The Perfect Child, by Author Lucinda Berry: A Well Read Woman Book Review

“For eager adoptive parents, getting what they always wanted has chilling consequences.”

@aprillwoodauthor

Synopsis:

A Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller.

A page-turning debut of suspense about a young couple desperate to have a child of their own―and the unsettling consequences of getting what they always wanted.

Christopher and Hannah are a happily married surgeon and nurse with picture-perfect lives. All that’s missing is a child. When Janie, an abandoned six-year-old, turns up at their hospital, Christopher forms an instant connection with her, and he convinces Hannah they should take her home as their own.

But Janie is no ordinary child, and her damaged psyche proves to be more than her new parents were expecting. Janie is fiercely devoted to Christopher, but she acts out in increasingly disturbing ways, directing all her rage at Hannah. Unable to bond with Janie, Hannah is drowning under the pressure, and Christopher refuses to see Janie’s true nature.

Hannah knows that Janie is manipulating Christopher and isolating him from her, despite Hannah’s attempts to bring them all together. But as Janie’s behavior threatens to tear Christopher and Hannah apart, the truth behind Janie’s past may be enough to push them all over the edge.

Goodreads: Add to your TBR

📸 @aprillwoodauthor Hannah Bauer Book 2, the Sequel to The Perfect Child 🎈

Genre:

• Psychological Thriller
• Thriller
• Suspense
• Mystery
• Horror

Tropes & Themes:

• Foster-to-Adopt
• Buyer’s Remorse
• Orthopedic Surgeon & ER Nurse 💕
• Adoption Paradox
• Adoption Hero
• Expectation versus Reality
• Department of Child Disservices
• Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse/Neglect; Animal Abuse

“No one would ever see Janie through my eyes.”

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Perfect Child, a psychological thriller by Author and Trauma Psychologist, Dr. Lucinda Berry, is a novel about Ortho-Surgeon, Dr. Christopher Bauer, and his wife Hannah, an ER Nurse, who seemingly have it all, but are desperate for the one thing they want most: a baby.

Just as the Bauers are considering adoption after several failed IVF rounds, a young girl with substantial injuries and a dog collar on her neck is rushed by ambulance with a police escort into the emergency department, after the little girl was found wandering in a parking lot.

“… it’s a lost kid or something, and she’s in really bad shape. Ambulance is bringing her in with a police escort.”

The timing of the young girl, (Janie’s), arrival at the hospital where the Bauers worked, while they were nearly desperate for a baby, were the makings of a perfect storm (and the perfect psychological thriller!) While Hannah avoids Janie at first to protect her own heart, (injured kids are the most difficult cases, especially for a woman who’s only wish is to raise a child) Christopher and Janie instantly connect and share a special bond, made stronger after he performs Janie’s orthopedic surgery.

Christopher, believing it’s fate that Janie be placed with them, enthusiastically convinces Hannah that Janie, a traumatized six year old, could be their “baby”.

I felt like Christopher, while likeable, had a bit of a hero complex. His refusal to see the truth was not just because he believed that girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, it was also because it threatened the facade that Janie was a regular young girl and he “fixed” her, in my opinion. He did a lot alongside Hannah to get Janie help, like therapy, but it was more “parenting class” (with a Dr. who diagnosed Janie with reactive-attachment-disorder and wouldn’t budge) than it was “psychotherapy session”. Both Hannah and Christopher made choices that frustrated me, in their attempts to control and alter Janie’s behavior: THE CAT, REALLY? I gritted my teeth and just waited for the worst.

Hannah was more of a realist when it came to Janie but unfortunately her husband, Christopher thought Janie could do no wrong.

Unaware of Janie’s disturbing past, they foster-to-adopt her and are assigned to DCF caseworker, Piper, who oversteps the boundaries far more than she knows she should. Janie never discusses her mother (who was found deceased in a trailer park) leaving me wondering what on earth happened to Janie and why doesn’t she mention anything from her past? The dog collar, fused and broken bones — all a mystery. The suspense and final reveal is an absolute shocker. I loved the ominous ending.

There are three alternating POVs: Christopher’s, Hannah’s, and Piper’s. I loved having the perspective of the DCF social worker too. I appreciate multiple POVs, especially with a complex story like The Perfect Child.

Hannah was my favorite character, partly because she saw through Janie’s manipulative tactics, and there were quite a few. I felt terrible for Hannah as I saw her slowly losing herself, her dream became a nightmare. A surprise pregnancy further overwhelms her and Janie’s regression, aggression, and violence reach new levels, while Christopher is off in fairytale land, his head in the clouds. Hannah, the primary caregiver, is at her wit’s end.

The Perfect Child is a page-turner. I absolutely loved this dark read. I’ve watched documentaries on feral children and severely abused and neglected children and find the psychology and stories like this that are built from real cases morbidly fascinating as well as horrific and shocking. Janie reminded me of a young German girl who was labeled as a sociopath at an extremely young age. She was downright frightening, much like little Janie, and said terrifying things in the sweetest voice while she batted her big beautiful blue eyes.

“She’s just a girl. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

About the Author

Dr. Lucinda Berry is a former clinical psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma. Now, she spends her days writing full-time where she uses her clinical experience to blur the line between fiction and nonfiction. She enjoys taking her readers on a journey through the dark recesses of the human psyche. Her work has been optioned for film and translated into multiple languages.If Berry isn’t chasing after her son, you can find her running through Los Angeles, prepping for her next marathon. To hear about her upcoming release The Secrets of Us, visit her on Facebook or sign up for her newsletter at https://www.lucindaberry.com/

Trouble, We Could Be Heroes Collection, by Janelle Brown: A Well Read Woman Blog Book Review

The girl was troubled. Or maybe she was in trouble. Probably both. Polly wasn’t quite sure.”

Trouble (We Could Be Heroes)

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Synopsis:

What does it take to be a good mother? A good neighbor? Straight answers are hard to find in this keenly observed short story by New York Times bestselling author Janelle Brown.

Polly’s fourth-grade daughter has been spending a lot of time with her classmate Sylvie—maybe too much. Sylvie’s clothes are a little…flashy…and her phone (a ten-year-old with a phone!) doesn’t seem to have any parental controls. It seems that Sylvie’s mother, with her vape pens and her too-high heels, may not be making good choices.

As Polly tries to exert a positive influence, she discovers just how little anyone can tell about a family from the outside.

Janelle Brown’s Trouble is part of We Could Be Heroes, a darkly inquisitive collection of short stories that examines heroic intentions versus their real-life consequences.

Genre:

• Psychological Thriller
• Suspense
• Mystery
• Contemporary Fiction
• Thriller

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Tropes & Themes:

• Children in Peril
• Social Justice Warrior
• Socioeconomic Status
• Do-Gooder
• Absurdly Youthful Single Mom
• Almighty Mom Wannabe
• My Beloved Smother
• Hidden Agenda
• So Proud of You 👏

Rating:

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Suburban soccer mom, Polly, is concerned, because her ten year old daughter, Hannah, has made a new friend in Sylvie, a girl from the “other side of tracks” who she fears might exert a negative influence on her innocent daughter. Worse, is Hannah’s mom, blonder-than blonde bombshell Katrina, new to the community and not showing interest or involving herself in the children’s activities like the other suburban moms.

“Katrina was aggressively blonde, violet nails filed to violent points, a stubborn tightness to her jaw despite the fleshy invitation of her body. Katrina didn’t show up for back- to- school meetings, didn’t sign up for soccer, didn’t attend the spring carnival or the open house or any of the Wisdom Warriors speaker series events. She materialized only at drop- off and pickup, always at a distance from the other parents who lurked by the school entrance, her cheek glued to her cell phone and her mink lashes tilted toward the sky.”

I mean… can you blame her? Would you want to hang out with an established clique of women who call themselves the “Wisdom Warriors”, a social justice warrior wannabe group? It’s giving, “you can’t sit with us” vibes.

I’d keep my distance too.

“Sometimes, late at night, Polly would sneak into her daughter’s bedroom to watch her sleep, Hannah’s face a perfect mask of innocence, and feel a love so overwhelming that it made her queasy. How much there was to lose. How easily life could go sideways.”

Polly ultimately allows Hannah and Sylvie to have play-dates at her house and tries to befriend Katrina, but her attempts are unsuccessful. One day they have a semi-breakthrough, which only concerns Polly further, regarding Sylvie. She brings her opinions to the “hivemind” and they make a plan. Except, it’s the holidays — the ladies are far too busy, especially Polly vacationing in Hawaii with her husband and their children– so the serious matters concerning Sylvie will just have to wait… After all, at least they made a plan — they think and pat themselves on the back.

“Maybe Sylvie could benefit from Polly’s children’s good fortune. Polly had so much; it was only right to give some of it away.”

Cringe! Oh, Polly… money doesn’t make one “fortunate.” Your socioeconomic class doesn’t determine your worthiness and your daughter doesn’t need to bestow her “fortune” onto “poor,” “needy,” “lower-income,” and “lower-class” Sylvie.

The FMC, while happy with the life she has as a stay-at-home mom, feels unfulfilled, wishing she had a career like her husband, but is unable to communicate that to him because she doesn’t want to appear ungrateful for what he’s provided which she is very grateful for. Unfortunately, I think this led her down the social justice warrior, or Wisdom Warrior path, because it gave her a purpose — something to obsess over and take her mind off the mundane daily drudgery of wiping little noses and making healthy meals.

“…having little of her own life to convey to Eric because really, what was there to tell, except for what had happened to the kids in school?— and she couldn’t help resenting him for having a life, for being out there in the world while she was stuck here in the house, wishing she had something that showed her worth beyond simply raising two healthy, adjusted fucking children.“

I struggled connecting with Polly, the FMC, because she was so uppity, judgemental, and assumed the absolute worst about people based on very little, her suspicions amplified by the Wisdom Warriors who supported and encouraged her upcoming actions. I did feel for her when she struggled getting Katrina to warm up to the idea of a friendship between them and she felt outright rejected. But overall, she wasn’t a likable character to me. Katrina, with the “aggressively blonde hair” – Whatever that means, I did like, though!

““You fancy moms, you think you know everything, with all your smug pity. Believe me, you know nothing.”“

The twist was excellent, the story kept me guessing, and the truth was completely unexpected. The last lines of the book made me laugh out loud in a good way. Clearly my dislike for the FMC didn’t affect my rating. The story just wouldn’t have been the same without her cringe-worthy inner dialogue and embarrassing attempts to befriend Katrina!

I’d recommend this read to fans of thrillers and mystery, with children in peril themes.

Add to your Goodreads TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75300569-trouble

About the Author:

http://www.janellebrown.com

Snowflakes, Hush Collection 1, by Ruth Ware: A Well Read Woman Blog Book Review

When Father began to build the wall, we didn’t understand at first. We thought it was to keep something in—It couldn’t be to keep anything out. There wasn’t anyone on the island but us. But as the wall grew higher and higher, we began to wonder.”

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Synopsis:

When a barrier between truth and illusion grows stronger, a family’s trust crumbles in this arresting short story by the number one New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in Cabin 10.

Leah has spent her formative years isolated on a remote island with her family. But their quiet existence, far from the devastated mainland, is cracking. Father, sensing a coming threat, demands that a wall be built. As the stone blockade rises, Father’s paranoia escalates. So does Leah’s dread that the violence the family left behind has found its way to their sanctuary.

Ruth Ware’s Snowflakes is part of Hush, a collection of six stories, ranging from political mysteries to psychological thrillers, in which deception can be a matter of life and death.

Genre:

• Psychological Thriller
• Mystery
• Suspense

Tropes & Themes:

• “Live by the sword; die by the sword”
• Isolated Island
• Archnemesis Father

Rating:

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

“They’re coming” was all he said.”

Young Leah escaped her homeland with her brothers, Cain and Jacob, younger sister, May, Woof the dog and their father — in absolute fear for her life and the safety of her family. When they arrive at a desolated Island, she feels safe being so far away from the dangers of the mainland. But as time passes and her father’s demeanor darkens, he pushes his children harder to focus on building a rock wall instead of harvesting crops and milking cows. The danger they fled from arrives to the Island, and like good little soldiers, the children are prepared alongside their father.

I enjoyed this read, albeit it’s predictability and somewhat inconsistent storyline, Spoiler Alert ⚠ (where Leah remembers witnessing a traumatic event involving her mother versus the truth which was that the children were so confused and scared that they didn’t realize until after escape that their mother wasn’t present, which was told in the beginning.) End of Spoiler Alert ⚠

However, some of the predictability can be explained through the POV of Leah, a young child who believes her father is her world, and therefore the “point-of-view lens” was clouded not only by her allegiance to her father but also her immaturity.

I suspected the ending from the start, as there were MANY obvious clues, but perhaps that was the point. Overall, there’s a lot of suspense with the not-knowing-for-sure and the dysfunctional family dynamics and unpredictability of “Father”. In the end, there is a happily-for-now, which was a nice way to conclude this installment of the Hush Collection.

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54381795-snowflakes

About the Author:

Best of Luck 🍀💀Creature Feature Collection, by Author Jason Mott: Book Review ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

… it’s about time to put a stop to all of this. It’s about time that I got my luck back. And if I can’t get mine back, I’m not gonna let you just walk off with it.”

Did you ever hear the one about the man with a string of bad luck? The worst is still to come in a chilling short story of an insatiable friendship by the New York Times bestselling author of Hell of a Book.

🍀 💀 🍀 💀

Best of Luck

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Book Review by April the Word Witch 💭

• Title: Best of Luck
• Anthology: Creature Feature Collection
• Author: Jason Mott
• Published: 2023, Amazon Original Stories

Genre:

• Horror-short
• Thriller-short
• Horror Anthology > Monster

Tropes & Themes:

• Monsters
• Wheel of Fortune > probability trope
• Doom Magnet
• Karma
• Body Horror
• “The Dreaded” > opponent

Blurb:

For best friends with vastly different fortunes, what’s left to hash out other than a forced confession at gunpoint? All that the destitute, sickly, and grieving Will demands is that monstrously successful Barry admit to draining all the luck right out of him. Like blood. As the standoff escalates, the truth is not the only thing ready to come out.

Jason Mott’s ‘Best of Luck’ is part of Creature Feature, a collection of devilishly creepy stories that tingle the spine and twist the mind. They can be read or listened to in one petrifying sitting.

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

And for the first time since Barry woke up and found his best friend holding a shotgun on him, for the first time since his best friend told him he had come to kill him, Barry Whitmore laughed. He and Will both did.”

Best of Luck

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Jason Mott’s Best of Luck is a gruesomely awesome horror-short installment of the Creature Feature Collection by Amazon Original Stories. This read originally caught my eye because of the striking cover of clovers, skulls, and that hot pink lettering! Be still my heart! 💕🍀💀

Fortunately 🍀 this read is more than just a good looking cover. Best of Luck is a suspenseful tale about two best friends and the monstrously different paths their lives have taken Barry has lived a fortunate life; blessed with a great job, wife, kids, and health. And Will, a seemingly-paranoid and very ill man, who has lost it all.

… finally able to breathe a little now that he wasn’t looking into the hollow eyes of the double- barrel. He rubbed the tension from his brow and cleared his throat, but the gun, and the fear that came with it, didn’t go away.”

Best of Luck

Unfortunately 🍀 for Barry, his best friend Will, has barged into his house – the same home where his wife and children are sleeping upstairs. Barry has been there to support Will through it all — when his child died he held his friend while he wept and when his wife left him, again he was there to support his long-time best friend– so why was Will pointing a deadly weapon at him?

This is just nature at work.”

Best of Luck

This confusion is felt equally between the reader and MMC. The suspense is palpable, making this a (Kindle) page turner, or flipper – whichever. The ending and big reveal wasn’t one I saw coming nor expected, and I just have so many questions, (without revealing spoilers), about the motivation of one of the character’s.

But even before the sight of it, there was the smell. Earthy and hideous. Venom and rot. The stench had seeped into Will’s skin and hair, perhaps even his soul. It knocked Barry on his heels.”

Best of Luck

This would have been a five star read for me if a deeper, thoughtful delving into the motivation of one of the character’s, as mentioned above, had taken place, and certain things like:

💭 How is it that a madman in your living room hootin’ and hollering isn’t waking up your wife and kids? Or was that just yet another example of Barry’s fortuitous life? I was expecting one of the kids to come down or at least get nosy and crouch in the shadows on a dark staircase, or something. And I know it’s a big house but it isn’t exactly the uncharted acres of Forest Park. Someone would have heard something and could have called emergency services.

💭 Someone does eventually come downstairs and I didn’t understand why she wasn’t shielded or protected. Was she next? I couldn’t help but wonder, especially when everything I thought I knew turned completely upside-down!

Overall, a gruesome — in the best way possible — horror-short by Author Jason Mott, I enjoyed reading over the weekend and would recommend to other fans of atmospheric horror. I look forward to checking out other works by this author after this introduction to Mott’s writing style. I love reading novellas and short stories / anthologies because they help me discover new-to-me authors!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195945937-best-of-luck

Murder at the Royal Ruby, Obsession Collection Book 1, by Nita Prose: Book Review

“Shadows, magic, and mystery.” 🎭 🎥

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

I wanted her dead. And I know I’m not the only one. But now that leading lady Vanessa Hargreaves, celebrity starlet, lies spent and lifeless on the stage of the glorious Royal Ruby Theatre, I have to ask myself: How did it come to this?”

— Murder at the Royal Ruby 🎥 📼

Blurb:

The curtain rises, and the chandelier falls—taking the star of the show down with it. An ambitious young usher working at the theater sets out to find who killed the leading lady in a crackling short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Nita Prose.

Grace is an usher at the stately (and possibly haunted) Royal Ruby Theater. She’s also an aspiring actress ready for her big break. Vanessa is the glamorous yet spiteful star who’s made more enemies than friends on her rise to the top. When Vanessa winds up dead in act one, Grace is determined to find the killer. But is she seeking justice, or something darker?

Murder at the Royal Ruby is part of Obsession, a collection of compulsively readable short stories about people pushed to their extremes. So addictive you won’t be able to put them down—read or listen to each story in a single sitting.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174670253-murder-at-the-royal-ruby

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Genre:

• Thriller-short
• Suspense Mystery
• Thriller
• Short Stories / Novellas

Tropes & Themes:

• Fatal Method Acting
• First Act Death
• Tragedy
• Driven by Envy > Green Eyed Monster
• Haunted Theatre 🎭
• Distinguishing Mark > Facial Markings
• Red Herrings Galore > Whodunit

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Review:

Murder at the Royal Ruby, a thriller-short by Nita Prose, (and part of the Obsession Collection), is a story about a theatre usher named Grace, envious of every starlet who, well, “graces” the stage of the Royal Ruby.

There are rumors that the theatre is haunted, offering a lot of promise that there would be some supernatural elements, but unfortunately, it’s just one of many red herrings to follow, after the first act death scene.

I really liked the first act and found it reminiscent of 1980’s Italian horror movies – like Dario Argento’s incredible work. It was a shocking and almost an unsettling opener, but in the best way possible.

I only wish the story continued in this direction, but instead, we rewind backwards to Grace and her obsessive mission to obtain signatures, including from Starlet Vanessa, hoping she might lend her endorsement for The Academy, which Grace dreams of attending so that she too, could become an actress.

But here’s the thing: I need her signature. And I swear, I’ll do just about anything to get it. If I had to kill for it, I wouldn’t think twice.”

— Murder at the Royal Ruby

The ending was a head-scratcher and I was left just plain confused, wondering what exactly Grace had up her sleeve. It was a bit open-ended, reminding me of another book from this collection of thriller shorts. Personally, I don’t like this kind of ambiguous storytelling, where the fate or future of the character(s) is unclear, leaving the reader to speculate. I don’t want to speculate; I want a resolution! Is that so much to ask? 😂

Also, as a side note: It was Medusa who was cursed to turn people into stone and not Aphrodite, (which is mentioned in the book). Aphrodite is the beautiful Goddess with long golden hair, who arrived by sea 🌊 on a clam shell. She is the Goddess of beauty, love, and fertility. She was also manipulative, cursed men to be wild boars and birds, and once cursed a woman to fall in love with her father. No woman ever dared to compare themselves to her, fearful of her wrath. She may have turned someone to stone, but this wasn’t what she’s known for.

Overall, I really thought I was going to LOVE this read but it was just okay. I’d bet if this was a longer story that delved deeper into the protagonist’s life, the ghost of the Royal Ruby, and an ending with no loose strings, it’d be a 5 star read.

I’ve enjoyed the Obsession Collection, published by Amazon Original Stories, (borrowed from Prime Library), and I would recommend it to fans of thriller novellas/short stories. Of course I liked some installments better than others, but that’s normal with any anthology!

About the Author:

Nita Prose is the author of THE MAID, a #1 New York Times bestseller and a Good Morning America Book Club Pick. Nominated for an Edgar Award and winner of the Ned Kelly Award for International Crime Fiction and a Goodreads Choice Award, THE MAID has been published in more than forty countries and has sold over a million copies worldwide. Her next book starring Molly is THE MYSTERY GUEST. It publishes in November in the US and Canada (January in the UK).Visit Nita at nitaprose.com, on Instagram @ nitaprose or on Twitter @ NitaProse.

Thanks for reading my review! If you haven’t already, please hit the subscribe button on my blog. It means a lot to see new subscribers trickling in. Welcome, and thank you for being here! Look around, check out my services and reviews, and check out MY books from Season of the Witch, the book series!

The Heart of a Mother, by Julie Clark, Obsession Collection 4: Book Review

All my life, I’d made it a point to respect the boundaries of others. But now I could see how easy it was to move that line. And once you’d pushed a boundary, how easy it was to push it a little further. And a little further after that. How simple it was to ignore the word no, especially when it was never actually said.”

♡ The Heart of a Mother

@aprillwoodauthor 📸

Blurb:

A fateful decision from the past haunts a wealthy Californian. Desperate to make things right, she risks everything in this tense short story from New York Times bestselling author Julie Clark.

Hillary Jean leads an enviable life. She has a loving husband, a beautiful home, caring friends, and meaningful work planning fundraisers. Yet she’s always felt incomplete.

After a DNA website emails her a match, Hillary sets out to find the daughter she gave up twenty-five years ago. But her hunger to reconnect threatens to destroy the very thing she hopes to gain.

The Heart of a Mother is part of Obsession, a collection of compulsively readable short stories about people pushed to their extremes. So addictive you won’t be able to put them down—read or listen to each story in a single sitting.

Add to your Goodreads TBR https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174670261-the-heart-of-a-mother

Genre:

• Thriller Shorts
• Short Stories
• Contemporary Fiction
• Mystery
• Suspense

Tropes and Themes:

• Found Family
• Adoption Angst
• Imperiled in Pregnancy
• Teen Pregnancy

There’s an emotional toll to carrying a baby, giving birth to them, and then giving them away. It eats away at you. The idea of your child out there, not knowing you . . . it’s soul crushing.”

♡ The Heart of a Mother

Rating:

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Review:

The Heart of a Mother, a thriller short by Julie Clark, has been my favorite so far of the Amazon Original Stories, Obsession Collection. It’s a slice of life story about a woman who has it all, yet doesn’t feel whole, because of choices she was forced to make as a teenager, twenty-five years ago.

The emotions are raw and well-written. Hillary, the FMC, is an extremely sympathetic character, as well as relatable, likeable (fundraising for Planned Parenthood, contributing to a cause she wishes had been available when she was a teen) and overall a good person a reader wants to see have their happily-ever-after. But, a series of mistakes, broken boundaries, and misguided efforts threaten any chance of a HEA, after a DNA match has Hillary thinking with her heart instead of her brain.

@aprillwoodauthor 📸
photo💣 courtesy of Rowan’s cute back legs 🖤🐈

Without revealing too much, this story teaches an important lesson in addition to entertaining the reader. The impact of the surprise was like a misguided metal children’s swing to the face; what an absolute shock. I’d recommend this twisty thriller-short to fans of books that are:

• Thriller, Suspense, Mystery > Sub-Trope Shorts, Short Stories, Novellas
• Emotional Reads > Sub-Trope Teen Pregnancy, Forced Adoption

About the Author:

Julie Clark is the New York Times bestselling author of The Ones We Choose and The Last Flight, which was also a #1 international bestseller and has been translated into more than twenty languages. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and a golden doodle with poor impulse control.

@aprillwoodauthor 📸

Thank you for reading my book review of The Heart of a Mother! Let’s connect on Goodreads over our love of books!

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15230523.April_L_Wood

Slot Machine Fever Dreams, Obsession Collection 5, by Author Chris Bohjalian: Book Review

Oh, baby, I am nobody’s good luck charm.”

photo 📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Blurb:

Obsession Collection #5, Slot Machine Fever Dreams, by Chris Bohjalian

It’s called Sin City for a reason.

Dark secrets emerge when a young bartender meets a stranger on a hot streak in this gritty short story from New York Times bestselling author Chris Bohjalian.

Dove, a recovering alcoholic covered in Emily Dickinson tattoos, serves up drinks and small talk at a casino in Vegas. Russell is a man on a roll. He claims to be a chain-restaurant manager, yet his tells point to different skills. The two leave together at the end of the night, but when all pretense is stripped away, they find themselves in a fight for their lives.

Slot Machine Fever Dreams is part of Obsession , a collection of compulsively readable short stories about people pushed to their extremes. So addictive you won’t be able to put them down—read or listen to each story in a single sitting.

Genre:

• Thriller
• Suspense
• Mystery
• Contemporary

Tropes & Themes:

• “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
• “Sin City”
• Gambling
• High Stakes Games
• Worthy Opponent
• Winners and Losers

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Slot Machine Fever Dreams is a thriller short published by Amazon Original Stories, authored by Chris Bohjalian, and part of the Obsession Collection. Written in 2nd person perspective/point of view added a uniqueness to this story. Only, I haven’t read a 2nd person pov narration since the Choose Your Own Adventure books, 30+ years ago, and I found this style jarring and not as fun as I remember.

I liked Dove, the recovering alcoholic casino bartender with Emily Dickinson tattoos.

You know how fragile happiness is: it’s that skim of ice on the pond that can be cracked by the smallest of falling branches.”

However I didn’t understand Dove’s near-obsession with Russell, a complete stranger who was on a gambling high streak. Yes, the house always wins, but occasionally a winner emerges, so what exactly was so special about Russell, and just how did he manage to catch her attention?

“So, you find yourself interested in him the way people are drawn to three- legged cats and dogs whose masters have died.”

–Slot Machine Fever Dreams

What does that even mean?!

Although I liked Dove, the FMC, she wasn’t exactly relatable so the narration was, as I said earlier, a bit jarring.

You can feel him watching you work, aroused by the idea you’re an alcoholic who lives amid the unbelievably beautiful world of spirits. Even the goblets and tankards and highball glasses are little works of art.”

–Slot Machine Fever Dreams

The two bonded over addictions and chasing feverish highs. She proved herself to be a worthy opponent when the wolf within Russell stepped out of his sheep clothing, but I found the whole scene totally unrealistic and very “action movie” like. It was a bit too much. SPOILER ALERT Imagine SM meets Charlie’s Angels.

Enough said.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174670217-slot-machine-fever-dreams

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

About the Author:

Chris Bohjalian is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 23 books. His work has been translated into 35 languages and three times become movies.His forthcoming novel, “The Lioness,” arrives May 10, 2022. His most recent novel, “Hour of the Witch,” was published in May 2021 and was an instant New York Times, Publishers Weekly, USA Today and Indiebound bestseller. It’s a novel of historical suspense set in 1662 Boston, a tale of the first divorce in North America for domestic violence — and a subsequent witch trial. The Washington Post called “historical fiction at its best. The New York Times called it “harrowing.” His 2018 novel, “The Flight Attendant,” debuted as a New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and National Indiebound Bestseller. It is now an an HBO Max series, starring Kaley Cuoco that has been nominated for numerous Emmy, SAG, and Golden Globe awards. It was recently renewed for a second season.

His 2020 novel, “The Red Lotus,” is now in paperback. It’s a twisting story of love and deceit: an American man vanishes on a rural road in Vietnam and his girlfriend, an emergency room doctor trained to ask questions, follows a path that leads her home to the very hospital where they met. Publishers Weekly called it “a diabolical plot reminiscent of a Robin Cook thriller,” and Booklist described it as “masterful…a cerebral and dramatic dive into what happens when love turns to agony.”

He is also a playwright and screenwriter. He has adapted his novel, “Midwives,” for a play, which premiered in 2020 at the George Street Playhouse, and was directed by David Saint. Broadway World said of it, “The fine playwriting by Bohjalian, the directorial talents of the Playhouse’s Artistic Director, David Saint, and the show’s accomplished cast make this play unforgettable.” His first play, “Grounded,” premiered at the 59 East 59th Theatres in New York City in the summer of 2018 and is now available as an audiobook and eBook, “Wingspan.”

His books have been chosen as Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Hartford Courant, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Bookpage, and Salon.His awards include the Walter Cerf Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts; the ANCA Freedom Award for his work educating Americans about the Armenian Genocide; the ANCA Arts and Letters Award for The Sandcastle Girls, as well as the Saint Mesrob Mashdots Medal; the New England Society Book Award for The Night Strangers; the New England Book Award; Russia’s Soglasie (Concord) Award for The Sandcastle Girls; a Boston Public Library Literary Light; a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Trans-Sister Radio; a Best Lifestyle Column for “Idyll Banter” from the Vermont Press Association; and the Anahid Literary Award. His novel, Midwives,was a number one New York Times bestseller, a selection of Oprah’s Book Club, and a New England Booksellers Association Discovery pick. He is a Fellow of the Vermont Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He has written for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Reader’s Digest, and The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. He was a weekly columnist in Vermont for The Burlington Free Press from 1992 through 2015.

Chris graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Amherst College. He has been awarded Honorary Degrees as well from Amherst, Champlain College, and Castleton University.He lives in Vermont with his wife, the photographer Victoria Blewer.Their daughter, Grace Experience, is a young actor in New York City. Among the audiobooks she has narrated are Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands, The Guest Room, and Hour of the Witch.

–Amazon Author Bio

I have to admit I’m curious about another work of his, Hour of the Witch…

Thanks for reading my review! Let’s connect over books on Instagram! Find me @ AprilTheWordWitch!

Just a Girl, Obsession Collection 6, by Author Alyssa Cole: Book Review

@AprilTheWordWitch 📸 🍃

Obsession Collection #6

Just a Girl, by Alyssa Cole

Social media can be a dangerous game. A young woman’s world teeters on the verge of implosion when trolls push too far in this disturbing short story from New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Cole.

Tiana Carter has just started college and is determined to make the most of it. She’s thrilled to be posting videos about dorm-room cooking and campus fashion for a small but loyal band of followers. When she dips into the online dating pool, her first swipe right raises a huge red flag. Tiana’s polite rejection is met with scorn, and now a group of self-proclaimed “high-value men” are hell-bent on ruining her life. Just a Girl is part of Obsession, a collection of compulsively readable short stories about people pushed to their extremes. So addictive you won’t be able to put them down—read or listen to each story in a single sitting.

Kindle Edition, 124 pages

Published by Amazon Original Stories, July 2023

Genre:

• psychological suspense
• suspense
• mystery
• thriller
• contemporary fiction
• new adult / college

Tropes/Themes:

• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Troll behavior
• Tiktok Popularity
• Mixed Media (Discord server, TikTok, Instagram, auto-generated captions, text messaging)
• Mixed Formating
• Rejection/ Unrequited Romantic Interest
• Online Dating
• Internet Safety Aesop
• Misogyny
• Think Twice Before you Post
• Online Dating Disaster

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

AWRW Review:

Okay: story time. You all know I decided to get on the appy apps since Granny was making ME feel like the 70 year old. BIG MISTAKE. Why was the first guy I swiped right on a whole “what’s your body count?” headass weirdo? A guy who, and I quote, isn’t “trying to get with someone who doesn’t bring anything to the table but a ran- through cooch.” Unsurprisingly, I wasn’t swept off my feet, and asked if he even owned a table… He didn’t like that, and he’s still harassing me days later!”

Just a Girl by Alyssa Cole

Just a Girl, part of the Obsession Collection through Amazon Original Stories, is a story told completely in mixed media format, over popular social media apps, text messaging, and other online chatting platforms, including a dating website. I’ve never read a book completely told in this kind of format and I really enjoyed how it was presented!

Tiana is a young, nineteen year old woman who is entering her college years during the Covid pandemic. Her entire world is online, from her classes to her social media presence.

She’s a friendly, extroverted woman who is not loving the loneliness of being quarantined. When she dips her toes into an absolute swamp of a dating pool, she shares her experience on social media, triggering a hateful group of men who absolutely terrorize her, online and IRL.

I am NINETEEN and dudes are out here acting like a simple conversation to establish whether we vibe is a job interview with bonus invasive hymen check.”

Just a Girl, by Alyssa Cole

This read hits so hard; It’s super relatable and absolutely terrifying the extremes some online trolls will go through to retaliate against content creators, over a post/ a message/ a comment.

I didn’t do anything wrong. What she wanted was for me to tuck my tail between my legs and just take it, and got the surprise of her life when I didn’t. That’s what females like this need to understand—things are changing. We’re reclaiming the masculinity you try to strip from us.”

Just a Girl, by Alyssa Cole

This would’ve been a five star read for me except I was confused by the ending. I read it twice and I still couldn’t figure out who did “it” (I’m being vague to not include spoilers). I’d love to chat with others who read this to get their opinions!

Despite being confused by the “who,” I did find the conclusion satisfying!

Add to your Goodreads TBR: 🔗 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174670078-just-a-girl

Thanks for reading my book review! Find me on IG @ AprilTheWordWitch where I post bookish reels, photos, and reviews! Books, Brews, and Broomsticks, Baby! I’d love to connect with other readers! 🔗 https://www.instagram.com/aprilthewordwitch/

About the Author:

From Goodreads:

Alyssa Cole is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and sci-fi romance. Her Civil War-set espionage romance An Extraordinary Union was the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award’s Best Book of 2017 and the American Library Association’s RUSA Best Romance for 2018, and A Princess in Theory was one of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2018. She’s contributed to publications including Bustle, Shondaland, The Toast, Vulture, RT Book Reviews, and Heroes and Heartbreakers, and her books have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her pets.

The Mosquito, Obsession Collection 2, by B.A. Paris: Book Review

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

It seemed to Michael that he was caught in a circle of obsession; Rupert was obsessed with him, and he was obsessed with the mosquito.

The Mosquito, by B.A. Paris

Genre:

• Psychological Thriller
• Thriller
• Mystery
• Suspense

Tropes/Themes:

• Mosquito Miscreants
• France 🇫🇷 Vacation / Holiday
• Condescending Compassion
• Nice Guy Paradox
• Smug Snake
• Divorce
• Widower

The Mosquito, Obsession Collection 2, by B.A. Paris

Blurb:

After his marriage fails, he hopes a vacation in France will relax and restore him. But fate has something more poisonous in store in this biting tale from bestselling author B. A. Paris.

Michael wanted to back out of this trip to the South of France after his wife left him, but his sister and their friends wouldn’t hear of it. His fellow houseguest Rupert isn’t in the mood, either, having recently been widowed. But rather than bonding, Michael is unsettled by Rupert’s constant needling. That and the bug bites are enough to suck the life right out of an idyllic holiday.

The Mosquito is part of Obsession, a collection of compulsively readable short stories about people pushed to their extremes. So addictive you won’t be able to put them down—read or listen to each story in a single sitting.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174670391-the-mosquito

Rating:

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Review:

Who wouldn’t want to spend two weeks in a beautiful converted farmhouse in the South of France, even if their wife had recently walked out on them?”

The Mosquito

The Mosquito, by Author B.A. Paris, is a great addition to the Obsession Collection, an agreeably addictive series of thriller/mystery shorts.

Michael, our protagonist who suffers from “the nice guy syndrome/paradox” is recently divorced and reluctant to take a Holiday (vacation) to France, only acquiescing when his sister convinces him to join them. Furthering his decision, another single-recent-widower-houseguest, Rupert, will be there, so it wouldn’t be only “couples”.

Unfortunately, Michael is unsettled by Rupert and his continuous criticisms, and a mosquito is absolutely terrorizing him, whining in his ear at night and repeatedly biting him. By day, Rupert watches Michael’s every move, helicoptering over him, and uttering barbed insults that sting worse than the mosquito.

The tension builds until the most epic of conclusions. The ending alone made this a five star read for me, and I’m interested in reading more works by this talented author! I recommend this read to fans of novellas and short stories, thriller, mystery and suspense fans, and anyone with a Prime membership. It’s free to borrow as of this posting!

Thanks for reading my review! Please find me on IG @ AprilTheWordWitch and let’s connect over our love of books and reading!

About the Author:

B.A. Paris is the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of seven novels including the word-of-mouth hit, Behind Closed Doors, and her latest thriller, The Guest.

Over 7 million editions of her work have been sold worldwide and her books have been translated into 41 languages. Three of her novels have been optioned for major screen adaptations with films of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown and The Therapist in development.

Before becoming an author, B.A. Paris, who spent most of her adult life living in France, worked in finance as a trader before retraining as an English teacher. She and her husband then ran a language school together whilst bringing up their five daughters.

Today, she writes from her cottage in Hampshire, England. Follow B.A. on Twitter and Instagram at @ baparisauthor. You can also find her on Facebook, Goodreads, and BookBub. Sign up to her newsletter for teasers, giveaways and updates.

People Like Them, Obsession Collection Book 3, by Minka Kent: Book Review 📖

“Dear neighbors—

The schedule for our fifth annual progressive dinner party next Friday is as follows:

7: 00 p.m.— Cocktails @ the Broadbents’ (25 Auburn Dr.)

7: 30 p.m.— First course @ the Ellerys’ (28 Auburn Dr.)

8: 00 p.m.— Second course @ the Sievers’ (33 Auburn Dr.)

8: 30 p.m.— Main course @ the Rickstadts’ (38 Auburn Dr.)

9: 00 p.m.— Dessert @ the Mayfields’ (42 Auburn Dr.)

9: 30 p.m.— Nightcap @ the McBrides’ (55 Auburn Dr.)

Looking forward to a memorable evening with you all— Jillian and Noel Broadbent”

Blurb:

Nobody’s perfect—although one beautiful couple certainly comes close. Discover the cracks beneath the polished surface in this unsettling short story from bestselling author Minka Kent.

Veronica and Ryan Hartley are the envy of Auburn Drive. When the exclusive neighborhood hosts its annual progressive dinner party, the couple’s perfection is on display. The neighbors are obsessed—entranced by the “it” couple’s movie-star looks and smoldering gazes. But is the perfect pair too good to be true?

People Like Them is part of Obsession, a collection of compulsively readable short stories about people pushed to their extremes. So addictive you won’t be able to put them down—read or listen to each story in a single sitting.

Genre:

• Novella/ Short Stories
• Women’s Fiction/ Chick Lit
• Thriller
• Contemporary Fiction

Tropes/Themes:

• “The grass is always greener on the other side.”
• Filthy rich/wealthy neighborhood with a hint of Rags to Riches for good measure.
• Neighborhood Block Party/ Progressive Dinner
• Women supporting women
• Empty Nest Syndrome
• The “It Couple”
• Plague of Fortune
• Parties gone wrong
• Retribution/Revenge

“I need an ambulance— Forty- Two Auburn Drive. Hurry, please. He’s not breathing . . . I think he’s dead.”

People Like Them, by Minka Kent

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Review:

People Like Them, by Minka Kent, is an addictive novella/short story from the Obsession Collection (book 3) published by Amazon’s Original Stories, and available to borrow from Prime reading.

I was initially intrigued by the forks on the cover and the sense of togetherness that the image evokes. Having finished this page-turner of a read, I know that those forks have a bit of a darker meaning. Brilliant, actually; I like it a lot!

As the story goes, the neighbors of Auburn Drive are getting together for a “progressive dinner” hosted at a number of houses throughout the evening. I understood this to be some type of neighborhood block party, but with wealthy people hosting indoors instead of outside.

Not long ago I would’ve made fun of someone like me. Judging people is easy to do when you don’t have the full story.

People Like Them, by Minka Kent

Everyone’s focus, however, is on the It Couple of the neighborhood. This is a reoccurring theme and is told using internal dialogue through the POVs of the wives. Speaking of which; I don’t necessarily love multiple POVs but this book is an exception to that rule. I really liked peeling back the layers of the onion of this read, and these women offered unique perspectives that I didn’t expect. It was nice to get to know the women with their masks off, so to speak.

Trigger warning/spoiler: This book does touch on issues such as domestic violence and spousal abuse.

I know the other women see just another materialistic Botox- addicted gym junkie who scored in the marriage department. But the road to get here was winding and treacherous, and I hold my cards close to my chest.

These days, people use their houses as fortresses, a barrier between their personal and private lives, living two existences: one for the outside world to see and the other for everything that happens behind closed doors.

People Like Them, by Minka Kent

You definitely sense the “grass is greener on the other side” vibes with a conclusion that proves anything but. Even so, the party strengthened the bond between the women of Auburn Drive and I liked how they took their neighbor under their protective wings, staging a scenario that would forever bond them and free her.

You’re safe now. You’re free.”

People Like Them, Minka Kent

There was some mention of red eyes of one of the wives who enjoyed taking edibles, and she subsequently uses eye-drops, but she only took half or maybe the whole (gummy, chocolate, lozenge, whatever) which kicks in pretty quickly and I found that to be a little far out. Yes THC makes your eyes red because it dilates the capillaries of the eyes, giving a glossy red appearance, but how much THC was in that half-maybe-whole edible?! It’s usually pretty low and unless she’s super sensitive to its effects, why on earth was she floating around on a cloud in a total daze, red-eyed, and high as a kite like a teenager trying pot for the first time? It wasn’t her first time using edibles and yet such a strong reaction, like she was at Woodstock with the hippies.✌ Cannabis doesn’t work like that, and especially so with edibles that can take hours to kick in. A tolerance is built over time and again, if she regularly consumes MJ edibles, she’s not gonna be THAT high. She’d be sorta elevated or a little buzzed. Her husband and others likely would never notice, yet her husband does, because her eyes are absolutely lit/bloodshot from 2.5 mgs – 5 mgs of THC! What?! Is he an Optometrist? How did he notice that? Really, this is my only complaint. (THAT, and why can’t I get lit off edibles, period, unless I make them myself and overload my brownies with costly THC oil?! Not fair.)

Overall, People Like Them is a thrilling, addictive, pageturning women’s fiction novel, about envy and perception, set at a progressive dinner party hosted by neighbors at the inviting houses of immaculately impeccable Auburn Drive, that ends with one less dinner guest…

The grass is NOT always greener on the other side.

TBR:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174670822-people-like-them

About the Author:

Minka Kent, Author

Washington Post and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Minka Kent is a graduate of Iowa State University and the author of The Memory Watcher, The Perfect Roommate, The Thinnest Air, The Stillwater Girls, When I Was You, Unmissing, The Silent Woman, and Gone Again (2023). Her debut psychological suspense, The Memory Watcher, hit #9 in the Kindle store and landed on the Amazon Most Sold chart. Her follow-up, The Thinnest Air, was a Washington Post bestseller five weeks in a row and reached #1 in the Kindle store. Her work has been featured in People Magazine and The New York Post.

Minka also writes contemporary romance as Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Winter Renshaw.

She is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Want to hear about sales and new releases? Visit http://www.minkakent.com/subscribe/

Amazon Author Biography, Minka Kent