2 Bloggers 1 Book - Burn the Negative

 

This time around, Stormi and I chose a buddy read which also managed to clear an ARC off our books.  I love it when that comes into play.  I tried to read this author's previous novel and didn't get far but have always planned on picking it up again.  So read on to see what I thought of the choice this time and then hop over to Stormi's at Storm Reads to see her thoughts.

TITLE: Burn the Negative

AUTHOR: Josh Winning

PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons

PUBLISHING DATE: July 11, 2023

PAGES: 368

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: Arriving in L.A. to visit the set of a new streaming horror series, journalist Laura Warren witnesses a man jumping from a bridge, landing right behind her car. Here we go, she thinks. It’s started. Because the series she’s reporting on is a remake of a ’90s horror flick. A cursed ’90s horror flick, which she starred in as a child—and has been running from her whole life.

In The Guesthouse, Laura played the little girl with the terrifying gift to tell people how the Needle Man would kill them. When eight of the cast and crew died in ways that eerily mirrored the movie’s on-screen deaths, the film became a cult classic—and ruined her life. Leaving it behind, Laura changed her name and her accent, dyed her hair, and moved across the Atlantic. But some scripts don’t want to stay buried.

Now, as the body count rises again, Laura finds herself on the run with her aspiring actress sister and a jaded psychic, hoping to end the curse once and for all—and to stay out of the Needle Man’s lethal reach.

MY THOUGHTS: Usually I start out my reviews with everything I like about a book and then lead into any issues I might have had.  For some reason, I feel the need to do the opposite this time around so bear with me.  HOW DID THE LUGGAGE SUDDENLY APPEAR????  If any of you decide to pick up this book and can make the time, please come back and let me know if I missed something.  It probably shouldn't have bugged me so much that the luggage was lost and then her hotel room suddenly trashed and her belongings thrown everywhere. It may seem small, but this luggage leads into several other plot points and my head just never got over it!

Ok, rant over.  So in "Burn the Negative" we have Laura.  Laura was a child actor on an infamous horror movie in the 90's which many say was cursed because of all the trauma and death surrounding it. Think Poltergeist rumors because that's immediately what I thought of.  Laura got out of acting after the movie, changed her name and has been living a completely different life as a journalist.  When a decision is made to remake the movie, as we know EVERYONE does nowadays, Laura is tasked to write an article about the revamp.  So she travels to California from the UK, loses her luggage (sorry, thought I could let it go) and very quickly it seems like the curse is alive and well.  But how much has to do with Laura?

I really enjoyed the slasher feel of this novel and we have a great villain, the Needle Man, which seems to be a cross between Freddy Kruger and Edward Scissorhands.  It's obvious the author has a background in film and truly loves movies and the art they can create as I believe his past novel, "The Shadow Glass" dealt with film and media as well.  I didn't really like Laura and at some point in the book, I think I suspected everyone she came into contact with of foul play.  I also thought the first part of the book drug a bit but then picked up in the last 25%, creating some pacing issues.  I will also add, if you like mixed media books, this might be one for you because in between Winning's tale, you also get articles, script excerpts, clippings, etc.  

I am glad I read this book and it was mindless enough read on a weekend I really needed one.  "Burn the Negative" would make a great slasher film and honestly, I feel like I might enjoy it more on the big screen.  That being said, I don't regret picking it up and definitely will give this author another try.  

RATING: 3 paws

2 Bloggers 1 Series - Veronica Speedwell #8

 

So seriously, Stormi and I have been buddy reading this series forever!  I would say it is definitely a favorite for both of us.  However, I'm not sure we quite love it as much as we used to.  Read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's at Storm Reads to see her's.

TITLE: A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell #8)

AUTHOR: Deanna Raybourn

PUBLISHER: Berkley

PUBLISING DATE: March 7, 2023

PAGES: 336

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: Veronica must find and stop a devious killer when a group of old friends is targeted for death in this new adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Veronica’s natural-historian beau, Stoker, has been away in Bavaria for months and their relationship is at an impasse. But when Veronica shows up before him with his brother, Tiberius, Lord Templeton-Vane, he is lured back home by an intriguing job offer: preparing an iguanodon for a very special dinner party.

Tiberius has received a cryptic message—along with the obituaries of two recently deceased members of his old group of friends, the Seven Sinners—that he too should get his affairs in order. Realizing he is in grave danger but not knowing why, he plans a reunion party for the remaining Sinners at his family estate to lure the killer out while Veronica and Stoker investigate.

As the guests arrive and settle in, the evening’s events turn deadly. More clues come to light, leading Veronica, Stoker, and Tiberius to uncover a shared past among the Sinners that has led to the fatal present. But the truth might be far more sinister than what they were prepared for.

MY THOUGHTS: So, is this one of my favorite series?  Yes.  Do the covers continue to be gorgeous each and every time?  Yes.  Did I love this one as much as the last one?  Probably.  Yet was #7 the first time I deviated from my 5/5 rating?  Again yes, so what does that tell you about this one.

This book picks up 6-8 months after the last one ended.  Those who are current on the series know there was a pretty major plot point at the end of that book and I'm sorry to say that this book picked right up with Veronica making stupid decisions and letting her head and reason get in the way of her heart.  I will add that in the very beginning I thought I was going to get a werewolf tale which would have THRILLED me, but alas no supernatural here.

"A Sinister Revenge" has Veronica and Stoker helping Stoker's brother Tiberius discover who is out to murder him.  Many years ago, one of his friends died at his homestead while uncovering dinosaur bones.  It's now many years later and the remaining friend group seems to be targeted for the same fate.  Stoker has few family ties and hates the idea of going home but does when he is promised some dinosaur artifacts and Veronica just wants to be in the middle of everything like usual.

Do I sound jaded?  Yep, sure do.  So needless to say I did enjoy this book.  The mystery was decent, Veronica was annoying, and Stoker was HOT but not in the book nearly enough.  I also felt like this book had WAY much more details about things - bones, hillside, buildings, etc. than the past installments but maybe that's me.  As much as I have adored this series in the past, I do feel like maybe it has run its course.  I am basically only giving it a 4/5 rating because of my love for it in the past when it's actually closer to a 3 or 3.5 (darn you Goodreads - you'd think you'd allow 1/2 stars by now).  I also must admit that I think the ending of the book would be a fine resolution for the series.  I did actually grow fond of Stoker's baby brother Merry and would support a spin-off with him on his own adventures.

If you love this series, you definitely want to pick this one up.  And if another installment is released, I am sure I will read it as well because I can't see myself not being curious.  However, all good things must come to an end, and I think eight 4- and 5-star rating books is a great run!

RATING: 4 PAWS

2 Bloggers 1 Series - Hidden Legacy #4)

 

So, it took us some time, but Stormi and I are finally continuing our read of the Hidden Legacy series.  It isn't that we haven't been enjoying them, but there are so many other series we are wrapped up in.  Hopefully this is one we can finish this year as we don't have many more to go.  So, continue on to see how much I enjoyed this one and then hop over to Stormi's at Storm Reads to see her's.

TITLE: Sapphire Dreams (Hidden Legacy #4)

AUTHOR: Ilona Andrews

PUBLISHER: Avon

PUBLISHING DATE: August 17, 2019

SOURCE: Library

PAGES: 359

FROM GOODREADS: In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes, powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandra Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina's teenage crush.  Dangerous and unpredictable, Allesandro's true motives are unclear, but he's drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.

To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

MY THOUGHTS:  I'll have to admit that I was a little nervous as this book starts a new arc and we aren't really following ROgan and Nevada anymore.  However, I was also interested in learning more about Catalina and her powers and come on, this is an Ilona Andrews book.  I should have known I have nothing to fear.

It seems like once again House Baylor has bitten off more than they can chew when Catalina agrees to look into the death of a mother and daughter from another house.  Before she knows it, she is fighting for her life and the survival of her house, all the time trying to assure her sister who is out of town with Rogan, that everything is fine.  Luckily for Catalina, even if she won't admit it, Alessandro Sagredo shows up and is somehow involved in everything as well. Catalina isn't sure she can trust him but she really wants to and it doesn't hurt that she has had a crush on the hot Italian Prime for years.

Like the previous books in this series, this one is action-packed almost from beginning to end.  I always have a fun time reading this author's works and when finished, am always ready to jump into the next one.  My only complainant is that I do believe a lot of Andrew's books follow the same formula, except with different characters and situations.  Yet, I really find that doesn't cut down on my overall enjoyment as there are always news monsters to discover and new fights to be fought.  While this is an older series, if you like urban fantasy, and I'm really starting to realize how much I've missed reading this genre, then I highly recommend this series.

RATING: 4 PAWS