October was a bit of a weird reading month. It’s had a mix of highs and lows quality wise, but I did get through quite a lot of books and graphic novels. I read three festive ARCs, which are not mentioned in this post, and finished 15 books. I’m not sure what my highest amount of books read in a month this year has been so far but October must be one of the highest as I didn’t have any DNFs. Which was very welcome.
Someone Is Watching You by Tess James-Mackey
Read: 2/10/24 – 3/10/24
Someone Is Watching You was a very good debut novel. The atmosphere was off the charts and the mystery kept me in suspense right up until the end. Although I am starting to think a rating of four was a little generous as I hated ‘the big reveal’. I was hoping this book would be paranormal, but it’s not.
Book Review: Someone Is Watching You by Tess James-Mackey
Synopsis: An abandoned prison. A deadly game. How far would you go for a dare?
Nia would do anything to win the approval of her boyfriend Scott and his friends, especially mean girl Olivia. When Olivia dares Nia to explore an abandoned prison, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to prove herself. Facing dark tunnels, distant noises and creepy mementoes left behind by incarcerated criminals will surely all be worth it.
But it isn’t long before Nia and her little sister, Kayla, find themselves trapped inside. And then Kayla vanishes.
Suddenly, this feels like more than a game gone wrong. Someone is hellbent on making Nia and Kayla the prison’s last inmates…
My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
Read: 4/10/24 – 8/10/24
This was definitely an enjoyable read but it wasn’t quite what I expected. I thought the ‘mentor’ bit would be more to do with romance. Also, don’t get me started on the conflict and its resolution. It happens way too late in the book and is over very quickly and easily.
Book Review: My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
Synopsis: True love is at stake in this charming, debut romantic comedy.
Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it’s a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she’s desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighbourhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch—only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price.
Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency romance novel. He also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, cares about her art, and asks about her day. And he doesn’t look half bad shirtless, on the rare occasions they’re both home and awake. But when Cassie finds bags of blood in the fridge that definitely weren’t there earlier, Frederick has to come clean…
Cassie’s sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her.
Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield
Read: 9/10/24 – 12/10/24
Good Girls Die First really didn’t live up to expectations. The premise sounded so interesting but it was far too repetitive and absolutely none of the characters were likeable. Well one of them was but she didn’t get a lot of page time so she couldn’t save it.
Book Review: Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield
Synopsis: Mind games. Murder. Mayhem. How far would you go to survive the night?
Blackmail lures sixteen-year-old Ava to the derelict carnival on Portgrave Pier. She is one of ten teenagers, all with secrets they intend to protect whatever the cost. When fog and magic swallow the pier, the group find themselves cut off from the real world and from their morals. As the teenagers turn on each other, Ava will have to face up to the secret that brought her to the pier and decide how far she’s willing to go to survive.
Once Upon a Hallow’s Eve by Danielle Garrett
Read: 8/10/24 – 19/8/24
Not my favourite read of the month but also not the worst. The narration was done really well and I liked the idea. Sadly it wasn’t executed too well.
Also, this claims to be the first in a series but from what I can see, there haven’t been any other instalments and this was published in 2017 so it doesn’t look like there ever will be.
Audiobook Review: Once Upon a Hallow’s Eve by Danielle Garrett
Synopsis: When your father is a literal monster, the last place you want to go is home. Unfortunately, I wasn’t given much of a choice. Following a five-year exile, I’m back in my childhood bedroom. Only, this time, there are silver bars on all the windows and vault locks on the doors. In lieu of a homecoming party, my father is hosting a barbaric tournament to determine who will win my hand in marriage. And really, who wouldn’t want to spend the rest of their limitless days with a blood-thirsty vampire fresh from a cage match? This is what dreams are made of, ladies! Things go from bad to train wreck when my only ally gets herself kidnapped and I’m left with one of my would-be boyfriends after someone loses their head — I wish I was kidding — in my bedroom. I have to save my friend, watch my back, and keep my heart from chasing after my temporary partner in crime, all without landing in the crosshairs of whatever monster is terrorising the Eastern Court.
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
Read: 18/10/24 – 21/10/24
There was so much hype around this book when it published I had really high expectations. Thankfully a lot of those were met. Although I expected it to be much darker – there are a lot of dark themes but I’d call this a romcom not a thriller.
I really liked both characters and thought the idea of them being serial killers that kill other serial killers was really interesting.
Book Review: Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
Synopsis: Every serial killer needs a friend.
Every game must have a winner.
When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?
Jill and the Killers by Olivia Cuartero-Briggs & Roberta Ingranata
Read: 23/10/24
*I was given an ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review*
Jill and the Killers was a great graphic novel with a fun art style, interesting premise and promising set up for future volumes. My only issue with it really was the dialogue. The teens didn’t speak like teens and the story was sometimes a little difficult to follow due to clunky conversations.
Synopsis: Returning to school after the unsolved disappearance of her mother, teenager Jill Estrada can’t wait for things to return to normal . . . even as her friends become obsessed with Box Killers, a true-crime subscription game where each month’s “unsolved case” is custom-tailored to the life of its player. There’s only one catch: Jill’s game seems to be all too real—and when her clues begin to connect the dots to a very real series of disappearances in her hometown, Jill and her friends must conquer their fears and own personal struggles to solve the case.
But can they find the killer before one of their own becomes the next victim?
Bet The Farm by Staci Hart
Read: 22/10/24 – 23/10/24
This could have been a great enemies to lovers story but the male lead was horrible and it ruined the book for me. It was also far too long and would have benefitted from being an audio novella rather than an entire book.
Audiobook Review: Bet The Farm by Staci Hart
Synopsis: Olivia Brent has one summer to save the dairy farm she just inherited.
But there’s one problem, and it’s not her lactose intolerance.
Jake Milovic.
The brooding farmhand has inherited exactly fifty percent of Brent Farm, and he’s so convinced the city girl can’t work the land, he bets she can’t save it in a summer.
Determined to prove him wrong, Olivia accepts what might be the dumbest wager of her life.
His strategy to win seems simple: follow her around, shirtlessly distracting her between bouts of relentless taunting. And it’s effective—if his dark eyes and rare smiles aren’t enough to sidetrack her, the sweaty, rolling topography of the manbeast’s body would do the trick.
What they don’t know: they’ll have to weather more than each other.
Mysterious circumstances throw the farm into disarray, and with the dairy farm in danger, Olivia and Jake have to work together. But when they do, there’s more to fear than either of them imagined.
Because now their hearts are on the line, and the farm won’t be the only casualty if they fail.
Honeybloods by I.S. Belle
Read: 25/10/24 – 26/10/24
I’d be lying if I said the cover isn’t what made me pick this up. Thankfully, this didn’t come back to bite me (pun intended). Honeybloods was a really fun read that has left me wanting more from the characters. Which thankfully I can get as there are two more books.
Book Review: Honeybloods by I.S. Belle
Synopsis: Queen bee Honey Williams and burnout Sadie Greer haven’t spoken since middle school, when a huge fight ended their lifelong friendship and sent the girls down wildly different paths.
All of this changes when Honey turns up at 3am to ask Sadie to help her bury a body and kill the indie band that turned her into a vampire.
It’s the tail end of summer vacation. They’ve got the band’s tour dates, a full tank of gas and two weeks before senior year starts.
But Honey’s newfound hunger is insatiable, and the road trip gets even gorier than they anticipated. Despite all the bloody motel rooms and near-misses with murder, Sadie and Honey grow reluctantly close for the first time since they were kids.
But every road ends, and Honey’s bloodlust isn’t the only thing threatening to destroy their healing friendship…
P.S. It’s Always Been You: Part 2 by Lauren Blakely
Read: 27/10/24
Note to self, don’t wait over a year to continue what is essentially the middle part of a book. In my defence, I didn’t have Audible Plus for over six months. However, once I got partway through, I did remember what happened in the first part.
Synopsis: I was pretty good at living without regrets until a way too close call during a skydive. Instead of my life flashing before my eyes, I saw one face, one regret that’s been gnawing at me ever since—Presley. And now I know I have to win her back at any cost. Fate steps in when we discover hidden stories from the past. And they’re an opportunity I can’t pass up. The just might be the path back to the woman I let get away while we chase down a love story a hundred years in the making.
Frankenstein Alive, Alive: The Complete Collection by Steve Niles & Bernie Wrightson
Read: 27/10/24
The artwork in this graphic novel is beautiful in the most horrifying way. The level of detail on every page (other than the last chapter) is incredible.
Graphic Novel Review: Frankenstein Alive, Alive by Steve Niles & Bernie Wrightson
Synopsis: Inspired by Mary Shelley’s immortal gothic horror tale, Frankenstein Alive, Alive brings new life to the Promethean monster, courtesy of Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and Bernie Wrightson (Frankenstein, Swamp Thing). Victor Frankenstein’s cobbled together creature continues his adventures, embarking on a journey to discover his own humanity. Collecting the four-issue series along with an extended gallery section of never-before-seen layouts and pencils by Wrightson, all scanned from the original art. Additional art is supplied in the final chapter by Kelley Jones (at Wrightson’s request), who stepped in to complete the series upon the comic book legend’s untimely passing.
It’s Not Me, It’s You by Alex Light
Read: 26/10/24 – 19/10/24
*I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
This was such a wonderful read, I had a great time reading it. The narrative tone was fresh and fun and I loved the opposites attract story line. Jackie and Wilson are very cute.
Synopsis: Jackie Myers is a fraud. Or she might be a genius—the jury’s still out.
The thing is, she secretly runs pleasebreakmyheart, a gone-viral account aimed at breaking hearts and ending relationships…. And she just used it to break up her insufferable eternal nemesis’s picture-perfect relationship.
Wilson is the buttoned-up, type A assistant manager of her nightmares—but it turns out he’s also, apparently, a really great boyfriend.
So with her conscience (and paycheck) on the line, Jackie decides there’s only one thing to She’s going to help Wilson win his ex-girlfriend back. Which should be easy, considering Jackie hates him…right?
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