The Right Move by Liz Tomforde

The Right Move by Liz Tomforde -- 426 pages

RYAN

She’s a distraction, that’s what she is. I’m the newest Captain of the Devils, Chicago’s NBA team, and the last thing I needed this year was for Indy Ivers, my sister’s best friend, to move into my apartment. She’s messy, emotional, and way too tempting. But when the team’s General Manager vocalizes his blatant disapproval of my promotion to Captain, referring to me as an unapproachable lone wolf with no work-life balance, I can’t think of a better way to convince him otherwise than pretending to date my outgoing roommate. The only problem? Faking it feels far too natural. Having a fake girlfriend wasn’t supposed to be messy but having Indy under my roof and in my bed is complicated, especially when she wants all the romantic parts of life that I could never give her.

INDY

I never imagined I’d be living with my best friend’s brother, NBA superstar Ryan Shay. Even more unbelievable? He needs me to act as his loving girlfriend who’s suddenly changed him into a friendly and approachable guy. Because, well…he’s not. He’s controlling of his space and untrusting of others. Our arrangement isn’t one-sided, though. I’m in a wedding coming up, one where every one of my childhood friends, including my ex-boyfriend, will be in attendance, and there’s no better date than my ex’s celebrity hero. Blurred lines make it almost impossible to separate real from fake. Falling for my roommate was never part of the deal, especially when Ryan is quick to remind me that he doesn’t believe in love. I’m a romantic and can’t help fantasizing that he’ll change, but soon enough, I find myself questioning if sharing a roof with my best friend’s brother was the right move after all.

The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

 The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten | 467 pages | 2023

Mortem, the magic born from death, is a high-priced and illicit commodity in Dellaire, and Lore’s job running poisons keeps her in food, shelter, and relative security. But when a run goes wrong and Lore’s power is revealed, she’s taken by the Presque Mort, a group of warrior-monks sanctioned to use Mortem and working for the Sainted King. Lore fully expects a pyre, but King August has a different plan. Entire villages on the outskirts of the country have been dying overnight, seemingly at random. Lore can either use her magic to find out what’s happening and who in the King’s court is responsible, or die.

Lore is thrust into the Sainted King’s glittering court, where no one can be believed and even fewer can be trusted. Guarded by Gabriel, a duke-turned-monk, and continually running up against Bastian, August’s ne'er-do-well heir, Lore tangles in politics, religion, and forbidden romance as she attempts to navigate a debauched and opulent society.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

Since I enjoyed Whitten's Wilderwood duology (For the Wolf and For the Throne), I was eager to dive into this one. In the beginning I found the system of magic, Mortem, and poison to be a little confusing, but it became more clear as the story progressed and is actually very clever. Whitten has a really cool way of weaving nature into her stories, and this book was no exception. The romance element of the story is a nice slow burn, with a good old fashioned love triangle that left me unsure who to root for. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series!

Let Him In by William Friend

⭐⭐⭐✫✫

Let Him In by William Friend - 240 pages

“Daddy, there’s a man in our room...”

Alfie wakes one night to find his twin daughters at the foot of his bed, claiming there’s a shadowy figure in their bedroom. When no such thing can be found, he assumes the girls had a nightmare.

He isn’t surprised that they’re troubled. Grief has made its home at Hart House: nine months ago, the twins’ mother Pippa died unexpectedly, leaving Alfie to raise them alone. And now, when the girls mention a new imaginary friend, it seems like a harmless coping mechanism. But the situation quickly develops into something more insidious. The girls set an extra place for him at the table. They whisper to him. They say he’s going to take them away…

Alfie calls upon Julia—Pippa’s sister and a psychiatrist—to oust the malignant tenant from their lives. But as Alfie himself is haunted by visions and someone watches him at night, he begins to question the true character of the force that has poisoned his daughters’ minds, with dark and violent consequences.

Whatever this “friend” is, he doesn’t want to leave. Alfie will have to confront his own shameful secrets, the dark past of Hart House, and even the bounds of reality—or risk taking part in an unspeakable tragedy.

The cover of this book is spooky...the synopsis of this book is spooky...that's where the spookiness ends.  This could have been a great book; a spooky, creepy book.  The author hints at Pippa's parents' mysterious past, possibly messing with the occult.  But the author doesn't go into any details.  The author hints that Pippa's and Julia's parents moved to that particular house for a reason; something dark happened in the past.  But the author doesn't go into any details.  There is a mysterious "friend" but we never really find out from where he came.  This book had so much potential but unfortunately, in my opinion, fell so flat.  It was ok, but not horror in the least bit.

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates - 384 pages

When Christa joins a tour group heading deep into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains, she's hopeful this will be her chance to put the ghosts of her past to rest. But when a bitterly cold snowstorm sweeps the region, the small group is forced to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. Despite the uncomfortably claustrophobic quarters and rapidly dropping temperature, Christa believes they'll be safe as they wait out the storm.

She couldn't be more wrong.

Deep in the night, their tour guide goes missing...only to be discovered the following morning, his severed head impaled on a tree outside the cabin. Terrified, and completely isolated by the storm, Christa finds herself trapped with eight total strangers. One of them kills for sport...and they're far from finished. As the storm grows more dangerous and the number of survivors dwindles one by one, Christa must decide who she can trust before this frozen mountain becomes her tomb.

I like how each of the characters are described, each one is very different. The main character, Christa, is still recovering from a traumatic event that occurred two years past, and how the author ties that event into the story is fantastic! As the story progresses, she gets stronger and braver. There are so many twists and turns in the book, it kept me interested. I really enjoyed the ending; I didn't quite see it coming but had my suspicions. This book keeps you guessing all the way to the end, I would definitely recommend!

She Started It by Sian Gilbert

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩

She Started It by Sian Gilbert - 352 pages

Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe are best friends—or were, as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven’t quite turned out as they’d hoped. Then one day they receive a wholly unexpected—but not entirely unwelcome—invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all to her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class plane ticket to three days of white sand, cocktails, and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas.

None of them has spoken to Poppy in years. But Poppy’s Instagram pics shows that the girl they used to consider the weakest link in their group has definitely made good—and made money. Curiosity gets the better of them. Besides, who can turn down a posh all-expenses-paid vacation on a Caribbean island?

The first-class flight and the island’s accommodations are just as opulent as expected...even if the scenic island proves more remote than they’d anticipated. Quite remote, in fact, with no cell service, and no other guests. The women quickly discover they’ve underestimated Poppy, and each other. As their darkest secrets are revealed, the tropical adventure morphs into a terrifying nightmare.

Endlessly twisty, sharply observant, and deliciously catty, She Started It is sure to shock readers until the very end.

I liked the suspense and all of the secrets each character had.  I also liked how each chapter was from a different character's point of view.  In the middle it seemed to draw out a bit but overall I enjoyed it and the ending was great. 

Boyfriend Bargain by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Boyfriend Bargain by Ilsa Madden-Mills -- 354 pages

Broke and desperate, Sugar Ryan has no use for arrogant, bad boy athletes . . . until she’s forced to bargain with the cockiest of them all. If only he knew she was alive. 

Her mission? Get on this hockey player’s radar any way possible.

Zack Morgan is the king of the ice, but nothing prepares him for the mystery girl who shows up everywhere he does—frat parties, his favorite bar, and finally his front door with an offer he can’t refuse. The only rule in her boyfriend bargain: no falling in love.

But after one (um, two) smoking-hot hookups, he’s done with pretending and vows to make their fake relationship real. Too bad she can’t trust a player with a reputation for breaking hearts. Will this hockey star score his forever girl or will their Boyfriend Bargain end in heartbreak?