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#Netgalley
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CoffeeK8
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Pickpick

Natalie Grove has spent her entire adulthood trying to figure out who killed her sister, while also writing mystery novels. Her latest novel is a fictionalized account of the story of her sister's murder, and with it's publication, Natalie becomes embroiled in a number of fantastical plots perpetrated by different people in her community who are trying to keep their own secrets from coming out. (Cont.)

CoffeeK8 The characters were interesting and the resolution of this mystery was very satisfying, but at moments it became hard to follow all the side plots and schemes of those around Natalie who weren't involved in the actual murder plot.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #StormPublishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
1h
6 likes1 comment
review
Librarybelle
Summer You Were Mine | Jill Francis
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Pickpick

Summertime in Italy with a bit of romance—a great escape listen. Add in a diverse cast, including a neurodivergent MC, and some snarky dialogue, to make the perfect beach read. I don‘t always read romance—I‘m still recovering from my 2020 bingeing of Regency romances—but I‘m so glad I picked this one up through #NetGalley . Ellie and Chris are childhood friends turned not-speaking strangers who are forced together when their grandparents marry. ⬇️

Librarybelle ⬆️ Both are also dealing with career scandals and secret professional ambitions. And, Ellie is still mad over Chris‘s behavior from ten-ish years ago. It‘s a fun, light read. (edited) 2d
61 likes1 comment
review
BookmarkTavern
Predatory Natures | Amy Goldsmith
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Mehso-so

For Lara‘s gap year, she decides to get a job aboard a luxury train. The trip across Europe is supposed to give her a clean slate. Instead, there‘s a confrontation w/ an old friend & train cars full of mysterious plants.

Gotta love some plant horror! The creepy factor was really well done, the characters were interesting, & the ending made me gasp out loud. But the flashbacks really killed the momentum, & the romance felt unnecessary. 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

BookmarkTavern Release Date: July 8th, 2025 #ARC #NetGalley CW 👇🏻 2d
BookmarkTavern The flashbacks detail a highly manipulative and emotionally abusive relationship 2d
69 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

At a petrol station in a quiet Manchester suburb, a man watches horrified as someone walks up to the pump, pours petrol over themselves & sets it alight. Meanwhile, a 14-year-old girl is arrested for killing her mother but she seems confused over the details.

At the Coroner's Officer, Mrs Challinor is back even if it is only part time at present, but the Major Incident Team want Detective Inspector Ridpath back working on their cases.

OutsmartYourShelf Given two green young detectives, Ridpath looks into the apparently unconnected suicide & murder & starts to find some odd coincidences, & if there's one thing Ridpath doesn't believe in, it's coincidence.

Another strong instalment in this series which takes the usual route of a slow start which builds up to a tense, fast-paced ending. Alongside the two cases, there's also the lingering aftermath of Ridpath's daughter's ordeal in a previous book.
3d
OutsmartYourShelf I wasn't a huge fan of the time jump ending but it was fine overall. If you haven't read this series & are a fan of police procedurals, then do give this one a go. 4.5🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Canelo, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7653324113
Read 3rd-4th July 2025

#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
3d
DieAReader 🎉🎉Fantastic!! 3d
32 likes3 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

In Jan 1993, Palatine, Illinois, two men entered the 'Brown's Chicken' restaurant around closing time. At 3am police investigated reports that the workers had not returned home & found seven bodies in the walk-in freezer & fridge. Seven members of staff, including the two owners, had been killed & it would take a decade to bring their killers to justice.

OutsmartYourShelf As someone not from the US, I had never heard of Brown's Chicken or the murders before. The author has approached the case by not focusing on a linear reconstruction of the events, but by putting the spotlight on the people themselves. I think this does help to avoid sensationalism & to remind that reader that these were very real people with real lives which were tragically cut short.

4d
OutsmartYourShelf I did think it occasionally lost a bit of focus & there were some things I was left wondering. For example, I was very interested as to why the false confession made out of nowhere happened, but the author never really returned to those two people & what the impact was on their lives. Overall it was an informative read but there just seemed to be something missing for me. 3.5🌟

4d
OutsmartYourShelf My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Post Hill Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7614765568
Read 1st-2nd July 2025

#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
4d
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 3d
24 likes4 comments
review
vlwelser
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Pickpick

No idea what I was expecting from this but it's quite fun. From the dude that wrote Holes.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Pub date is 8/5/25
#ARC #Netgalley

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2d
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
sebrittainclark
The Hemlock Queen | Hannah Whitten
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Pickpick

4/5

Bastian is King and Lore is tied more closely to him than ever before, but the more they channel, the more strangely Bastian behaves.

The beginning was a little slow, since the characters were taking a long time to understand something I felt was clear from the first book, but I thought the second half did a good job of raising the stakes and finding the right amount of conflict and resolution for the 2nd book in a trilogy.

#netgalley

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great cover! 4d
48 likes1 comment
review
Read-n-Bloom
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Mehso-so

This book was good but okay good. It was up and down for me so I gave 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️s. I thought it was more of a history of Mount Rushmore, but it seemed more of a history of Native American people that lived there and lives there now. And I sympathize with them for sure but just thought it was a different type of story & it was up & down on that. So it was good but just so so for me this time.
#LitsyReads #Reads2025 #NetGalley #BiographyofaMountain

Eggs Stacked! 5d
Read-n-Bloom It‘s good. But it‘s mostly about how it‘s on Native American land which is okay and which was really interesting and I sympathized and empathize with them but I was just wanting to learn more about Mount Rushmore itself I guess. You will like it, I believe. 🙂 5d
15 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
sebrittainclark
Automatic Noodle | Annalee Newitz
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Pickpick

5/5

Four robots wake up in the restaurant where they work, to learn they've been shut down for six months and are at serious risk of being repoed after their scammer boss fled the country. Now, these robots have an opportunity to make something of their own, in a world that isn't always accepting of robots. I really loved this cozy sci-fi about community that touches on serious topics global warming, war, trauma, and prejudice.

#netgalley

Christine I'm so looking forward to this one! 5d
57 likes4 stack adds1 comment
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Mehso-so

“Can you uncover the dark secret of these strange houses? When you do, an unforgettable truth will be revealed.“

This is one of the strangest books I've ever read. It's fairly short, I read it in a couple of hours, & it's based around the floorplans of three houses. It's difficult to give a synopsis without giving anything away - I will say that it is dark in tone. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf It also read very much like true crime rather than a fictional mystery, in fact, I had to doublecheck the genre.

I did think it was farfetched though to have the characters of the author & the architect immediately jump to what seemed an outlandish explanation for the floorplans, only for them to turn out to be right. It was all rather convenient but I suppose it kept things brief.
5d
OutsmartYourShelf Overall, it wasn't quite what I was expecting but I have another book from the same author in my TBR pile & this has piqued my interest enough that I will be reading it sooner rather than later. 3.25⭐

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Pushkin Press/Pushkin Vertigo, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7595170496
Read 2nd July 2025

#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
5d
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 5d
32 likes3 comments