Hope Street – Book Review

Hope Street

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Date published:- February 6th 2025

Author:- Mike Gayle

No. of pages:- 368 pages

Genre:- Literary/Contemporary fiction

Quick Review:- an emotional heartbreaking and fun story to read, that shows how community works together.

Rating:- 4.5/5

The greatest adventure is coming back home.

Lila Metcalfe is a trainee journalist in Derby and she’s very used to being given the stories that no one else wants. So, when her editor tells her that the city’s Cossington Park development is being held up by a solitary resident on Hope Street who is refusing to leave, she knows she is going to be the one sent to find out more. And that’s how she meets Connor.

Twenty-something Connor is the sole resident of Hope Street and he is not at all what Lila is expecting. And he has a very clear reason not to move: he is waiting for his mum to come home.

The uplifting and heartfelt new novel from the author of A Song of Me and You.

Lila is a journalist working for the small newspaper organization the Echo in Derby. She has a boyfriend in London and wants to be closer to him as she applied journalism jobs in and around London. When her boss wants her to write an article about a man who refuses to leave the childhood house as the council is taking over all the houses in Hope Street to build a park, Lila goes to interview Connor. What she finds is a heartbreaking story of Connor, who is waiting for his mother to safely return back home when she disappeared two years ago. Lila decides to help Connor finds his mother and promised to find his mother.

This was an emotional and uplifting story. Particularly when reading Connor’s part. You feel so much empathy and sympathy for Connor’s character and that you actually feel overjoyed when you see there are people in the community who supports and cares for Connor–like Alan, his co-worker, his friend and Lila. I like the past memories showing Connor’s mother before she disappeared, how she took care of little Connor and how this house in Hope Street is actually a special place for Connor as that was where he grew up. I also like his profound and wavering love towards his own mother, his willingness of not leaving the house until his mother returns home.

I also like Lila the journalist as well, even though she is dealing with her own personal drama with her boyfriend, she would do anything to help Connor find his mother.

This story talks about support, friendship and loyalty and of course empathy. It’s moving and emotional, particularly the ending part. I actually enjoyed reading the story, some parts are tear-jerking and the ending to me was great. The writing was great as the author did a great job, making the reader feel sorry for Connor’s character.

Overall, this story is worth 4.5 stars.

Murder at the Black Cat Cafe – Book Review

Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

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Date Published:- August 25th 2025

No. of pages:- 224 pages

Author:- Seishi Yokomizo

Translated by:- Brian Karetnyk

Genre:- Japanese fiction/Thriller

Overall review:- there was suspense, though at the end, it kind of got a little confusing. At the end of the book is also another murder case which is not really related to the story.

Rating- 4/5

Tokyo, 1947.

The Pink Labyrinth is one of the bomb-scarred city’s most shady neighbourhoods. There, in the dead of night a patrolling policeman catches a young Buddhist monk digging in the back yard of The Black Cat Cafe, a notorious brothel. In the shallow grave at his feet lie the dead body of a woman, her face disfigured beyond recognition, and the corpse of a black cat.

Who is the murdered woman, and how was she connected to the infamous establishment? And where did the dead cat come from, given that the cafe’s feline mascot seems to be alive and well? The brilliant sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi investigates, but as he draws closer to the truth, he finds himself in grave danger…

Seishi Yokomizo is the Japanese Agatha Christie.

The story starts with a policeman patrolling around the area when he comes across monk digging what looked like a grave. When the police were brought in, they discover a half decaying corpse with the face nearly gone–thus dubbing the faceless corpse. The police get together to solve the mystery that involves the owner of the Black Cat Cafe–a couple which is actually a notorious brothel and a young mistress who is involved with the husband. The body was initially suspected of belonging to the young mistress but the police then believe that the body might belong to the wife. But then a young bright detective named Kosuke Kindaichi starts investigating the case and then brings light to the case.

This was interesting. It is actually a short story however, the story to me was a bit predictable. Otherwise, it was intriguing and interesting and the greatest twist at the end was quiet unexpected. The short murder story at the end was interesting but a bit disturbing.

Overall, this was a good thriller book and I feel like I want to read more books from this author—worth four stars.

Not Actually Yours – ARC Book Review

Not Actually Yours

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Author:- Sophie L. Henderson

Date published:- will be published on 7th May 2026

Genre:- Romance

Quick Review:- If you read Amy Lea’s Exs and Ohs, then you will definitely love this book.

Rating:- 4/5

Two weeks and two fake dates with Brock Holt—the infuriating firefighter with a savior complex, tough-guy attitude and a body as hot as his temper. And the last person single-by-choice schoolteacher Nix would ever fall for.

Nix‘s heart is on permanent lockdown after her mom walked out on her, but she needs a date to her cousin’s engagement party. Anything to put an end to the relentless single-shaming. Can she find someone—preferably smokin’—willing to spend Thanksgiving weekend with her meddling family in a tiny seaside town in the middle of nowhere?

Brock got burned falling for the wrong girl. But his potential promotion to captain hinges on him having a date for the annual firefighters’ gala. Can he convince the entire community that his short fuse is a thing of the past, that he’s ready for a serious new role as a fire hall leader?

They’ve agreed: falling in love is not an option. And soon, they’re fooling everyone. Even themselves. When Brock utterly charms Nix’s hard-to-impress aunt over a cozy breakfast of pancakes and maple syrup, and sparks fly at the fire department dance, the alarm bells start to ring…

A swoony, sweet and steamy fake-dating romance that is the perfect comfort read. If you love Laurie Gilmore, Amy Daws and Stephanie Archer, you’ll be charmed by Not Actually Yours.

If you liked reading Amy Lea’s Ex’s and Oh’s then Not Actually Yours might be for you then

Nix doesn’t really believe in love after her mother walked out of their family. She then meets Brock, a grumpy firefighter–they kind of know each other through their mutual friend and Nix who is a teacher had to work with Brock and his team at Fire Eight. Nix’s cousin’s wedding is coming up and Nix wanted to take someone for the wedding as the date and Brock seemed to be a perfect choice. Meanwhile, Brock always make bad decisions when his ex- dumped him. Brock is eying for promotion as a captain and when his captain asks him to go for this gala, he needs to bring a date. Nix and Brock both ask each other out to be their fake dates. But then their chemistry is sizzling that it is possible that they are going to fall in love.

The story is engaging, funny and relaxing. Both Nix and Brock are favorable characters and you do feel that there is a connection between the two. I completely got invested into the story and as a result was rooting for them. Nix has a complicated relationship with her mother and as a result she has trust issues and so does Brock. I like that one is a firefighter and the other is an elementary school teacher and the romance between the two is very interesting.

Overall, this is sort of emotional but fun to read and engaging. Worth four stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The Wizard’s Bakery – Book Review

The Wizard’s Bakery

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Date published:- Translated published in June 5th 2025

No. of pages:- 256 pages

Genre:- Asian Fiction/ Magic Realism

Quick Review:- A quick read about how life can be altered by the use of simple magic, except you have to follow the rules properly

Rating:- 3/5

-Child Abuse

-Sexual abuse

-Domestic abuse

A fantastical coming-of-age story for fans of whimsical translated fiction | The genre-defining Korean bestseller

‘Don’t we all need a little magic in our lives sometimes?’

Open twenty-four hours a day, at first glance The Wizard’s Bakery seems like any ordinary bakery where you can buy bread, cakes, and cookies, with a somewhat grumpy man behind the counter.

At first glance, that is. Because when the young boy who is our protagonist chooses it as a refuge to escape a difficult family situation, the reality he finds is quite different. Baked with the help of a mysterious blue-haired shop assistant, are sweets and pastries with immense powers, capable of changing diabolical cinnamon cookies to give to those you can’t stand, madeleines to fix broken hearts, almond bars to remember the past.

But each of these items comes with a warning, regardless of the positive or negative the power contained in the treats inevitably alters the order of the world and sometimes produces dramatic consequences for those who consume them, consequences that need to be weighed carefully.

Follow along with our protagonist as he learns about the responsibility that comes with working at this bakery . . . and most of all, how much people need a little bit magic in their lives.

To an outsider, the Wizard’s Bakery seem to be a normal bakery that sells cakes, pastries, bread etc. But when a young boy finds refuge inside the bakery, he finds that each of these pastries and cakes are made with special ingredients. These ingredients will help you in many ways from destroying your enemy to repairing your life and relationship with others. But you must follow certain rules otherwise it might get backfired.

The protagonist didn’t really grow up in a loving family and you can see the way his stepmother is treating him horribly. When a situation arises, the boy is forced to run away from the house and then finds refuge inside the bakery. He slowly befriends the grumpy baker behind the counter and the blue haired girl who was always cheerful. The chapters were all given titles of pastries with a magic word and how they are used.

This was a sad book but at the same time realistic in life sense. Worth 3 stars.

The Killer in Room Five – ARC Book Review

The Killer in Room Five

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Date published:- will be published on 21st May 2026

Author:- Sam Holland

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Quick Review:- a fast-paced, gripping and intriguing thriller, that will keep you on the edge until the end of the book.

Rating:- 4.5/5

Some disturbing and gory murder scenes in the book.

A terrible confession
In an isolated room in Hollowpines, an infamous psychiatric hospital, Joe Sinclair is confessing to a violent murder.

An impossible crime
Locked away, Joe couldn’t possibly have killed the man, so how does he know so many of the horrifying details?

A detective at her limits
Suspended after a colleague was stabbed on her watch, DC Abby Fox has only just returned to work. But at Hollowpines, she must find out what really happened and how exactly Joe is involved.

Is he to blame, or the only one who can stop the killer?

DC Abby Fox returns back to work, after she was suspended when a colleague was stabbed on her watch. Her first assignment was to visit the infamous mental institution, Hollowpines. Joe Sinclair, one of patients at Hollowpines, had seen a dream where he saw himself killing a man. The exact description of the murder did actually happen to the point where Joe described a part of the killing where the police haven’t released to the media yet. There is no way Joe Sinclair would have committed the murder as he was locked up in the institution so was he just hallucinating or someone was trying to feed the information to him?

This was fast paced and a page turning thriller. Yet this book is not really for the faint-hearted. As a backstory, the author had provided stories of five patients locked in Ward D of Hollowpines many of those backstories are disturbing and too bloody and gory to read. Hollowpines gave an eerie atmosphere particularly when Abby was spending the night at the Hollowpines when she hears mysterious sound of someone walking across the hallway and someone playing the piano in the middle of the night. The killings and descriptions of the murder were too brutal to read. And of course there is tense atmosphere and there is so much twists and turns that everyone in the book seems to be a suspect!

The only thing was, the ending to me was predictable, which lowered my rating for a five star to a 4.5 start rating.

Overall, Sam Holland has done it again, giving us a twisty and gripping thriller that will keep you up all night.

Many thanks to Harper Collins for inviting me to review this book. Many thanks to Netgalley to providing me an ARC for this book. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Top 10 Freida McFadden Books (in my opinion)

Freida McFadden is my go-to author guy and after reading The Housemaid, I have always wanted to read more of her books. Here is the list of my personal favorite Freida McFadden books.

1 The Housemaid

My all time favorite Freida McFadden book which actually got me into reading more of her books. Always be no. 1 of Freida McFadden best books.

2. Never Lie

I devoured this book in 24 hours–this book was SO good and I actually loved it. Hopefully, this book will be made into a movie soon.

3. Housemaid’s Secret

This is the second book of the Housemaid series and though not good as the first one, still it was gripping and really good.

4. One by One

This is my other favorite book of Freida McFadden. Kind of made me scared to sleep without lights on 😦

5. The Locked Door

This book as serial killer concept in it and again, this is one of my favorite Freida McFadden books.

6. Ward D

The fact that this was based in a mental hospital and the doctor working at the night shift made the whole story scary to read and intriguing to read.

7. Do Not Disturb

This was just a wow book, with twists and turns and the ending was super unexpected I couldn’t put the book down

8. Dear Debbie

Her latest book which was released this year. Unlike the previous books which was released the last few years, this book was better–it was funny and enjoyable to read

9. The Teacher

Kind of a disturbing thriller but twists and turns in this book was crazy

And the last but not least

10. The Housemaid Watching

The 3rd and final book of the Housemaid series. Not as good as the previous two books but still, this book kept me to the toes.

So what are your favorite Freida McFadden books?

The Woman in Seat 13 – ARC Book Review

The Woman in Seat 13

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Date published:- 29th April 2026,

Author:- Ellie Midwood

Genre:- Thriller

No. of pages:- 343 pages

Quick Review–overall, the story is poorly executed, pacing was slow and there is lack of suspense in the book

Rating:- 2.5/5

I survived. He died. And now someone wants me to pay…

When I spot I’m in row 13 on the flight, I barely notice. I’m not superstitious. But then I am offered the window seat by a stranger with melting brown eyes and no wedding ring. As we begin to chat, I find myself drawn to him. I never imagined that just half an hour later, I’d be clutching his hand, passengers screaming around us as our plane plummets terrifyingly through the night sky…

Months later I’m trying to make a fresh start as the only survivor of the crash. My brand-new apartment should feel like a haven for me but I’m still jumping at every noise, frightened to confide in my new neighbors. My therapist tells me this is normal, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m not alone in my new home.

Then the notes begin. Notes that say It should have been you. You weren’t meant to survive. I think back to the stranger on the plane, who seemed to be just a nice, uncomplicated man. I remember his last words, lost under the roar of the failing engines. ‘There’s something I need to tell you. Look out for—’

If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be alive. But is he the reason I am in terrible danger now?

A completely gripping and unputdownable thriller that will have you turning pages deep into the night. Fans of The Silent Patient and Jeneva Rose will be completely hooked on The Woman in Seat 13.

When I saw Ellie Midwood is writing a new psychological thriller, I was surprised and immediately want to read it. I have read Ellie Midwood books before and most of them are historical fiction and I love reading her historical fiction novels as I just enjoy her writing style and how she makes people engage into the story. I was having high hopes in this books, thinking maybe this would live up to my expectations.

But the book did not actually live up to my expectations.

The story starts with Jessie boarding a plane, excited for the vacation. When one of the passengers refuse to allow Jessie’s dog to sit with her, a business class passenger Leonardo asks Jessie to come to business class to sit with him. But then the joy is short lived and the plane crash occurs and Jessie is the only survivor in the plane. Now months later, Jessie is trying to move on with her new life–she has bought a new apartment, she is seeing a therapist and she is running a therapy office with her friend Mira. But then Jessie starts receiving notes–threatening her, saying that Jessie should have died in that plane crash. Jessie remembered Leandro was going to tell her something but Jessie couldn’t actually remember what it was. Someone wants Jessie dead.

The plot was great and unique. However, I didn’t like how the story was executed. The pacing overall was slow, the quiet frankly, there is lack of suspense in the book, despite being a psychological thriller. No twists or turns like you would expect in a thriller, and it’s as if the whole story is like Jessie is sweet and nice and the author was too busy portraying Jessie as a nice and sweet person instead of building tension. Ellie Midwood is a great writer as I have read her books before but this book I hate to say wasn’t her greatest. Maybe, she should instead write historical fiction.

Anyway, the book is OK and worth 2.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The rview is based on my honest opinion only.

Not Your Final Girl – ARC Book Review

Not Your Final Girl

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Date published:- will be published on 5th May 2026

Author:- Mikayla Randolph

No. of pages:- 316 pages

Genre:- Horror

Quick review-Slow burn and predictable with unlikable characters. Plot was however interesting but could have been better

Rating:- 3/5

  • gory and disturbing images of killing

A feminist slasher novel fueled by female rage and haunted by gruesome murders, in this contemporary reimagining of Tess of the D’Urbervilles there can only be one Final Girl.

Darcy and her high school friends haven’t gathered together in seven years. After a tragic murder on prom night, the group graduated and never looked back. But when the lakeside cabin they spent their summers at is put up for sale, they reunite for one last hurrah.

Darcy hopes it will be an inspiring weekend that will help them all move on from their shared trauma. But Ashley, her biggest tormentor and the group’s manipulative self-appointed leader, is sure to stir up trouble. After a first day filled with jealousy, heartbreak, and unexpected guests, tensions are bursting, and the feud between Darcy and Ashley resurfaces.

The reunion takes a sinister turn when a masked killer slaughters one of their own. Cut off from the outside world with the death toll rising fast, the terrified friends turn on each other and uncover long buried secrets. Someone is seeking justice for their past betrayals and with friends like these no one is safe in this dark-femme slasher for fans of Maeve Fly by CJ Leede and The Indian Lake Trilogy by Stephen Graham Jones.

Darcy and her high school friends, Ashley, Nate, Lettie, Spence and Kai all gathered together for a union at the cabin before the cabin went up for sale. Many years ago, a murder happened which changed their lives and one of them ending up in a mental institute. Now they are all united except Ashley brings her girlfriend Su-Ahm while Nate brings Eliza who is the sister of Tessa who was involved in that incident years ago.

Truth to be told, I had high hopes for this book. I really thought this book is going to be interesting, gory and intriguing, like one of those slasher movies in 80’s and 90’s you have watched. But to be honest, this book is OK–it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t as great as I thought it would be.

There are multiple POVs–we have Darcy, who happened to be the main character, Su-Ah who is Ashley’s girlfriend, Ashley and Eliza. To me, I didn’t like any of these characters. The plot was great but the execution of the plot wasn’t that great. This was slow burn and it took me some time for me to really get into the story. I really wish the author has described more in detail about what really happened on the prom night where one of their friends actually killed someone brutally. The ending was actually predictable but the ending would have been more satisfying if everyone dies in the end and someone else not connected to the story discovers the body. This book wasn’t as dark and scary as I thought it should, by the title.

Will I read more books from this author? Probably. Would like to read more books from this authort and would like to give another chance. Worth 3 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

My Husband’s Wife – Book Review

Title:- My Husband’s Wife

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Date published:- January 20th 2026

Author:- Alice Feeney

No. of pages:- 310 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Quick Review:- Though the first few chapters were boring, the momentum starts to build towards the middle of the book–lots of twists and turns by the middle of the book and the ending was completely unexpected

Rating:- 4.5/5

The Sunday Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ugly is back with a psychological masterpiece that will leave you questioning everything you know about love, identity, and revenge.

Eden Fox, an artist on the brink of her big break, sets off for a run before her first exhibition. When she returns to the home she recently moved into, Spyglass, an enchanting old house in Hope Falls, nothing is as it should be. Her key doesn’t fit. A woman, eerily similar to her, answers the door. And her husband insists that the stranger is his wife.

One house. One husband. Two women. Someone is lying.

Six months earlier, a reclusive Londoner called Birdy, reeling from a life-changing diagnosis, inherits Spyglass. This unexpected gift from a long-lost grandmother brings her to the pretty seaside village of Hope Falls. But then Birdy stumbles upon a shadowy London clinic that claims to be able to predict a person’s date of death, including her own. Secrets start to unravel, and as the line between truth and lies blurs, Birdy feels compelled to right some old wrongs.

My Husband’s Wife is a tangled web of deception, obsession, and mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page. Prepare yourself for the ultimate mind-bending marriage thriller and step inside Spyglass – if you dare – to experience a story where nothing is as it seems.

Alice Feeney is always my go to thriller author–I always make sure to buy all her latest books. My Husband’s Wife was released this year and I have to say, this was an unexpected book.

We have a woman named Eden Fox who goes for running around Hope Falls, where she and her husband had recently moved to. But when returned home, she finds out that the house locks have changed, and a woman, who looked eerily similar to her appearance answers the door. The woman says that her name is Eden Fox. Eden tries to call her husband Harrison but Harrison pretends that he doesn’t know her and acknowledges the strange woman as his wife. Eden, wondering what was going on leaves the house but was determined to prove herself who she was but someone wants her dead…

Birdy is being diagnosed with cancer and she has only certain number of days to live. She gets a surprise visit from a solicitor who tells her that her grandmother had died and left her a house in Hope Falls for her to inherit. Birdy moves to Hope Falls and meets Seargeant Carter. Hope Falls is free from crime and Carter is determined to keep Hope Falls that way. But then a woman’s body is washed up ashore and the woman might be the missing Eden Fox.

This was a fast-paced thriller. The story is told in the POVs of Birdy, we also have POV of Eden and Carter and Harrison. At first, you feel like there are two different stories going on but then it was towards the middle of the book where things start getting more intriguing and interesting. There were so much of twists and turns and you see that the narrators are all unreliable with a secret that they are hiding, which makes the story more interesting. The ending had the most biggest twist and most unexpected ending I ever had. It was I felt like WTF moment when the ending was revealed, revealing the connection with what thought of as two different stories.

Alice Feeney wrote so many twisty thrillers and this book is exception. I would give this book a five star rating.

Dear Debbie – Book Review

Dear Debbie

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Date published:-January 27th 2026

Author:- Freida McFadden

No. of pages:- 336 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Quick Review–as usual, it was fast-paced with some twists and turns, the ending was quiet unexpected though

Rating:- 4/5

Sometimes, enough is enough…

Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction.

Or at least, she did.

These days, Debbie’s life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie’s done being the bigger person. She’s done being reasonable and practical. It’s time to take her own advice.

And now it’s time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most.

From #1 New York Times and international bestselling author Freida McFadden comes a biting, subversive thriller about what happens when women finally choose to take justice into their own hands – with killer results.

I ALWAYS make sure to read all Freida McFadden books, including her latest ones. Dear Debbie is her latest novel, which was released this year.

Debbie Mullen works as a columnist for a local newspaper in the town where she writes a column named Dear Debbie. Women send messages and seek advice from Debbie on how to repair or get away from their marriage. Debbie helps them to sort out their issues and sometimes she end up giving sinister advice.

Then Debbie gets fired from her job and she soon notices her daughters are behaving strangely. Even her own husband, seem to be mysteriously disappearing to somewhere and she cannot track him down through the tracking app she had made. Debbie will do anything–including murder to protect her loved ones.

This was intense. As usual, McFadden’s books are fast paced and this book is no exception. It was fast-paced, it was tiny bit disturbing. The story is mainly told in Debbie’s POV but we have Cooper, who is Debbie’s husband’s POV as well, and as well as a woman named Harley who reportedly is cheating with Cooper. Debbie seem to want to take revenge on the people who belittle her and her family. Debbie also had a traumatic experience that made her drop out of MIT and still dealing with that experience. There were twists and turns and the ending of the story was quiet unexpected though unreliastic in my opinion as well.

I feel her writing style is the same and the story is easy to follow and read. She will be releasing another novel this year.

Dear Debbie is worth four stars.