2 Bloggers 1 Series - All is Bright

 

Well Stormi and I did it!  We finished the Hope's Crossing series.  Go us!  It really feels good to have this accomplishment under my belt and for the most part, this one was a great one.  I will say it still isn't quite Virgin River, but if you love those books or shows (and they are two different things altogether), then this is a series you need to check out as well.  Read on for my thoughts on this last one and then hop over to Storm Reads to see what Stormi had to say.

TITLE: All is Bright Hope's Crossing #8)

AUTHOR: RayAnne Thayne

PUBLISHER: HQN Books

PUBLISHING DATE: September 20, 2022

PAGES: 336    

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: Sage McKnight is an ambitious young architect working at her father’s firm who takes on her most challenging client in Mason Tucker. The former pro baseball player is still healing from the physical and emotional scars after a plane crash left him a wheelchair-using single dad, and he’s determined not to let anyone breach his emotional defenses. Sage knows her work on Mason’s new home in Hope’s Crossing is her best work yet, and she won’t let her grumpy client prevent her from showcasing her work personally. 

With Sage’s gift for taking broken things and making them better, the matchmaking talent of the quirky locals and a generous sprinkling of Christmas cheer, Mason doesn’t stand a chance against the power of this magical holiday season.

MY THOUGHTS: It is so nice to have this series finally wrapped up although I know there is a companion series just waiting on my horizon.  Also, there is a pretty big jump in time between books six and seven, 8 years to be exact, and I believe the author did this one because her fans kept begging for a conclusion to Sage's story.  

Sage is heavily into her architectural career and is finally being recognized for her own accomplishments and not just the daughter of a world-renowned architect.  She is coming home to Hope's Crossing for the holidays and to put the final touches on a massive remodel she is completing for baseball star, Mason Tucker, and his daughter.  Mason's career ended when his family went down in a tragic plane accident which killed his wife and left him facing years of rehab and life adjustments. The same accident also made him a single father.  

Mason and Sage but heads from day one and it's obvious to everyone, even them I think, where it is headed.  Mason has some pretty heavy baggage and Sage is afraid to commit to someone who is settling down permanently in Hope's Crossing as she fears it will only lead to heartache.  As both characters' walls come down, sparks continue to ignite, but will either admit they see a future in each other?

I loved Sage from book one and I liked Mason, although he was pretty quick to judge Sage for some past decisions when he clearly did not have all the facts.  And of course, it didn't hurt that he had an adorable daughter. Surprisingly enough, I'm not a huge fan of kids in books (unless they are of the evil, horror genetics) but the kids in this series really do add a lot to them. Also, as a bonus, there is a little side story included in this one featuring Taryn and Charlie, who we met in a previous installment when they were teens.

This was a wonderful book to pick up during a July heatwave.  I was hoping it would help me channel feeling cooler and while I don't think that happened, it did allow me to forget about the outside for a while.  So long Hope's Crossing, I will miss you!

MY RATING: 5 PAW

Hitchcock's Everywhere!

TITLE: Scary Movie Night

AUTHOR: Miranda Smith

PUBLISHER: Bantum

PUBLISHING DATE: July 14, 2026

PAGES: 291   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: Tippi is ready for a fresh start. After breaking off her engagement to an increasingly demanding, controlling, and emotionally unstable man, she is newly inspired to do whatever it takes to put herself first. Plus, her thirty-fifth birthday is coming up: a perfect occasion to ring in this new era. Tippi’s friends see the opportunity, too, and lean into her love of horror films by throwing her a lavish theme party at a secluded mansion, where everyone dresses as characters from iconic scary movies. But Tippi's attempts to enjoy the night are shattered when she starts receiving terrifying messages from her ex, Oliver, to expose a secret she was ready to take to the grave. 

At first, Tippi can’t believe her eyes. Oliver moved across the country after they broke up—he can’t have crashed her party. Could one of her friends have found out? But when her guests begin to disappear one by one, it becomes clear that the threats have very real consequences. And the messages make clear one the call is coming from inside the house. 

As Tippi is forced to navigate the deception of those closest to her, she realizes that in the end, some things are indeed like in the movies, and she’ll do whatever it takes to just survive the night.

MY THOUGHTS: I'm starting to notice a trend.  Seems like an awful lot of books lately are being tagged as horror and when I read them, I just don't see it.  Now I'm not saying I'm not enjoying what I am reading, but I think mismarketing is doing a disservice to some great books and setting some readers up for failure as well.  This book has lots of horror elements.  The MC loves horror movies, especially classic Hitchcock films (thus the name Tippi), and there is lots of murder and suspense.  However, I wouldn't call it a horror novel so if you don't typically read horror, don't skip this one automatically.

Tippi is coming off a bad relationship and getting ready to head tro Europe to start over.  She felt her fiance Oliver was too good to be true and turns out, he was.  Her best friend arranges a horror-themed birthday party to be held at the remote estate of Tippi's grandmother. It's a themed party and everyone comes dressed at their favorite horror character.  Soon, Tippi starts to fear the party has one uninvited guest planning an appearance - Oliver.  She starts finding clues and letters indicating he is not far away.  But Tippi has more to fear from Oliver than anyone knows.  In addition, the old group of best friends have lots of skeletons in their closets waiting to emerge and when they finally start breaking out, the dead bodies start piling up.  What is going on and who will make it out alive?

This book was a fun summer thriller.  I loved the horror elements even if I didn't care for the majority of the characters.  I have to admit the author killed off my favorite character, and likely the sanest character, early on which stung a bit, but it didn't keep me from reading.  I also kind of felt the book was a tad predictable but that is probably because I read a lot of thriller/mysteries.  

I feel this book is perfect for this time of year.  I ended up reading it inside during 100-degree heat indexes, but I imagined I was sitting pool/beachside and enjoyed it just the same.  The little trivial facts about some Hitchcock films also kept me intrigued, despite never have actually read or seen any other than Psycho. If you are into lock-room mysteries than I really think you will enjoy this book, so give it a try!

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

  

Watch Out for Those Showers!

TITLE: Marion

AUTHOR: Leah Rowan

PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Press

PUBLISHING DATE: June 2, 2026

PAGES: 336   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: NORMAN WAS HER FIRST. 

Marion is in deep. She's stolen money from the Manhattan ad agency where she works in a desperate bid to help her sister escape an abusive marriage, but the bus breaks down before she can make it to Saratoga Springs. It's late at night, and the only place with vacancies is an old set of cabins on the outskirts of town. She pays for a room in cash, and ends up chatting with Norm, the young innkeeper who's handsome, charming and a touch hung-up on his elderly mother. Back in her room, she steps into the shower, scrubbing off the late-summer heat, when the curtain is pulled back... 

Norm Billings is there with a knife. He raises his arm to strike, but before he does, Marion knees him in the balls, grabs the knife, and stabs the life out of him. Now, she's covered in blood, and she's a woman on the run—not just a thief, but a killer, too. Where will she go? How will she save both herself and her sister? And what mysteries will she uncover as she does? 

In Psycho, Hitchcock shocked audiences when he killed off his protagonist. But what if the leading lady had fought back? Marion offers an alternate history of the most famous dead blonde to ever grace the silver screen. Only this time, the knife is in her hands—and she's no victim.

MY THOUGHTS: I have always enjoyed Psycho and especially loved the series, Bates Motel, which was on AMC several years ago (if you haven't checked it out, do so).  So, when I saw this was novel was Psycho adjacent, I know I had to pick it up.  And I'm telling you, it's a decision I never once regretted while reading.

Marion lives in New York and works at an ad agency.  She basically does the job of several people, including her boss and is always getting passed over for promotions.  Marion also has a sister whom she feels she has to care for, even though she is the younger of the two.  Marion believes her sister is being abused by her controlling husband and wants more than anything to help her. So, one weekend, an opportunity to do that falls into Marion's lap.  She runs off with a bunch of company money and when the bus to her sister's town breaks down, has to check into the Billings Hotel.  Enter Norm and if you know the story behind Psycho at all, everything takes off from here.

I really liked Marion as a character, although I'm not sure the reader is supposed to. Oh, and her name isn't Marion, that's just how she checks into the hotel.  She makes some pretty unhinged choices throughout a lot of the book, but I could see how those decisions became rooted and I really never blamed her for them.  She desperately wants to protect her sister and throughout the book, the reader gets glimpses into Marion's childhood which help explain where she is coming from.  I also enjoyed all the murders and how Rowan weaved the traditional Psycho characters into the tale in some unusual ways.  

My only real critique is that halfway through the book, Hannah, a wannabe private investigator, starts investigating what is going on and her sections through the timeline a bit out of whack for me.  Also, while I enjoyed the sections from Hannah's POV, I wasn't overly pleased with her role at the end.

Overall, I had a blast watching Marion become unhinged and seeing some truly awful characters get some pretty awful endings.  This book is classified as horror, which I feel isn't really accurate, so just beware it's more like a thriller with some horrific things happening.  I actually feel the horror label might turn some people away and I think this book could really have a wider audience if publicized as a thriller.  Please, if you too are fascinated by Norman Bates and "Mother," this one is worth checking out.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Feed Your TBR (Summer of Horror 2026 Edition)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Also, since it is Summer of Horror, each week I will be trying to do one horror and one horror pick - at least through August.  So, enjoy!

September 15, 2026

FROM GOODREADS: Love, laughter, and a little vampire charm…

In the snow-covered town of Willow Creek, Christmas runs like clockwork. Ghouls bake, vampires tend bar, and errant spirits drink cocoa―but this year, the holiday centerpiece has been stolen by rogue elves.

Event planner Holly Frost has no choice but to team up with the one man she truly cannot stand―Nikalus “Nick” Draven, the infuriatingly charming vampire who leads the local coven.

As they race to save the season, Holly starts to see the man behind the fangs, and Nick realizes he might care too much about the determined mortal trying to pull off a last-minute holiday miracle.

With Christmas, the gala, and their budding feelings on the line, Holly and Nick must decide whether they can bridge centuries of distrust and embrace the magic of the season.

Because nothing says Christmas like paranormal romance, small-town charm, and a little vampire mischief.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I love it when I can mix spooky into the Christmas holidays.  This one sounds like a lot of fun.

February 23, 2027

FROM GOODREADS: Ten years ago, the quiet mining town of Coalfield, Pennsylvania was thrust into the national spotlight when a boy at a local foster home was found brutally murdered. After the foster mother was arrested on suspicion of murder, the four remaining children were dragged in front of a court to explain what truly happened. There, Elliot Wolff—just eight years-old—testified.

What emerged were disturbing tales of child abuse, the sacrifice of animals and infants, and strange rituals performed in the woods and mines of the town. And the Dragon, always the Dragon, a specter who lurked in the shadows of the home.

Now on the cusp of adulthood, Elliot is still struggling to move on from the trial. He still finds his thoughts circling Coalfield, thoughts that he pours into writing music or drowns out with various substances.

Then, he is approached by Dean Corvin, a washed-up grindhouse director filming a documentary on the Satanic Ritual Abuse allegations at Coalfield. While sitting in front of a camera and rehashing his trauma is the last thing Elliot wants to do, Dean makes him an offer he can’t refuse, an offer that might finally allow Eliot to escape his aunt’s stifling house and start over somewhere far away.

But Elliot isn’t the only survivor joining the documentary: the other survivors are there, too, and each one has different memories of what happened.

The first few days of filming are strange, with bizarre dreams and memories resurfacing that he had long thought lost to time. As Elliot begins to reenact his final days at Coalfield Children’s Home, he begins to wonder if there may be a grain of truth to the lies he told on the stand. If something sinister and otherworldly really did happen to them.

If the Dragon is still out there, and intends to keep the past buried.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I'm enjoy when media gets involved and investigates incidents in the past.  Plus, I need to know more about The Dragon. 

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Horror Shows Favorites (Summer of Horror 2026)

 

I'm participating in Tammy's, over at Books, Bones & Buffy, Summer of Horror Event.  It's such a great event and she encourages all kinds of horror-related posts. I shared some horror movies Mr. Barb and I had recently watched so now I want to share some TV/Cable shows we have enjoyed as well.  

FROM can be seen on MGM+ and I can't rave about this show enough.  The final episode of Season 4 is on Sunday and I'm already missing it.  If you haven't caught it, this series gives me some serious Stephen King vibes.  This is probably one of my top recommendations. 

We recently just finished up watching DEVIL IN SILVER over at AMC+.  It is based on a book by Victor Lavall which I always meant to read.  Judith Light does an outstanding job in this one and it's extremely eerie and atmospheric.  Since it is part of the Terror Anthology series, I believe it has completely wrapped up so if interested, you could binge it all at once.  

WELCOME TO DERRY remains one of my favorite horror shows and it can be found on HBO Max.  Given how much I love Stephen King, watching this was a no-brainer.  I actually think it is much better and even scarier than the original and remade movies.  This Pennywise is horrifying and this show is the stuff of nightmares. I can't believe I have to wait until 2027 for the next season!

Finally, we have YELLOWJACKETS.  I do believe there is going to be one final season this fall, but I absolutely love this bat-shit crazy show and can't wait to see how it all resolves.  It has a dual timeline, and both the younger and older cast are spot on.  If you love horror, make sure to check this one out.

So there you have it.  I found so many ones I love I may have to do a retro version of this and feature some of my older faves before Summer of Horror 26 is over.  Do you have any recommendations?  I'm always looking for something new.

So, Are They Actually Related????

TITLE: The Summer Share

AUTHOR: Jenn McKinlay

PUBLISHER: Berkley

PUBLISHING DATE: May 26, 2026

PAGES: 368   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: Free-spirited travel influencer Hannah Spencer has spent five years touring the country in her vintage van. An unexpected inheritance from her Pops brings Hannah to Cape Split, North Carolina, where she learns she’s the new owner of a worse-for-wear seaside beach house. Or, rather, fifty percent of one. Turns out Simon O’Malley inherited the other half from his Gramps. 

As Simon and Hannah spend the summer tag-teaming repairs on the crumbling cottage, they discover the house was once home to a timeless love story. Soon, they begin to wonder if the house’s romantic past may be a good omen for their future together. But there’s one problem—Simon is set on selling the property at the end of the summer. 

Hannah thought one summer at the Split would be enough, except it isn’t like any place she’s ever been, and Simon isn’t like any man she’s ever known—and she’s thinking about putting down some roots. She just needs Simon to see their budding relationship and this newfound community the same way or their first summer share might also be their last.

MY THOUGHTS: No matter what she is writing, be it cozy mysteries, romance or even cozy fantasy, McKinlay is one of my favorite authors and thanks to her Library Lover's Series, probably also one of my most-read authors too.  So, picking up this summery romance was definitely a no-brainer and a decision I don't regret.

Hannah has recently inherited a beach house in Cape Split following the death of her beloved grandfather.  After a few years living in her van and traveling the US with her horse, oops I mean Great Dane, Dude, Hannah is ready to put down roots.  However, when she arrives, she finds a stranger at the home as well - Simon.  Simon claims he is the rightful owner of the house as his grandfather died a few months back and left the residence to him.  They soon find out that their grandfather's co-owned the home and now it is up to Hannah and Simon to decide what to do with the run-down property.  Hannah wants to move in and Simon wants to sell, due to some family obligations.  There is one catch though, before anything can be done.  Also, as time goes on, Hannah and Simon realize there was something their grandfathers were hiding from them and together they work to find out all their secrets.

I really enjoyed this book.  I liked both Simon and Hannah and could understand both of their positions on the property.  I enjoyed learning about the grandfathers as the story progressed and the community neighbors who all seemed liked one big happy found family.  But Dude, the dog, is the star of this book if you ask me.  There are many scenes where Dude is knocking Simon and Hannah into the fishing lake behind the house and it almost becomes Dude's main trick.  Also, long before Hannah realizes she has developing feelings for Simon, she falls in love with how much he loves her giant dog. 

This book was a perfect combination of family drama, close-proximity enemies-to-lovers, and found family.  My only issue is that I felt the resolution was a bit rushed but maybe I just wanted it to continue so I'm not docking my rating for it. I practically devoured this book and can't wait for my next McKinlay read!

MY RATING: 5 PAWS

Feed Your TBR (Summer of Horror 2026 Edition)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Also, since it is Summer of Horror, each week I will be trying to do one horror and one horror pick - at least through August.  So, enjoy!

December 8, 2026

FROM GOODREADS: At the height of summer, Blackstream Oil finally starts drilling on Saliquaw Nation. But when an oil worker is found dead, inexplicably missing his heart, the already controversial oil deal is put at risk.

Starr is still chasing cold cases of missing women, with hardly any leads and even fewer resources to follow them. This perplexing death of an outsider—a white man—is the last thing she needs to distract from her mission.

But when a suspect in a fifteen-years-cold disappearance returns home to the rez, employed by the same shady fracking company, Starr wonders if he might be the key to solving both mysteries—past and present.

All the while, there are strange phenomena among the reservation’s wildlife—bison display aggression, fish wash ashore, and Starr begins hearing a Rain Crow's distinctive call everywhere she turns. The more Starr learns, the less it all makes sense… and the cry of the Rain Crow warns that a storm is coming.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  This is the second installment in the Carrie Starr series and even though I still need to read Mask of the Deer Woman, it won't stop me from picking this one up too.

March 16, 2027

                                                                        

FROM GOODREADS: Something is wrong at the world-famous ZOO USA. Animals keep escaping. Others are found dead in their enclosures. It’s a public relations nightmare for Ashlee Beauchamp, the communications executive responsible for convincing the public that nothing is amiss. Worse, she suspects the incidents are no accident—and fears someone on the inside is responsible.

Bright-eyed, young conservationist Megan Taylor is thrilled to be in town for North America’s largest conference for zoo professionals. The conference has been eye-opening, but at least she has Zoo Day to look forward to: a full day to explore ZOO USA with her sister, Sierra, if only she can convince Sierra (and herself) that zoos aren’t exploitative animal prisons.

Brandon McCabe is counting down the days too. Twisted by hate and hell-bent on revenge, the disgruntled zookeeper and his coworkers are planning something big to get back at the institution that has wronged them. Much like the animals he cares for, Brandon has grown tired of his cage—and when Zoo Day comes, everyone best run.

Told in real time over a single day, We Don’t Call Them Cages is an action-packed, multi-POV thriller that will leave readers breathless and thinking twice before their next day at the zoo.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I will have to see some reviews to see if I can handle the animals' deaths in this one which I am sure I will occur given the subject matter, but I'm all for seeing some zoo animals get revenge for their captivity!

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???