Thriller - For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing - Rating 4.5 STARS

Follows the teacher of the year at Belmont academy named Teddy whose main focus is pushing his students to succeed. But when a student’s parent passes away at the school, Teddy’s world spirals into chaos and everyone better stay out of his way.

This is one of those stories where you’re not trying to solve anything, it’s all laid out in the open and we as the readers are watching the characters experience a messy snowballing effect of a teacher’s journey to be admired at whatever cost.

This one was a wild ride, a train wreck I could look away from, a dark and twisted web of murder, revenge, deception, and drama.

I was enthralled by this story. It was like watching a true crime documentary but with a POV following the perpetrator as it’s happening. It was messy and just a really entertaining read.

Thriller - Believe Me Now by SM Govett - Rating 4.5 STARS

A woman named Natalie who is suffering from PTSD after she was assaulted by her boss, who was not convicted. Her husband Ryan has always been there to support her, but now he’s been accused of the exact same crime.

This book left my head spinning. It’s one of those books that made me come up with so many different theories that ultimately I couldn’t make sense of any of them. At a certain point I latched onto my final theory and was feeling disappointed that I was probably correct, but thank goodness I was so completely and utterly wrong.

This book flip flops between Natalie as she deals with her own trauma while also managing her husband’s accused crimes and DI Stratton who is investigating the case as she handles the loss of her missing sister.

I thought this book was well plotted, did an excellent job with misdirection, gave me enough background and character development to care, was intricate but not confusing, and ultimately blew my mind.

Horror - The Ruins by Scott Smith - 5 STARS

Follows a group of 4 friends on a trip in Mexico who go on a mission to find their friend’s missing brother and stumble upon ancient ruins haunted by a terrifying presence.

I really enjoyed how as this story progressed we got a look into the characters backgrounds and how their pasts explain their interesting dynamics.

I found the vibe of this story really got under my skin. It filled me with dread and had my heart racing at multiple points throughout. With the loss of control and isolation the characters experience throughout this story, it was a dark descent into hopelessness that felt inevitable and horrifying.

If you enjoy supernatural horror stories that fill you with paranoia and dread, I definitely suggest this one. Perfect for spooky summer reading. A new favorite of mine!

Strange Pictures 4.25

Strange Houses 4.25

Hide and Seek 5

Overgrowth 4

Little Secrets 4.25

Lucky Day 3.5

House of Shadows 2

So Happy Together 4.25

Dungeon Crawler Carl 3.75

The Farmhouse 3

Night Watcher 4

Cat Fight 4

Souther Book clubs 4

The Haunting of Velkwood 4.25

My ex the Antichrist 2

Breakneck Bay 3.75

The compound 2

Still see you everywhere 3.25

Some choose darkness 4.25

Julie Tudor is a psychopath 3

Difficult girls 4

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil 3.5

My Lovely Wife 4.5

The Treehouse 3

Playing Nice 4.25

Stay away from him 3.75

It was her house first 2.5