Review: The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry
2 December 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, Christina Henry, Horror, Review, reviews, The Place Where They Buried Your Heart
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Haunted House, Character-led Horror
I loved The Place Where They Buried Your Heart and in fact would say it’s my favourite by the author. Henry manages to really capture the essence of the spooky, abandoned house where something terrible happens. The story put me in mind of old school King, the writing was excellent and I really liked the characters. The whole story is absolutely gripping. The House is terrifying and the author manages to deliver a coming of age story with depth and emotional impact.
The story is told by Jesse, who years ago ‘dared’ her younger brother Paul to go inside the creepy house on the street. Of course, Paul doesn’t want to go, especially alone, but he also doesn’t want to back down so he talks his two friends into going with him. The result, is that one of the friends is very badly injured, the other is traumatised and Paul – well, he’s never seen again.
As you might imagine, Jesse lives with massive guilt, made much worse by the further tragedies that eventually play out that I won’t go into here. She remains defiantly on the street, although other neighbours come and go, always in the hope that one day her brother will return.
Now, there’s much more to the story than the very brief outline sketched above but I prefer to focus on what really worked for me.
Well, the story really is gripping. It hooked me within a few pages and quite literally didn’t let up. The writing is so easy to get along with and the story just had me on the edge of my seat. I could barely put this book down in order to carry out basic day to day necessities.
I don’t read a lot of horror and tend to be a bit picky as some really don’t work well for me – but this simply fit the bill. It’s massively creepy, the way Henry writes about the house gives you a real feeling of fear to the extent that I didn’t want the characters to step inside because I was scared for them. And, of course, there’s no shortage of horror in the backstory. And yet this is all balanced by the whole emotional feel that the author delivers. I loved all the family related issues and the found family that Jesse eventually finds herself surrounded by. Not to mention that Jesse eventually becomes a mom herself and struggles with wanting to upsticks and run as far as she can with her new son and wanting to do the write thing, protect the neighbourhood, help her friends and keep others from falling into harm’s way.
As I mentioned, I enjoyed the characters, and in this story the House is a character itself. It’s a place of evil. The door will stand open, enticing people within, usually people who have already become obsessed with the place, and very few come back out. Attempts were made over the years to burn the place down, or to demolish it, and yet the house still stands, impervious to such weak attempts. And now, it’s power seems to be growing, putting out feelers in the neighbourhood and seeking new victims. Jesse and a few of her stalwart neighbours do their best to guard the property and keep people away, but their attempts don’t always work.
There’s so much to enjoy in this book. I really, thoroughly enjoyed it. I think the only very small issue I had was the ending felt a little rushed. That being said, and because I like to argue with myself, I also don’t think I would have liked a longer ending – go figure.
In conclusion – highly recommended.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 of 5 creepy stars
Review: The Austen Christmas Murders by Jessica Bull
25 November 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Jessica Bull, Review, The Austen Christmas Murders
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Another Enjoyable Instalment in Series
I’m enjoying Jessica Bull’s Miss Austen Investigates series and so couldn’t resist this novella with it’s seasonal title.
This is only a short instalment but I found it an easy and enjoyable read and a good addition to the series.
In this latest story the Austen Christmas is disrupted when human remains are uncovered in the cellar of Deane Rectory where Jane’s brother James is rector. James, his wife and their new baby move out until the body can be removed and take up residence in the Austen household causing pandemonium. Meanwhile, Jane, who was expecting nothing if not a dull Christmas, particularly in her sister’s absence, has now set her sights on discovering the true identity of this body – particularly as the local magistrate has immediately written the whole case off already. Jane has her sights on a local woman who went missing some years ago, on the day of her wedding.
So, not to elaborate on the story too much because this is a bitesize story that can be read in one or two sittings with ease.
What I really enjoyed about this particular story were the family elements. Of course, the central story is the mystery of the dead body, discovering the identity and if foul play was involved, and also we have Jane running around, determined, even with the firm instructions of her father to the contrary, to discover the identity and uncover the truth. And, to be fair, the mystery is actually quite intriguing, but what I particularly enjoyed were all the letters back and forth between Jane and her siblings, the chaotic family household and all the little Christmas references.
This was a very easy read, the writing set the scene really well and in fact the author has caught the tone well without reverting to over fussiness.
Overall I had a good time with this and am enjoying this series.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 3.5 of 5 stars
Review: The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow
20 November 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Alix E Harrow, Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Review, Romance, romantasy, The Everlasting
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Another Contender for Best Book
Honestly, I’ve been reading some fantastic books just recently. I mean books that are just so good they’re not only going to stay with me probably forever but I’m undoubtedly going to be ‘pushing’ them and recommending them at every and any opportunity. The Everlasting is definitely one such book.
I went into this a little wary. The reviews were glowing and so I started to avoid the book chatter in order to keep my expectations from going through the roof, and as I started the read I would describe my initial reaction almost as a little doubtful. I think before I picked this up, although I’d heard the general hullabaloo, I had little idea what the story was about and I hadn’t quite expected it to take the turn it does in the first few chapters. Now, take all this with a very large pinch of salt because as soon as the story took this ‘turn’ I fell head over heels in love with it in, literally, a New York minute. In fact it’s ridiculous how much of a big pushover I really was given my initial thoughts that this wouldn’t be for me. I hadn’t expected this whole time loop, nor the Arthurian legend (with a twist) to poke it’s head above the parapet and then the love interest – the nerdy scholar who has read all about her exploits and is perhaps her biggest fan!. It all works so perfectly.
I’m not even going to tell you about the plot because going into this story with no knowledge was a winner for me – so maybe it will be for you too.
So,
Are you enjoying your romantasy at the moment? If so, this is about to knock your socks off. This is the romantasy I didn’t know I needed in my life. I don’t like romance and I really dislike it if the fantasy elements are tacked on rather than grounded. That isn’t the case with this book. This is a love story that puts a stupid smile on your face when you’re reading, it makes you want to turn the pages faster, it makes you want to skip the pages (don’t) so you can find out what’s going to happen, it makes you want to cry but more than that it delivers all the feelings.
Then we have this whole ‘Arthurian legend’ element. The central couple work so well together. The strong knight and the geeky, book loving scholar turned on its head by the fearsome, undefeated knight, being the female whilst the male brings his strength to the table in the form of ‘knowledge’.
Thirdly, the scope of the story is quite breathtaking. This is a couple who know how to wait for each other. They’ve been through so much together but actually trying to simply hold onto it, to retain their own little bit of happiness, is so difficult. They’ve made themselves rules, they’ve broken the rules, they’ve loved, laughed, fought and died for each other but they keep trying and waiting underneath the old yew tree and believing that maybe the next iteration will succeed.
It helps of course that I liked all the characters. Even the antagonist is the perfect fit for the story. I’m not going to say too much about her because, again, I don’t want to ruin the discovery, but she has motivations that you can actually understand, even if you don’t sympathise with her, she’s trying to find her way and to succeed in an environment where she would most probably be cast out with ridiculous ease if not for all her own dastardly interventions.
The writing is, much as I expected from this author, quite beautiful and utterly beguiling to read. This element of the story I can truthfully promise was not a surprise to me. I’ve read Harrow before and love her storytelling. Okay, well, maybe she surprised me a little by not only delivering a first class romantasy to a sceptic but also managing to deliver a story that can at times be so beautiful and yet so dark and brutal.
In conclusion, come for the great writing and stay for one of the most deliciously unexpected romantasies that you’re likely to read. This is a story about the power of stories, a story with many stories creating the whole and a story that truly shows the power that stories can wield. Dare I say – the pen is mightier than the sword!? Maybe not if the sword is wielded by Sir Una Everlasting. Read it and weep people.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 of 5 of the most dazzling stars
Review: King Sorrow by Joe Hill
13 November 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Joe Hill, King Sorrow, Review, reviews
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Where Do I Even Begin?
This book! It definitely has the wow factor. I’m not gonna lie – when I saw the page count was just shy of 900 pages I had a little moment – but, having been granted a wish and receiving a review copy I also confess I was dancing a little happy dance. I’m only sorry that this review is later than planned due to personal reasons that I won’t bore everyone with.
First things first, this book didn’t feel like I’d read 900 pages! I’m absolutely serious. I’m not going to say I breezed through this in a couple of nights because that would just be silly (for me at least) but I was enjoying myself so much that I practically inhaled the first 30% of the story (which is a book in itself if we’re going to be honest).
Secondly, how to even begin to review this. I don’t really want to talk too much about the story so this will probably be more a short recap and then a good amount of gushing about what I really liked.
In a nutshell, King Sorrow (and I do love the title) brings to us a bunch of characters, friends (although they don’t always act like it) that strike a kind-of ‘Faustian” bargain – but with a dragon instead of the devil. And, to be fair, deals with devils, dragons and the fae – well, they’re never quite what they first appear. This is a sneaky dragon and these ‘young uns’ really didn’t look into the finer detail of what they were actually getting into. Long story short, this wasn’t a one time deal, it’s for life, and if our little group of friends don’t get their acts together they’ll be next up on the menu.
What worked really well for me? Well, everything to be fair.
The writing is perfection. It’s been a while since Joe Hill’s last book but this was, without doubt, worth the wait. A mystery, a fantasy, a horror and a story told by a group of friends who fall into a terrible pact that changes their lives beyond their wildest dreams (or nightmares), and definitely not in a good way. It has that wonderful feeling of familiarity somehow, like there’s elements of other much loved books (just enough to make you recall them but not enough to feel the same) A Secret History, for example, when the friends are a group of privileged students attending an elite college together (all except for one of their number that is), there are hints of Tolkien (terrible dragon! quest), and elements of old folklore – Arthurian legend (two of the characters are named Arthur and Gwen) but with a feminist twist and all sorts of wonderful little references to other books that I really enjoyed – of course, it’s possible that I just imagined those (or give things extra meaning than was intended) but I enjoyed myself regardless! The author has impeccable timing. I didn’t want to read a novel that turns into a yearly hit list, as creative as that might become, and so to keep up the momentum we move on to other dreadful encounters such as abduction and then deeper still into the land of fantasy with trolls and a seemingly impossible quest. Come on, everyone loves a quest! This is a story that is constantly evolving, rolling forward and taking you in directions that you really didn’t expect or see coming.
The characters are really good, their development so well crafted. I mean, would they be friends in the later stages if not for this terrible deal they struck? Probably not. As it is, they’re stuck with each other and, without doubt, the dreadful pact they made and it’s implications definitely shaped them in ways that would probably not have otherwise occured. There’s lost love, lust, manipulation, death, sorrow and definitely some backstabbing. I’m not even sure who the main character is. I felt like it started off as Arthur, perhaps it was Gwen? But, the others also have their share of the limelight as the story moves forward into the most unexpected territory. Hill manages to tie in many world events in a really creative way, even making this small group come to the notice of people that would be incredibly dangerous, if not for the fact that they have their very own secret weapon.
Then we have the dragon. An entity that can cross into our world. Despicable, cruel, can’t be bargained with, absolutely will not stop (much like the Terminator) until the mission is accomplished, and loves a good riddle. I loved the way that this dragon is bigger than an aeroplane and yet small enough to fit under your bed or into a cupboard. He can tap you on the shoulder with one claw that seems to come from the dark shadows in the corner of the room and loves nothing more than to cause confusion and discord between these friends – it’s like an ode to the imagination, anything is possible here. (I admit that I had the voice of Smaug running through my head at times!)
I’m not sure that I can really do this book justice. It’s definitely one of the best stories I’ve read for a long while. I was totally blown away and frankly I’d love to read it again because I think it would be even more satisfying the second time around. Perhaps I’ll pick up the audio copy and see how that compares.
Anyway, in conclusion, I have no hesitation in recommending this. Yes, it is a weighty tome indeed but it’s worth every minute of your time. Savour it and be happy.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 of 5 scorching, dragon breath stars
Review: No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead
10 October 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, fiction, Heather Mottershead, No Women Were Harmed, Review
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Well, No Women Were Harmed
I mean, as titles go this certainly grabs the attention – and that cover, I just love it, and I know that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover and you shouldn’t be so fickle (beauty being skin – or cover – deep) but I really must say I do love a good cover. Anyway, this book was really good. I was hooked from the very start and even now writing this review (which is very overdue because of circumstances that I won’t bore you all with) I could literally read this again just to try and pick up on all the things I may have missed the first time round in my haste to reach the conclusion.
This is really my kind of story. I like the style of narration. The Victorian period really lends itself to anything gothic and make the setting an asylum and you really have my attention. We have dual timelines that flit back and forth and the most unreliable narrator ever – although she doesn’t flinch away from telling quite a few shocking truths.
Lily is our MC. Named for the funeral flower Lily has a very engaging way of telling a story. We visit her in the asylum that she has been incarcerated in (following a hysteric murder) and as she relates her story to a visiting psychiatrist who wants to use Lily as a focus for her studies, it becomes clear that Lily is simply weaving a pretty narrative in the hopes of release.
I loved the writing and can’t believe that this is a debut. I will definitely be watching out for what this author comes up with next. The settings are so well described – no purple prose here – just the right amount of detail to drop you into a scene and bring it to life. Every element of the story shines from the page and it’s absolutely absorbing to read. From farm setting to dance hall to asylum, it’s all equally gripping.
I do love a historic setting and the Victorian era is a firm favourite. We start off with a glimpse of Lily’s upbringing on a farm, life was harsh but being a quick study and believing herself to be her father’s favourite Lily thinks her prospects will be different, she can help with the business. Imagine her disappointment then when she overhears her father discussing his plans to marry her off as soon as can be. This little nugget is followed by many other reveals in which male acquaintances disappoint or fail to meet Lily’s expectations. Set in the ‘grim’ north the story gives you a good idea of a woman’s lot in life – and it wasn’t all a bed of roses for sure.
Now, on top of this, during the conversations with Lily’s psychiatrist, we start to uncover a few truths as Lily relates her story and then, on occasions shares with readers a slightly different version. I loved this. I mean, I’m not saying that Lily is an upstanding character but it’s easy to see her expectations and motivations even if you don’t always agree with her actions.
Overall, this read is more compelling and entertaining than I expected, completely outdoing any notions I had going into the read. I was gripped and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Books and travelling with Lynn 