2 Bloggers 1 Series - Peace Talks (Dresden Files #16)

 

Stormi and I keep moving along on our buddy read of the Dresden Files series and the end is almost in sight!  The newest installment, number 18, recently released so that means two more book and we are current and up to date.  So read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's to see hers. 

 

TITLE: Peace Talks (Dresden Files #16)

AUTHOR: Jim Butcher

PUBLISHER: Ace

PUBLISHING DATE: July 14, 2020

PAGES: 340   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: When the Supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an end to ongoing hostilities, Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, joins the White Council's security team to make sure the talks stay civil. But can he succeed, when dark political manipulations threaten the very existence of Chicago—and all he holds dear?

MY THOUGHTS: I am still enjoying Harry's world, but sometimes Harry's world is a really wordy one, so I was thrilled this installment clocked in under 350 pages. 

A Supernatural summit is taking place in order to try to garner some kind of peace among all the entities and once again, Harry finds himself in the thick of things.  Because of his role as Mab's right-hand man, the White Council is becoming more distrustful of him.  Since this is book 16 and everything is considered a spoiler, I'll just say we get to see quite a few familiar faces including Molly, Thomas, Maggie, Mouse, Ebenezer and Butters.

There were quite a few things that made me unhappy in this book, especially pertaining to Thomas, but it didn't mean I didn't enjoy it.  I just question a few directions the author is headed toward but hey, he's the boss, right?  

Overall, I'm glad to have gotten this far and Stormi has warned me the next book is really going to tick me off.  I am struggling between a 4/5 or a 5/5 but my rating is reflective of my appreciativeness for a short installment this time around.

MY RATING: 5 Paws 

Feed Your TBR - The Stars Look Like Home

 

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.

January 12, 2027

FROM GOODREADS: From beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune comes a heartwarming story about a good boy in search of a great life. The Stars Look Like Home is a funny and moving adventure about finding one’s place in the universe from the perspective of a dog.

Also, the dog does not die in this.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I just saw this a few days ago and there is no way I can wait a whole year!  I love The House in the Cerulean Sea and its sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea. I vow to read more from Klune this year but man, I wish I had this in my little greedy hands!

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

She Sees Dead People

 

TITLE: Soul Searching (Sweetwater Peak #1)

AUTHOR: Lyla Sage

PUBLISHER: Dial Press Trade Paperback

PUBLISHING DATE: September 30, 2025

PAGES: 368   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: Collins Cartwright does not want to go home. Sweetwater Peak, Wyoming, was supposed to be in her rearview mirror, but when she finds out a developer is trying to buy her parents’ antique shop out from under them, she doesn’t have a choice—at least, that’s what she tells her family. They don’t need to know she’s lost her job and is out of money. Or that the ghosts that have always been her companions have recently gone silent. 

But just because she’s returned home doesn’t mean she has to stay with her parents or crash on her twin sister’s couch. Lucky for her, the new-to-town upholsterer has a room for rent above his store. Unluckily, it is absolutely crawling with more ghosts who are freezing her out. And Collins hates being ignored. 

Brady Cooper is absolutely and totally fine. Seriously, there’s no secret reason why he decided to uproot his life and suddenly move to Sweetwater Peak. He just needed a change of pace. At least, that’s what he tells himself. And everyone else. 

When he agrees to let the elusive Collins Cartwright stay in his spare room, he doesn’t know that she’s absolutely bonkers—constantly talking to herself and having conversations with no one—or that she looked like that. But as they begin to get closer, the lines between them start to blur, leaving both of them—and the ghosts that have been pushing them together—wondering whether or not their temporary arrangement could be something more permanent.

MY THOUGHTS: Lyla Sage has quickly become one of my favorite romance authors, so I was thrilled when this one released and had a paranormal twist.

Collins Cartwright is moving back to her very small hometown, something she said she would never do.  Knowing how independent Collins is, her twin sister arranges for her to work at a local upholstery shop and live in an apartment upstairs. Unbeknownst to her family, Collins is out of work and hasn't picked up her camera in months because her other hidden talent, communicating with ghosts, is on the fritz and it was the source of a lot of her inspiration.

Brady Cooper moved to Sweetwater Peak to escape and since arriving, other than making friends with Collin's family, has pretty much remained non-social. He just happens to own the upholstery shop and the apartment upstairs. As time passes, he becomes more curious about Collins and she can't deny she feels an attraction to him. However, Brady doesn't believe in the paranormal, even though there may be a few spirits working to bring him and Collins together. In addition, Brady is more than willing to be flexible if it means spending more time with Collins and eventually helping her unearth her creative block.

I loved everything about this book. Collins is a bit edgy, and Brady is a bit of a cinnamon roll hero. Together they just work.  And for a romance, this book does not suffer from insta-love OR a third act conflict which are always pluses in my book. Also, who can resist a meet-cute that involves pepper spray!  In addition, I loved the sister and family dynamics and look forward to the next book, which focuses on her.

If you love romance with a paranormal twist, this one is for you.  I will devour anything Sage writes as she hasn't disappointed me yet!

MY RATING: 5 PAWS

A Late Christmas Vacation!

 

TITLE: The Dogs of Venice

AUTHOR: Steven Rowley

PUBLISHER: G.P. Punam's Sons

PUBLISHING DATE: October 14, 2025

PAGES: 80   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: A heartbroken Paul takes a solo trip to Venice while his ex-husband moves out of their joint place back home. While on the trip Paul looks for a connection and meaning.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a short novella I grabbed around the holidays because of course, DOGS!  I didn't get to it until January but still wanted to share my thoughts because I feel it needs more notice.

Paul is going through a divorce and although he has a history of not doing anything alone, he decides to go through with the vacation he and his husband had planned for the holidays. While in Venice, Paul notices a stray but confident dog and he spends the majority of his time seeking the dog out because he wants to be more independent-just like the dog appears.  Along the way Paul breaks out of his comfort zone and starts doing more and more on his own, realizing he too can be more dog-like if he wants.

Paul was a nice character to read about and honestly, I think this read is best described by the word "nice."  The fact that it is on the shorter side lends itself to a solid tale that doesn't get weighed down by unnecessary side plots or details.  I loved that I was able to read it all in one sitting as well.  

The dog doesn't play a big part in the story, but he is a major influence so I think animal lovers would still be quite interested.  I know this author has a few other books which have recently been quite popular so I think readers of those should seek this one out as well. And even though it takes place during the holidays, it isn't really a holiday story so it could be read at any time. My rating is only reflective because I wanted more dogs (of course I did), especially with "Dog" on the title. 

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

I'm Expecting Tons of Snow but They Got Tons of Rain!

 

TITLE: The Storm

AUTHOR: Rachel Hawkins

PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Press

PUBLISHING DATE: January 06, 2026

PAGES: 258   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that’s survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984. 

When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard’s Bay on the map, she’s less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful true crime book might help the struggling inn’s bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn’t come to St. Medard’s Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she’s returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores. 

As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard’s Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive—and as deadly—as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping…

MY THOUGHTS: Looking back, I've never really had my socks knocked off by a Hawkins novel.  In fact, I think I've been telling people I've only read two, so I was going to pick this one up to see if I just needed to stop and move on.  However, I looked it up and I've actually read ALL of her adult novels and one of her YA ones, which I loved.  The adult ones have all hit around 3/5 starts except for The Villa, which is the only one I really remember.  Imagine my surprise when this one really hit for me!

In 1984, Hurricane Marie hit St. Medard's Bay leaving death and destruction in its wake.  One death was the Governor's son, who was having a pretty illicit affair with a residence 19-year-old.  Lo Bailey was accused of murdering Landon Fitzroy but was eventually acquitted. However, everyone just assumed she as guilty.  Fast forward to current day.  There is a new hurricane on the horizon and Geneva, who is now running the family business, the Rosalie Inn, is trying to stay afloat (no pun intended).  She ends up renting out some rooms for the summer to both Lo and August, who has chosen to ghost write a book about the whole situation with Lo's help.  Yet there is another hurricane on the horizon, and it might just uncover buried secrets along the way.

This book was a fast-paced read for me. Of course, it also may have been because it is on the shorter side for a thriller.  Nonetheless, I really enjoyed getting to know the characters who all seem to have distinct strong personalities and to learn how they all intertwine both historically and currently.  There were a few major twists, once of which I predicted and one I never saw coming, which made for an interesting read.  And I would say it held a bit of my favorite trope as well - found family.

This is one I'm really glad I picked up.  Although now I'm guess I'm going to have to read her next book to decide if she is an author for me.  Of course, I've read everything else so at this point, why not.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Feed Your TBR - The Only One Who Knows

 

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.

March 3, 2026

FROM GOODREADS: Minnow Greenwood, previously known for stealing her way into the hearts of viewers as Melbourne’s number one morning show host, is now back in her small hometown of Kangaroo Bay. After a horrifying and unexpected episode, she has no choice but to join her estranged brother in their family business of shark fishing. For an insomniac like Minnow, the work is strangely thrilling—there’s something alluring about the dark water at night. Something exciting, grimy… fitting. And maybe it’s not even so bad reconnecting with her brother, who’s the only person who ever saw her for herself. But the last thing she expects to surface on the beach is a human body.

Kangaroo Bay is a town quietly brimming with rage towards invasive tourists and host to a disquieting number of shark attacks—there's no sympathy for the wayward swimmer. Except the media soon uncover that the victim was declared missing weeks before and was long dead before they even entered the water. When the journalist in Minnow kicks back into drive, she discovers something for over forty years, there have been a steady number of missing persons around the area, including her own father’s disappearance ten years ago.

This is her one opportunity to reclaim her career as a journalist, and to learn what really happened to her father, but as Minnow digs deeper into the spate of missing tourists and the mystery of her father, she realizes someone is desperate to keep the secrets buried. . .and then another body washes ashore.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT: I love the fact that this involves water and the MC's name is Minnow.  Too funny.  Besides that, I am fascinated by sharks and wanted to be a marine biologist when I was young for a long time.  Go figure considering I grew up and have always lived in a landlocked state.  

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

A Whole Lot of Issues to Unpack

 

TITLE: The Hitch

AUTHOR: Sara Levine

PUBLISHER: Roxanne Gay Books

PUBLISHING DATE: January 13, 2026

PAGES: 304   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: Rose Cutler defines herself by her exacting standards. As an anti-racist, Jewish secular feminist eco-warrior, she is convinced she knows the right way to do everything, including parent her six-year-old nephew Nathan. When Rose offers to look after him while his parents visit Mexico for a week, her brother and sister-in-law reluctantly agree, provided she understands the rules—routine, bedtime, homework—and doesn’t overstep. But when Rose’s Newfoundland attacks and kills a corgi at the park, Nathan starts acting barking, overeating, talking to himself. Rose mistakes this behavior as repressed grief over the corgi’s death, but Nathan insists he isn’t grieving, and the dog isn’t dead. Her soul leaped into his body, and now she’s living inside him. Now Rose must banish the corgi from her nephew before the week ends and his parents return to collect their child.

MY THOUGHTS: I really anticipated this to be a DNF when I started.  I wasn't sure I could stomach the dog attack and subsequent death.  However, for those like me who are sensitive to this stuff, it's pretty much one paragraph and the end of a chapter is it isn't overly detailed, bloody or for lack of a better word, savage.  

Rose lives alone and owns a frozen yogurt company.  However, she is averse to all things dairy and is trying to sell it.  She is also obsessed with her six-year-old nephew, Nathan. His parents only allow her two hours a week with him on Saturdays, but a trip to Mexico means Rose will get to watch him for a full week.  She plans everything, right down to the icky food she expects a child that young to eat and the activities they will participate in such as lengthy chess games. All this goes out the window when a trip to the dog park leads to a Corgi named Hazel dying and then her soul inhabiting Nathan's body. Rose goes on a journey to hide what is happening from her brother and his wife all the while trying to convince Nathan he is imagining the whole thing.  When that doesn't work, despite her better judgement, she turns to a spiritual healer and ends up experiencing her own exorcism.

As I said, I liked this book more than I expected to.  Rose was a piece of work though, and I can't find the words to describe her although neurotic came to mind more than once while reading it.  Nathan was a sweetheart and I felt badly for him because he only wants to be a kid.  Also, reading this book felt a little like ADHD.  Rose would be describing something and all of a sudden break into a recipe for some health-related menu planning and then hop back to why Nathan didn't like his antique chess set.

While I would recommend this book, I will say it probably isn't for everyone.  I'm not sure if there really was a Corgi soul inhabiting Nathan or if Rose was just projecting a lot of her own issues on others.  The ending is just rather blunt as well, but I fully understand the decisions that were made.  

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Wait, Huh?

 

TITLE: I'll Quit When I'm Dead

AUTHOR: Luke Smitherd

PUBLISHER: Mulholland Books

PUBLISHING DATE: October 14, 2025

PAGES: 384   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: Madison has seen better days. Reeling from a bad breakup, self-soothing with junk food, and totally consumed by her lack of direction, she’s in need of a big reset. When she runs into an old acquaintance at the gym, Madison is shocked by how fit they’ve suddenly become. The cause? An all-female fitness boot camp led by ex-military guru Ellie Fellowes. The course is characterized by grueling reps and minimal contact with the outside world, and when Madison signs up to experience it herself, something doesn’t feel right. The other students keep acting strangely; Ellie seems almost superhuman, and her intense motivational methods are becoming bizarre, even dangerous. But Madison is getting results. How can she stop now? 

Musician Johnny Blake has been struggling with a pain pill addiction after a very public, very bad fall. At the encouragement of loved ones, he retreats to a secluded cottage to detox. But Johnny isn’t alone. Something is lurking in the shadows of his new home—a creature unnatural and hungry, one that traps Johnny in a frightening bargain. If Johnny doesn’t stay off his pills and keep his end of the deal, he will be eaten alive. 

As Madison and Johnny’s predicaments spiral into the unthinkable, they will have to look within to find the true and terrifying answer to the age-old How badly do you want it?

MY THOUGHTS: This book managed to take a trope/writing style/whatever you want to call which I do not usually like at all and turned it into something I enjoyed.  Or at least I think that was what the author did, I'm not sure. I'm really confused - can you tell?

I'll Quit When I'm Dead focuses on two distinct characters.  Madison just dumped her boyfriend, dropped out of college, is out of work and is writing a novel she just can't complete.  Oh, and she constantly wants to lose 15 pounds which is an important part of the novel as well.  Johnny is a musician who has a mediocre career which he just made worse through some really stupid moves which landed him with an active drug addiction and a lengthy hospital stay.  Madison decides to sign up for a month-long retreat promising to be intense but which will leave her stronger, skinnier, and more focused.  Johnny has just moved to a rental in the country where he can continue his recovery.  Both have no idea what lies in store for them but given the cover, I was pretty sure they weren't going to like it. 

This book was strange because in the beginning, I was more interested in Johnny's story and about mid-way it shifted, and I became more interested in Madison's tale.  I also wasn't sure how the two were connected or even if they were, so the reading was a bit disjointed throughout at least 80% or maybe even more.  Madison's experiences had me more on edge because I think in her situation, the monster is real and is in the form of a retired military veteran, Ellie who has a lot of baggage of her own. And trust me, I think Ellie is way scarier than most mythological monster. Johnny's monster is in the form of a boggart, which other than a particular series which "won't be named" I've never ran across before.  

Needless to say, this book completely intrigued me, and I devoured it in a few days.  It wasn't on my radar until I stumbled across the cover on the new release shelf of my local library and I am so glad I snatched it up.  If you love horror and psychological drama, with a pretty heavy dose of fantasy during some parts, this is definitely one you will want to grab.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Feed Your TBR - How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates

 

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.

February 3, 2026

FROM GOODREADS: When Jamie Prescott and her best friend Laurie attend a speed-dating event, Jamie expects to meet a roster of mediocre men and indulge in some street food afterwards. She doesn’t expect one of her dates to have his throat slit at their table during a blackout. When the lights come back on and there are more bodies on the floor, it becomes clear that speed dating can be a very dangerous pastime.

Armed with makeshift weapons and Jamie’s extensive knowledge of what NOT to do in a horror movie, the remaining speed daters try to find an exit while the killer adds to their body count. As the night progresses and Jamie comes face-to-mask with the murderer, she begins to suspect he is committing the slayings to woo one of the daters and turn her into his real-life Final Girl. But Jamie has a different love story in mind, and as she fights for her life, she can’t help but find herself ensconced in a love triangle with two of the other speed-daters. Will she survive the bloodshed to find her happily ever after? Or does this machete-wielding psychopath have another Final Girl in mind?

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I love a good slasher trope and this one sounds like there might have some comic moments as well.  At least I am hoping.  

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

2 Readers 1 Series - Willowleaf Lane (Hope's Crossing #5)

 

Stormi and I do at least two buddy reads each month, sometimes three, and in 2026 we really want to try to wrap some of our series reads up.  So we kicked off the year with what we anticipated would be a quick read and continued on with the Hope's Crossing series.  While it will never be the same as Virgin River was for me, it is similar enough to fill the huge void that one left.  Read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Storm Reads to see if Stormi liked it!

 

TITLE: Willowleaf Lane (Hope's Crossing #5)

AUTHOR: RaeAnne Thayne

PUBLISHER: HQN Books

PUBLISHING DATE: June 25, 2013

PAGES: 379   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: Sometimes going back is the best way to start over.

Candy shop owner Charlotte Caine knows temptation. To reboot her life, shed weight and gain perspective, she's passing up sweet enticements left and right. But willpower doesn't come so easily when hell-raiser Spencer Gregory comes back to Hope's Crossing, bringing with him memories of broken promises and teen angst. A retired pro baseball player on the mend from injury—and a damaging scandal—he's interested in his own brand of reinvention. 

Now everything about Spencer's new-and-improved lifestyle, from his mission to build a rehab facility for injured veterans to his clear devotion to his preteen daughter, Peyton, touches Charlotte's heart. Holding on to past hurt is her only protection against falling for him—again. But if she takes the risk, will she find in Spencer a hometown heartbreaker, or the hero she's always wanted?

MY THOUGHTS: While I still enjoyed it, the last installment in this series fell a bit flat for me. I am pleased to say this one pulled me right back in and I loved Candy and Spencer's story.

When she was a teen, Candy had a huge crush on Spencer. They became good friends, but Candy's weight issues and her lack of confidence prevented it from becoming more.  Spencer went on to be a famous athlete but got into some trouble and is now back in town starting over.  Candy spent the last year addressing her health and getting in shape.  She has never forgiven Spencer for something he did years ago, and she is not happy to see him.  However, she does feel a kinship to his daughter who has recently lost her mother, just like Candy did when she was her age.  Can Candy forgive Spencer and act on the spark she is once again feeling when she looks at him, or is the damage already done?

I really enjoyed Candy as a character and this is basically an enemies-to-lover trope because when Spencer comes back to town, Candy definitely treats him like an enemy.  I think Peyton, Spencer's daughter, actually does a lot of bring down Candy's walls and as that relationship flourished, so did the one with Spencer.  I also liked how Thayne added the story of Candy's brother in with this one and I'm excited to see what comes from him in future books.  As always, there is an adorable dog named Tucker who Candy babysits for her brother from time-to-time and as always, I have to give him a shout-out.  Go Tucker!

As far as ratings go, the last book received a 4/5 from me but gained a whole rating point due to the dog.  This one also gets a 4/5 but it stands on its own and doesn't need an extra boost. If you love feel-good small-town stories, then this is definitely a series to consider.  I think we have two more books and this series will be complete, and I am looking forward to both of them.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Gotta Love a Great Dog Character! (2025 Favorites)

 

If you've visited my blog a few times you know how much I love my pooches (well, almost all animals actually but I am partial to my pups). Since I love to see a great dog representation in books, I wanted to share some of my canines I've met during my reading adventures this year!

Stormi and I have continued our series read of the Dresden Files this year and I think we read 10 or 11 in 2025.  Mouse, Harry's canine companion continues to be one of my all-time favorite pups.  I'm pretty sure he is part mythical/part actual dogs but whatever he is, he is large, lovable, and scary when he needs to be.  If Mouse ever dies (and trust me, he has been injured in a few books), I will never pick up a Butcher book again!

Hope's Crossing is another series I've been reading with Stormi.  This book has been my least favorite installment to date, but there is a dog that is featured quite prominently which pushed it from a 3/5 to a 4/5.  Leo, the stray Labrador the MC takes in and ends up adopting was definitely the high point in this read.

This book features the adorable and very opinionated Teddy who doesn't appreciate the fact that his owner has a new boyfriend.  It being told from Teddy's POV only makes Teddy even more endearing.

If you love horror, I cannot recommend this series enough.  And Belle, the hunting dog, who may or not be alive, is the best!

I adored this book and despite the somewhat hilarious title, it actually was pretty intense in subject matter.  I cannot say enough good things about Brontë, who loves her owner so much that she is doing her best to make sure he has someone to take care of him when she is gone.  

HONORABLE MENTION:  

This is one of my favorite reads of the year even though it didn't show up on my previous list.  How a stray named Cat ends up pulling together a found family and bringing people together completely pulled at my heartstrings.  Serious people, read this book!

Do you meet any wonderful animals during your 2025 reading journey which I absolutely need to meet???

We Definitely Aren't in Kansas Anymore

 

TITLE: The Bloody Brick Road

AUTHOR: Maude Royer

PUBLISHER: Gallery

PUBLISHING DATE: January 6, 2026

PAGES: 352   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: In this wildly creative, horror-soaked reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, nothing is as it seems in Dorothy’s dystopian nightmare. Fans of Tender Is the Flesh and Maeve Fly will want to follow her twisted journey down the yellow-brick road. 

When nineteen-year-old Dorothy Noroît finds out she is pregnant, the road ahead seems bathed in golden light. She has a hard-working boyfriend, a beautiful home, and a job where she works with her best friend. But on October 2nd, 1994, everything changes. A reckless driver causes a massive freeway pile-up, and the Saint-Victorine Hospital in Montreal is suddenly overwhelmed with trauma victims, including five mothers-to-be. Days later, Dorothy leaves the hospital alone and suddenly finds herself without a boyfriend, without a job, and without any direction. 

Fast forward twenty-four years. 

The city of Montreal is plagued by extremist group, The Winged Monkeys. The gruesome murder of a young man has just made headlines. Lieutenant Henri Duhaime and his partner Detective Emilianne St. Gelais have been brought in to investigate. Just when they begin to wrap their heads around this heinous act of violence, another young man is found brutally murdered. And then another. Desecrated corpses and organs are scattered across the city and investigators are sent running in opposite directions in a race against the clock to solve the murders.

This unhinged retelling of the beloved classic, filled with a twisted cast of your favorite characters, brings together horror and revenge in a blood-soaked, funhouse mirror reflection of the timeless tale—and with endless Easter eggs for readers to discover. Translated from the French for the first time, The Bloody Brick Road will transport you to a dark new world.

MY THOUGHTS: I have to admit this book almost lost me in the beginning and it almost became a DNF.  I don't know if my expectations were not jiving with what I was actually reading or if perhaps if it was because it was a translated work.  Either way, after about 40-50 pages in, the plot took off for me, and this is one I'm really glad I stuck with to the end.

Dorothy is young, recently terminated from her job, pregnant and obsessed with shoes.  Her boyfriend works in a nearby town and is not home very much.  One day on her way to prenatal yoga, she is a victim of a horrible accident which lands many in the hospital struggling to survive or already passed. While she is there, she not only loses her baby due to premature birth, but she is dumped by her boyfriend and evicted from her home.  

As the synopsis says, fast forward 24 years. A string of brutal and definitely grotesque murders is happening in Montreal.  Duhaime is pulled from retirement to assist with the investigation.  Along with his partner, Emilianne, who he considers a bumbling fool, he works hard to put the pieces together to discover the connection as well as the culprit.

When I picked this book up, for some reason I had strictly the horror genre in mind.  I will say I found it to be more of a bloody, gruesome thriller/mystery, with some absolutely horrific scenes.  I mean, it also comes with a complete list of trigger warnings in the beginning, but I tend to ignore them for the most part in all books. Once the mystery and the killings started to develop, I found this book hard to put down. I found all of the characters, even Duhaime and Emilianne, disturbing in unique, individual ways and you will never guess what happens to the ruby stiletto pump, which I also consider a victim in this tale.

If you like reimaginings or gripping thrillers, this is definitely a book you want to consider picking up.  I'm glad I continued on and darn it, this is one of the main reasons I find it so hard to DNF a book to begin.  The Bloody Brick Road is a hidden gem I would have hated to miss.  

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, there is no dog named Toto harmed in this writing of this novel (worded weirdly intentionally because if you know, you know).

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

2025 Favorites (and good riddance I must say)

 

Don't get me wrong.  I'm grateful for a lot of things that happened for me, my loved one and my friends this year but there was an awful lot of crap as well (especially during the times I kept doomscrolling).  However, we all have our health after a scare from my mom this fall and the boys are doing wonderfully so I will hold on to my blessings.  

I managed to read about 125 books in 2025.  I wanted to share 13 of my favorites today.  These may not all have been 5 paws (stars), but they all made a memorable impact for one reason or another. 

Whistle is one of the best horror books I've read in a long time and very reminiscent of old Stephen King.  I also found the MC in Victorian Psycho so interesting and as for Suffer the Children, there is always room for vampires.

I read quite a bit of romance this year and used them for lighter reads during highly stressful times (see note about my mom and a medical condition).  I kind of consider 2025 my cowboy era (thanks Yellowstone) and I ended up adoring all four books in the Lyla Sage series.  The Meet-Poop was perfect, especially given the quirky title, and The Holiday Mixtape was a great combination of the holidays and music.

Look!  More horror.  Is anyone surprised?  I've seen Play Nice on quite a few favorites lists and I will never be able to resist a Sleepy Hollow reimagining/retelling.

Unnatural Selection is an adult book told from the dog's POV and Slayers of Old featured an elderly group of retired supernatural slayers.  I love books with older characters and you know I love dogs - duh!  Also, Karin Slaughter is always a win in my book and this is the first in a new series.

So there you have it.  Did you read any of these last year or are any of them sitting on your TBRs???

Be Careful What You Write

 

TITLE: Beth Is Dead

AUTHOR: Katie Bernet

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

PUBLISHING DATE: January 6, 2026

PAGES: 400   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: When Beth March is found dead in the woods on New Year’s Day, her sisters vow to uncover her murderer. 

Suspects abound. There’s the neighbor who has feelings for not one but two of the girls. Meg’s manipulative best friend. Amy’s flirtatious mentor. And Beth’s lionhearted first love. But it doesn’t take the surviving sisters much digging to uncover motives each one of the March girls had for doing the unthinkable. 

Jo, an aspiring author with a huge following on social media, would do anything to hook readers. Would she kill her sister for the story? Amy dreams of studying art in Europe, but she’ll need money from her aunt—money that’s always been earmarked for Beth. And Meg wouldn’t dream of hurting her sister…but her boyfriend might have, and she’ll protect him at all costs. 

Despite the growing suspicion within the family, it’s hard to know for sure if the crime was committed by someone close to home. After all, the March sisters were dragged into the spotlight months ago when their father published a controversial bestseller about his own daughters. Beth could have been killed by anyone. 

Beth’s perspective told in flashback unfolds next to Meg, Jo, and Amy’s increasingly fraught investigation as the tragedy threatens to rip the Marches apart.

MY THOUGHTS:  I really didn't plan to read this on New Year's Day when the book opens on exactly that, but it worked out well and was a great way to pass the time along with snacking and watching football.  Plus, Little Women is one of my favorite classics which I've read three times at least so I'm always quick to give reimaginings a try.  

Beth March is found murdered New Year's Day near the family friend's home.  She and Meg had attended a popular party the night before, but it appears as if Beth never makes it home. Beth is found by her sisters Meg and Jo and what follows is a twisty suspect-filled who-done-it.  

Meg returns home from Harvard, and the local police start to investigate what might have happened.  The investigation is complicated because earlier in the year, Beth's father, a famous author, ended up writing a book about his daughters.  He didn't have their permission and pretty soon he has been canceled by the public and has fled to Canada in order to keep his family safe from the treats he has faced since publication.  The book was pretty biographical except for one thing, Mr. March killed Beth in the end.  His family struggles with this decision, especially since Beth is still alive when the book publishes.  Did Mr. March plant the idea that Beth should die or has someone committed the murder for different reasons?

I had a blast with this book.  It was fun reading about the March family in a modern setting and it allowed me the opportunity to fall in love with some favorite characters all over again. The murder mystery kept me going pretty much until the end and just when I thought I had it figured out, a new suspect emerged.  And while this book is marketed as YA, I will say it seemed to read a bit older so I think anyone of any age will enjoy it. Whether you're a fan of Little Women or just looking for a refreshing new debut thriller, then look no further and give Beth is Dead a chance. 

MY RATING: 5 PAWS