Tag: book-review

Posted in Romance, Young Adult

The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy

Posted on by Mama

Original post from my Mom blog here – https://mamaonthemove1.wordpress.com/2026/03/03/book-review-the-summer-i-turned-pretty-trilogy/

Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy


Author: Jenny Han


Genre: Romance, Young Adult, Fiction


Number of Pages: 896


My Rating: 💋💋💋💋


Book Summary:

Belly has always lived for the summertime because it means all her favorite things: swimming, the beach and the Fisher boys, Conrad and Jeremiah. She has spent every summer with them at Cousins Beach for as long as she can remember. She has always been in love with Conrad and finally, one summer, it seems like he might have feelings for her too. But it turns out, so does Jeremiah.

As the summers go on, Belly has to choose between two brothers who love her as she comes to the realization that she will have to break one of their hearts.



For the first time, all three Summer novels are in one collection, including The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You and We’ll Always Have Summer.

My Thoughts:

Let me start by saying that I watched the show before reading the books and I watched all three seasons before I picked up this trilogy.

I enjoyed the television show, with some minor problems of the social political climate sprinkled in unnecessarily in my opinion. But unfortunately that’s all television and movies now a days. Also, notably after reading the books, it followed most of the story accurately, however there were story lines that didn’t even show up in the books and even some characters were changed to other roles within the show.

I was pleasantly surprised and actually grateful that none of that was within the novels. I will be honest that I tend to enjoy the novels more then the shows or movies, but there have been a few contenders in the past that were neck and neck.

Conrad was not as brooding and miserable in the novels as they make him out to be in the show. I found Conrad to be introspective, guarded and emotionally complicated. He internalized everything and shuts down when he’s hurting instead of reaching out for help. His silence feels cold, but it always came from the pain he was feeling and not from indifference. Contrary to what is portrayed, he was always very aware of his emotions.

He loves deeply for those he cares about, especially Belly. His feelings for her were consuming and so intense that he struggled to express himself in healthy ways. But it was always sincere and steady. He carried the emotional weight of his family, especially when it came to his mother. That responsibility and weight caused him to mature in some ways and break him in others. He often pushed people away when he needed them most because he believed he could handle everything himself. Even though he was incredibly intelligent, that made you mildly frustrated with certain decisions he made, even though deep down you knew he was doing this out of the goodness of his heart.

But he had a magnetic personality without trying, he was brainy and athletic and an all around golden boy. I was personally Team Conrad from the beginning.

But if Conrad is the ocean before the storm, then his brother Jeremiah is sunshine.

Now let’s jump into Jeremiah.

Jeremiah is warm, outgoing, affectionate, and emotionally open. He loves very easily, wears his heart directly on his sleeve, makes everyone feel included, enjoys having a good time and is very easy to be around.

Even though he is playful and flirty, he is deeper then just surface level which I found to be a nice twist for the sunshine boy. When he falls for Belly, he doesn’t hide a thing! He chooses her with no hesitation, no guessing games unlike Conrad’s unpredictability. Though he tends to hide his hurt behind jokes most the time, especially when he feels second best. Being in Conrad’s shadow allows some of his insecurity to bubble to the surface on occasion.

Though don’t underestimate Jeremiah, he’s not just the “nice brother.” He can get jealous and competitive. Sharp when he feels betrayed and his pain will run deep, especially when it comes to Belly and Conrad’s relationship. Jeremiah will show you his love outwardly as much as his hurt, he doesn’t swallow it and suffer in silence like Conrad.

If Conrad is longing and Jeremiah is warmth, Belly is the tide pulling between them — sometimes calm, sometimes chaotic, always changing.

See what I did there? *Snickers*

Isabel or better known as “Belly”, has been spending years feeling like the awkward little sister tagging along at Cousins Beach next to her brother Steven and the Fisher boys. However this summer changed everything, starting with her all around transformation and I’m not just talking purely physical but mentally and emotionally as well. But beneath her transformation, she is still trying to figure out who she is, but that doesn’t mean the boys who never noticed her before don’t begin to.

Belly is a true romantic at heart and believe in epic love. She is the type that holds on to memories like little treasures, replaying them over and over, especially when it comes to her first love Conrad. Her heart tends to lead first and logic follows later. She feels intensely about nearly EVERYTHING. She makes sometimes rash decisions without thinking about the long term consequences. She can be naive and selfish at times, however she is young and learning.

Belly is eventually torn between her dream since she was a kid, Conrad, and Jeremiah which represents the love that’s right in front of her. Belly’s journey is really about understanding the difference between wanting to be chosen and ultimately choosing for herself.

What makes Belly interesting isn’t perfection, but watching her growth throughout the novels. She messes up. She hurts people. She gets hurt. But across the trilogy, she slowly matures. She starts to understand that love isn’t just about butterflies. It’s about timing, communication, and knowing who you are outside of someone else.

Now let’s talk about some minor characters before I jump into my final conclusion.

Steven is Belly’s older brother. Steven is sarcastic, competitive, and very big-brother coded. He pretends not to care, but he’s protective underneath the jokes.

Laurel is Belly’s mom who is reserved, intellectual, and emotionally guarded. She loves deeply but doesn’t always express it warmly. Laurel struggles with grief in a quiet, internal way, which sometimes creates distance between her and Belly. She’s strong, but not soft about it. She is best friends with Susannah Fisher and has been for nearly her whole life.

Susannah is mother to the wonderful fisher boys, Conrad and Jeremiah. She is truly heart of Cousins. Susannah is warm, romantic, and almost ethereal in how she loves her people. She believes in soulmates and summer magic. Even while battling her illness, she tries to preserve beauty and joy for the kids. Her presence shapes everything — and her absence shapes even more.

Taylor is Belly’s best friend (and my least favourite character if I’m being completely honest). Taylor is bold, dramatic, and fiercely loyal. She pushes Belly out of her comfort zone and isn’t afraid to say the thing everyone else is thinking. Yes, she can be impulsive and attention-loving, but she rides hard for her best friend.

In conclusion, do I love this trilogy?? Absolutely!

It was such an easy read and I flew through all three of these novels in record time, unable to put them down at all. I love the growth of each character, especially Belly and Conrad. However there were times, some of the characters made me want to shake their shoulders and say “GROW UP! Stop being brats and self-centered!” And I’m not just talking about the kids….

It was so wonderfully pure, raw and simply beautiful. From the atmosphere it was set in to the relationships between the character, I can’t rave about it enough. I would highly recommend this as a summer read for sure and will definitely allow my own daughter to read these when she’s older.

I hope you enjoyed this very lengthy review….sorry!

But I have some news! I have made the decision to make this blog strictly mom/kid related content and will be moving my book reviews to my new blog. So I hope you will join me at https://beneaththebooklight.blog/.

Ciao!

Posted in Mystery, Novella/Short Story, Thrillers

Graveyard Shift

Posted on by Mama

Original post from my Mom blog here – https://mamaonthemove1.wordpress.com/2026/02/25/book-review-graveyard-shift/

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Title: Graveyard Shift


Author: M.L. Rio


Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Horror, Novella


Number of Pages: 126


My Rating: 💋💋💋💋


Book Summary:

Author of sales sensation If We Were Villains returns with a story about a ragtag group of night shift workers who meet in the local cemetery to unearth the secrets lurking in an open grave.

Every night, in the college’s ancient cemetery, five people cross paths as they work the late shift: a bartender, a rideshare driver, a hotel receptionist, the steward of the derelict church that looms over them, and the editor-in-chief of the college paper, always in search of a story.

One dark October evening in the defunct churchyard, they find a hole that wasn’t there before. A fresh, open grave where no grave should be. But who dug it, and for whom?

Before they go their separate ways, the gravedigger returns. As they trail him through the night, they realize he may be the key to a string of strange happenings around town that have made headlines for the last few weeks—and that they may be closer to the mystery than they thought.

Atmospheric and eerie, with the ensemble cast her fans love and a delightfully familiar academic backdrop, Graveyard Shift is a modern Gothic tale in If We Were Villains author M. L. Rio’s inimitable style.

My Thoughts:

I actually really enjoyed this novella. It was short, captivating and filled with intrigue. I truly couldn’t put it down and devoured the whole thing in a few hours. What?! I’m a bit of a slow reader okay!

It catches your attention right from the start and I love the individual chapters for each character. It allows for different perspectives and narratives. A bunch of insomniacs meeting in an abandon graveyard to have a few smokes and chat. Only to encounter a mysterious gravedigger, but what are they burying?!

There is a sense of foreboding as our edgy “Scooby gang” follows him around and slowly uncover the truth behind his midnight burial. There is more to this then meets the eye and is definitely linked to other events that have been happening around campus and the local bar haunt. I even loved that one of the characters in the group is also linked to what is going on to our mystery digger.

However I won’t give any spoilers in this one, but I just wish this was an actual novel rather then just a novel. I would have loved to see more character development, more links to the scientific aspect in all this and more justice frankly. But honestly my absolute favourite portion of the whole thing was the atmosphere that the author portrays.

I know a lot of the reviews thought this was meh, but for a novella I thought it was pretty spot on. Again, I honestly wish this was an actual novel, not just a novella. I do recommend if you want some strange vibes, awesome atmosphere and a little mystery for a quick read. I will be reading more from this author for sure!

Hope you enjoyed and keep an eye out for the next review which will be The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy by Jenny Han.

Ciao!

Posted in Thrillers, Young Adult

The Lake

Posted on by Mama

Original post from my Mom blog here – https://mamaonthemove1.wordpress.com/2026/02/25/book-review-the-lake/

Title: The Lake


Author: Natasha Preston


Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Young Adult


Number of Pages: 378


My Rating: 💋💋💋


Book Summary:

Esme and Kayla once were campers at Camp Pine Lake. Now they’re back as counselors-in-training. Esme loves the little girls in her cabin and thinks it’s funny how scared they are of everything—the woods, the bugs, the boys…even swimming in the lake. It reminds her of how she and Kayla used to be. Before…

Because Esme and Kayla did something terrible when they were campers. Something they’ve kept a secret all these years. They vow that this summer will be awesome. Two months of sun, s’mores, and flirting with the cute boy counselors. But then they get a message:
THE LAKE NEVER FORGETS.

The secret they’ve kept buried for so many years is about to resurface.

My Thoughts:

I knew this one would be a quick read, considering I’ve read a few of Natasha’s books already. I can pretty much fly through a young adult novel pretty quickly.

Unfortunately, I thought this one would be a little more thrilling and suspenseful. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the atmosphere of the novel as a whole, set in the woods at a camp, counselors, etc. Definitely gave me a Jason Voorhees, Crystal Lake vibe (which I adore and one of my favourite slasher flicks!) However, this obviously wasn’t that.

The novel surrounds two best friends who are holding a deep dark secret from childhood, but the novel is based in the perspective of Esme. Ultimately, she was the better choice for the narrative, considering I wanted to slap her friend Kayla so many times. Esme at least had some gumption to her, but the slow paranoia and constant anxiety started to get to me near the end. Although there were some character traits that became less then desirable, I understand why the author wrote it that way. How else would a teenage girl react while she is being stalked at a children’s camp?

Kayla was a bit useless to be frank, she only wanted to forget what had happened, never really wanted to discuss the realities of the situation and I felt like she was very selfish and self-centered. She was more interested in her summer boyfriend then the real threat that was happening to her friend Esme and to herself.

There were a few minor characters within the story as well, but honestly they didn’t bring much other then summer romance and some questioning friendships. I kind of called the assistant to the stalker right off the bat, though I wish I had been wrong. I was really hoping that it would have been one of the love interests or even the supervisor of the camp themselves, alas that wasn’t the case.

In the end, their deep dark secret comes spilling out for all to hear and the stalker reveals themself and their heinous plans, a little revenge murder. Why? Because who doesn’t love a psychotic killer/stalker who wants revenge for something that happened to them the night they came in contact with Esme and Kayla. Lillian, the killer/stalker, is cold-hearted, wrathful and will stop at nothing for her revenge.

SPOILER ALERT:

When Esme and Kayla were campers at this exact camp as children, they snuck out one night and started a fire in the woods. They camp across Lillian who was strange, creepy and wanting to show them a dead animal she had killed. There was an altercation between Kayla and Lillian, Kayla pushed her and she feel to the ground unconscious. Unfortunately, at the same time their fire got out of hand and the girls ran back to the cabin, leaving Lillian laying there. The fire starters were never caught and it had always been a mystery as to who had done it. But for the girls, they always kept it quiet and wondered if the girl (Lillian) had made it out safely.

They got their answer in the end.

And Lillian got her revenge, along with a healthy body count of deceased, only to land the blame on someone else and get away.

So did I like this book? It was okay, I wouldn’t re-read it and it’s definitely not in my favourites category, however I just wish their were a few more twists and turns, a bit more escalation on some of the events that occurred and the ending was a bit predictable. All in all, for a young adult thriller I give it three Baci. A good, quick, one time read.

Hope you enjoyed and keep an eye out for the next review which will be the novel Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio.

Ciao!

Posted in Biography

The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir

Posted on by Mama

Original post from my Mom blog here – https://mamaonthemove1.wordpress.com/2026/02/06/book-review/

Title: The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir


Author: Kelly Bishop


Genre: Memoir, Biography, Non-fiction


Number of Pages: 239


My Rating: 💋💋💋💋💋


Book Summary:


After more than half a century in show business, Kelly Bishop has stories to tell. From her Tony Award-winning performance in the original Broadway cast of A Chorus Line, to playing Jennifer Grey’s mother in Dirty Dancing, to her iconic role as matriarch Emily Gilmore in the groundbreaking television classic Gilmore Girls, few actors have enjoyed such long-running success —and even fewer can claim the adoration that this legendary actress has cultivated over her many working years. Kelly’s instantly recognizable voice has echoed through theaters and living rooms for decades.

For the first time, Kelly opens the door into her own life. She retraces her steps from Broadway to Hollywood and everywhere in between, reflecting on her decades-long career and sharing some of her greatest memories and lessons she learned along the way. From her early days as a dancer at Radio City Music Hall in the ’60s, to marrying young to a compulsive gambler, to her time as a burned-out Las Vegas showgirl, nothing is off-limits. She takes readers behind the scenes, from how she helped create a role in A Chorus Line, what it is like having Ed Herrmann as her TV husband and Lauren Graham as her TV daughter, and working with some of the biggest names in showbiz. The result is an enchanting celebration of a fearless and versatile performer whose talent and spirit have earned her an enduring place in the hearts and homes of millions.

Chock-full of witty insights and personal photographs, The Third Gilmore Girl is a warm, unapologetic, lively memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences- and who has no plans of slowing down.

My Thoughts:

To be blatantly honest, I was bound to love this one considering how big of a fan I am of Kelly Bishop and Gilmore Girls. I haven’t read a memoir this fast since Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peterson. (HUGE Elvira fan as well!) And let me tell you, neither one of them disappointed me in the slightest!

To say Kelly Bishop (Or Carole Bishop as she was originally known as before the name change with SAG) has an incredible life and career is an absolute understatement. Her determination, drive, hard work ethic, fight and wit will have you admiring her and giggling the whole way through. The books description has never been more accurate. It leads you through her love of Ballet as a young girl, her auditioning for the American Ballet Theatre corps de ballet only to deviated into a different career path….Broadway! Her Broadway career is astonishing and she even won a Tony Away for her performance. To say it’s impressive is an understatement and the sprinkling of famous actors, actresses, choreographers and musical composers is just cool. It was also really interesting to see how she transitioned into acting in television and movies. Learning she was suppose to play Vivian Pressman in Dirty Dancing and instead got handed the role of Marge Houseman (Baby’s mother) instead, well that was crazy to me.

Then all the wonderful moments of her on the set of Gilmore Girls, her relationships with Amy Sherman-Palladino (the series writer), Lauren Graham, and Ed Herrmann and the moments she shared with each of them. Along with the other cast and crew. From doing the New York Times crossword with Ed Herrmann in their shared trailer, arriving too early to set, to even marching in Washington with Amy. Also, finding out that the last season of Gilmore Girls, Season 7, was not written by Amy at all! No wonder it didn’t have the same pizzazz. How I never noticed that after the millions of times I’ve re-watched that series, I really don’t know! She also discusses how Netflix essentially allowed to show to resurface and gain popularity, the shows reboot for those 4 episodes, the evolution of Emily Gilmore and how she was team Logan. Now sorry Kelly, I have to strongly disagree on the team Logan bit, but her and I definitely agree that it was Team Luke the whole way!!

It wasn’t just her professional career you admire in this book, which is again extensive and very impressive. It also showed her personal life as well. Her very loving relationship with her husband Lee, her love for animals, her mother, and the plethora of wonderful friendships she cultivated over her career. You could feel the vulnerability in certain sections of this book, her sense of humor/wit and her strong personality. She is truly infectious, even in writing. Not to mention some very wonderful fan interactions she had encountered, which I thought was a very sweet touch to put in her memoir.

But it wasn’t all sunshine and roses.

She sprinkles in her failed marriage, life lessons from showbiz including the difficulties of travel and financial stability. The reality of going pay check to paycheck and everything in between. Her husbands health struggles with multiple forms of cancer. Grief and loss and how she persevered through them. The difficulty of shady agents and finding work, but not just any work, but also work that spoke to her as an actress.

I am not not one to cry over celebrities, but Kelly Bishop had me teary eyed when she spoke of the loss of Ed Herrmann (another impeccable actor and who played Richard Gilmore in Gilmore Girls), the loss of her husband Lee and when she reminisced about moments with her husband Lee after he passed and sadly left this world. I can truly say those moments, touched me so deeply with the way they were written with such love and adoration. Those moments made me stop and think about my own loved ones in that moment.

That to me, put the cherry on top of the cake.

So do I recommend this one? OH HELL YES! I think that’s enough said right?

Hope you enjoyed and keep an eye out for the next review which will be the novel The Lake by Natasha Preston. I’ll also let you know what our next book club book will be after February 15th!

Ciao!

Posted in Horror, Thrillers

We Used to Live Here

Posted on by Mama

Original post from my Mom blog here – https://mamaonthemove1.wordpress.com/2026/01/27/3788/

Title: We Used to Live Here


Author: Marcus Kliewer


Genre: Fiction, Horror, Thriller, Mystery


Number of Pages: 308


My Rating: 💋💋


Book Summary:


As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in.

As soon as the strangers enter their home, inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. And when Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family—or is Eve just imagining things?

This unputdownable and spine-tingling novel “is like quicksand: the further you delve into its pages, the more immobilized you become by a spiral of terror. We Used to Live Here will haunt you even after you have finished it” (Agustina Bazterrica, author of Tender Is the Flesh).

My Thoughts:

This novel had an interesting premise, hence the reason I suggested it for our first read in my ladies book club I have with some friends. A twist on a home invasion that prey on social anxiety and niceties. A strange family in your house that just won’t leave. How do you handle it? What do you do? Sounds like a good read, right?

I thought so until I delved into this book. Because this book wasn’t that at all. To be honest, I’m not sure WHAT this book was about.

I can definitely say it had some spooky moments where it makes you wonder what exactly it is your dealing with. I truly love paranormal stories for sure. Horror novels are a staple in my reading to be sure, but this book wasn’t even horror in my opinion.

The opening chapters were completely intriguing and captured me until it started to, what I personally felt, was just lengthy descriptive bloat. It always felt like there were moments that would lead to something more and then just…die off. It was highly frustrating and disappointing.

The main character, Eve, was infuriating at times. She sometimes acted so helpless and overly dependent on her partner that she can’t function. I sometimes wondered how she even left the house with her crippling anxiety. I would have preferred her partner, Charlie, as the main character. She, at least, would have been more intriguing, brave and possibly fight more the Eve did.


I’m not sure this book really knew where it wanted to go, but instead hit on all the classic horror tropes: A dark creepy basement that seems bigger then it should, A woman in a hospital gown that is too thin for comfort, A strange swarm of ants following an unknown trail to SOMETHING, A creepy toy, Strangers showing up at your home and won’t leave, doppelgangers, a house labyrinth, strange “occult” symbols, and the list goes on. Sadly these all swam in the pool, but the connections never linked up in the slightest.


I can honestly chalk this up to a failed attempt at a home that interconnects a series of parallel universes. However there were so many details that just ended in dead ends or pure useless information. What’s worse is that the novel urges you to continue reading, it almost hints at a larger, potentially more interesting world beyond Eve’s perception/anxiety spiral. Almost promising explanation and revelation. Sadly there is nothing.


I did like the splattering of “documents” that were included, which I thought was creative, however I wish the author would have stuck to the home invasion story. Truly could have done an incredible thriller based on those “documents” alone. Using them to give a back story for the strangers.

All in all I’m giving this two baci. I felt like the author got a bit lost while writing this or maybe it was an adaptation from a short story. I don’t know, but it had so much potential and it really fell flat.

I don’t recommend this one and this one will be put into the donation pile. Hopefully the next person finds it better then I did. Not sure I’ll read anything else by this author, but you never know!

Sorry for the harsh review.

Hope you enjoyed and keep an eye out for the next review which will be the novel The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir by Kelly Bishop.

Ciao!

Posted in Contemporary, Young Adult

Dumplin’

Posted on by Mama

Original post from my Mom blog here – https://mamaonthemove1.wordpress.com/2026/01/15/book-review-dumplin/

Title: Dumplin’


Author: Julie Murphy


Genre: Young adult, Teen, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction


Number of Pages: 371


My Rating: 💋💋💋💋


Book Summary:

WITH STARRY TEXAS NIGHTS, RED CANDY SUCKERS, AND DOLLY PARTON SONGS, DUMPLIN’ IS GUARANTEED TO STEAL YOUR HEART.

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin'” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant – along with several other unlikely candidates – to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City – and maybe herself most of all

My Thoughts:

This review is LONG overdue, but I am going to write it anyway.

I really enjoyed the movie for this novel, it is one of my favourites when I want a feel good yet emotional movie. Plus Jennifer Aniston is a gem in this movie along with Danielle MacDonald who plays the main character Willowdean. Just incredible acting on both parts, not to mention the rest of the cast is pretty talented as well. If you haven’t watched it, please give it a chance. I watched it on Netflix in Canada.

Since I adored the movie so much and found out it was based on a novel, well I had to read it! And honestly, completely worth the read. I loved the book because it gave more detail and background on characters that were a bit passed over in the movie, so it was a bit of a puzzle as to what was going on in their lives. And obviously there are some differences between characters in the book and the movie, meaning physical attributes, etc. But honestly, didn’t bother me in the slightest because that tends to happen when a novel gets created into a movie.

It was a great read, Willowdean is as outspoken, charming and conflicted as the movie, you really can’t help but love her and relate to her. It reminded me of a lot of feelings and experiences I had as a teenage. Between friendships, relationships, relationships with your parents and loss, it’s a roller coaster of emotions however I found it an easy read and pretty realistic on how life might be.

The novel was a quick and easy read once I actually was able to sit down and get into it. It was a really lovable and heartfelt novel and the author wrote it beautifully. I do highly recommend it if you want to read some young adult literature and something quick. Then definitely add it to your TBR list.

I know this was short and sweet, but I really don’t want to spoil anything. I do know the author has a second book that is based on some of the characters in this one, but not sure I’ll get to reading that at the moment. I’ve got a few novels on the works at the moment, crazy I know, but there are reasons. I’ll make a quick post about that after this.

Hope you enjoyed and keep an eye out for the next review which will be the novel We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer.

Ciao!

Posted in Dark

He Sees You When You’re Sleeping

Posted on by Mama

Original post from my Mom blog here – https://mamaonthemove1.wordpress.com/2026/01/03/book-review-he-sees-you-when-youre-sleeping/

Title: He Sees You When You’re Sleeping


Author: Alta Hensley


Genre: Fiction, Dark Romance, BDSM, Christmas


Number of Pages: 308


My Rating: 💋💋


Book Summary:

It’s the night before Christmas and I’m alone in the house…

Popular jewelry influencer Chloe Hallman is steeling herself to spend another holiday on her own. Instead, she finds herself drawn to two different guys…a smoldering hot fan of her secret, seductive online persona, and a sexy fireman named Jack who looks out for her in their NYC neighborhood.

She has no idea that I know her better than she knows herself. Her deepest secrets, her darkest desires – she’s careful, but I’ve been watching, never leaving footprints in the snow outside her home

Jack was the first responder to the accident that stole a beautiful young woman’s family two Christmases ago, and he’s been quietly guarding her ever since. When Jack uncovers Chloe’s secret account, his obsession only grows. Both he and Chloe are drawn to the darkness that mirrors their own.

She’s my Christmas wish come true. And I’m hers. She just doesn’t know it yet.

My Thoughts:

You want my honest thoughts on this one?

Meh.

I feel like the author glorified stalking, which not really something I’m particularly into. The background behind why Jack, the male lead, is stalking Chloe is a bit weak in my humble opinion. It felt like every chapter was him justifying his stalking and how he couldn’t stop, which felt repetitive.

Chloe, the leading lady, is a bit annoying. I don’t really understand her actions, considering her daily job has a morality clause, but then she moonlights as a cam girl on a BDSM site. Why put your income in jeopardy to statisfy your kink? She also wants to be part of the BDSM community and clearly find a Dom so she can be edgy and dangerous, but at the same time be the proper little lady.

It felt like the author just kind of Google searched BDSM, took generic and entry level involvement like spanking, and roleplay and attempted to make it erotic and dangerous. It’s tame at best, a few spanks and having Jack growl “You’re mine.” BORING.

The slow burn romance was blah, the sex scenes were mediocre at best and the conflict, well you could see that coming from a mile away, but also the resolution was predictable and unrealistic.

I honestly felt like this was subpar and lazily written. I have the second book, but I might just pass these two along and try to sell them off. Hopefully who ever receives them, likes them better then me because I don’t think I can read through the second one if I struggled to get through the first.

Really not sure why this one was so hyped up, but I know better then to listen to “book tok” or any of that other crap again.

This is a hard PASS in my humble opinion. Do not waste your time. Also the reason why I don’t read many romance or smut novels. They tend to be a disappointment for me.

Hope you enjoyed and keep an eye out for the next review which will be the novel Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy. This one I recently finished.

Ciao!

Posted in Horror

Scary Book of Christmas Lore: 50 Terrifying Yuletide Tales from Around the World

Posted on by Mama

Original post from my Mom blog here – https://mamaonthemove1.wordpress.com/2025/12/03/mini-book-review-scary-book-of-christmas-lore-50-terrifying-yuletide-tales-from-around-the-world/

Title: Scary Book of Christmas Lore: 50 Terrifying Yuletide Tales from Around the World


Author: Tim Rayborn


Genre: Horror, Christmas, Nonfiction, Folklore, Mythology


Number of Pages: 144


Book Summary:

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen…but do you recall the most petrifying Christmas figures of all? Not all children fear just a lump of coal in their stockings. Discover the terrifying Yuletide fables that have horrified kids for generations. He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness’ sake. This lighthearted song is a bit more ominous in the context of other Christmas traditions. From beasts that threaten to cook children into stew to sinister crones who snatch little ones from their beds, you won’t find any dancing sugar plums here. Outside of the heartwarming Christmas tales we all know and love, there are an abundance of frightening stories to chill all who hear them to the bone. Discover folklore from all corners of the world, These tales are sure to leave you wishing for the Grinch. Whether you are a fan of history and folklore, you love learning about different cultures, or you just want to give a holiday gift that will bring the joy of Christmas to that lucky someone (just kidding), The Scary Book of Christmas Lore is for you. ’Tis the season! Is it beginning look a lot like Christmas, yet?

My Thoughts:

I’m not going to lie, but this one caught my attention immediately when I was looking for some Christmas reads on Bookoutlet.ca. I can’t tell you how fascinated I am with the darker folklore surrounding Christmas or Yuletide for some. It’s mesmerizing and I think it intrigues a lot of people to know what folklore other countries believe. Honestly the most well known minion or companion (depends on how you look at it) of Santa’s is Krampus.

Come on, we’ve all heard of that one!

However, as intrigued as I was to read this book, I have to say that it had some interesting facts about terrifying traditions, holiday demons and so on. BUT I do have a few gripes about the book.

I found this book contained a lot of “may” or possibilities of unsure, which made me feel like it lacked research or just covering it’s bases in case the information was incorrect. Ultimately making me feel like I wasn’t learning some of the true history regarding the legend.

Another annoyance I found was the author’s attempt at humor or interjecting his own thoughts or opinions, sometimes even political ones. Which came off badly and made it seem that he just needed to add words to the page for length. I would have preferred a shorter chapter than the added “commentary”.

I did enjoy the book for what it was and learned about some interesting characters I’d never heard of before. Some were even quite terrifying, and I definitely have a few new favs – Perchta, Türst, Sträggele, Grýla, Winter wolves, Jólakötturinn – the Yule cat, just to name a few.

So if you do come across this little book, I strongly suggest you take it with a grain of salt, but definitely could have been written and put together a little bit better.

Hope you enjoyed and keep an eye out for the next mini review!

Ciao!

Posted in Horror, Novella/Short Story

Ghost Camera

Posted on by Mama

Original post from my Mom blog here – https://mamaonthemove1.wordpress.com/2025/11/26/book-review-ghost-camera/

Title: Ghost Camera


Author: Darcy Coates


Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Short Stories, Fiction


Number of Pages: 341


My Rating: 💋💋


Book Summary:

They’re Always Watching…

When Jenine finds an abandoned Polaroid camera, she playfully snaps a photo without a second thought. But there’s something wrong with the image: a ghostly figure stands in the background, watching her.

Fixated on her.

Moving one step closer with every picture she takes.

Desperate, Jenine shares her secret with her best friend, Bree. Together, they realize the camera captures unsettling impressions of the dead. But now the ghosts seem to be following the two friends. And with each new photo taken, a terrible danger grows ever clearer…

THE HORROR HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN.

Full of rich bonus material, Ghost Camera contains even more chilling tales from USA Today bestselling author Darcy Coates, including:

  • A woman survives a plane crash in a remote arctic tundra, accompanied only by a stranger who seems fixated on something moving through the blinding snow.
  • A house stands empty. Hungry. Waiting for the children drawn to it like moths to a flame.
  • A woman finds a shoebox filled with old VHS tapes. They have a note attached: “Don’t watch. You’ll regret it.”


My Thoughts:

I finished this novel near the end of October, so I’ve been putting off this review a bit.

I should have read the description more closely when I looked at this one on Bookoutlet.ca, because when I read it quickly, I expected the vast majority of this novel to be about two friends who now have to deal with a haunted camera or ghost camera. It sounded intriguing and I figured the bonus stories would be closer to the end of the book. Boy was I incorrect.

I will credit the author for being majorly creative and I did find some of the other stories to be far more intriguing and much better written than the novels title story. In my opinion, I found Payment for the Dead, Death Birds, Untamed Things, A Box of Tapes creepy, eerie and all around captivating. I wish these stories were longer to be quite honest or even their own novels. I would have loved to have dived in deeper and gotten more nitty gritty and detailed.

However, the title story Ghost Camera was….lackluster at best. It felt a bit rushed, especially at the end and the character development was okay. I will say the friendship between the two girls was very well written and something I feel felt like was a genuine friendship you would come across in the real world. However, the story felt a little boring to be honest. I feel like it could have been extremely unsettling if it had been longer than exactly 100 pages.

Now let’s discuss the short stories I did enjoy briefly, shall we?

Payment for the Dead was about a man who falls on hard times and takes a job as a grave digger with a man named Pieter. Working in the cover of night, digging up bodies for cash just to get by and to provide for his family, especially during Christmas. This job paid double and occurred without warning. He was later informed that he stood in a child’s grave and the parents paid the witch outside of town to have their son back….

Creepy right! I won’t spoil it entirely, but it was so good!

Death Birds was about a doctor who is working his shift at the hospital when he notices a these supernatural birds or ‘Death Birds’ as they are known. According to the story, they show up with death is about to occur and they feast on the dead bodies. There was an unusually large number, hundreds if I recall in this one location….the hospital. They called in extra staff (nurses, doctors, etc) because they were expecting a large flood of patients due to some catastrophic event, however what they didn’t expect was it to happen right there at the hospital…

DUN DUN DUUUUUUN…INCREDIBLY WRITTEN!

Untamed Things was part of the excerpt on the back of the novel and frankly they did a pretty good job at a short description. This is about a woman who survives a plane crash and discovers there is only one other survivor. The woman claims to have experience in the frigid mountains that they landed in and fixated on moving forward so they don’t get caught by the creature following them. Eventually a rescue team finds her in the nick of time, but her companion is no where to be seen…

OOO, honestly so creepy and had me at the edge of my couch reading it!

A Box of Tapes was another excerpt on the back of the novel and once again, well done for a quick short description. A woman moves into a new home, in a new town with her daughter. She finds a box of old VHS tapes and attached is a warning note not to watch them. Curiosity killed the cat and she begins to watch the videos, disturbing imagery and unnerving events are depicted. What’s worse is that things begin to happen in her home and around her daughter which makes her begin to question and investigate what really happened within the tapes….who is that creepy woman? What is happening to her? Is she really seeing the woman in the woods?

To say this was so unsettling is an understatement, it is literally everyone’s worst nightmare! Incredibly well written and should have been a novel all on it’s own.

Sadly though, those were the saving graces of this novel. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend reading this book personally and I had such high hopes for this one. However, I am not saying the author isn’t talented, like I said the few short stories I did enjoy in this were intriguing and you can tell she is a wonderful writer. So I have a few other novels on my TBR list by her that I will eventually get to. But sadly, for me, Ghost Camera kind of missed the mark.

Hope you enjoyed and keep an eye out for the next review which will be the novel Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy. This one I recently finished.

I’ll also be doing, what I am going to call, Mini Book reviews. It’s the first in the series and these will be books, magazines, etc that I finish quickly. So look out for Scary Book of Christmas Lore: 50 Terrifying Yuletide Tales from Around the World by Tim Rayborn.

Ciao!

Posted in Historic Fiction, Mystery

Silence for the Dead

Posted on by Mama

Original post from my Mom blog here – https://mamaonthemove1.wordpress.com/2025/10/14/book-review-silence-for-the-dead/

Title: Silence for the Dead


Author: Simone St. James


Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Horror, Paranormal, Fiction


Number of Pages: 363


My Rating: 💋💋💋💋💋


Book Summary:

In 1919, Kitty Weekes, pretty, resourceful, and on the run, falsifies her background to obtain a nursing position at Portis House, a remote, once magnificent estate turned hospital for soldiers left shell-shocked by the horrors of the Great War. Hiding the shame of their mental instability, the patients suffer from nervous attacks and tormenting dreams. But something more is going on at Portis House – its plaster is crumbling, its plumbing makes eerie noises, and strange breaths of cold air waft through the empty rooms. And why do the patients share the same nightmare, one so horrific that they dare not speak of it?

Kitty finds a dangerous ally in Jack Yates, an inmate who might be a war hero, a madman…or maybe both. But even as Kitty and Jack create a secret, intimate alliance to uncover the truth, disturbing revelations suggest the presence of powerful spectral forces. And when a medical catastrophe leaves them even more isolated, they must battle the menace on their own, caught in the heart of a mystery that could destroy them both.


My Thoughts:

I’m a sucker for books based on early medical practices, hospitals and mental asylums so this one immediately caught my eye on bookoutlet.ca. I was worried it was going to be an extremely slow burn, but the pace was steady. Though if you aren’t into a little romance mixed into your haunting, I’d skip this one. It may not be for you.

An old, decaying mansion converted into a medical facility, known as Portis House, for soldiers suffering from shell-shock and other mental maladies from the war. The perfect atmosphere to set a spooky ghost story. However, this story is filled with not only a mystery and haunting, but a story of self-discovery, friendship and a little bit of romance.

You quickly learn that Kitty is running from her past, falsifying her resume as a nurse to acquire a job at Portis House. However, the head nurse and her boss, quickly calls her out on her deception but keeps her due to the sheer fact the facility is understaffed and desperate for nurses. She basically has to learn hands on and quickly.

Kitty discovers immediately that this isn’t the easiest line of work and she is tested both physically and mentally on a daily basis. But her will is strong and her personality stubborn, she does gain some allies in other staff members and even some of the patients. Her main ally being Jack Yates, or patient 16, his identity being kept secret from the other patients until Kitty decides she just needs to know. Discovering the war hero and becoming enamored with one another as they begin to unfold the evil that is plaguing the patients and the mystery of Portis House.

The growth of the characters, especially Kitty, was nicely done and the stead unraveling of the mystery that surrounds Portis House was intriguing. I loved the subtle twists and turns, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place nicely. And I personally liked that Kitty and Jack got a bit of a happy ending.

All in all I give this book five Baci due to the historical setting, the gothic mystery and who doesn’t like a ghost story set in an old, decaying mansion turned medical facility. Wonderful story-line and cast of characters, would definitely recommend and one I’ll be keeping on my shelf. I’ll definitely be reading more from author Simone St. James!

I’m currently reading Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates.

Hope you enjoyed and keep an eye out for the next review!

Ciao!