A HOUSE BETWEEN SEA AND SKY by Beth Cato

A House Between Sea and Sky by Beth Cato
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've taken my time with this book—mainly because I started reading it before a long weekend, plus I'm addicted to Tomadochi Life: Living the Dream—but I really enjoyed it. A lot.

Fayette Wynne writes for Hollywood and after the death of her mother, she goes to stay in a cottage near the sea. She hopes to catch up on her work as well as overcome her grief, but instead gets involved with several people and winds up inside a very peculiar house...

Mysterious. Whimsical. Magical.

There's so much to love about this story! The sad but very determined heroine. The witty house perched on a cliff. Several storylines about people dealing with hardship and loss. The time period (1926), which is a time of upheaval, when the world is still reeling from the fallout of the Spanish Flu and the first World War. Add a sprinkle of intriguing Russian folklore, a cast of fantastic characters, and you have a wonderful, captivating tale.

Friendship is portrayed so well. Most of the people in this story are somehow damaged, but they all fit together in such an intriguing way. Especially Fayette and Rex, who share the most wholesome connection.

I was also fascinated by the sourdough starter called Mother. And absolutely adored the POV of the actual house.

Seriously, I loved everything about this story. The cozy vibes are strong with this one.


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GENUINE FRAUD by E. Lockhart

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've had this book on my TBR pile for a while and got stuck into it last night.

Imogen is staying in a resort in Mexico when someone catches up with her...

I have to admit that I'm a sucker for an unreliable, unlikeable narrator and Jule is a great example of why this kind of character is so intriguing. And when written as well as this book, it captivated me from the very beginning. Or should I say ending?

Yeah, this story unravels in a very unique way. We start at the end, when it becomes obvious that Jule is running from something. Or someone. We get a glimpse at how sneaky and tough she is, but also not invincible.

I love how the events kept going back and back, dropping hints that click together every time we start a new chapter. It's quite clever.

This is a story about strong friendship. Or maybe it's the flimsiest excuse of a friendship. It's about selfish entitled people. But which is which? As Imogen's story is exposed, it becomes Jule's tale. Or is it the other way around?

My favourite aspect of this story is that even after everything I read, the ending still made me question all my assumptions.

Really enjoyed it. Such a twisty book about the darkest parts of human nature and how far someone is willing to go to get what they want.


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HUNGERSTONE by Kat Dunn

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu so I've been looking forward to reading this retelling.

Lenore has been married to Henry for ten years. Without a child, their union has become a little cold. When he drags her from London to Sheffield for the tradition of a hunt, he expects Lenore to oversee the repair and prepare the crumbling manor for the event, but Lenore becomes distracted by Carmilla...

I love a good and deliciously slow-burning gothic tale. One that's so atmospheric and intriguing that the vivid descriptions helped me visualise the location and the characters.

Lenore's story is an interesting one because she's an adult woman who always goes above and beyond to run the household and prove herself to a husband that doesn't care, but she still suffers from the traumatic events of her childhood. Losing her parents at a young age and living with a strict aunt oppressed her to the point where she's retreated into herself.

Enter Carmilla. A beautiful mysterious woman with a wild demeanour who speaks her mind and behaves however the hell she wants. She challenges everything Lenore has forced herself to endure and helps her see life in a very different way. Helps Lenore realise that wanting doesn't make you selfish or greedy, it simply means allowing yourself to live.

I really enjoyed this book because it's familiar but very unique in its own way. Lenore's loveless marriage and cruel husband adds a new slant that captivated me from start to finish. And I love that ending.

Awesome story! Although, now I'm going to have to read Christabel by Coleridge.


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YOU WITH THE SAD EYES: A Memoir by Christina Applegate

You with the Sad Eyes: A Memoir by Christina Applegate
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm part of the generation that grew up watching Christina Applegate on TV and at the movies, so of course I was interested in checking this out.

Christina Applegate is from Laurel Canyon, California and is best known for her role in Married... with Children, but she'd been acting for years by then. A lot has happened since, and this is the story we don't know. In her words...

It doesn't feel right to criticise someone else's life, especially after all the trauma, heartbreak, abuse, and pain she went through, but at the same time, I have to be honest and say that I found this memoir a little hollow. She skims so many relevant details and then goes into too much detail on other things that don't seem as important.

Several things bothered me about this book, but these are the main two: the absence of names when it mattered the most, and the timeline shuffle. While I understand that mentioning names can result in the author getting sued, why bother talking/writing about any of it, then? Just leave the incident/s out and the reader would never know.

I feel like she was an unreliable narrator at best. Or maybe she just remembers events in a scattered way. Who knows? Maybe that's on purpose, but this is supposed to be non-fiction so that bugged me.

So much of what Christina endured in private is terrible and I wish her the best.


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VOW OF ETERNAL NIGHT by Lily Crozier

Vow of Eternal Night by Lily Crozier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's no secret that I love vampires. I mean, I spent most of last year writing a whole world of vamp tales. So I'm always interested in checking out a good bloodthirsty story. And this one has such a pretty cover that I couldn't resist.

Clara blames Prince Raleigh of Rostenburg for the death of her mother. She also hates him for what he did to her village. So when he spirits her away so she'll become his bride, she's devastated and is willing to do whatever it takes to escape...

Beauty and the Beast meets Dracula with a twist of Howl's Moving Castle.

Well, I really enjoyed this awesome Romantasy with a vampiric twist. It hooked me instantly because Clara is such a determined heroine who isn't afraid to speak up, and certainly doesn't put up with crap. Unfortunately, she's surrounded by men who make her life harder, but I liked how she dealt with everything as the truth unravels.

Even after she's shipped to a palace with shifting corridors and a vampire prince who keeps too many secrets, Clara shines. Her thirst for knowledge, love of books, and intense loyalty make her such an interesting character. She might spend a lot of time being angry and sad, but it's very entertaining to see the many changes she goes through when she starts seeing what lies beneath the monstrous exterior of Prince Raleigh.

This is a highly imaginative story that weaves a lot of intricate layers into the plot that ultimately tie in together. It's also full of great characters. I especially liked Moira and Enrique.

Yeah, this book is a LOT of fun and I loved it!!!

PS. I have the paperback edition with printed edges and it's lovely.


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GAME ON by Navessa Allen

Game On by Navessa Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last week I read LIGHTS OUT and CAUGHT UP and loved them so much that I got stuck into the third installment as soon as I got it. 😊

Tyler is an egotistical douche who also happens to be a bookie with revenge on his mind, and anger issues. Stella is a tattoo artist with a troubled past and is part of a wealthy family. When her brother gets into trouble, Stella finds herself pretending to be Tyler's girlfriend to help him meet rich people...

Oh! Intriguing. Steamy. Infuriating. Sad.

Just like the previous two books, I was hooked as soon as I started. To be honest, I found that surprising because Tyler is such a frustrating asshole. Seriously, the man is OBNOXIOUS as fuck. I don't care how hot he's supposed to be, he sucks.

Okay, let's focus on Stella first because I really liked her. She's got an attitude, a traumatic past, and although her family is very wealthy, she's not a greedy snob. She actually wants to do good things for others, contributes to society, and no matter how long the hours are, she enjoys her job. So yeah, she's cool and I felt bad for her because she suffers every single day from a chronic condition.

Tyler, on the other hand, is a total dickhead. An insufferable snob for most of the book. I mean, I already knew he was from previous books, but he outshines himself in this one. His douchiness is off the charts, but being in his head kinda put things into perspective because the tool is so obsessed with making his father pay that he's in a constant frenzy to get blood. The anger and resentment shaped him into a bit of a monster.

Man, I thought Josh and Junior had Daddy issues, but Tyler outdoes both of them!

Told in the alternating POVs of Tyler (posing as Theo) and Stella, the narrative focuses on the uneasy situation between two people who can't stand each other. Yet can't deny their mutual attraction, which takes them to some raunchy and unexpected places. I have to admit that I didn't expect to find any of this story sad, but when everything came out, I actually did.

Also, for obvious reasons, I need to mention AJ. Yep.

Another thing that I love about this trilogy is all the adorable pets. We have two cats (Fred and Maud), a doggy (Walter), and in this one we have a hilarious parrot called Amos.

Loved this trilogy and the very interesting and colourful characters!


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VALENTINE'S SLAY by Navessa Allen

Valentine's Slay by Navessa Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tonight I felt like reading something but only had a few hours, so this turned out to be the perfect size.

Noah is a gravedigger and this Valentine’s night while working late in the cemetery, he hears someone screaming from inside a grave. Emma was recently buried but she's still alive...

Well, this is such a fun story! It's a cute second-chance romance. The setting is atmospheric, especially the scenes in the cemetery and Noah's lovely cabin. Noah is a very cool character, and I liked Emma too. Did I mention that it's super spicy? Yikes.

I had a blast reading this shortie.

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CAUGHT UP by Navessa Allen

Caught Up by Navessa Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading and enjoying the hell out of Lights Out, I had to read the next book. 😅

Junior is a serious man stuck in a family business he wants to escape, while still obsessing over his teenage crush. Lauren has a great life with her found family and a job she loves, as well as the club she frequents. When Junior decides to make a move on Lauren, their tumultuous past catches up with them and leads the couple into a whole lot of trouble...

Sexy. Inclusive. Interesting. Dark.

Like the first book, I was hooked from the very beginning. That's one hell of a scene to start with! Yikes.

By the way, I was a little worried about Junior being the main guy because he was quite the douche during Josh and Aly's story, but the more I read, the more I wanted to know about him. Adding Lauren to the mix was another reason why I enjoyed the latest installment so much.

Told in the alternating POVs of Junior and Lauren, the narrative focuses on his current obsession for her, and her past obsession for him. Delving into their separate lives helped understand what brings these two together even though the odds are stacked against them. Their connection is definitely spicy, and some of their raunchy locations are very, um... creative.

Ultimately, this is another great story that brings back some familiar faces but also introduces a whole new cast of intriguing and funny people. Did I mention that I laughed out loud several times? Well, I did. Love the dark humour in these books.

It was also great to catch up with Josh and Aly, and I especially enjoyed the engagement party.

In my review of the first book, I mentioned that animals make great stories even better because of the kitty, Fred. Well, in this one we have a doggy called Walter. Oh, and Fred makes several appearances with his new kitty sibling, Maud.

REALLY enjoying this trilogy!


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LIGHTS OUT by Navessa Allen

Lights Out by Navessa Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've had this book on my shelf for a while now, and finally got stuck into it last night.

Aly is a trauma nurse who works too hard, and wants to help people so much she often ignores her own health. She's also addicted to watching videos posted by a particular masked man. Josh works in cybersecurity, and is constantly trying to outrun his father's deadly legacy. He's also got a tendency to stalk people. When Aly and Josh meet, their shared search for darkness takes them to unexpected places...

Yikes. Wow. Intriguing. Raunchy. Dark.

I have to admit that I was hooked from the beginning and liked both characters instantly. I found their separate lives and pasts very interesting. The mutual attraction between these two sizzles off the page. But not just that, I actually enjoyed their interactions. The messages they send each other, as well as the flirtatious banter, surprisingly cracked me up several times.

The book is told in the alternating POVs of Aly and Josh. Apart or together, the narrative keeps the story moving at a fast pace. And OMFG, the raunchy scenes are: 🔥 !!

In spite of the creepy, and at many times, wrong aspects of this story, it's also very easy to root for these two characters.

Make sure you read the MANY trigger warnings at the beginning because this book is not fucking around. It's totally messed up in many ways, but it sure is entertaining and well written.

Oh, and before I forget, I have to mention the adorable kitty, Fred. He's so cute and I love that he has a place in the narrative. Also, the inclusion of animals make great stories even better.

I REALLY enjoyed the hell out of this!


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Getting Stuff Done

Hey! How are you today?

Well, we enjoyed an awesome two-week break but my husband went back to work on Monday. Cool thing was that he had an RDO on Wednesday and we went to the optometrist for our follow-up appointment that included getting the dreaded drops and photos of the back of our eyes. Great thing is that behind-the-scenes both of our eyes are healthy. But we both need glasses.

Yeah, a week before this appointment we had another one to get our eyes checked. Turns out we both need glasses for different conditions. My husband is long-sighted and my short-sightedness has come back.

In case you didn't know (because I'm not sure if I mentioned it before) I got LASIK surgery in my mid-twenties so I haven't worn glasses for decades. Unfortunately, getting older means that my eyes aren't what they used to be so I'm back to wearing glasses. Looking forward to picking them up.

Anyway, on Monday I got stuck into the final read-thru of the two short stories I wrote this month. I made all the changes, formatted The docs and the final word counts are: 🥩 4,621 and 🚉 2,960.

I'm very excited about getting these two stories done. Not only because that means that I've written and completed three shortish (so far) this year, but mostly because these two were previously stalled tales.

The other thing I did this week—asides from taking it easy on Wednesday while the effects of the drops wore off—was embark on the very infuriating task of turning a bunch of PDFs back into Word docs. Yeah, it was a slog that took several days because doing this threw out all the formatting, including italics, etc.

Not fun, but definitely had to be done so I have updated Word docs of these stories.

During the second week of our break we watched more movies: Your Monster (fantastic and sad feminine rage story with a nice dose of humour), and MEGAN 2.0 (fun and ridiculous cautionary tale about AI needing very tight regulation).

Well, that's about it. Looks like we're headed for another dark and dreary weather weekend around here. I'm getting tired of so many overcast days.

Have a great weekend!