Tropical Girl Reads

Legendary – Book Review

Title:- Legendary (Caraval series Book 2)

Author:- Stephanie Garber

Date published:- May 29th 2018

No. of pages:- 451 pages

Genre:- Fantasy/Young Adult/Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister, Scarlett, from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister’s. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice, but now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever…

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . the games have only just begun.

This is the second book of the Caraval series. In this book, the main character is Scarlett’s sister Donatella known as Tella. Tella had a debt to pay–all she had to do is take part again in the Caraval games and she must win. And when she wins, she must reveal the true identity of Legend. As she takes part in the games, she becomes embroiled with the murderous heir to the throne, a love story between her and Dante and above all, Scarlett’s secret and finding what really happened to their mother.

This was interesting actually. Tella is courageous and very loyal to her sister and mother, which is shown entirely in the book as she is determined to win the game. The middle part of the book is where things started getting interesting in my opinion and the small cliffhanger at the end tells us that the story is not entirely over but will be in the third and final book of the series Finale. Reading this book made me feel like I was in this magical world with Tella. The writing was engaging and I actually enjoyed this book a lot. Though the first part in my opinion was slightly boring, I liked the book as a whole.

Worth four stars in my opinion.

Love Story – ARC Book Review

Title:- Love Story

Author:- Lindsey Kelk

Date published:- 4th July 2024

No. of pages:- 384 pages

Publisher:- HarperCollins

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

he’s a small-town schoolteacher.

He’s a hotshot marketing director.

Together, it’s hate at first sight.

Sophie Taylor has a secret and Joe Walsh thinks he knows it (all). He’s devilishly handsome, incredibly hot – and far too sure of himself.

Unfortunately, Sophie desperately needs his help. She has lost her laptop – and her sequel to the sensational, spicy romance that everybody’s talking about.

Because Sophie is not just hiding something small. She is Este Cox, the mysterious romance author the entire world is desperate to unmask.

When a trip to Sophie’s home town leads to the disgruntled pair sharing a one-bed cottage, it’s a short step to sharing a whole lot more besides… Can Sophie trust Joe with the truth – and be herself?

This is a cute romance novel and I actually enjoyed reading this novel.

Sophie is a school teacher and she has a secret–she is a famous author known as Este and writes mainly spicy romance. Joe meanwhile is a hot handsome publisher. So when Sophie loses her laptop where her sequel to the bestselling novel is written and she needs Joe’s help. Sophie and Joe doesn’t get along but then things changed when Sophie needs Joe’s help and the two had to work together.

I like the banter between Sophie and Joe–their constant banter between each other is actually really funny. Plus, I really like Sophie’s relationship with her parents and also the banter between Sophie and her family. Sophie is a very likable character but then I found all the characters really likable in my opinion. The whole plot line, to me was interesting and intriguing and there were some funny parts in the story that will make you laugh out loud. The ending was what I actually liked about the book but then, everything will be happily ever after afterwards! I also really rooted for Joe and Sophie, despite their hatred towards each other.

Overall this book worth five stars!

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

Lindsey Kelk is the Sunday Times bestselling author of books including the I Heart series, On A Night Like This, The Christmas Wish, and One in a Million, along with the middle grade Cinders & Sparks series.

As well as writing books, Lindsey co-hosts the award-winning beauty podcast, Full Coverage, and Tight and Fights, a pro-wrestling podcast on the Maximum Fun network.

Born and raised in South Yorkshire, Lindsey lived in Nottingham, London and New York before settling in LA, where she lives with her husband and two very rude cats.

In the Blink of an Eye – Blog Tour

Title:- In the blink of an eye

Author:- Kate Hewitt

Date published:- 1st July 2024

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 395 pages

Genre:- Literary/Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

It only took a moment for everything to go wrong. A little girl is hurt, but who is to blame?

I’m so happy as I walk to pick up my seven-year-old son from the birthday party. It’s his first since we moved here, and I know he’s found it hard settling in. Just as I’ve found it hard to make friends among the mothers at the school gates. But as I turn the corner, my heart stops when I see an ambulance.

I start to run. My son, is all I can think. I have to find my son.

As I race into the garden, desperately searching for my blue-eyed little boy, a fellow parent turns to me, her finger pointed. The words out of her mouth make my blood run cold.

“Your son did this. This is your fault.”

Surely that can’t be true? My son can be difficult, but I’d know if he was capable of hurting someone… Wouldn’t I?

As a little girl is lifted onto a stretcher, I feel my world come crashing down. My heart cracks in two for this poor child, her devastated family. Because there’s no coming back from this. An innocent girl has been hurt. My son is being blamed. But I’m his mother, and I’ll do whatever it takes to find out what really happened…

A totally gripping and emotional novel about trust, female friendship and betrayal. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Susan Lewis.

In the Blink of an Eye is an emotional roller coaster ride with a heartbreaking plot.

Jo and Kieran recently moved to the small town from New York. Eleanor is organizing a birthday party for her daughter Bella. Natalie meanwhile is dealing with the fact that her husband had left her. But then Eleanor’s daughter, Bella gets hurt and then she points the finger at Kieran before she was taken to the hospital. Jo must find out what really happened and saving her son’s name.

This book is realistic and deals with real life topic issues. The story is mainly told in three women’s POV–Eleanor, Natalie and Joanna and how they are each dealing with their own trauma. The book also touches on the topic of ADHD, bullying as well, the author educating the readers about it. Although the beginning was slightly boring, I found the book interesting later on in the book. There were some twists and turns and the ending was completely unexpected!

If you are fans of Jodi Picoult, then I recommend to try Kate Hewitt’s books–worth five stars.

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

Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.

https://www.kate-hewitt.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor/
https://twitter.com/author_kate

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0D2HRFK2Ksocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

A Good Place to Hide the Body – ARC Book Review

Title:- A Good Place to Hide A Body

Author:- Laura Marshall

Date published:- will be published on 4th July 2024

No. of pages:- 320 pages

Genre;- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

‘Can you come round?’ Dad says tremulously.
‘Of course. Are you OK? Is it Mum?’
‘No!’ He almost shouts it. ‘Just come quickly. The garden…the…body… we need you, Penny.’
For women of Penny’s generation, being on hand for elderly parents is just part of life. But for Penny, things have become a little more serious…

When she receives a frantic phone call from her parents one night, with express instructions NOT to call the police, Penny rushes over at once. But they haven’t had a fall. They haven’t forgotten their computer passwords. They’ve killed someone. And his body is lying in the garden, right next to the rose bushes.
Everyone is capable of murder. They just need to meet the right person.

This is the third book I have read of Laura Marshall and I have to say, I enjoyed this more than I did with her other two books!

This book is slightly different from the books I have read from the same author before. Penny is taking care of her elderly parents…her elderly parents decided to rent out their basement and soon they find a tenant named Cooper. But Cooper has a dark history which involved the fact that he was released from prison on drug charges. Penny’s parents believe that Cooper is stealing and damaging their property. One night, Penny gets a frantic call from her parents, asking her to come over immediately. When Penny did, she finds a damaged rose garden and the body of Cooper lying on the ground, dead. Then comes the story of how Penny helped her parents find a good place to hide the body and at the same time dealing with the consequences.

This book is fast paced and I really like the writing style of the book. I think things got interesting towards the middle of the book and I have to say, I found some parts in the book a little funny and hilarious to read, particularly when Penny and her father are trying to find a place to hide the body. I also like Sissy, Penny’s mother as well and found her character to be funny and witty. This book also makes you think twice about renting a tenant a spare room as this is what the whole story is about–money issues, renting a part of your house, turns out the tenant is bad and then drama. I really love the drama behind the book and overall, I actually enjoyed the book. If you are looking for binge read, check this book out, worth 4.5 stars.

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

Laura Marshall is the bestselling author of four psychological thrillers. Her debut novel, Friend Request, was a Kindle No.1 and Sunday Times bestseller, with over half a million copies sold in the UK. Laura’s books have sold in twenty-four territories around the globe.

She grew up in Wiltshire, studied English at the University of Sussex and currently lives in Kent with her family.

For more information visit Laura’s website www.lauramarshall.co.uk or find her at www.facebook.com/lauramarshallauthor or on Twitter @laurajm8.

Poison Memories (Detective Morgan Brookes series Book 12) – ARC Book Review

Title:- Poison Memories

Author:- Helen Phifer

Date published:- July 2nd 2024

No. of pages:- 317 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

Wind howls against the bolted front door, but the woman can still hear footsteps approaching. He has come for her. The memory of what she did still haunts her, and she knows she deserves to die…

Arriving at High Wraith cottage, Detective Morgan Brookes joins her horrified team, who have found a woman’s body chained and dangling from the gnarled branch of an old oak tree. It’s a race against time to preserve any evidence as heavy rain destroys the scene, but they’ve already identified the victim as a woman who once tried to kill her own family.

Twenty years ago, Margery Lancaster went to prison for poisoning her husband and infant son. They both survived, and Morgan must treat the pair as her first suspects. But before she has a chance to get to work, Margery’s ex-husband is brutally murdered, and Morgan’s heart thumps as she sees his hands tied with silver chains that match those found on Margery’s body. Then his son, now a local doctor, arrives at the station to be interviewed. Morgan watches in despair as he drops to the floor and falls into a coma.

With almost all of the forensic evidence washed away by the storm, and no family left to interview, Morgan’s last hope is tracking the two chains to a local hardware store. But the killer is already closing in on his final victim. Is it already too late for Morgan to stop him, or will she uncover the terrible secrets this family are hiding in time to save another life?

A heart-racing, edge-of-your-seat thriller for fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Rachel McLean. Will have your heart pounding as you reach the final, breathtaking twist.

This is the book 12 of Detective Morgan Brookes series. And you don’t really have to start reading from the first book of the series although it is recommended if you haven’t read Detective Morgan Brookes series yet.

Detective Morgan Brookes is called to the scene where a dead body of a woman was lying in a muddy pool with a tree branch, indicating that she was hanged. The woman’s name was Margery Lancaster and she was accused of poisoning both her husband and her child. She was sent to prison but was released later and both her ex-husband and the child survived. Detective Morgan Brookes believed that either the husband or the son might be behind Margery’s death but then the ex-husband was also killed in the similar fashion and Detective Morgan Brooke must solve the case before it is too late.

This was a good thriller and an interesting plot line. There were some funny parts in the book and I like the fact that Morgan Brooke is a crime fanatic and loves reading about true crime, particularly on Ted Bundy (?). I like the twists and turns and I liked the unexpected ending towards the end. This is also quiet an unputdownable thriller that I couldn’t wait to see what the ending was going to be. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading the series and cannot wait to see what her next crime adventure is going to be–worth five stars!

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

Throne of Glass (Book 1) – Book Review

Title:- Throne of Glass

Author:- Sarah J Maas

Date published:- August 7th 2012

No. of pages:- 406 pages

Genre:- Fantasy/Romance/Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

n a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

I have become obsessed with Sarah J Maas’ books lately and through the internet, I heard that Throne of Glass series is her best series–better than ACOTAR series that I actually love. So I thought I will start with the first book of the series…and I have to say, Throne of Glass is definitely better than ACOTAR series in my opinion.

Calaena Sardothien is an assassin and a prisoner working in salt mines with brutal hard working conditions. When she is approached by the Crown Prince Dorian to compete for King’s Champion thus gaining her freedom, Calaena couldn’t really believe her luck. As she prepares to face off the competitors who are all men and hardcore criminals, there’s an evil lurking around the castle, killing each of the champions and Calaena must survive the competition so she could finally gain her freedom.

I actually like the pacing of the story more than in the ACOTAR series. Sometimes in the ACOTAR series, there are some boring parts but in this book, it was interesting from the start to finish that I simply couldn’t put the book down. I actually liked the part where some mysterious creature is killing the champions one by one and Calaena is determined to find out who is responsible for releasing the creature.

I actually cannot wait to devour the rest of the series–cannot wait to read what Calaena’s fate is going to be next.

I am sure most of you all have read this series already but for ones who haven’t yet, I highly recommend to try out Throne of Glass series–worth a whopping five stars!

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 bestselling author of the Throne of Glass, Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City series. Her books have sold millions of copies and are published in thirty-eight languages. She lives in New York City with her family.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer – ARC Book Review

Title:- Love Letters to a Serial Killer

Author:- Tasha Coryell

Date published:- will be published on 4th July 2024

No. of pages:- 320 pages

Genre:- Romance/Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

An aimless young woman starts writing to an accused serial killer while he awaits trial and then, once he’s acquitted, decides to move in with him and take the investigation into her own hands in this dark and irresistibly compelling debut thriller.

Recently ghosted and sick of watching her friends fade into the suburbs, thirty-something Hannah finds community in a true-crime forum that’s on a mission to solve the murders of four women in Atlanta. After William, a handsome lawyer, is arrested for the killings, Hannah begins writing him letters. It’s the perfect outlet for her pent-up frustration and rage. The exercise empowers her, and even feels healthy at first.

Until William writes back.

Hannah’s interest in the case goes from curiosity to obsession, leaving space for nothing else as her life implodes around her. After she loses her job, she heads to Georgia to attend the trial and befriends other true-crime junkies like herself. When a fifth woman is discovered murdered, the jury has no choice but to find William not guilty, and Hannah is the first person he calls upon his release. The two of them quickly fall into a routine of domestic bliss.

Well, as blissful as one can feel while secretly investigating their partner for serial murder…

Until William writes back.

Well, as blissful as one can feel while secretly investigating their partner for serial murder…

The Perfect Nurse – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Perfect Nurse

Author:- Daniel Hurst

Date published:- will be published on 1st July 2024

No. of pages:- 302 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating;- 4/5

‘My name is Darcy, I’m your nurse and I’m here to help you.’ I repeat the words I’ve said so many times. Except this time, I don’t mean it…

If you saw me walking down the street, you’d think I was pretty ordinary – I wear the typical crisp, white nursing uniform, my hands are scrubbed clean and you’d have no reason to believe I was anything other than a good citizen. A good nurse.

But looks can be deceiving. You shouldn’t trust me – because I don’t even know if I can trust myself.

Now I stare at the reflection in the mirror – dark smudges under my eyes and blood on my hands – listening for the sound of police sirens.

Because the truth is I had to do something terrible. I broke all the rules a nurse should follow. I wanted someone gone so badly. And now they’re dead because of me.

I’m looking over my shoulder everywhere I go because I’m sure someone knows my secret. Then when my home is broken into I know one simple truth: this isn’t over yet…

It’s only the beginning.

The police are the least of my worries now. But to save myself, am I going to have to kill again?

The Perfect Nurse is another psychological thriller by Daniel Hurst that will keep you up all night.

Darcy is a nurse working for a private company. She and a fellow nurse, Pippa are assigned to a house owned by Adrian and his wife Scarlett. Adrian was a former medical director and Scarlett was a former nurse. Scarlett had recently fell down and knocked her head on the countertop, causing Adrian to seek nurse attention on Scarlett. As Darcy starts working for the couple, she realizes that the couple are hiding a secret. Darcy also has a trouble time sleeping as she believes that someone was stalking her and is entering into her house while she was sleeping…

This was actually a good thriller. It was a page turning thriller and also quiet unputdownable too. There were some twists and turns along the way, the greatest twist was revealed by the end of the book. The twist at that ending was unexpected which I like in a psychological thriller as it wasn’t very predictable as I thought it was going to be. However, the only problem I had was how unrealistic the whole thriller was but despite that, I actually enjoyed reading this book and couldn’t actually put the book down. In fact, there is a second book coming out soon which I cannot wait to read as I am waiting to see what is going to happen next to Darcy in the end!

This was a good thriller but having read The Family Trip by the same author, I would say this wasn’t as great as the Family Trip. Nonetheless, this was a fast paced thriller that will actually keep you up all night–worth four stars!

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

Blood Orange – Book Review

Title:- Blood Orange

Author:- Harriet Tyce

Date published:- January 10th 2019

No. of pages:- 353 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller/Domestic Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3.5/5

Alison has it all. A doting husband, adorable daughter, and a career on the rise – she’s just been given her first murder case to defend. But all is never as it seems…

Just one more night. Then I’ll end it.

Alison drinks too much. She’s neglecting her family. And she’s having an affair with a colleague whose taste for pushing boundaries may be more than she can handle.

I did it. I killed him. I should be locked up.

Alison’s client doesn’t deny that she stabbed her husband – she wants to plead guilty. And yet something about her story is deeply amiss. Saving this woman may be the first step to Alison saving herself.

I’m watching you. I know what you’re doing.

But someone knows Alison’s secrets. Someone who wants to make her pay for what she’s done, and who won’t stop until she’s lost everything….

Alison is a successful barrister and seemingly have a happy married life. But Alison have a problem–she drinks too much, she is having an affair and her married life is not as happy as it seems. Her husband, Carl seems to distrust her in taking care of their daughter, Matilda. Alison is then given a murder case for the first time–a woman named Madeline has been accused of brutally stabbing her husband to death.

The story itself is well written and fast paced. I quiet liked the plot and I thought the story itself was a good domestic thriller. The story itself was also entertaining and I like the author’s style of writing. My main bad thing about the book was, I didn’t really like any characters in the book. I am wondering if it was author’s intention for the reader to hate the characters but I didn’t like any of the characters at all–not even Alison, who I actually found as selfish character. Also, many of these characters are unreliable characters as well. Other than that, I liked the story as a whole and I am actually enjoyed reading this book. Cannot wait to read more books by this author. Worth four stars in my opinion.

Butcher and Blackbird – Book Review

Title:- Butcher and Blackbird

Author:- Brynne Weaver

Date published:- August 15th 2023

No. of pages;- 360 pages

Genre:- Comedy/Romance/Thriller/Horror

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Every serial killer needs a friend.
Every game must have a winner.

When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?

Butcher & Blackbird is the first book in the Ruinous Love Dark Romance trilogy of interconnected stand-alone dark romantic comedies. This dual POV novel ends on a HEA.

Trigger Warings:- Hard sex, cannibalism,

This has been in my TBR for a while and finally I decided to read the book, because this book seemed to be popular among Instagram and Tiktok.

If you are faint-hearted, sensitive to blood, torture and cannibalism, then DO NOT read this book as it contains R-rated stuff.

Two serial killers, Sloane and Rowan meet by chance. They are both serial killers–well they kill other serial killers. They start a game on their own, competing who will kill the most dangerous serial killer across the country from California, West Virginia to Boston. And as their friendship develops, some more develops between the two.

The story is told in Sloane and Rowan’s POV. Of course, about 80% of the book consists of disturbing materials and if you have a heart to read them, then you can go ahead and read the book. There were some funny parts in the book that will make you laugh out loud, but I actually like the chemistry between Sloane and Rowan. I do like how they teamed together to catch the serial killers and kill them together–this was actually in my opinion a unique plot. There were two chapters that covered the spicier scenes (if you are someone who liked to read smut scenes). But most of all, I do understand the hype towards this book as I mentioned a unique plot. This is the first book of the trilogy of ruinous love story and already I have the second book in the series.

And of course, there is a cliffhanger in the end, meaning that you will eventually find out what is going to happen in the next book.

Overall, this book worth four stars.