McMullan Abramson

A Likely Story features unlikeable characters and a story with a story.

Synopsis

Since her childhood, Isabelle Manning has always admired Ward, her father and bestselling author. Her mother, Claire, has recently passed, and it has never been clearer that she was the glue that held them together.

Isabelle has always wanted to be a writer like her father but has not had the success she dreamed she would. Meanwhile, Ward is struggling to write his next novel and with the realization that he is not the hot commodity he once was.

One day, Isabelle comes across some shocking information that throws into doubt everything she thought she knew about her family.

Review of A Likely Story

This novel features multiple POVs, alternating timelines, and a story within a story. It’s also a slow burn. The big reveal doesn’t happen until around 100 pages in.

Exception for Claire, many of the characters were hard to like. Ward is a mediocre man who needs to be lauded by others to feel good about himself. Isabelle’s whole personality, initially, is merely to exist as Ward’s daughter. She’s also incredibly self-centred. Usually, I don’t mind reading about unlikeable characters. However, I’d prefer them to have some interesting qualities, which these two did not.

At first, I did enjoy the story within the story, but it lost steam part way through.

There are discussions on nepotism and Isabelle’s feelings of failure and insecurities as a nepo baby.

I did like how things eventually came together in the end, hence the three stars. Although this book didn’t completely work for me, it is getting high ratings from other reviewers, so you may have better luck with it than me.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now Available.

Thank you to Atria Books for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah

Those People Next Door highlights the different forms of racism and prejudices in this compulsively readable thriller.

Synopsis

Salma, her husband Bil, and their son Zain have recently moved to a new neighbourhood. They attend a neighbourhood party, and everything seems to be going well enough. That is until Zain’s anti-racist flag starts triggering the neighbours, leading them to acts of passive aggression. The situation quickly spirals out of control.

Review of Those People Next Door

This intense neighbourhood thriller has multiple POVs.

Abdullah examines the many forms that racism and prejudice can take.

The author’s writing style is very engaging and near unputdownable. This is the second book I’ve read of hers, and it was just as gripping. She strikes a nice balance between characterization and moving the plot along.

There are twists upon twists. However, one of the final reveals was a bit of a letdown. It seemed to come out of nowhere.

But except for that gripe, the rest of the book was amazing.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 14 March 2023

Thank you to HQ for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

The Golden Spoon is a cozy murder mystery set at a remote estate.

Synopsis

Over five days, six contestants will compete to win the Golden Spoon trophy and a coveted cookbook publishing deal. Betsy Martin has hosted the competition at her family estate for the last ten years. However, Betsy’s producers want to freshen things up, so they’ve arranged for a new cohost to join her. But there’s a storm coming, and not everyone will survive the week.

Review of The Golden Spoon

This cozy mystery has multiple perspectives, including all the contestants and Betsy herself. The contestants had distinct personalities and backgrounds, but most of them still felt a bit bland and archetypal.

Also, there was some repetitiveness, and the ending was spoon-fed to the reader.

The writing reminded me of The Woman in the Library. So if you liked that one, you may have success with this book.

But all in all, this is a fun mystery to read in a sitting or two. I love watching or reading about competitions, and this book brought that element to life.

I will definitely watch the adaptation whenever it releases.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 07 March 2023

Thank you to Atria Books for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones

Missing Clarissa is a fast-paced YA thriller.

Synopsis

For their journalism class, two high school students start a true crime podcast about Clarissa, a popular cheerleader who went missing in 1999. Cameron and Blair, mostly Cameron, believe that they can find the person responsible for Clarissa’s disappearance. The podcast quickly grows a dedicated following, and the situation becomes dicier as the girls get deeper into their investigation.

Review of Missing Clarissa

This YA thriller is a short and easy read. It follows Cameron and Blair’s perspectives. Most of it was well-written, but a few sections were starkly repetitive and juvenile.

Cameron wasn’t the easiest character to like. She’s super impulsive, jumping into things without thinking of the consequences. Blair has low self-esteem and has always been Cameron’s trusty sidekick, but she is becoming tired of that role.

I did like that this book raised the issue of pretty dead/missing white girls receiving the most media attention over people of colour.

But it’s still unrealistic to believe two teenagers could solve this cold case and not the authorities. If I were younger, maybe I’d be able to overlook it.

Overall, this was a fun and adequate thriller, it just won’t stick with me for long.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

Expected Publication: 07 March 2023

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

A Day of Fallen Night is just as epic as The Priory of the Orange Tree but takes a while to get going.

Synopsis

This prequel takes place 500 years before the events of The Priory of the Orange Tree. Each of the four geographical regions has its own historical, religious, and political beliefs. All of their beliefs are at odds with each other.

There are rumours that the Dreadmount has erupted, spewing forth wyrms and other destructive creatures. The Nameless One has not been a threat for centuries. Now, these creatures are wreaking destruction wherever they land. It’s up to each leader to decide the best way to defeat these dreadful beasts before everything lies in ruin.

Review of A Day of Fallen Night

When I read Priory, the story immediately sucked me in, and I felt an instant attachment to nearly every character. I rooted for most of them every step of the way. However, with this book, it took a while for me to become invested in some of the characters’ lives. And there are a lot of characters in this chunky book (although there is a helpful character list). I eventually came to cheer for all the big players and might have even been teary by the end. Wulf, Glorian, Nikeya, and Dumai all have wonderful character arcs.

The pacing wasn’t as consistent as Priory, either. In that one, it felt like things were always happening, so the book never seemed slow despite its length. But even though this one had a slow setup, it was totally worth it. Samantha Shannon knows how to hook her readers. The first major twist had me gasping; the story really took off from there.

Since this is a prequel, it can be read first or as a standalone. But, I’m glad I read Priory first for the context it provided. This one might have been a tad daunting without having some background on this world.

I don’t want this review to sound lukewarm because there were many instances where I was completely hooked and stayed up late to read it. It’s just hard to live up to the expectations set by the first book.

Nevertheless, let the wait commence for the next Roots of Chaos novel.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 28 February 2023

A big thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with physical and digital copies to review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

A Death at the Party by Amy Stuart

A Death at the Party is an engrossing domestic neighbourhood suspense set over a single day.

Synopsis

It opens with Nadine finding a body in her basement while a snazzy garden party is going on upstairs.

Rewind to that morning, and Nadine is making last-minute preparations with her close friends and family for her mother’s birthday celebration. Throughout the day, Nadine reflects on events that happened thirty years earlier. As the day unfurls, so too do everyone’s secrets.

Review of A Death at the Party

This story is a mix between a domestic and neighbourhood suspense, which makes it all the more compelling. There’s the family component plus the small-world feel from everyone on the block knowing everyone else’s business.

The chapters are short, making this a quick one to get through. And there were some great twists along the way. The identity of the body doesn’t get revealed until the end, which kept me guessing. There are many moving parts, and the author neatly stitches them together.

I would recommend this if you enjoy carefully plotted domestic neighbourhood suspense novels. I would not classify this as a thriller.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 07 March 2023

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.