amanda_reads13's reviews
451 reviews

When Chloe is 12, her father is arrested for the murder of 6 teenage girls in their small town. 20 years later, Chloe is engaged and working as a psychologist. Her life is thrown back into turmoil when local girls start to go missing again. 

Our narrator, Chloe, is super unreliable. She has PTSD, mental health and trust issues, and has a tendency to mix alcohol and prescription drugs. The entire time I was questioning everything she said and believed to be true. It was pretty clear pretty early on that her focus was going to be on Daniel, but everything seemed to be too convenient. 

Her trust issues mixed with this couples lack of communication makes me understand why her focus went straight to him. Men let her down, they always have let her down, why would Daniel be any different? Had they just been open, honest, and communicated with each other, they probably would have caught the killer much earlier. 

Daniel

is such a genuinely kind and sweet man. He loved Chloe so much, but was not completely honest with her. Yes, he did it for an understandable reason, but if you can't tell your fiance everything about yourself, who can you? It turns out that his sister who "disappeared" when she was 13, was actually alive and well. Their father was an abusive drunk and to save her from his abuse, Daniel arranged for her to "run-away" from home. He keeps this a secret from Chloe.

Cooper

was the obvious suspect from the start. He seemed a bit off from the beginning. We find out that it was actually him from the beginning. His father took the fall for him. In the present he manipulates a local man to impersonate a reporter in order to get close to Chloe. He manipulates and gaslights Chloe into believing her fiance is a killer by planting evidence and targeting girls close to her. He hates that Daniel is taking his sister's attention from him and wants him out of her life. Creepy. 

Overall, it is a gripping a twisty thriller with an unreliable narrator. You never really know where the story is leading. 

After a series of unfortunate first impressions, two doctors become each other's safe space at time when they are both feeling lost and alone. 

This book is very cute and absolutely hilarious! I didn't love it as much as the first because of the constant miscommunication and repetition. Like chapters and chapters of miscommunication. They make countless assumptions about each other and instead of talking to each other, they just let it get in the way. Due to the miscommunication we get internal monologues odlf
“there’s no way she likes me it’s fake”/ “there’s no way he likes me it’s a rebound" on repeat for 1/3 of the book. 

Briana is a successful doctor who is dealing with a terrible divorce and a brother who needs a kidney transplant. She is so strong, but she is in desperate need of therapy. She has trust issues due to her father leaving her family and her husband cheating on her with her friend. She has never dealt with those insecurities and issues, she just lets them consume her and let's it stand in the way of her possible relationship with Jacob. She has a secret crazy side, which was hilarious - the glitter story!!!!

Jacob is the greenest of green flags. He is considerate, thoughtful, and sweet. He has crippling anxiety that leads him to isolate himself and have panic attacks. At times it seemed like he was more on the ASD spectrum than anxiety, but either way, I felt like the author approached this topic with compassion and in an understandable way. He is such a selfless and caring man - he donates a kidney and forgives his brother for marrying his ex (wtf!)! 

I really love these two together. The letters are so adorable! You can feel how much they love each other. She takes the time to understand Jacob and does what she can to make his life better. I love how he never gives up on Briana, he understands her issues and is there with her through it all. 

Tropes: slow burn, rivals to friends to lovers, fake dating, co-workers 

Banner and Jared were friends in college and almost more until Jared completely shatters her trust. Years later they are rival agents and he is determined to get her back by any means possible. 

I really love Kennedy Ryan's writing and really enjoyed the first in this series. Sadly this one was almost a DNF for me. Her writing as always, is excellent; there is great banter, a touch of humour, and heartbreaking moments. 

BUT I hated both of the MCs. They were both incredibly unlikable. Jared is an asshole with zero redeeming qualities. He thinks he is "owed" Banner because "he saw her first" and she is the only person he could ever possibly love. He is a manipulative sociopath with zero compassion and empathy. 

Banner begins as such a strong woman. Then she goes and cheats on her boyfriend/best friend, who is literally the best man to ever exist. Then she has the audacity to be shocked that Zo and her family are pissed... OF COURSE THEY ARE!

Banner is obviously struggling with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia. I HATE how this is handled in this book. As someone who has dealt with these things, it is obvious to see Banner has a very unhealthy relationship food and her body. We are continuously told she is in weight watchers and counting points (is this an ad?), she compulsively works out (she cannot miss one), and she is hypercritical of her body. She is such a successful woman yet so much of her self worth is tied to her body... This doesn't change throughout the entire book. We are constantly reminded of her body dysmorphia and it is never addressed nor does she get real help for it. Very frustrating.

Can we scrap this book and just get a book about Zo? 

Tropes: second chance romance, rivals 

Alexis' world has just been thrown upside down. The cause: Daniel the handsome carpenter who rescued her when she drove into a ditch. 

I loved this book. I adored everything about it. Though it dealt with some heavy subjects, it was so heartwarming and adorable! 

Daniel and Alexis make no sense together. They are from completely opposite worlds, yet they just fit perfectly together. You can't help but root for them. They face insurmountable odds, but they are meant to be. 

Daniel is such a selfless, compassionate, and thoughtful man. He is a carpenter who runs a bnb and is also mayor of Wakan. All he wants to do is to take care of those he loves. He would drop everything to be at Alexi' side. Plus he has a baby goat in PJs ...

Alexis comes from a family of world renowned doctors. It was so frustrating to see her put father's demands above her own needs and wants, but she was probably suffering from PTSD from years of abuse.  I loved seeing her journey to heal from the emotional abuse she suffered as a child and with her ex. Through her relationship with Daniel and being around the people of his town, she learns to heal and finally finds her voice. She goes from a very timid and anxious woman, to one who embraces her worth and power. 

One of my favourite parts of this book was the found family aspect. Blood isn't everything, Alexis' mom and dad certainly proved that. The town of Wakan is like one big family who are there for each other through thick and thin. And Bri was such an incredible friend for Alexis. 

Tropes: age gap, opposites attract, found families. 

Demon Copperhead (Damon), son of a drug addicted young mother, takes us through his life as he fights to survive all that life throws at him. 

Demon is the voice of the impoverished, opiod addicted, abandoned people of Appalachia. His voice is incredibly unique and his story tell one of resilencey, loyalty, and pride. This book never stops as he ensures foster care, child labour, the broken education system, addiction, and crushing losses. This book is messy, emotional, and intense. This story could have been very bleak, yet within the pages is a tale of hope with a touch of humor. 

The book is so beautifully written and the setting plays almost like a secondary character in how intertwined and vivid it is. 

Demon is an immensely flawed, but likable character. We're rooting for him to succeed. He ensures abandonment, abuse, homelessness, addiction, and so much loss. His life forces him to grow up so fast, otherwise he literally would not survive. Yet, through all he endured, he does just that, he survives and perseveres. 

We are introduced to so many other interesting and captivating characters along the way. They all played such an important role in his life. Maggot, the lost soul just trying to survive while being so different. Tommy, the soft hearted man who pulls himself up against insurmountable odds.  The Peggots, the kind hearted neighbours who help as much as they can. Dorie, the lost girl who could never be saved. Angus, the girl who supported him no matter what. His teachers, who encouraged and supported him to follow his dream of drawing. This is such a memorable cast of characters. 

Unfortunately, the author does lean very heavily on the stereotypes of the Appalachia region. Every stereotype you can think of about that region happens Demon in this book. I wish that there would have been a little more breaking stereotypes rather than amplifying them. That said, I did think that Demon was a very interesting and captivating character.

With so many heavy topics addressed in this book, it does veer towards feeling preechy or like a lecture at times. 

I really liked the ending.

Demon has fought his battles and won, what comes next is left to the imagination, but it ends in a note of hope.

Sin has been obsessed with Ellie for 
years and already claims her as his.  But she is promised to another.

This book is very dark and incredibly unhinged, so check the TW before starting (it's a long list).

Ellie has been through hell and back. She is convinced that she deserves all the bad things that happen to her and eventually just accepts that this is her lot in life. I really wanted to see her get her revenge and in a round about what she does, but I wanted her to be the one to light the match. She has been groomed by most of the men in her life and is SA a lot... Even by Sin who apparently "loves" her. (It's not CNC, it's R@pe). It honestly feels like Sin is just continuing her grooming- he never using a safe word, ignores her pain, tries to control her, r@pes, and just keeps damaging this poor girl. 

Sin believes Ellie is his, yet he can never quite keep her safe. With all the cameras and stalking, you think he would be able to protect her better. He is the typical sadistic, obsessive, possessive, and unhinged MC with the personality of a wet blanket. Frankly, he is not likable or redeeming at all. 

Tropes: stalker, dark, college, forbidden, secret society

Tisaanah is a slave who saved for years to buy her freedom, yet when the discussion with her master ends in murder, she has to flee for her life. She goes to Ara and joins The Order, an organization for magic wielders. There she will train in order to go back and free the slaves she left behind.

The plotline, characters and twists were so well done and well written. The first part of the book is quite slow due to the time spent building the world and the characters. The second half the book was fast-paced and action-packed. I wish there had been a little bit more world building and I felt like the magic system was a little vague and confusing.

Tisaanah is a fragmented girl with no home or family. She has been a slave since she was a child and has suffered under her master. She is absolutely relentless and will stop at nothing to ensure that all the slaves are set free. I really loved the development of her character and thought she was an incredibly interesting and captivating FMC. 

Max is the man tasked with training Tisaanah. At first he comes off as an a asshole but as we learn his story and the tragedy of his past, we understand why he's become so reclusive. 

Reshaye is an unknown entity that is implanted into a host. We don't know exactly what they are or where they have come from but it is clear that they cause immense destruction. It was once implanted into Max.

For some reason it is completely obsessed with Max. So much so that it will kill or destroy anything that takes Max from it, including Max's entire family. It is able to take complete control over it's host and do things without the host's consent.

It brings complete chaos to whoever it is implanted into. From Tisaanah's POV and Max's flashbacks, we can see that It is next to impossible to control Reshaye.

Though, it seems that Tisaanah may have found a way to regain some control.

Romance is only a small part of the story, it mostly focuses on Tisaanah's journey. Still the slow burn had me captivated. I like the stages of their relationship and how they developed genuine feelings for one another. They slowly recognize the scars in each other and are helping to heal the other. The tension between them was palpable and I loved their banter.

I thought the language barrier was a fun addition, it added a few funny moments to the story. 

I really liked Sammerin, I think his relationship with Max is incredibly important to the storyline. I hope to get much more of him in the rest of the books. 

Nura is a confusing character. I'm not really sure what to think of her yet, so I'm interested to see how her character develops.

Tropes: fantasy, slow burn, magic, revenge, trainer – trainee, Forced proximity

9 year old Avery goes missing and everyone is a suspect. Secrets are revealed, relationships are torn apart, and lives are irrevocably damaged. 

This is a fast pace, twisty suspense that sucks you in from the start. My theory changed so many times throughout the first half. You really have no idea who to believe because, well, everyone is lying. 

Avery has always been a difficult child; she gets into a lot of trouble and is very defiant. After getting into a fight with her dad, she goes missing. Fingers are pointed at her father William after his lies and affair come to light. Then the tide turns on Ryan, his mistress Nora's son, after an anonymous tip. 

There are so many red herrings in this story. The truth is pretty twisted. After their fight, Avery wants to punish her father, so she runs away to a neighbour's house and plans to stay there until her dad is arrested for her disappearance. Little does she know that this neighbour, Marion, has her own plans for Avery. So while Avery has been hiding in her basement, Marion has been taking advantage of the situation and scheming. 

Marion is in love with William and when she found out about his affair with Nora, she wanted to punish them. So, she makes an anonymous tip lying about Ryan, hoping to destroy Nora 's life. Marion knows that in order for her plan to work, Avery can never go free, so she makes a plan to kill Avery. Avery ends up getting the jump on her and it ends with Marion dead. Avery "escapes" and seeking as much attention as possible, she spins a tale about her "harrowing ordeal". 

The ending was so abrupt for me.

There is so much that is still unknown. Did Marion really die in the fall? Did the truth of the events come out? What happened to Avery if the truth did come out! Is Avery really a psychopath ?

Iris meets August in a bar and they feel an instant connection, but the timing is all wrong - he is entering the NBA draft and she is dating his rival. Years later August renters her life, but she is suffering in ways August couldn't even being to imagine. 

I went in blind and this book was not at all what I expected (in a good way). I was expecting a cute basketball romance... It's so much more than that. This book has so much depth and emotion. It is a story of survival, of the magnitude of motherhood, and learning to trust after trauma. There were many parts that were very hard to read, so please check the trigger warnings. This book will run you through the ringer; it is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking, yet incredibly beautiful and so powerful. 

All of these character are incredible.  Each one is so full of heart that you cannot help but love them. Iris's story is such an important one. Her story will break you. It is easy to look at people and judge, but it really shows you that we never know the battles that people are fighting.

The world sees her as a ballers wife, with access to anything and everything she wants. In reality she is being controlled, tortured, and abused by her boyfriend daily.

Iris is the definition of strength. To endure what she did and to not only survive, but to find a way to thrive after all she went through gives you hope. Hope that there is life and love after such incredible trauma. Hope that you can endure the most horrific abuse, yet regain your power. This is a story of her strength, her perseverance, and her will to survive. 

How can you not love August? He is so patient and empathetic. All he wants to do is protect and take care of Iris and Sarai. I love how he always puts them first and never diminishes Iris's dreams. He fights for her in every way he possibly can. His love for her is so pure. 

The love between Iris and her family was a highlight in this book. Their connection highlights the importance of surrounding yourself with people who love you unconditionally. Lo is an incredible supporting character, she is the best friend we all need. I cannot wait to read her story. 

Iris and August have an undeniable connection. Their story is about defing the odds. It is about how patience, love, trust, and strength can help us endure, to live. You can tell that Kennedy put so much time, care, and research into this book. It is truly a powerful read. She is able to create such deep and interesting characters and tackle an incredibly difficult topic with so much heart and empathy. This book will stick with me for a long time.

One small issue I had was that for the first part of the book in August's POV it felt like Iris was a "prize" in a testosterone filled competition with Caleb.

I'm.so glad that Caleb gets what he deserves. He is worse than scum. 

Kit is a caregiver who is assigned to work with Lenora, a woman who was accused of murdering her entire family. 

Mind Blown! Talk about twists! I didn't know what to expect for most of the book and majority of my ideas were way off. Once the end came, it was twist after twist, and just when you thought it was done, a gigantic reveal comes outta left field. This one definitely kept me on my toes. 

Lenora Hope has been confined to a wheelchair for decades. Unable to talk or move anything but her left hand. She is completely dependent on others and unable to communicate in any way except tapping her hand or t ing on a typewriter. When her caregiver disappears, Kit is hired to replace her. As Kit starts digging into Lenora's past we're led through a crazy story of betrayal and heartbreak. 

I liked how the house was a character in its self. This old dilapidated mansion on the edge of a cliff slowly sliding into the ocean made for an eerie and suspensful setting. 

There's so many twists in this book, which makes it both intriguing and a little over the top. There's almost too many twists. Within a couple chapters we're hit with twist after twist after twist. The majority of the twists I didn't see coming, I knew that

there was something going on with Kit's father, I just couldn't pinpoint what. I think we all realized Mary was murdered.

 

The story ended up being

Virginia was pregnant and kept it a secret from everybody in the family. After giving birth her father took the baby away from her. She then went to go confront her father and found her boyfriend accepting money to go away. Turns out the baby's father was actually Kit's father. Virgina's mother finds out about the baby and end up killing her husband. Then Kit's father ends up killing Virginia's mother. Virginia ends up trying to hang herself but survives. Virginia ends up being bed ridden.

Lenora is blamed for the murders. She decides change her name and to fake her sisters death then pass her off as herself. So for years Virginia has been living as Lenora.
 
Fast forward: Kit finds out that her father is a murderer. Jessie, the maid is actually Virgina's granddaughter. Kit's father killed Mary to try to keep the truth of his past hidden. The house falls into the ocean with Kits father and Lenora in it. AND: Virgina has been faking it this whole time. She can actually walk and talk but wanted to punish her sister for everything she did to her.