Magi’s Curse - Christopher James Harris

Magi’s Curse by Christopher James Harris

Author: Christopher James Harris
Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Format: ALC / Audiobook
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Four hundred years after the gods and goddesses abandoned the mortal realm, the kingdom of Emestria is at war with neighboring Rouke. With poverty and hunger spreading among its people, Captain Bronwyn Amyna of the Emestrian Royal Guard is given a mission that could change the fate of her kingdom: retrieve the legendary artifacts of the gods.

Joining her expedition is Clara, a captured smuggler who claims she may know the location of one of those artifacts, along with a small group of soldiers. Their journey eventually brings them to Miro, a scholar who is far more than he initially appears.

But their mission is connected to something much larger than the war between two kingdoms. Defurge, the mad God of Fire, remains imprisoned beneath Dalmarask, and Fria, Goddess of Ice, Fate, and Death, has foreseen what will happen should he escape.

Finding the artifacts may be only the beginning.

---

My Thoughts

Magi's Curse started incredibly strong, and I really enjoyed being introduced to this world.

The opening takes us back hundreds of years and establishes the history surrounding the gods before jumping forward 400 years to Captain Bronwyn Amyna and a world where the consequences of that history are still very much alive.

Bronwyn was immediately interesting to me. She's fiercely loyal to her king and kingdom and has earned her position as Captain of the Emestrian Royal Guard, yet she still faces plenty of scrutiny simply because she's a woman.

And let me tell you...

There were a few side characters I wanted to personally kick.

Thankfully, fate eventually took care of some things for me.

Justice was served! ^^

Meanwhile, Emestria is struggling. The kingdom is at war with neighboring Rouke, poverty and hunger are becoming increasingly serious problems, and winter certainly isn't making life any easier. Bronwyn is eventually tasked with retrieving the legendary artifacts of the gods in the hope that they might provide a way to save her kingdom.

Her little expedition includes an especially interesting addition: Clara.

Clara is a smuggler who has been imprisoned under suspicion of being a spy, and she claims she may know where one of the legendary artifacts can be found. The slight problem? Even Clara isn't entirely certain that the artifact actually exists.

But when you've been captured, tortured, and might die?

Suddenly that old legend you once heard about starts sounding VERY real.

I'd probably swear I knew where Excalibur was too. :D

Their journey eventually brings Miro into the group, a scholar who turns out to be considerably more than he initially appears. From there, the story becomes a proper fantasy adventure filled with magical places, dangerous encounters, gods, artifacts, and discoveries that reveal their mission is much bigger than simply retrieving an old relic.

I really enjoyed the world-building and the dynamics between Bronwyn, Clara, and Miro. Discovering the history of the gods and gradually learning more about the artifacts and this world kept me invested, and the adventure had plenty of elements I usually enjoy in fantasy.

My main issue came during roughly the final 30%.

There were still important things happening, and certainly enough to keep me listening, but somehow the intensity dropped for me. Earlier, I'd been completely invested in the journey, whereas toward the end I occasionally found myself drifting into...

zzzzZZZZ.

I needed just a little more urgency or intensity to bring back the energy I'd felt during the earlier parts of the book.

Thankfully, it wasn't enough to make me lose interest in the story or the series itself. Quite the opposite: I'm genuinely curious about where these characters and the larger conflict are heading next.

I'm just hoping book two turns that intensity dial up a few notches.

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Audiobook Thoughts

Natalie Naudus was a BIG bonus here.

I've listened to several books narrated by her before and really enjoyed her performances, so seeing her name attached to Magi's Curse immediately made me happy.

Once again, she did a fantastic job. Her narration made it incredibly easy to settle into the world, and she brought plenty of personality to the different characters without making the performance feel exaggerated.

Even when the story itself slowed down toward the end, I still enjoyed listening because her narration remained engaging throughout.

I would very happily listen to the next installment in this format, particularly if Natalie Naudus returns.

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Final Thoughts

Magi's Curse is a promising fantasy adventure with an interesting world, ancient gods, legendary artifacts, war, magic, dangerous journeys, and an unlikely group of characters thrown together on a mission that becomes much bigger than they initially realize.

The final portion lost some of its momentum for me, but there was more than enough here to make me want to continue the series and discover what happens next.

And with Natalie Naudus narrating? Even better.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

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ALC Disclaimer

I received an advance listening copy of Magi's Curse directly from the author in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the audiobook.

Thank you to Christopher James Harris for the opportunity to listen to and review Magi's Curse. All opinions are my own.

 

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires - Grady Hendrix

 

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix 

Author: Grady Hendrix
Narrator: Full Cast
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Horror | Supernatural Thriller | Vampires
Publication Date: April 7, 2020
Audiobook Length: 13h 49m
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

---

Synopsis

Patricia Campbell lives with her family in a quiet Charleston neighborhood where her days revolve around her husband, children, household responsibilities, and the book club she shares with a group of local women who have a particular fondness for true crime and thrillers.

Then James Harris moves into the neighborhood.

Charming and mysterious, James quickly becomes part of their community, but a series of increasingly disturbing events leaves Patricia suspicious of their new neighbor. When local children begin disappearing, her true-crime instincts kick in and she decides to investigate.

But what Patricia discovers suggests that the danger lurking in their seemingly peaceful neighborhood might be far worse than any serial killer she's ever read about.

---

My Thoughts

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires was absolutely hilarious, disturbing, chaotic, and somehow ridiculously fun at the same time.

Patricia's life is initially incredibly ordinary. Not much happens in her quiet Charleston neighborhood, and one of the few exciting parts of her routine is meeting with the other neighborhood mothers for their book club. They're united by their love of true crime and thrillers, although naturally there's also plenty of discussion about husbands, children, neighborhood happenings, and gossip. What is a book club without a little gossip?

Everything is relatively normal and boring until James Harris arrives, and suddenly things start getting increasingly weird. After several bizarre incidents, Patricia becomes suspicious of their charming new resident. And because this woman spends her free time reading about serial killers and true crime, obviously she's going to investigate.

Tbh, I would expect nothing less from a book club member.

From there, the story becomes this wonderfully chaotic mixture of rumors, paranoia, obsession, neighborhood gossip, missing children, disturbing discoveries, and eventually some very vampiric problems.

One of my favorite parts was the uncertainty surrounding Patricia's suspicions. Is something genuinely wrong? Is everyone ignoring obvious warning signs? Has Patricia consumed entirely too much true crime and created an elaborate scenario in her head? Is James a serial killer? Something worse?

WHAT IS HAPPENING?!

I also loved the contrast between the ordinary suburban setting and the increasingly horrifying things happening beneath the surface. One moment we're dealing with husbands, children, book-club meetings, and neighborhood drama, and the next we've entered firmly into what the actual hell is going on in Charleston? territory.

It was funny and absurd at times, but it could also become genuinely uncomfortable and horrifying. Somehow those different tones worked together incredibly well for me rather than fighting against each other.

---

Audiobook Thoughts

Despite being almost fourteen hours long, this audiobook completely had me. The full cast narration brought so much personality to Patricia and the other characters, and the performance made the increasingly chaotic situation incredibly entertaining to listen to.

I barely moved from my seat.

Food break? Fine.

Bathroom break? Apparently necessary.

Anything else? Absolutely not. Patricia has a vampire problem and I NEED ANSWERS!!!

The length never really bothered me because I was far too invested in finding out what was actually happening.

---

Final Thoughts

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires gave me suburban drama, true-crime-obsessed book-club ladies, gossip, paranoia, missing children, horror, vampires and an increasingly unhinged investigation.

It was funny, creepy, absurd, uncomfortable and genuinely horrifying in places, and somehow all of those things worked together perfectly for me.

I freaking loved it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Alchemist of the Wilds - A. T. Valentine

 

Alchemist of the Wilds by A. T. Valentine 

Author: A. T. Valentine
Narrator: Jonathan Sleep
Publisher: Tantor Media
Format: Audiobook / ALC
Genre: Cozy Fantasy | Adventure | Romance
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Lianthorn Belladonna was born into a family where poisons, schemes, and doing the kingdom’s dirty work are simply part of life. But after years of being trapped in a future he never wanted, Lian finally decides he’s had enough.

Leaving his family and their expectations behind, he travels far from everything he knows and eventually arrives at a secluded frontier village where the Belladonna name means nothing.

Determined to earn his place in the community, Lian begins using his knowledge of alchemy to help rather than harm. Between gathering ingredients in the wild, protecting his new home from dangerous creatures, forming unexpected friendships, and growing closer to a certain red-scaled Draconian carpenter, Lian may finally have the chance to build a life that belongs entirely to him.

---

My Thoughts

This audiobook was SO, SOOOO much fun!

Almost immediately, Alchemist of the Wilds reminded me of Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, which I absolutely loved both as a manga and an anime. Apparently, the whole “I’m done with my dangerous old life, please let me disappear somewhere far away and live peacefully” setup is very much my thing. ^^

Lianthorn comes from the Belladonna family, where poisons, schemes, and doing the kingdom’s dirty work are basically the family business. The problem is that Lian doesn’t want any of it.

So he runs.

And when I say far away, I mean faaaar away.

He eventually reaches a secluded little frontier village where nobody particularly cares about the Belladonna name. But simply arriving doesn’t guarantee him a place there. He has to convince the village elders that he’s worth allowing to stay and that his knowledge and abilities can actually help their community prosper.

From there, the story settles into this wonderful cozy rhythm as Lian slowly begins building an entirely new life for himself.

Lian is definitely on the introverted side, and I really enjoyed watching him gradually form friendships with the other villagers. He starts going on little adventures into the wild to gather herbs and other ingredients for his potions, uses his alchemy to solve problems around the village, and even helps protect everyone when monsters and predators become a threat.

One of my favorite parts of his journey was watching him realize that his abilities don’t have to be defined by the way his family used them.

The same knowledge that allowed him to create poisons can be used to create medicines and things that genuinely help people. His skills themselves were never inherently evil; it was what his family chose to do with them that caused so much harm.

I loved seeing Lian slowly discover that distinction and decide for himself what kind of alchemist, and person, he actually wants to be.

The cozy fantasy elements also worked incredibly well for me because the story never became too quiet. We have the comforting small village atmosphere, friendships, potion making, gathering ingredients and Lian gradually finding his place in the community, but we also get adventures, monsters, dangerous situations, and enough action to keep things moving.

Basically, it was cozy without becoming boring, which is exactly the balance I like.

And then we have our lovely red-scaled Draconian carpenter.

Hihi. :D

I LOVED their relationship.

For now, I’d describe it more as a close friendship with some very obvious hmmm... are we heading somewhere here? energy rather than an actual on-page romance. Their connection develops naturally alongside everything else happening in Lian’s new life, and I really liked that it wasn’t rushed.

But I am absolutely invested now.

So, book two?

Give me more, please and thank you very much!

Especially because the book decided to end with THAT little cliffhanger.

As if I needed another reason to continue the series. :D

---

Audiobook Thoughts

I really enjoyed Jonathan Sleep’s narration.

His voice was incredibly relaxing and suited the cozy atmosphere of the story perfectly. Even during Lian’s quieter moments around the village, the narration remained engaging, and it transitioned nicely into the more adventurous and dangerous scenes.

The combination of the story and his performance made this such an easy audiobook to settle into, and I could very happily listen to him narrate another adventure with these characters.

Preferably book two.

Soon.

:D

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Final Thoughts

Alchemist of the Wilds was exactly the kind of cozy fantasy I wanted: an introverted former assassin and poisoner trying to build a quiet life, alchemy and potion making, a secluded frontier village, adventures in the wild, monsters, found friendships, and the beginnings of what could become a very cute romance.

I especially loved Lian’s journey from using his abilities because his family demanded it to discovering how those same skills could be used to help people and create the kind of life he actually wanted.

Add the cozy atmosphere, enough adventure to keep things interesting, a certain Draconian I am now very invested in, and Jonathan Sleep’s wonderfully relaxing narration, and I had such a good time with this audiobook.

And after that ending?

I officially need book two.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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ALC Disclaimer

I received an advance listening copy of Alchemist of the Wilds in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC. All opinions are my own.

Plant Lady - Minyoung Kang

Plant Lady by Minyoung Kang

Author: Minyoung Kang
Translator: Shanna Tan
Narrator: Jennifer J. Kim
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Psychological Horror | Thriller | Translated Fiction
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Moving on from a traumatic experience, Yoohee opens her own plant shop in the hopes of starting fresh.

By day, her shop is a peaceful sanctuary filled with thriving plants. Yoohee welcomes customers, shares gardening advice and carefully tends to every leaf and flower, although anyone foolish enough to mistreat one of her beloved plants may quickly discover just how protective she can be.

But after dark, Yoohee's gardening takes a considerably more sinister turn.

As the consequences of her past threaten to catch up with her and a determined police inspector begins asking questions, the peaceful life Yoohee has cultivated may prove much more difficult to protect than her plants.

---

My Thoughts

Apparently all I need to root for a serial killer is a beautiful plant shop and a list of terrible men.

Who knew?

Plant Lady is a fairly short book, the audiobook is only a few hours long, and that usually makes me slightly nervous. Shorter stories can sometimes move so quickly that the characters or plot don't have enough room to develop properly.

Not here.

I don't know whether it was Minyoung Kang's writing, Jennifer J. Kim's narration, or the combination of both, but everything flowed incredibly smoothly.

I usually listen to audiobooks at around 1.75–2x speed, and even at that pace, the story never felt rushed. Instead, it was an incredibly easy and strangely pleasant listening experience.

Considering, you know...

Murder.

Cough.

---

Our Lovely Plant Lady

I absolutely loved Yoohee.

By day, she's tending to her beautiful plant shop and garden, sharing gardening advice on social media, welcoming customers and ensuring her plants are healthy and thriving.

By night?

Oh well....

Let's just say she has some rather unusual extracurricular activities.

Yoohee is a fascinating morally gray character, and much of her story revolves around misogyny, abuse and the ways institutions repeatedly fail the women who need their protection.

Yoohee has very strong feelings about abusive men.

And when the people who are supposed to do something about them fail?

Well...

Yoohee is rather resourceful.

Am I supposed to be cheering for this woman?

Probably not nearly as enthusiastically as I was.

But here we are.

---

Dark, Unsettling... and Strangely Cozy?

One of my favorite things about Plant Lady was the contrast at the center of Yoohee's character.

There's something almost cozy about her everyday existence. She's surrounded by greenery, cares deeply for her plants, talks about gardening and runs this beautiful little shop.

Then you remember exactly what kind of story you're reading.

That contrast between something nurturing and something deeply disturbing worked incredibly well. The book manages to be dark and unsettling without losing the strangely peaceful quality surrounding Yoohee and her plants.

And her garden?

Absolutely flourishing.

I'm sure that's entirely unrelated to anything else happening in this story.

Cough again...

---

The Investigation

Of course, Yoohee can't simply go about her... gardening... forever without attracting some unwanted attention.

Enter the detective.

This man drove me slightly insane.

He knew something wasn't right, but he couldn't find the evidence he needed and yet he JUST. KEPT. PUSHING.

Sir.

Go home.

Find a hobby.

Take up gardening!

Actually...

Maybe don't do that.

At some point, I started wondering whether he might mysteriously contribute to the continued health of Yoohee's garden himself.

Alas...

Still, his persistence creates an interesting tension because you're essentially watching an investigator do his job while simultaneously thinking:

Could you perhaps... not?

That's what happens when a book successfully convinces you to root for its morally questionable protagonist.

---

Audiobook Thoughts

Jennifer J. Kim's narration was excellent.

Her performance perfectly complemented the book's quiet, unsettling atmosphere. There was something wonderfully controlled about the listening experience that suited Yoohee and the story incredibly well.

Combined with the short runtime and smooth pacing, this became one of those audiobooks that was incredibly easy to devour in a single sitting.

The translation by Shanna Tan also read very naturally in English, while maintaining the story's distinctive atmosphere and tone.

---

Final Thoughts

Plant Lady was dark, strangely cozy, morally messy, occasionally funny and incredibly easy to devour.

I loved Yoohee far more than I probably should have, the plant-shop setting provided such an unusual contrast to the darker elements of the story, and I was especially impressed by how complete the book felt despite its relatively short length.

Jennifer J. Kim's narration only made the experience better, and I finished the audiobook wishing I could spend a little longer in Yoohee's world.

Would I trust her?

Absolutely not.

Would I shop at her plant store?

...probably.

I'd just be extremely respectful to the plants.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Support your local plant lady!

 

Bake It 'Til You Make It - Kassie Jones

 

Bake It 'Til You Make It by Kassie Jones 

Author: Kassie Jones
Narrators: Autumn Mercer & Brandon Francis
Format: Audiobook / ALC
Published: August 5, 2026
Rating: ⭐ 3.75/5
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Baking Romance, Reality Competition Romance

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Synopsis

All Taylor Madden has ever wanted is to own a bakery filled with whimsical designs and unforgettable flavors. Landing a spot on America's Next Great Baker is her chance to make that dream a reality, even if her biggest competition is a cocky, annoyingly gorgeous distraction who smirks every time she slips up. Winning could mean a fresh start. Surviving him might be the bigger challenge.

Alexander Harrington only agreed to the competition to get his parents off his back, not to complicate things with the disaster-prone optimist who insists on making everything cute. She's not supposed to be his biggest obstacle, but the longer they're stuck in the kitchen together, the harder it is to remember he's meant to beat her... not fall for her.

The stakes are high, the ovens are hot and the cameras are rolling. But when the rivalry starts to taste like something sweeter, will either of them walk away with more than just the prize?

---

My Thoughts

Bake It 'Til You Make It takes us behind the scenes of a baking reality competition where Taylor and Alexander are competing for very different reasons.

For Taylor, this is genuinely her dream. She wants her own bakery, and the competition could finally give her the opportunity to make that happen. Alexander's situation is considerably more complicated. His family owns a very successful restaurant business in Canada, and his father sees the competition as the perfect opportunity to win over an American audience before expanding into the US.

Alexander, however, has dreams of his own. He's working toward opening a restaurant independently from the family business, but with his father holding financial support over his head, participating in the competition isn't exactly optional.

I really enjoyed Alexander's development throughout the story. He enters the competition somewhat undercover, without revealing exactly who he is, and it takes him a few hit-and-miss rounds before he finally starts loosening up and actually enjoying himself.

Taylor, meanwhile, is basically a walking ray of sunshine. She's sweet, optimistic and incredibly easy for everyone around her to love, and Alexander never really stood a chance.

One of my favorite things about him was how protective he became of Taylor, particularly because it started well before they were actually together. Sir, you're supposed to be competing against her. Why are you already acting like that?

I also found the behind-the-scenes reality-show elements surprisingly interesting. I'm not much of a reality-TV person, but getting glimpses of the manipulation and arrangements happening away from the cameras added another layer to the competition. Let's just say everything isn't necessarily as fair as viewers might believe. Cough cough.

The reality-competition premise isn't particularly my usual thing, so there were some elements I didn't connect with quite as strongly. Still, the romance, characters and baking made this a very easy and entertaining listen.

---

Audiobook Thoughts

The dual narration by Autumn Mercer and Brandon Francis worked well overall.

Brandon Francis was definitely the standout for me. I really enjoyed his performance as Alexander, and his voice suited the character incredibly well.

It took me a little longer to settle into Autumn Mercer's performance as Taylor. Her narration didn't immediately click with me at the beginning, but as the audiobook progressed, it grew on me considerably and I ultimately enjoyed listening to both narrators.

---

Final Thoughts

Bake It 'Til You Make It was a sweet and entertaining romance set behind the scenes of a baking reality competition.

Taylor was such a ray of sunshine and incredibly easy to like, while Alexander's more complicated motivations and gradual character development made him an interesting counterpart. And I especially loved how protective he became of her long before their relationship developed into something more.

The reality-show aspect was also interesting. I'm not normally a big reality-TV person, but I enjoyed seeing some of what happens behind closed doors and discovering that certain parts of the competition weren't quite as fair as they appeared.

Overall, this was a fun romance with plenty of baking, reality-show drama, a sunshine heroine and a very protective hero. The reality competition setting isn't necessarily my usual preference, so I didn't connect with every aspect of the story, but I still had a really good time with it.

⭐ 3.75/5

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ALC Disclaimer

I received an advance listening copy of Bake It 'Til You Make It in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC. All opinions are my own.

The Witch’s Orchard - Archer Sullivan

 

The Witch’s Orchard

Author: Archer Sullivan
Series: Annie Gore #1
Genre: Mystery | Thriller | Appalachian Mystery
Format: Audiobook
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore left Appalachia after high school, hoping to escape a difficult childhood. Now working as a private investigator, she finds herself heading back into the mountains for a case that has remained unsolved for ten years.

Three young girls disappeared from a tiny North Carolina mountain town.

Only one ever came home.

A decade later, the brother of one of the missing girls wants answers, and he believes Annie may be the right person to find them. She's an outsider, but she's also someone who understands mountain towns and the people who live in them.

As Annie begins digging into the cold case, she encounters a community filled with secrets, conflicting stories, and unsettling local folklore involving witches and screaming crows.

Someone knows what happened ten years ago.

And Annie's investigation is beginning to disturb secrets that were meant to stay buried.

---

My Thoughts

I actually had to double-check that The Witch's Orchard was Archer Sullivan's debut because the writing felt remarkably confident and polished.

And after rereading it? I'm officially upgrading my original rating to 5 stars.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is undoubtedly the Appalachian setting. The mountains, isolated community, local folklore, and screaming crows create an eerie atmosphere without requiring the story to become outright horror.

The folklore surrounding the witch was particularly fascinating.

Almost everyone Annie spoke to seemed to have a slightly different version of the story. Details shifted depending on who was telling it, and I loved how those different interpretations seemed to reflect people's own fears, beliefs and perhaps even their guilt.

It created this wonderful uncertainty around what was folklore, what was superstition and what might contain pieces of the truth.

Then there's Annie Gore herself.

She's exactly the kind of protagonist I want leading a mystery series. Her background gives her an interesting position within the community: she's investigating as an outsider, yet she understands Appalachian towns and their people because she grew up in a similar environment herself.

That connection also makes the investigation more personal. Returning to the mountains means confronting pieces of her own painful childhood, and I enjoyed watching those elements of Annie's past emerge alongside the central mystery.

The cold case itself was very well plotted. Three girls disappeared ten years earlier, only one returned, and an entire community has spent the intervening years carrying different versions of what happened.

And somehow, I didn't figure out the culprit until the answer was practically staring me in the face.

That's always a win for me.

There were a couple of developments that felt slightly too convenient—particularly one involving the factory, but they ultimately didn't take much away from my enjoyment, especially on reread.

---

Audiobook

I also have to give Emily Pike Stewart credit for the narration.

Her performance complemented the Appalachian atmosphere beautifully and helped bring both Annie and the setting to life. There was even a moment where the narration managed to make me tear up, which doesn't happen to me very often.

Considering I enjoyed the story even more when revisiting it, the audiobook experience absolutely deserves some credit for that 5-star upgrade.

---

Final Thoughts

The Witch's Orchard is an atmospheric and impressively confident debut filled with Appalachian folklore, small-town secrets, a decade-old disappearance and a private investigator I immediately wanted to follow into another case.

The mystery kept me guessing, the folklore gave the story a wonderfully unsettling quality, and Annie Gore proved to be a fantastic lead.

My original reaction was essentially:

Book 2 pretty, pretty please?

Well...

Apparently someone listened. 😂

On to Brimstone Hollow!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Divorce Lawyer - McGarvey Black

 

The Divorce Lawyer

Author: McGarvey Black
Narrator: Sofia Willingham
Genre: Mystery | Thriller
Format: Audiobook (ALC)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars)

---

Synopsis

Ollie Spalding was one of Connecticut's most successful divorce lawyers.

With a long list of wealthy clients and high-profile cases, he'd built an impressive career, but he'd also made more than his fair share of enemies.

When Ollie's car explodes in what initially appears to be a tragic accident, the truth quickly comes to light: someone wanted him dead.

Determined to uncover the truth before the case goes cold, his longtime assistant, Kim DeLuca, begins investigating the murder of the man she considered family. As she digs deeper into Ollie's past cases, she discovers that almost everyone had a reason to want him gone.

---

My Thoughts

I had such a good time with this audiobook!

The premise immediately hooked me. Ollie Spalding is one of Connecticut's most successful divorce lawyers, and with success comes enemies... lots of them. Given the nature of his work, he'd spent years helping some people while making others incredibly unhappy, which meant the list of suspects was practically endless.

After his car explodes and what first appears to be an accident quickly becomes a murder investigation, his longtime assistant, Kim, refuses to believe his death should simply become another unsolved case.

Kim was a great character to follow. Having worked alongside Ollie for years, she knew both the man behind the successful career and the complicated world he navigated every day. Her determination to uncover the truth gave the investigation a personal stake that made it easy to become invested.

I also liked the way the story unfolded.

Alongside Kim's perspective, we get glimpses from other characters, flashbacks to events before Ollie's death, and parts of the official police investigation. Those shifting perspectives gradually reveal new information without making the mystery feel confusing, and every new suspect seemed just as plausible as the last.

The audiobook itself was another highlight.

Sofia Willingham did an excellent job bringing the story to life. Her narration was engaging, easy to follow and kept the investigation moving at a steady pace. I actually listened while working on a diamond painting and it ended up being the perfect combination; I found myself completely immersed in the mystery.

---

Final Thoughts

The Divorce Lawyer is a well-paced mystery that combines an engaging investigation, a compelling cast of suspects, and enough twists to keep you guessing until the end.

I genuinely didn't see everything coming, and I thoroughly enjoyed following Kim as she pieced together the truth behind Ollie's murder.

If you're looking for a solid murder mystery with an excellent audiobook narration, this one is definitely worth checking out.

⭐️ 5 stars

---

ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Last Night Was Killer - Mary Pauline Lowry

 

Last Night Was Killer

Author: Mary Pauline Lowry
Genre: Mystery, Humorous Thriller
Format: ALC/ Audiobook
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars)

---

Synopsis

Tilly Turner wasn't looking for trouble.

She was simply trying to survive.

Still grieving the loss of her mother, rebuilding her life after a career-ending scandal, and raising twin daughters on her own, she signs up for a pole-dancing class hoping for a much-needed distraction.

Instead...

She wakes up after a night out with no memory of what happened, and a dead body in the trunk of her car.

Now Tilly has to figure out who the victim was, who killed him, and how she somehow became part of the mystery before the police discover the truth.

What follows is a wildly entertaining investigation filled with unexpected twists, dangerous criminals, and more than a few laugh-out-loud moments.

---

My Thoughts

This book was such a pleasant surprise.

I actually scrolled past it several times on NetGalley because I wasn't sure I'd be approved for it.

Eventually I thought...

"You know what? I'll try anyway."

And I'm so glad I did.

This ended up being exactly the kind of book I didn't know I needed.

Better yet...

I enjoyed it so much that I listened to the audiobook twice.

Tilly is one of those protagonists who immediately feels like a real person.

She's grieving the loss of her mother, trying to recover from a scandal that wasn't even her fault, raising twin daughters on her own, and simply attempting to hold her life together.

So when she decides to let loose for one night with her new pole-dancing friends...

You really can't blame her.

Unfortunately...

That one night doesn't exactly go according to plan.

She wakes up with no memory of the evening...

...and discovers a dead body in her car.

From there, the story becomes wonderfully chaotic.

What starts as a murder mystery quickly spirals into something much bigger involving gun trafficking, grenades, unexpected friendships, and enough twists to keep the pages turning.

Despite all the madness, the story never loses its sense of humor.

In fact, that's probably what I loved most about it.

The comedy felt natural rather than forced, and Tilly's narration made even the most ridiculous situations genuinely entertaining.

I also really enjoyed the romance.

The ATF agent could have easily fallen into the typical tough-guy stereotype, but instead he turned out to be incredibly patient, supportive, and surprisingly sweet.

Even while Tilly kept pushing him away, he never stopped respecting her boundaries or offering quiet support whenever she needed it.

We love a cinnamon-roll hero.

I also have to mention the pole-dancing element because it added such a fun, refreshing twist to the story.

Will I ever actually take a pole-dancing class?

Probably not.

Will I continue thinking it looks incredibly fun?

Absolutely.

And finally...

Little Sister.

The dog.

Honestly, she deserves her own fan club.

Every scene involving her made me smile.

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Audiobook

The audiobook deserves special recognition.

The narrator completely brought Tilly's personality to life, balancing the humor, emotional moments, and chaotic mystery perfectly.

There were several points where I genuinely forgot I was listening to someone perform the story because it felt like Tilly herself was telling me everything that had happened.

Considering I happily listened to the audiobook twice, I think that's about the highest compliment I can give.

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Final Thoughts

Last Night Was Killer is one of those books that effortlessly blends mystery, comedy, heart, and just enough romance into something incredibly entertaining.

It manages to be laugh-out-loud funny while still giving its characters emotional depth, and the mystery kept me invested from beginning to end.

If you're looking for a murder mystery with an unforgettable heroine, a cinnamon-roll love interest, hilarious situations, lovable side characters, and one very memorable dog, I can't recommend this one enough.

⭐️ 5 stars

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ALC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for providing the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Fabulous Bodies - Chuck Tingle

 

Fabulous Bodies

Author: Chuck Tingle
Genre: Horror, Dark Comedy, Queer Fiction
Format: ALC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4 stars)

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Synopsis

Poppy Stringer lives a rather unusual double life.

By day, she's a fashion influencer.

By night, she takes on jobs that most people would never even consider; grave robbing, recovering valuables from the dead, and other shady gigs that help keep a roof over her and her daughter's heads.

When she's offered an unbelievable amount of money to steal the body of recently deceased rockstar Eddie Michaels, the job seems too good to refuse.

There's just one problem.

Eddie isn't exactly... dead anymore.

What follows is a blood-soaked, supernatural night full of chaos, carnage, and increasingly bizarre events that send Poppy's simple retrieval mission completely off the rails.

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My Thoughts

I have absolutely no idea how to explain this book.

And I mean that as a compliment.

Fabulous Bodies is one of those stories where the less you know going in, the better. The premise is already wonderfully absurd, but once the story gets moving, it somehow becomes even stranger; in the best possible way.

Poppy immediately won me over as a protagonist.

Despite her rather unconventional career choices, she's surprisingly easy to root for. Everything she does ultimately comes from wanting to build a better life for herself and her daughter, which gives the story an emotional anchor amid all the supernatural chaos.

Then there's Eddie.

The moment he enters the story, every trace of normality disappears.

He's loud, flamboyant, unapologetically himself, and completely unpredictable. I genuinely looked forward to every scene he appeared in because I never knew what ridiculous thing he was going to do next.

At several points, I wasn't even sure whether I loved him, found him completely exhausting...

...or both.

Probably both.

The novel blends horror, dark comedy, supernatural elements, and plenty of gore without ever taking itself too seriously. It embraces its own weirdness from the very beginning, and that's exactly why it works.

If you're expecting a traditional horror novel, this probably isn't it.

If you're looking for something delightfully bonkers that fully commits to its bizarre premise, you're in the right place.

My only small criticism is that I actually preferred the first half of the book.

The opening chapters are wonderfully chaotic, constantly throwing new surprises at the reader. As the story moved toward its conclusion and the plot started settling into place, I found myself missing some of that wonderfully unpredictable energy that had hooked me from the beginning.

That said, I still had an absolute blast with it.

One final thing I have to mention is the audiobook.

Having Mara Wilson as the narrator was such a treat. She captured the humor, the absurdity, and the larger-than-life personalities perfectly, making an already entertaining story even more enjoyable to listen to.

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Final Thoughts

Fabulous Bodies is weird.

It's gory.

It's funny.

It's heartfelt in unexpected places.

And it's unlike anything else I've read this year.

While I slightly preferred the wildly chaotic first half over the more structured ending, I still had a fantastic time with this wonderfully bizarre supernatural horror.

If you enjoy horror with dark humor, unforgettable characters, queer representation, and stories that proudly embrace the absurd, this is definitely one to check out.

⭐️ 4 stars

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ALC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Make Me Better - Sarah Gailey

Make Me Better

Author: Sarah Gailey
Genre: Psychological Suspense / Horror
Format: ALC/ Audiobobok
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3 stars)

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Synopsis

Celia longs for one thing above all else: to belong.

Lonely, grieving and desperate for a sense of purpose, she travels to Kindred Cove to attend the annual Salt Festival, hosted by a secluded island community that promises healing, transformation, and freedom from suffering.

At first, the community offers everything Celia has been searching for.

Acceptance.

Connection.

A family.

But beneath Kindred Cove's peaceful promises lies something far more unsettling, and as Celia becomes increasingly immersed in its beliefs, the line between healing and manipulation begins to blur.

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My Thoughts

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect going into Make Me Better, but the premise immediately caught my attention.

An isolated island.

A mysterious annual festival.

Strong cult vibes.

Needless to say, I was intrigued from the very beginning.

The story follows Celia, a woman weighed down by loneliness and a deep desire to build the family she's always wanted. Hoping for a fresh start, she travels to Kindred Cove, where the community promises healing and transformation to anyone willing to embrace its way of life.

One of the reasons I was drawn to this book is that I always find stories about cults psychologically fascinating. It's not the cults themselves that interest me as much as the people who join them. I'm always curious about what they're searching for, what emotional needs are being fulfilled, and how these communities create such a powerful sense of belonging.

I thought Make Me Better explored those questions quite well.

It was easy to understand why Celia felt seen, welcomed, and accepted after arriving at Kindred Cove. At the same time, I did feel she embraced the group's beliefs a little too quickly, which occasionally made her emotional journey feel less gradual than I would have liked.

The novel also gives readers glimpses into the perspectives of several members of the community.

While I appreciated seeing different viewpoints, there were moments when the number of perspectives became a little overwhelming, and I sometimes found myself trying to remember who everyone was and how they fit into the larger story.

One thing I will mention is the genre.

Although the book is marketed as horror, I personally experienced it much more as psychological suspense.

Rather than relying on frightening or graphic horror elements, the story focuses on manipulation, isolation, identity, and the unsettling ways vulnerable people can be drawn into communities that promise to fix their lives.

That psychological tension was, for me, the strongest part of the novel.

Unfortunately, my biggest struggle came from the audiobook itself.

I usually have excellent experiences with Macmillan Audio productions, so this surprised me a little. I'm still not entirely sure whether it was the narration, the overall production, or simply that this particular story didn't click with me in audio format, but I found it harder to stay fully immersed than I normally do.

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Final Thoughts

Make Me Better offers an intriguing exploration of belonging, manipulation, and the psychology behind cults, all wrapped in an eerie, isolated setting.

While I appreciated the themes it explored, the multiple perspectives, the pacing of Celia's transformation, and my experience with the audiobook kept me from connecting with the story as much as I'd hoped.

Even so, readers who enjoy slow-burning psychological suspense with cult dynamics and an emphasis on atmosphere may find this one worth checking out.

⭐️ 3 stars

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ALC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.