A couple reviews to share before I finish up a few others. I’ve noticed it’s easier to do these when it’s about 2 or 3 titles versus having 5 all in one post. Gets pretty long to read/scroll through and then the books get a little more attention on their own!
Thanks to the mentioned publishers for any gifted copies in exchange for my honest reviews
Mini Reviews – March 2023:
WEYWARD – Emilia Hart (Released February 2nd, 2023 – Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the copy)
I am a Weyward, and wild inside.
2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.
1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha’s mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom.
1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family’s grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives––and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.
Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart’s Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.
My Thoughts: 5/5 stars – This was what I needed after a few thrillers and darker books. So beautifully written and the characters just came to life. Its so rare that I end up loving and becoming invested in all the storylines, but Hart had me on the edge of my seat. Witches and centuries of stories weaving together for a truly captivating read. An incredible debut!
WHAT HAVE WE DONE – Alex Finlay (Released March 7th, 2023 – Thanks to Minotaur Books for the copy and personalized necklace)
In this thriller from Alex Finlay, What Have We Done is a tale about the lives we leave behind and the secrets we carry with us forever.
A stay-at-home mom with a past.
A has-been rock star with a habit.
A reality TV producer with a debt.
Three disparate lives.
One deadly secret.
Twenty five years ago, Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were the best of friends, having forged a bond through the abuse and neglect they endured as residents of Savior House, a group home for parentless teens. When the home was shut down―after the disappearance of several kids―the three were split up.
Though the trauma of their childhood has never left them, each went on to live accomplished―if troubled―lives. They haven’t seen one another since they were teens but now are reunited for a single haunting reason: someone is trying to kill them.
To survive, the group will have to revisit the nightmares of their childhoods and confront their shared past―a past that holds the secret to why someone wants them dead.
It’s a reunion none of them asked for . . . or wanted. But it may be the only way to save all their lives.
What Have We Done is both an edge-of-your-seat thriller and a gut-wrenching coming-of-age story. And it cements Alex Finlay as one of the new leading voices in thrillers today.
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars – My first book by Alex Finlay and it did not disappoint! I do have another in my #23in23 stack and I’m thinking it’ll move up the list now. I liked the action and the different POVs. Finlay kept us on our toes and there were so many twists and turns to try and piece together the events as to why this group of friends is now being targeted. We get to see from Jenna, Donnie, and Nico’s POV – all on significantly different life paths but all tethered together because of one night twenty-five years ago. It was fun trying to keep up and guess what was gonna happen next!
Jessicamap Reviews 