Bound in Botany - A M Walker

 

Bound in Botany: Some Roots Tangle in the Shadows (Root & Vein Trilogy, Part II)

Author: A.M. Walker
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Format: eARC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 stars)

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Synopsis

Still grieving the loss of her brother, Monica refuses to accept that everything happened the way people claim it did.

When she discovers the notes Matt left behind, filled with observations and growing suspicions about Emily, she becomes convinced there's far more to the story than anyone realizes.

Determined to uncover the truth, Monica begins her own investigation, one that unexpectedly leads her to Miss Volkova. As the older woman encourages Monica to sharpen her instincts and trust her doubts, the line between determination and obsession begins to blur.

The closer Monica gets to the answers she's searching for, the more dangerous the truth becomes.

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My Thoughts

After finishing Rooted in Silence, I was curious to see where the story would go next, and I actually think I enjoyed this installment a little more.

This time, the focus shifts to Monica as she struggles to come to terms with her brother Matt's death. Unable to accept everything at face value, she begins reading through the notes he left behind, notes documenting his growing suspicions about Emily.

Convinced there are still unanswered questions, Monica decides to investigate for herself.

I really enjoyed the change in perspective.

Following Monica as she slowly pieces together the mystery gave the story a different feel from the first book, and I found her investigation engaging from beginning to end. I also liked watching her develop an unexpected friendship with Miss Volkova, who continues to be one of the most intriguing characters in the series.

She has a quiet, mysterious presence that makes every scene she's in just a little more interesting, and I enjoyed seeing her encourage Monica to trust her instincts instead of accepting the obvious explanation.

That said, I still found myself struggling with the characters' motivations.

As Monica becomes increasingly determined to uncover the truth, her actions gradually shift into obsession. While I understood the direction the author was taking, I personally had a difficult time fully connecting with some of the choices she made.

Just like in the first book, I found myself wishing for a stronger psychological foundation behind those decisions. I think that would have made the tension feel even more convincing and the emotional impact even greater.

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Final Thoughts

Bound in Botany is an enjoyable continuation of the Root & Vein Trilogy that expands the mystery while introducing a new perspective through Monica's investigation.

Although I still struggled with some of the characters' motivations, I found the mystery compelling enough to keep reading, and I have to admit...

The opening pages of Book Three were more than enough to make me want to find out how this trilogy ends.

⭐️ 3 stars

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ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to A.M. Walker for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Rooted in Silence - A M Walker

 

Rooted in Silence: Some Roots Grow Deeper in the Dark (Root & Vein Trilogy -Part I)

Author: A.M. Walker
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Format: eARC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 stars)

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Synopsis

Emily Byrd appears to have it all: a beautiful home, a loving fiance, and the wedding of her dreams just around the corner.

But behind the perfect facade, she's carefully planning something no one sees coming.

She intends to kill the man she's about to marry.

As the wedding day draws closer, Emily finds an unexpected ally in her enigmatic neighbor, Miss Volkova, whose knowledge of plants and herbal remedies opens the door to a far more sinister education. Meanwhile, Remmy's best friend, Matt, begins noticing cracks in Emily's carefully constructed image and starts asking questions she would rather leave unanswered.

With suspicion growing and secrets piling up, Emily's perfect plan may not stay hidden for much longer.

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My Thoughts

I have to admit, this started off really strong.

Emily appears to have the perfect life: a beautiful home, a devoted fiancé, and a wedding just days away.

The catch?

She's secretly planning to murder him.

Needless to say, I was immediately intrigued.

One aspect I really enjoyed was watching Emily prepare for what she believed would be the perfect crime. After befriending her mysterious neighbor, Miss Volkova, she becomes fascinated by poisonous plants, gardening, and herbal concoctions. She throws herself into research, consults experts, and meticulously plans every detail.

Those sections were easily my favorite part of the book because they highlighted just how methodical Emily wanted to be.

I also enjoyed the contrast between Remmy and his best friend, Matt.

While Remmy trusts Emily completely and always seems to see the best in people, Matt quickly senses that something isn't right. His growing suspicions added more tension to the story and made me eager to see whether he'd uncover the truth before it was too late.

My biggest struggle, however, was Emily herself.

I never fully connected with her, largely because I found her motivation difficult to believe. For me, the reasoning behind everything she was planning felt surprisingly weak, making it harder to become fully invested in her journey.

I wasn't looking for Emily to be likable, psychological thrillers often have morally questionable protagonists, but I did want to better understand the psychological drive behind such an extreme decision.

Without that stronger motivation, some of her choices felt less impactful than I hoped.

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Final Thoughts

Rooted in Silence is an intriguing start to the series with a compelling premise, an unsettling atmosphere, and some fascinating details about poisonous plants and meticulous planning.

While I wasn't entirely convinced by Emily's motivations, the writing kept me engaged, and I was curious enough to see where the story would go next.

I'll definitely be continuing with Part II.

⭐️ 3 stars

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ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to A.M. Walker for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Hot Girl Murder Club - Ashley Winstead

 

Hot Girl Murder Club

Author: Ashley Winstead
Genre: Thriller | Mystery Thriller
Format: eARC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

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Synopsis

Ten years after her sister's mysterious death at a Hollywood party, Scout Sage has managed to build a successful career in the entertainment industry.

But when a string of high-profile murders rocks Los Angeles and all the evidence seems to point toward Scout, her life is turned upside down overnight.

Now branded as an alleged serial killer by the media, Scout must prove her innocence while uncovering the truth about what really happened to her sister all those years ago.

As the investigation digs deeper into Hollywood's darkest secrets, it becomes clear that some people will do anything to keep the past buried.

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My Thoughts

This was a really fun and engaging read.

The premise alone immediately caught my attention.

A celebrity potentially turning vigilante and targeting powerful men in Hollywood?

Yeah...

I needed to know where that story was going.

The novel follows Scout Sage, a rising singer whose sister died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When a series of murders begins making headlines and the evidence somehow points back to Scout, everything she's worked to build starts falling apart.

I will admit that the beginning took me a little while to settle into.

The story introduces multiple points of view fairly quickly, and during those first few chapters I occasionally found myself stopping to remember who was who. Once I became familiar with the different characters, though, everything flowed much more naturally.

And from that point on...

I was hooked.

One thing I particularly enjoyed was how the story balances several different threads without losing sight of the central mystery.

On one side, there's the possibility of vigilante justice.

On another, the official police investigation.

Then layered on top of that is Hollywood itself, a world that appears glamorous from the outside while hiding plenty of darkness beneath the surface.

That contrast worked really well for me.

I also appreciated that the main characters all had their own motivations.

Scout isn't simply trying to clear her name; she's also searching for answers about her sister's death. Meanwhile, the detective investigating the case has personal reasons for refusing to let the truth stay buried.

Those individual motivations helped keep the story engaging and gave the mystery more emotional weight.

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Final Thoughts

Hot Girl Murder Club is an entertaining thriller that combines Hollywood glamour, murder, revenge and long-buried secrets into a fast-paced mystery.

While the multiple POVs took me a little time to settle into, once everything clicked, I found myself fully invested in both the investigation and the characters.

If you enjoy thrillers that mix celebrity culture with dark secrets and plenty of twists, this one is definitely worth checking out.

⭐️ 4 stars

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ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Die for Me - Shirlene Obuobi

Die for Me

Author: Shirlene Obuobi
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: eARC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5 stars)

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Synopsis

Sean has spent years rebuilding her life.

As the only Black female interventional cardiologist at her hospital, she's worked tirelessly to establish herself in a demanding profession while recovering from the emotional scars of an abusive relationship. Romance is the last thing on her mind.

Then she meets Julian.

He's handsome, mysterious, and eleven years younger than she is, which should be enough to convince Sean to keep her distance.

Instead, she's drawn to him.

But the closer they become, the stranger things start happening. Sean begins experiencing unexplained health issues, unsettling dreams, and memory lapses, while Julian seems to possess knowledge (and abilities) that no ordinary person should have.

The question isn't whether Sean is falling in love.

It's who... or what... she's falling in love with.

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My Thoughts

I went into this book fully convinced I was about to read a vampire romance.

Let's just say...

I was wrong. ...

The story opens as a contemporary romance with a really intriguing setup.

Sean, a successful cardiologist, attends the wedding of her best friend's ex-husband, the same man who left his wife and daughter for a younger colleague. Unsurprisingly, Sean has very mixed feelings about the entire event.

That's where she meets Julian.

Despite an awkward first encounter, and Sean's understandable reservations, the chemistry between them is immediate.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the reverse age-gap romance.

It's still relatively uncommon to see an older heroine paired with a younger hero, and I appreciated that this relationship never felt forced. Their conversations flowed naturally, the attraction developed convincingly, and I found myself genuinely invested in watching them fall for one another.

As the story progresses, however, things become... considerably stranger.

Sean starts noticing that Julian isn't quite like everyone else. Between the unexplained health issues, increasingly unsettling events, and small clues scattered throughout the story, the romance slowly transforms into something much more paranormal.

I won't spoil what Julian actually is...

But let's just say my vampire theories didn't survive for very long.

The first half completely hooked me.

The mystery surrounding Julian kept me turning pages, and I loved trying to piece together exactly what was happening.

Unfortunately, once the big reveal arrived, the story lost a little of its momentum for me.

The paranormal elements and later plot developments began feeling somewhat rushed, and I occasionally wished the supernatural world had been explored in greater depth. While I understood the emotional direction the story was taking, there were moments where I found myself wanting a little more explanation and a little less chaos.

Even so, Sean and Julian remained the heart of the novel.

No matter how wild the supernatural side became, I continued rooting for them as a couple until the very end.

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Final Thoughts

Die for Me is an engaging paranormal romance that blends mystery, supernatural intrigue, and a refreshing reverse age-gap relationship.

While the second half didn't captivate me quite as much as the first, I genuinely enjoyed the romance, appreciated the unique twist on immortal beings, and found myself invested in Sean and Julian's journey.

If you're looking for a paranormal romance that offers something a little different from the usual vampire stories, this one is definitely worth checking out.

⭐️ 3.5 stars

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ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Penguin, and Edelweiss+ for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

 

In Stormy Weather - Chelsea Curto

 

In Stormy Weather

Author: Chelsea Curto
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: eARC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5 stars)

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Synopsis

Quincy Monroe has worked incredibly hard to build a name for herself in meteorology.

With a PhD in atmospheric sciences, a successful online weather show, and over a million followers on social media, she's determined to prove herself in a field where women still have to fight to be taken seriously.

The last person she expects to complicate her plans is Sebastian Dunn.

He's a popular TV meteorologist, her best friend's brother, and the academic rival who's been challenging her for years.

As hurricane season intensifies across Florida, Quincy and Sebastian are forced into close proximity, chasing storms together while navigating years of rivalry, unresolved feelings, and undeniable chemistry.

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My Thoughts

I absolutely ate this book up and finished it in one sitting.

The premise immediately hooked me.

Meteorology, storm chasing, a woman in STEM trying to make her place in a male-dominated field... it all felt so refreshing compared to the typical contemporary romance setup.

Quincy was such a great main character.

She's intelligent, ambitious, passionate about her work, and genuinely loves what she does. Watching her chase storms while balancing her career aspirations made her easy to root for.

My only small frustration was that I occasionally wished she believed in herself a little more. I completely understood where her self-doubt came from, especially given the challenges she faces as a woman in her profession, but there were definitely moments where I found myself wanting her to stop second-guessing herself and own just how capable she really was.

Sebastian was absolutely adorable.

He radiated golden retriever energy for most of the book, and it was obvious how much he cared about Quincy, even when she remained completely oblivious to it.

Their chemistry was fantastic.

The banter flowed naturally, their competitive dynamic was fun to watch, and yes...

The spice definitely delivered.

(Woop woop. :D)

One thing I will say, though, is that I don't think this fully fits the "enemies to lovers" label.

Yes, Quincy and Sebastian have been academic rivals for years, and they love teasing and competing with each other, but it never felt like genuine animosity. Having grown up together and shared so much history, their relationship came across more as long-standing rivalry mixed with unresolved feelings than true enemies.

Personally, that worked perfectly fine for me.

The storm-chasing aspect also added something unique to the story.

Rather than simply serving as a backdrop, meteorology becomes an important part of both the plot and the characters' relationship, making this romance stand out from others in the genre.

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Final Thoughts

In Stormy Weather is a refreshing contemporary romance that combines witty banter, fantastic chemistry, and an engaging STEM setting with plenty of heart.

Between the storm chasing, the academic rivalry, and two characters who were simply fun to spend time with, this ended up being one of those books I couldn't put down.

If you're looking for a romance with a smart heroine, a lovable hero, and a setting that feels a little different from the norm, this one is definitely worth picking up.

⭐️ 4.5 stars

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ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

The Devoted - Catherine Cho

 

The Devoted

Author: Catherine Cho
Genre: Literary Fiction | Crime | Family Drama
Format: eARC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5 stars)

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Synopsis

Raised in a quiet Hong Kong village by their grandmother, Eunha and her brother Solomon grow up sheltered from the violent world their father inhabits.

As a Dragon Head within the infamous Triads, their father's life is built on power, loyalty and crime, a world their grandmother desperately tries to keep at a distance.

Years later, Eunha has built a seemingly respectable life of her own. But when her young son is kidnapped, she's forced back into the criminal underworld she spent her entire life trying to escape.

As past and present collide, Eunha must confront old loyalties, buried emotions and the question of whether any of us can truly outrun our past.

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My Thoughts

Oh boy...

This one ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me.

The story itself isn't bad at all.

In fact, it's quite an emotional one, focusing on family, grief, sacrifice, and the lasting impact of growing up in the shadow of organized crime. Rather than centering on the Triads themselves, the novel is much more interested in how that world shapes the people living around it.

We follow Eunha through both past and present timelines, watching her childhood gradually connect with the woman she eventually becomes. I really enjoyed this structure because it slowly revealed why certain relationships mattered and how her upbringing continued to influence the choices she made as an adult.

Where the book lost me a little was the pacing.

The opening chapters immediately made me think we were heading toward a tense crime thriller, especially once the kidnapping enters the picture. Instead, the novel unfolds in a much quieter, more reflective way.

It felt less like experiencing the events alongside Eunha and more like listening to someone recount the story of their life.

That's not necessarily a bad thing...

It just wasn't what I had expected.

I think a large part of my experience came down to expectations. Going in, I anticipated something with stronger thriller elements, but The Devoted leans much more heavily into literary fiction and character-driven storytelling.

That said, I did become more invested during the final portion of the novel. Once the different timelines and storylines began coming together, I found myself much more engaged with where everything was heading.

And then there's Kai...

Let's just say...

I had hope.

Had.

I'll leave it at that. 😅

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Final Thoughts

The Devoted is a thoughtful, emotional novel about family, identity and the weight of the past.

While it didn't deliver the level of suspense I was expecting, it offers a character-focused story with strong emotional themes and an interesting look at the lives surrounding Hong Kong's criminal underworld.

It wasn't quite the book I thought I was picking up, but it's certainly one that will appeal to readers who enjoy slower, literary fiction driven by relationships and personal growth rather than nonstop action.

⭐️ 3.5 stars

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ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

The Cloak and Dagger Club - Jackie McMahon

 

The Cloak and Dagger Club (Cloak and Dagger Club Mystery #1)

Author: Jackie McMahon
Genre: Historical Mystery | Cozy Mystery
Format: eARC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5 stars)

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Synopsis

Lucy Hubbard's dream of becoming a successful mystery writer is finally coming true. Her debut novel has earned glowing reviews, and she's invited to join the prestigious Cloak and Dagger Club, an exclusive society of Britain's finest crime writers.

The club gathers at London's luxurious Ritz Hotel, where Lucy expects to celebrate her literary success.

Instead, she's reunited with the last person she ever expected to see: her former fiancé, Frank Murray.

Before either of them has time to deal with their complicated history, the club's founder, Horace Hazelmoor, is found murdered with a knife in his back. With Frank becoming the prime suspect, Lucy is convinced there's no way he could be the killer.

Together, they'll have to uncover the truth before the murderer strikes again.

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My Thoughts

I always say that historical fiction isn't usually my go-to genre, but give me a historical mystery with cozy vibes and I'm much more willing to jump in.

This one definitely had strong Agatha Christie-inspired energy.

Lucy has just been invited to join the prestigious Cloak and Dagger Club, an elite society of mystery writers that meets at London's glamorous Ritz Hotel. It's an incredible opportunity... until she discovers that one of the other members is none other than her former fiancé, Frank.

Their reunion is awkward enough, but things quickly take a turn when Horace, the club's founder, is discovered murdered with a knife in his back.

With Frank becoming the prime suspect, he and Lucy reluctantly join forces to uncover the real killer before it's too late.

I really enjoyed the mystery.

While I did find it a little predictable at times, it still kept me entertained, and I liked following Lucy and Frank as they pieced everything together. The historical setting was another highlight, and the Ritz Hotel made for such a fun backdrop. It added a touch of glamour that contrasted nicely with the murder investigation unfolding behind the scenes.

The romance was probably the weaker part for me.

I didn't dislike Lucy and Frank together, but I couldn't help feeling that Frank had a bit more work to do before fully winning me over. Maybe it's because this is only the first book in the series, but I definitely wanted a little more groveling after everything that happened between them.

I'm hoping that's something we'll see more of in future installments.

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Final Thoughts

The Cloak and Dagger Club is a charming historical mystery that blends a classic whodunit with cozy vibes and a touch of second-chance romance.

Even though I guessed a few things along the way and wasn't completely sold on the romance just yet, I genuinely enjoyed the investigation and the Golden Age mystery atmosphere.

I'll definitely be back for book two...

...and hopefully Frank will continue earning those second-chance points. 

⭐️ 3.5 stars

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ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.