PLBR Book Reviews 2018 - ELLES BOOK BLOG

ELLES BOOK BLOG

DEADLY NEWS BY JODY HOLFORD

10/30/2018

Deadly News is the first book in a brand new cozy mystery series and I have to say, I freakin loved it! This book is fresh, original, and filled with a fantastic set of characters. If you enjoy cozy mysteries make sure to grab a copy of this one!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: October 30, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: A Britton Bay Mystery #1
Pages: 239 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

Former Army brat Molly Owens is ready to put down roots, and the picturesque seaside town of Britton Bay on the Oregon Coast seems like the perfect place for it. Especially when she lands a job as editor of the local paper. But she’s got one colleague who’s very bad news . . .

As an experienced journalist, Molly is eager to bring the struggling Britton Bay Bulletin up to speed. But when she pushes Vernon, one of her less welcoming reporters, to dig a little deeper into the story of a prominent local family, the man ends up dead. The fact that he wasn’t well-liked makes finding the killer extra complicated. The lists of suspects range from his ex-wife to his own son to Molly’s boss, who has a secret of his own. But when Molly’s attempts to sleuth out the truth result in her receiving frightening threats, the trouble is just beginning . . .

PUSHING THE LIMITS BY KATIE MCGARRY

10/28/2018

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. And the fact that this is a young adult romance blows my mind! If you haven't read this one, I highly recommend grabbing it!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Series: Pushing the Limits #1 (series of standalones)
Pages: 392 pages
Format: Paperback. Purchased.

Book 1 in Katie McGarry’s award-winning, powerful and romantic Pushing the Limits series, perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Stephanie Perkins and Simone Elkeles!

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can PUSH THE LIMITS and what she’ll risk for the one guy who might teach her HOW TO LOVE AGAIN.

KILL RIVER BYCAMERON ROUBIQUE

10/26/2018

Kill River is slasher horror at it's best! I remember reading books like this when I was younger so this brought back so many great reading memories. I highly recommend it!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: August 1, 2015
Genre: Horror
Series: Kill River series #1
Pages: 345 pages
Format: eBook. Purchased.

In the summer of 1983, thirteen-year-old Cyndi and her three new-found friends, Stacy, Zack, and Brad decide to sneak away from their summer camp in the middle of the night by rafting down the nearby rivers. After spending a tense night lost in the woods, the four teenagers stumble into a mysterious water park that appears to be completely empty.

At first they are thrilled to have the rides all to themselves, at least until one of them disappears. Soon they discover that they are trapped in the park, and a dark figure is stalking them from the shadows, picking them off one by one. Once night falls, Cyndi will have to fight to escape the park, a masked maniac, and a living nightmare.

Kill River is a wild water park ride filled with blood, gore, and '80s nostalgia. Slasher fans rejoice, old school horror is back!

HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SCREAM BY VARIOUS AUTHORS

10/24/2018

This book is a horror, Christmas anthology! The book contains 18 short stories by various authors within the horror genre. If you like scary (somewhat) stories you may want to give this a try. I personally felt indifferent to it.

Rating: ★★★
Release Date: October 23, 2018
Genre: Horror/ Anthology
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 384 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

Eighteen stories of Christmas horror from bestselling, acclaimed authors including Scott Smith, Seanan McGuire, Josh Malerman, Michael Koryta, Sarah Pinborough, and many more.

That there is darkness at the heart of the Yuletide season should not surprise. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is filled with scenes that are unsettling. Marley untying the bandage that holds his jaws together. The hideous children--Want and Ignorance--beneath the robe of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The heavy ledgers Marley drags by his chains. In the finest versions of this story, the best parts are the terrifying parts.

Bestselling author and editor Christopher Golden shares his love for Christmas horror stories with this anthology of all-new short fiction from some of the most talented and original writers of horror today.

ROSEMARY'S BABY BY IRA LEVIN

10/23/2018

Rosemary's Baby is a true horror classic! I remember the movie scaring me when I was younger and the book is just as creepy! I very much recommend it for all horror fans.

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: March 12, 1967
Genre: Horror
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 282 pages
Format: eBook. Purchased.

In this new Fiftieth Anniversary edition of the classic masterpiece of spellbinding suspense, evil wears the most innocent face of all...

Rosemary Woodhouse and her struggling actor husband Guy move into the Bramford, an old New York City apartment building with an ominous reputation and mostly elderly residents. Neighbors Roman and Minnie Castavet soon come nosing around to welcome the Woodhouses to the building, and despite Rosemary's reservations about their eccentricity and the weird noises that she keeps hearing, her husband takes a shine to them.

Shortly after Guy lands a plum Broadway role, Rosemary becomes pregnant—and the Castavets start taking a special interest in her welfare. As the sickened Rosemary becomes increasingly isolated, she begins to suspect that the Castavets' circle is not what it seems...

FORESTS, FISHING, AND FORGERY BY TONYA KNAPPES

10/22/2018

I absolutely adore this cozy mystery series! If you are a fan of the genre, make sure to pick this series up. You can even read it for free with kindle unlimited. It's a total must read!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: July 31, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: The Campers & Criminals series #3
Pages: 273 pages
Format: eBook. Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited.

Welcome to Normal, Kentucky~ where nothing is normal.

It's Labor Day weekend in Normal, and if you know anything about camping and RVing, you know it's one of the busiest times of the year. Unfortunately, Daniel Boone National Park is in danger of being closed due to a drought and local businesses are scrambling for ideas to survive a possible shutdown.

Happy Trails Campground is at the center of a murder in which campers as well locals are suspects. It looks likely that a local resident is responsible for the dastardly deed since the victim is the one person who had the power to shut down the national park, which would be devastating to Normal’s small businesses.

Follow Mae West as she searches for clues to get to the bottom of this Labor Day campground caper

KILL CREEK BY SCOTT THOMAS

10/21/2018

If you are looking for a creepy haunted house story then you don't want to miss Kill Creek by Scott Thomas! This is an original and spooky read and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: October 31, 2017
Genre: Horror
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 416 pages
Format: Paperback. Purchased.

At the end of a dark prairie road, nearly forgotten in the Kansas countryside, is the Finch House. For years it has remained empty, overgrown, abandoned. Soon the door will be opened for the first time in decades. But something is waiting, lurking in the shadows, anxious to meet its new guests…

When best-selling horror author Sam McGarver is invited to spend Halloween night in one of the country’s most infamous haunted houses, he reluctantly agrees. At least he won’t be alone; joining him are three other masters of the macabre, writers who have helped shape modern horror. But what begins as a simple publicity stunt will become a fight for survival. The entity they have awakened will follow them, torment them, threatening to make them a part of the bloody legacy of Kill Creek.

LOVE MACHINE BY KENDALL RYAN

10/20/2018

Love Machine is a cute and quirky friends-to-lovers romance! This is the perfect, drama free romance to read and can be done in one sitting! I recommend it just like I do the authors other books.

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: July 16, 2018
Genre: Friends-to-Lovers Romance
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 288 pages
Format: eBook. Purchased.

A best-friends-to-lovers standalone romance from New York Times bestselling author Kendall Ryan.

She says she needs some help ... in the bedroom.

Come again? No, really come again.

Sweet, nerdy, lovable Keaton.

She's my best friend and has been for years. Sure she likes numbers and math, and thinks doing other people's taxes is fun. And I like ... none of that stuff. She's obsessed with her cat and reads novels I'll never understand, and yet we just click. There's no one I'd rather share breakfast burritos with or binge watch hours of Netflix. She's my person. And so when she takes off her glasses and asks me to help her improve her skills in the bedroom, I barely have to think about it.

BLEEDING TARTS BY KRISTEN WEISS

10/18/2018

I loved this one! Kristen Weiss is making this series more delectable with each new book. I simply cannot wait for the next installment. This is a fun and hilarious cozy!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: April 24, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: A Pie Town Mystery #2
Pages: 368 pages
Format: eBook. Purchased.

Val's new pies are foolproof--but not bulletproof.

Old West ghost towns are as American as apple pie. So what better place to sponsor a pie-eating contest than the Bar X, a fake ghost town available for exclusive private events on the edge of Silicon Valley. Valentine Harris is providing the pies, hoping to boost business for her struggling Pie Town shop and become a regular supplier for the Bar X.

But no sooner does she arrive in town than a stray bullet explodes the cherry pie in her hands. And the delicious dessert is not the only victim. Val finds the Bar X bartender shot dead in an alley. Egged on by her flaky friend and pie crust specialist, Charlene, Val aims to draw out the shooter. But solving a real murder in a fake ghost town won't be easy as pie. And if Val doesn't watch her back, her pies won't be the only thing filled full of lead .

This is book 2 in the Pie Town mystery series. I recommend reading the series in order of publication!

SADIE BY COURTNEY SUMMERS

10/16/2018

Sadie is an intriguing young adult mystery that revolves are a little girls murder and her sisters fight to find the killer. This is a deeply emotional story when you think of it's context.

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Mystery and Crime
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 311 pages
Format: Hardcover. Purchased.

A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial—like podcast following the clues she's left behind. And an ending you won't be able to stop talking about.

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late.

SKINNY DIPPING WITH MURDER BY AURALEE WALLACE

10/14/2018

Yes! I loved this book so much. It brings readers a summery fee to go with the cozy mystery and has a ton of humor. I was laughing my butt off! I highly recommend it to all cozy fans!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: March 1, 2016
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Otter Lake Mystery Series #1
Pages: 305 pages
Format: Paperback. Purchased.

Welcome to Otter Lake, where the relaxing, restorative atmosphere is to die for.

Erica Bloom is in no rush to return to Otter Lake, the site of her mother's spiritual retreat for women. Erica met her inner goddess years ago and she's happy to have forged a new identity on her own, thank you very much. But her new-age-y, well-meaning mother is losing her grip on the business, and needs Erica's help. So she heads back to her New Hampshire hometown, where nothing much has changed-except for maybe the body in the well...

SKINNY DIPPING WITH MURDER
When Erica was a teenager, she fell prey to a practical joke that left her near-naked in Otter Lake's annual Raspberry Social. The incident was humiliating, but it wasn't like anyone got killed-until now. Those who were behind that long-ago prank are starting to turn up dead, and Erica's appearance in town makes her a prime suspect. To make matters worse, the town sheriff just happens to be Erica's old nemesis, Grady Forrester...who also happens to be

PENPAL BY DATHAN AUERBACH

10/12/2018

I'll admit, this was one creepy book. It sent chills up my spine and really freaked me out. However, I really didn't like the ending. Nothing was tied up like I would have wanted.

Rating: ★★★
Release Date: June 2012
Genre: Horror
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 254 pages
Format: Paperback. Purchased.

Penpal began as a series of short and interconnected stories posted on an online horror forum. Before long, it was adapted into illustrations, audio recordings, and short films; and that was before it was revised and expanded into a novel!

How much do you remember about your childhood?

In Penpal, a man investigates the seemingly unrelated bizarre, tragic, and horrific occurrences of his childhood in an attempt to finally understand them. Beginning with only fragments of his earliest years, you'll follow the narrator as he discovers that these strange and horrible events are actually part of a single terrifying story that has shaped the entirety of his life and the lives of those around him. If you've ever stayed in the woods just a little too long after dark, if you've ever had the feeling that someone

BOOK BOYFRIEND BY CLAIRE KINGSLEY

10/11/2018

OMG! I have never read Claire Kingsley before but I am officially HOOKED. Romance readers, drop everything and read this book! It's freaking AMAZING and now one of my top favorites!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Series: Book Boyfriends #1 (can stand alone)
Pages: 226 pages
Format: eBook. Borrowed with KU.

He's too hot for words.

Mia

Alex Lawson might as well be the hottest book boyfriend imaginable. A fun, romantic, possessive, panty-melting man. And the best part?

He’s real.

For a girl like me—a slightly awkward book addict—Alex is a dream come true, straight off the pages of my favorite romance novels. But our story is turning into a whirlwind romance—the kind that only exists in books.

And I wonder if we’re heading toward our own happily ever after, or if he’s too good to be true.

THE CLUB BY KYLE M. SCOTT

10/10/2018

This book is bloody and disgusting! It's also horrifying. If you like extreme horror novels with a ton of gore and mayhem then I would recommend this one to you.

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: January 31, 2017
Genre: Horror
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 288 pages
Format: eBook. Borrowed with Kindle Unlimited.

WARNING - Some scenes may disturb and offend.

"Now start sawing..."

Meet Jason.

With his loyal band of maniacs by his side, he's living the dream - torturing, raping and slaughtering his way across the sunshine state. Depravity, debasement and death are his mantras.

Meet The Girl.

Abducted by Jason's freewheeling gang of murderers, she's found herself trapped in an unending nightmare of atrocity and torment. The charismatic Jason is a psychopath with a sense of purpose - to bring his victims down to his level - and The Girl is his new favourite project.

But his prisoner has plans of her own...

LOVE, SINCERELY, YOURS BY SARA NEY & MEGHAN QUINN

10/9/2018

This is such a fun enemies to lovers and office romance! I loved it to pieces. Fans of Quinn and Ney don't want to miss out on their debut collaboration! I recommend it.

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: October 9, 2018
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 273 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

A sexy, smart, and heart-swooning romance about a girl who has nothing to lose when it comes to flirting with her boss.

Dear Mister.. . . no, too formal.
Hey there sweet cheeks. . . no, too forward.
*Clears throat*
To whom it may concern,

Full disclosure; before we move forward with this email, I would like it to be known that I have consumed an adequate amount of alcoholic beverages to intoxicate myself tonight. Three margaritas, two shots, and one beer—because it was free.

I think it’s important to be open and honest with your co-workers, don’t you?

So here I am, being open and honest. Drunk but honest. Or just drunk with lust? You decide.

I have a hopeless, foolish, schoolgirl crush on you when you

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