Book Review: The Return by Rachel Harrison

Title: The Return

Author: Rachel Harrison

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Adult, Horror

Pages: 304

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"An edgy and haunting debut novel about a group of friends who reunite after one of them has returned from a mysterious two-year disappearance.

Julie is missing, and the missing don't often return. But Elise knows Julie better than anyone, and she feels in her bones that her best friend is out there, and that one day she'll come back. She's right. Two years to the day that Julie went missing, she reappears with no memory of where she's been or what happened to her."

My Rating: 3.75/5

This was such a fast-paced fun horror book. I enjoyed the atmosphere the absolute most. The idea of a hotel where things are not quite right and they are going wrong repeatedly. Everything in this hotel was just so eerie. I will say that the intense scenes hit hard and just kept coming. The thrilling aspects were exciting and enjoyable. That being said I knew parts of where this story was going, just not sure how it would wrap up. I would read more from the author, especially in this genre.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Title: The Wife Upstairs

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Thriller, Adult

Pages: 290

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"Meet Jane. Newly arrived in Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates- a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side table of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask Jane is her real name.

But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates' most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can't help but see an opportunity in Eddie- not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she's always yearned for.

Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie's heart before her past- or his- catches up to her."

My Rating: 3.5/5

This book wasn't as thrilling or as mysterious as I hoped for it to be. While there were twists and turns I wasn't incredibly shocked by many of them. I enjoyed the way that the story was told, but there were moments where I wasn't certain about the characters' choices. Also, the side mystery, wasn't as chilling or creepy as I hoped it would be. While people in these residents are vastly different than me, I still don't think that some of their reactions were realistic in the least. It was fun, quick, and entertaining. Just not the thriller I was expecting.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

 Title: Her Royal Highness

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Series/Standalone: Royals Series (Book #2)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult, LGBT

Pages: 274

Publisher: G.P Putnam's Son Books for Young Readers
Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"Millie Quint is devastated when she discovers her sort-of-best friend/sort-of-girlfriend has been kissing someone else. And because Millie cannot stand the thought of confronting her ex every day, she decides to apply for scholarships to boarding schools... the farther from Houston the better.

Millie can't believe her luck when she's accepted into one of the world's most exclusive schools, located in the rolling highlands of Scotland. Everything about Scotland is different: the country is misty and green; the school is gorgeous, and the students think Americans are cute.

The only problem: Millie's roommate Flora is a total princess.

She's also an actual princess. Of Scotland.

At first, the girls can barely stand each other-- Flora is both high-class and high-key-- but before Millie knows it, she has another sort-of-best-friend/sort-of-girlfriend. Even though Princess Flora could be a new chapter in her love life, Millie knows the chances of happily ever afters are slim... after all, real life isn't a fairy tale... or is it?"

My Rating: 2/5

So I read the first book in this series and I was so excited to learn more about Flora, and I feel like we did, but I just didn't like it. I was really hoping that this book would be from Flora's P.O.V but it wasn't, and that really took away from my overall enjoyment. I also just didn't care for the characters we saw throughout this novel. While there was a romance aspect, it wasn't what I wanted it to be, and I just didn't feel the spark between our two characters. I would read more from Rachel Hawkins and I would love to hear about other people's romances within the royal/aristocrat families. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Royals by Rachel Hawkins

 Title: Royals

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Series/Standalone: Royals Series

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult

Pages: 296

Publisher: G.P Putnam's Sons for Young Readers

Year Published: 2018

Format: Audiobook

"Meet Daisy Winters. She's an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part-time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her to join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond.

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince's roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown-- and the intriguing Miles- might be trying to make Daisy into a lady... but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself."

My Rating: 3/5

I would like to start this review by saying this book has been re-released with a totally different cover (far better) and title (Prince Charming). So as much as this looks like it was released in 2009, it did come out in 2018 and the cover is far better. Now for the story itself. I absolutely love the characters in this. They are so sweet and bubbly, exactly what I needed from characters in this style of the book. While they have issues and problems, nothing is too deep (there are issues but no one is about to die). The atmosphere was a little lacklustre. While things are described, the way that time passes throughout the story is faster then I imagine it passing. We basically catch up with our main character during interesting aspects there isn't any idle time really. I loved how light and fun this story was, and the cute romances throughout. I plan on continuing the series asap (have the next one on hold at my local library). 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny