Holiday Romance Wrap-Up Part 2

 Meet Me in Los Feliz - Kelly Reynolds

 

This romance follows Nora and Bowie as they both find themselves single over the holiday season.  Bowie used to date Nora's roomate's sister but after an amicable breakup, he's still invited to the family and friends holiday dinner.  There, he meets Nora and is smitten immediately.  But Bowie is a chronic-relationship guy and he wants to try a holiday-fling.  This works perfectly for Nora who is working as a nanny while pursuing her acting career and doesn't have time for relationships.  But even the most casual plans are no match for when feelings get involved. This was a good mix of cute and spicy, but for some reason the chemistry between Nora and Bowie wasn't clicking for me.  I could see all the points on the page but it was missing that extra little ~something~ and it is frustrating that I can't put my finger on what I was missing.  I felt their sexual chemistry more than their emotional one, but both were still a bit underwhelming.  I loved Nora and Bowie on their own and they did have great communication in their relationship.  The friend group surrounding our MCs was also great and I think we get a good balance of the MCs talking to their friends.  I was also surprised at how much outside-plot their was for a novella.  We get a good amount of plot from Nora's jobs, Bowie's jobs, and the friend group planning an event.  I picked this up based on some glowing recommendations on Instagram so I know folks are loving it - I just wish I was one of those people.

 

Santa Baby - Cassie Mint

This age-gap romance follows Jack and Clara.  Clara works at Jack's bar and lives in the apartment above it.  They both have a crush on the other, but neither thinks the other would reciprocate the feelings. But on Christmas Eve, when the bar is closed, they'll find out just how wrong they both are.  I almost didn't pick this up based on page length alone - only 62 pages - but I'm glad I read it.  This was a really solid short and spicy read and I loved how much character backstory Mint was able to fit in.  Ideally, I would have loved to have seen more scenes with Jack and Clara interacting at the bar - maybe even little flash backs over the course of the years Clara has worked for him.  I think seeing these scenes might have helped with my main issue of the pacing.  Both Clara and Jack have such a strong attraction/crush on the other but both of them think there's no way the other would be attracted to them because of their significant age gap. Then, once they do both confess their feelings, it is straight to bone-town and it felt like they suddenly knew a lot more about what each other liked in those activities than I found reasonable.  They did have great chemistry, I overall enjoyed the read, and I appreciated how the epilogue gives us their HEA despite the low page count.

From Cocktails to Sleighbells - Wren K Morris

This real-Santa romance follows Cole and Kris on Christmas night when Cole slipped sidewalk ice.  Kris scoops her up and, after a bit of misunderstanding and a light stabbing, he takes her back to his apartment to make sure she's feeling okay.  As they talk into the night, they give into their lust and find out that they both have more feelings for the other than they expect.  I loved the world building in this read.  My favorite thing about these real-Santa romances are how each author pictures the job of Santa and the whole operation behind the scenes.  I think this Kris might be my favorite romance-Santa and I loved some of the little details that Morris was able to squeeze in (such as his affinity for puns, even in sexy situations. I wish we had gotten more character development from Cole, she just felt a little underdeveloped compared to Kris.  Maybe it was Morris leaning more into the character development for Kris because of the fantasy elements. I did really love Cole and Kris together and thought their chemistry was fantastic.  There was one part of the sex scene that made me blush and after reading so many romances (most of which are open-door), I'm always pleasantly surprised when one catches me a little off guard like this one did. 

The Holidate Season - Multiple Authors

This short story collection contains 6 holiday romances.  This was a mix of standalone and series-adjacent stories and I much much preferred the standalone ones.  This was a pretty mixed bag for me, but I overall enjoyed the reading experience.  

Get Sleighed by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

"When my ex dumped me right before Christmas, I was left with a luxury, all-expense paid trip for two to Cabo—private jet and all. Somehow, my best friend roped me into giving away the other half of the trip as a contest prize on her podcast."

I enjoyed this, but something was missing for me between our MCs.  They do get off on the wrong foot and I don't think there was enough of them getting back on the right foot for me to really feel their connection.  I did like the overall premise and the scenes where their attraction gets the better of them have great chemistry. I do think the overall premise is fun, but this might have worked better for me as a longer novella where we could see some more of the vacation antics and feelings develop between our MCs. 

3/5

 

Christmas in Birdville by Jewel E. Ann

"Henry Bechtel’s mom is coming home for Christmas. Only, he lost the family house in a game of poker. Days before his mom’s arrival, he meets the new owner and seizes the opportunity to coerce her into letting him move back “home” for the holidays. What he doesn’t know is that she has questionable motives, too."

 This read like a Lifetime movie more than a Hallmark movie and was a heavier read than I was expecting.  TW/CWs for cancer, death of a parent, death of a child, death of a sibling, death of a spouse, and gambling addiction. Jewel E. Ann was the only author in this collection that I haven't read anything from previously so I'm not sure if this is her typical style/content or not.  I did really enjoy the character development and I thought the MCs had a great relationship that, while it developed quickly by nature of this being a short story, it felt very natural for their characters. The family lore behind the house and the connection between the MCs was really interesting.  My personal preference is for lighter romances so this was just a bit too heavy for me.  However, I think other readers who do enjoy this type of read would really enjoy this story.

3/5

The Lucky One by Sarina Bowen

"Finnish hockey player Ivo Halla is new in town. He can't speak the language, he can't understand the coach. Life is hell until he walks into an Italian cafe (thank God "pizza" is the same in Finnish and English) and falls for the waitress. He'd better learn the language soon, or she won't agree to date him."

This was an adorable romance and I loved the way the slow burn was handled. I think the language barrier is an interesting way to tackle this trope without it feeling too forced.  I also found the language learning to be really relatable and I can 100% remember being on a trip to Mexico with my high school Spanish class and getting that mental burn out. I really enjoyed Ivo's relationship dynamics with his teammates as well and how that changes over time as he gets settled in this new city.  I do think there was maybe a bit too much time to cover for a short story, but Bowen does handle the time jumps well so they weren't too disruptive overall.

5/5

 

First Holiday by Katee Robert

"After a year of turmoil, Hades and Persephone prepare for their first holiday together."

 I loved Neon Gods so I was interested to see Hades and Persephone again but this story really didn't do anything for me.  It felt incredibly bland and I didn't get anything that I loved in Neon Gods in this story.  While we do see Persephone go shopping at the Christmas Market and decorate the house, it didn't feel particularly Christmas-y. 

1/5

A Cloverleigh Farms Christmas by Melanie Harlow

"Christmas Eve at Cloverleigh Farms is even more exciting this year, thanks to a blizzard, a power outage, and a baby that wants to make a dramatic entrance."

 I loved the whole Cloverleigh Farms series and Harlow is an auto-buy author for me.  I liked that we're able to catch up with all the couples from the original series.  However, I think this story moved too quickly to really get much of a reunion feeling.  Also, we were focused on Meg's pregnancy which, since I'm not someone who really likes babies, didn't do much for my overall enjoyment. 

2/5

Have Yourself a Grumpy Little Christmas by Pippa Grant

"Trevor Stafford hates Christmas. But his best friend’s little sister, whom he stupidly agreed to take in as a temporary roommate when she got a new nannying gig down the street from him, loves it ... He’s had a crush on her for years, and there’s no amount of annoying holiday cheer that can cure him of his attraction. If anything, watching her in her natural element is making it worse." 

This was grumpy/sunshine perfection!  I've read a handful from Pippa Grant and I've really enjoyed them all and this was no exception.  I loved how easily Grant was able to incorporate the backstory and years of friendship so easily in such a short timeframe.  As much as I love grumpy/sunshine as a trope, I'll admit it can sometimes feel a bit over-the-top and turn the characters into caricatures.  However, I found each of them to have a realistic amount of grump and sunshine and they worked together so well.  This was my favorite story in the collection, hands down.

5/5

Wrapped Up in You - Talia Hibbert

This friends to lovers romance follows childhood friends Will and Abbie.  Will has returned to his home town for Christmas after quitting his acting career. His next goal: getting his childhood friend to fall in love with him.  Abbie is 2 years post-divorce from her abusive ex and she's finally starting to feel like herself again.  But when Will tells her he likes her, she starts to spiral.  The pining is mutual, but her anxiety is throwing Abbie for a loop. Luckily, Will knows his friend and when a blizzard blows in, he'll have the perfect opportunity to show her how he feels. I absolutely adored this read and I think it has some of the best communication I've read in romance.  I loved the amount of backstory Hibbert managed to fit into this novella and how that backstory was used to move the relationship forward. The whole story was Will and Abbie figuring out their feelings and getting on the same page, which was well done, but I would have preferred to see a scene or two of them going on a date.  I loved the integration of therapy into the story as a tool for the characters to use instead of an 'insta-fix' like it can come across at times. I loved the whole family dynamic, especially Abbie's brothers (and I especially loved that they weren't weirdly overly-protective of Abbie)

In The Event of Love - Courtney Kae

This FF romance follows event planner Morgan as she returns to her hometown to recover after her latest event crashed and burned in a very public manner.  While driving up to the mountain town of Fern Falls, Morgan's car spins off the road and she crashes into the one person she was hoping to avoid - her ex best friend Rachel.  Now that she's back in town and working with Rachel to save her family Christmas Tree Farm, and the town overall, the two women rekindle their friendship and more.  I absolutely adored this read and it is pretty much everything I want in a Christmas romance.  I loved the small town setting and how much the town and the other townsfolk were integral to the plot.  We get the stereotypical evil corporate entity trying to commercialize the quaint small town which I know some may find overdone or corny but I like it.  Moran and Rachel's backstory was well integrated throughout the first half of the story so it didn't feel like a big info-dump.  I also really liked how all parties involved - Morgan, Rachel, and others - all had grown as people in the years and could all apologize for their actions.  There was some really great character moments with Morgan where she would have a knee-jerk reaction to something and then we'd get her logically walking back from that huge reaction to a much more reasonable level. This was only from Morgan's POV and while I generally prefer dual-POV romances, I think it really worked since she had so much to work through on a personal level.  I loved the chemistry between Morgan and Rachel and really appreciated how their romance blended sweet moments with the spicy ones so it made them feel like a real couple who do the little cute things for each other as well. Overall, this was fantastic and had a set up for a second book following a different couple that I hope we get in the future because I'd love to return to Fern Falls.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC. Publication date was August 30, 2022

Tinsel & Tentacles - Kate McDarris

This MMF monster romance follows rockstar Barney, his manager Marci, and bodyguard Ryder. The three have worked together for years and are at the end of Barney's most recent tour in NYC at Christmas time. Barney's one wish, he says, is to see the Christmas Tree so Marci and Ryder hatch a plan to give Barney what he wants.  After a magical few hours together, they can feel something has changed between them and Barney's real Christmas wish - for Marcie and Ryder to be his - might just come true after all.  However, there is the one issue of his secret tentacles that could ruin everything before it even begins. This was a super cute read that really cranked up the heat at the end.  I loved the pre-romance relationship dynamic between our MCs and how naturally those relationships turned romantic. I do wish we would have gotten a bit more info from a world-building perspective in relation to Barney's tentacles that could have explained more about why he chose to keep them a secret or what other implications there might be. We alternate through all 3 MC's POVs which I liked.  However, the characters all sounded the same so there were multiple times where I got mixed up on which POV we were in. I also got confused with some of the physical blocking during the sex scenes but I find that happens more frequently with these MMF romances. I loved the amount of holiday cheer we get in this and it is a really low-angst read.

Holiday Romance Wrap-Up Part 1

 Cole - Ellie Devine

This MMF holiday romance is the first in the Naughty List series and follows Cole, Grant, and Arianna. Cole leaves his small town and travels to Chicago for Christmas so he doesn't have to spend another holiday with everyone asking when he was finally going to settle down with a nice girl.  Exploring the Christmas market, Arianna finds him and invites him to get a drink.  But when her husband, Grant, shows up mid-makeout session, Cole finds himself going home with both of them. What starts as just some fun between the three of them quickly turns into more but with Christmas fast approaching, Cole starts to wonder if this might be just a bit of Christmas magic that will wear off soon.  I absolutely loved this read from start to finish.  This read is *steamy*, with more sex scenes than I thought would be possible in a 295 page book - but that's what I was expecting based on what I've heard from other readers.  What I wasn't expecting was how much emotion and character growth we get packed into those same pages.  Devine does a great job at making all 3 of our MCs fully rounded characters, but Cole is obviously the main-main character.  I absolutely loved how much of a cinnamon roll Cole is and how Grant and Arianna make Cole feel safe enough to finally be able to be his true self.  

TW/CW: BDSM, homophobia, biphobia, 

 A Kiss for Santa - Mia Monroe

This MM romance follows Luca and Magnus aka Santa. The two met years prior when Magnus delivered gifts to Luca's parent's house.  The to have seen each other only a few times over the years, but the strong feelings are mutual.  This year, Magnus needs to find a spouse or give up his job as Santa. He hopes Luca shares his feelings and agrees to marry Magus, but that would mean giving up his life in the human realm. This was a really cute romance, but it did feel like it tried to fit too much plot into this novella.  Despite our two MCs both being attracted to the other for years, they never really talked much so now that they're finally spending time together a few days before Magnus needs to be married, this feels more like insta-love.  There's also a small plotline of the attempt to sabotage Christmas but that never felt fully developed mostly because of the shorter page length.  That being said, Monroe does a really great job building this alternate world of Santa's workshop that I absolutely would love to see more of. I really liked the scenes with Luca and Magnus together and I think their chemistry was fantastic. I do think Monroe does a good job of giving us a good amount of character development before the romance began so we had a good idea of who our MCs are. I loved the scenes between the MCs and their families as well.  This was only 134 pages so, again, there was just a lot of plot to fit in.  I did like all the elements we did have in the story, I just wanted more of them or more time to explore them more fully.  
 

 A Merry Little Meet Cute - Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

This holiday romance follows Bee and Nolan as they film a historical romance movie for the Hope Channel.  Bee is a successful plus-sized adult film star with a dedicated fan following on her ClosedDoor account - and Nolan is one of those fans.  Nolan is doing this movie in hopes of rehabbing his bad-boy image from his years as a boyband member.  Things between Nolan and Bee heat up quickly and they soon find themselves keeping their budding relationship a secret.  But when a Hollywood gossip reporter finds the set, their situation becomes more complicated and if the truth of Bee's identity and their relationship is revealed, it might end this budding romance before it has a chance. I absolutely loved everything about this read!  The characters were fantastic and everyone was so unique and well-established that I could keep them all straight.  Bee and Nolan had such great chemistry that really went beyond the physical attraction.  I really enjoyed that we got enough background on the two of them to sort of explain the insta-love feelings that happened over the course of a week.  By far my favorite thing is that Bee's sex work was not the speedbump in the relationship that I was expecting.  Sure, her and Nolan do have to work out their relationship around her main job, but Nolan already knows who she is from the moment he sees her so it wasn't a big secret and he wasn't expecting her to quit that part of her job for him.  I loved the behind the scenes of shooting this low-budget movie and how much character development these extra scenes gave us.  This was a bit of a longer read at 418 pages but I was having so much fun in this world that I didn't mind at all.

TW/CW: mental health (bipolar disorder) of a parent, death of a spouse, death of a parent, fatphobia

 Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC

Publication date was September 20, 2022

 

The Mistletoe Motive - Chloe Liese

 

This enemies to lovers romance follows Gabby and Jonathan.  The two co-manage a bookstore together and have butted heads over the past year with their different management philosophies. But when the bookstore owners tell them that this holiday season will be the make or break time, Gabby refuses to lose the place that has become so special to her.  She proposes a wager that whichever of them sell the most books will be able to keep their job at the store.  At first, she's sure she'll win but as the competition continues, Gabby is sure Jonathan has some tricks up his sleeves.  Afterall, there wouldn't be any other reason for him to be nice or even flirt with her ... would there? This is my first Chloe Liese read and it will certainly not be my last.  I absolutely adored this read from start to finish, top to bottom.  Gabby and Jonathan were such well developed characters and I really liked how they worked to be friendly first.  This was told from only Gabby's POV, which did bother me a little in the beginning.  However, this is the first single POV romance that I've read where I think the single POV was the right decision.  I think Liese had such a fine balance between Gabby's mis-reading of certain situations but showing enough of Jonathan to the reader that we could see what he was thinking without actually being in his POV.  This is a bit of a slow burn romance and Gabby is specifically identified as demisexual and I think that since we had to see them go from butting heads to working together as friends before we got any overly romantic moments was really great.  I also loved Gabby's friends and how understanding and supportive they were.  This was also a low-angst read which I always appreciate.  There was plenty of potential for this to have two really big miscommunication moments but our characters actually talked to each other and knew each other well enough that they were able to discard their initial negative knee-jerk reaction.

 

Santa Daddy: Naughty or Nice - Hannah Murray

This romance follows Nick and Rebecca.  She's been his assistant for 3 years but she finally quit when she realized the job was taking up too much of her time and she didn't have a personal life.  Nick is shocked and disappointed for multiple reasons - she's his best assistant ever and he's been lusting after her for years. Little does Nick know that Rebecca is also attracted to him and the two share the same proclivity for BDSM.  Later that night, they happen to run into each other during a kinky Christmas party and now that they aren't employer/employee they're able to live out their fantasies. I liked this read, but I do prefer more Christmas in my Christmas romances.  This could have been the exact same story set on a random Tuesday and I like some more of that Christmas magic feeling.  But putting aside my own desire for more holiday cheer, this was a pretty fun and steamy read.  This reads more like an insta-love because while our MCs did work together for 3 years, we don't see any of those years on page.  They do both come to the realization that they'd developed feelings while working together so I guess it isn't ~techinically~ insta-love but it sure feels like it.  I also wanted some more character details from both of our MCs.  Outside of their shared kinky side, I don't think much else was given to the reader.  I fully acknowledge that I might have been expecting too much out of a 170 page novella - I understand that there's only so much plot and character development that can fit in those pages and novellas aren't my go-to reading length.  So I would recommend this for readers who want a well done BDSM novella with some holiday elements. The chemistry between Nick and Rebecca was spectacular and I loved how the BDSM elements were handled from the initial negotiations to safewords being used and respected, to aftercare. 

The Toy King - Adriana Herrera

This is the second book in The Toy Runners series and follows Valente and Kessina.  Valente is on a run delivering toys and finds out that his father wants him to pick up Kessina and bring her back home to marry his brother.  Valente is initially annoyed with this surprise duty - until he walks in on her using one of the adult toys she designed. The two have a mutual attraction but have to leave before the snow storm outside gets worse.  They didn't make it out in time and end up stranded by the storm in the middle of the Andes for 2 nights.  Luckily, Valente's vehicle is well stocked for emergencies ... now they just need to find the best way to pass the time.  I read the first book in this series last year and I really loved the world building that Herrera did and this book is no exception.  I think a lot of the little details were great and I loved how easily the reader is able to settle into this world.  I thought Valente and Kessina were great together and really felt like they were kindred spirits.  This read is 85% sexy-times but there still managed to fit in a good amount of character exploration which I appreciated.  Another low-angst read that was just great.

 Small Packages - Drea Braddock

 This novella follows Bex and Matthew.  Bex is a navel intelligence officer and she's autistic.  Matthew is an engineer working for NOAA and he has some physical traits that makes dating challenging.  What starts out as a one night stand quickly develops into a relationship as the two find friendship, comfort, and lots of steamy time.  However, as their relationship progresses, Bex realizes Matthew doesn't let her touch him below the belt, she begins to worry he's keeping secrets that could ruin their relationship right as it is starting.  I really liked this read, but I do think it tried to cram in way too much into the 108 pages.  This takes place over the course of a few months and because of this, we get a lot of summarizing of events that I would have loved to see on page.  I did love the chemistry and connection between the characters and how we got to see them hanging out and having fun outside of the bedroom.  I also liked how we saw Bex's autism treated in a few different ways throughout this shorter read (acceptance and adoration by Matthew and her friends, not so nicely by other characters) so it didn't feel like a one-dimensional character trait.  We get a good amount of side characters as well which I always like since it gave us a little different perspective.  I loved that Matthew wasn't 'fixed' by love but rather Bex accepts that part of him and they have a supportive and open discussion.  There was a lot of great communication in this read and while the main conflict is due to Matthew not being able to communicate in the moment, I think they still come together in the end really well.

 

The Naughty, The Nice, and The Nanny - Willa Nash

 This is the first book in The Holiday Brothers series and follows eldest brother Maddox and Natalie.  Natalie is a last-minute replacement nanny for Maddox and when they meet she immediately recognizes him from high school and the massive crush she had on him.  He's now a divorced, single dad to a spunky 7 year old daughter and he's looking to move back home to Boseman, MT.  The job is only for a week but when Natalie takes on all the challenges of the Holiday family without batting an eye, she feels like she's been a part of the family for years.  This was such a fun romance and I loved Maddox and Natalie.  Obviously, with the story taking place over the course of a week, this is solid insta-love territory.  However, the characters did have some backstory and since Maddox had been married previously, it felt like he could identify his feelings for Natalie faster because he could compare them to his ex-wife. We get a good amount of side characters and while Boseman, MT I think would not qualify as a typical small-town romance, we do get a lot of the typical small town romance vibes.  I also loved that Maddox's daughter wasn't one of those extra-cutesy kids that show up in a lot of romance books - she reminded me of some kids I babysat for back in the day. I would have liked some more scenes with Maddox and Natalie together, just the two of them to help flesh out their relationship a bit. 

Little Red House - Liv Andersson

 

This mystery follows Connie after the death of her adoptive mother, Eve.  Eve left the majority of her wealth and Vermont estate to Connie's twin sister Lisa while Connie got a little red house in New Mexico where Eve's daughter disappeared years ago.  Eve had never mentioned New Mexico or this house to Connie or Lisa but Eve's will has a long list of rules both daughters must follow and the two chalk it up to just another one of Eve's cruel psychological games that they grew up with.  But once Connie arrives at the house she finds a mysterious caretaker living in her back yard and a string of murders that no one in town wants to talk about.  As Connie starts to ask around town about these murders, she finds that these crimes and Eve might be more intertwined than she originally thought. 

TW/CW: death of a parent, suicide, sexual assault, psychological abuse, child abuse

I loved this twisty, dark read.  This story starts off a little messed up and pretty much just gets darker as it goes along and I was 100% on board for that journey.  From the title and cover, I wasn't expecting this to get as dark as it did.  This is not the darkest book I've ever read, and a lot of the worst stuff is done off page, but the whole book had a really great creep factor and twisty reveals.  I read through a few reviews after I finished and one said that this felt like a limited series on HBO and I very much agree with this.  

I really enjoyed the dual timeline of this read, especially since we know of the connection before Connie does.  This allows the reader to start guessing about connections and Eve's motivations before Connie can start piecing things together - which is always fun for me with these mysteries. We also get to see two versions of the same town and there are numerous overlaps between Eve and Connie's stories. We also get two sides of Eve - one from her timeline and the other from Connie's reflections on Eve as a parent.  I also liked how each timeline had their own core mystery that ended up being connected.  Sometimes these dual timeline mysteries can feel like watching two characters take the exact same steps, but in this case there wasn't a whole lot of overlap in the main mysteries (Eve looking for her daughter, Connie investigating murders).  Of course, the two timelines do converge but it didn't feel repetitive when the story flipped back and forth. 

This book is full with complex, often unlikeable characters which I'm finding is my preference with these gritty, darker mysteries. I loved the way the townfolk treat Connie as an outsider where they are generally polite, but also everyone tells her that she'd be better off leaving for various reasons.  Connie does her best to integrate into this town and she slowly does find some sort of community in this town.  This is contrasted by Eve's visit where she was more concerned about finding her daughter than with making friends in this town. We didn't get a lot of fluffy details about the side characters, but the details we do get are pretty significant and again highlight the horror under the surface of this town.  I also enjoyed how the characters we see aren't overly concerned with being liked.  Eve, Connie, and the side characters were all unapologetic and weren't interested in sugar coating anything.  This type of character dynamic made for an interesting mystery read because while the puzzle pieces we do get are few and far between, it made each step forward in the investigation feel like a real win. 

This is one of those mysteries where there are a lot of plot conveniences that, in hindsight, maybe don't feel entirely 'realistic'.  There are some reviews out there that point these instances out as something that they didn't like.  For me, however, I wasn't bothered by these because of the way the whole story was built up in layers.  One non-spoilery example is that no one in the town wants to talk to Connie about these murders, but yet many people would give her little tidbits of information - just enough for her to research and further the plot.  Is this dynamic a little strange?  Sure.  Did it bother me?  Nope.  Andersson spends a lot of time slowly exposing the underbelly of this town and, by the time we finish with the end reveals, it did feel like everything made sense in this world and I could understand why these characters didn't want to talk to Connie. 

Going back to my opening comment about this feeling like a limed HBO series, the reveals and solution to the mystery do lean toward the dramatic and there are specific examples where I do question how believable that situation would be. However, Andersson does a good job addressing and explaining the more over-the-top scenarios on the page.  That being said, I was fully invested while I was reading and these thoughts only really came once I finished the book and was gathering my thoughts for this review.  A lot of my enjoyment of these mystery/thriller books come from being surprised at some (or all) of the reveals and this book certainly hit that mark.  Andersson has done such a great job of building up the layers of this mystery between the two timelines and by the end, I was itching to see how it all comes together.  There were a number of loose threads that came together at the end and I really think it worked on all fronts.  I also loved the way some of the reveals answered one question, but then also caused other questions to be raised immediately. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this read and had a great time.  I loved how dark and sinister the story got and how this little town was the perfect backdrop for this creepy story.  Sure, some of the plot points and reveals might lean a bit too far into coincidental-territory for some, but I had such a fun time reading and I was so invested in the story that it didn't bother me at all.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC

Expected publication date is December 6, 2022