Review: Grave Matter by Karina Halle

October 22, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

GRAVE MAGGER
Author: Karina Halle
Genre: Gothic, Psychological Thriller Romance
Release Date: October 23, 2024

Horror Romance meets science fiction in this dark and delicious gothic psychological thriller by NYT bestseller Karina Halle, perfect for fans of Gothikana, Ninth House, and Mexican Gothic.

Aspiring mycologist Sydney Denik is getting a second chance. When a dream opportunity presents itself with a prestigious foundation doing promising Alzheimer’s research, Sydney leaves the shambles of her old life to join a dozen other grad students at an isolated lodge hidden away in a remote, fog-shrouded inlet on Vancouver Island.

But the Madrona Foundation harbors more than brilliant minds. Everyone around her is hiding a terrible secret—including the resident psychologist she’s falling in love with. A student disappears, and no one but Sydney seems to care. Ghosts walk the halls. Snow falls in the middle of summer. Dead animals move like the living. The more Sydney uncovers about the foundation, the more she begins to question her own sanity. And if Sydney isn’t going mad, then the horrors in the surrounding forest are real, and the Madrona Foundation may be the biggest monster of all.

NOTE: This will be a live release on Amazon for paperback, ebook and hardcover on October 23rd 2024. The paperback and ebook cover is different from the case-laminate and dustjacket hardcovers. This is a standalone novel. Check content warnings inside the book or author’s IG closer to publication.

AMAZON

I could never escape this. He is the undertow, his kiss pulling down me to my fate. Or maybe it’s my doom. It’s too hard to tell.

Spine tinglingly creepy, edge of your seat suspenseful, and toe curlingly erotic. Oh but what a ride this story was.

You know what I absolutely love about Karina Halle? Her range in writing is unrivaled. This woman can take any genre and trope and make it her b*tch. I genuinely had no idea what to expect when I read the blurb to this book. All that I knew is that if Karina writes it, I will read it.

This was a slow build sort of story that truth be told took me a minute to fully get into. At first I even thought it would land the book at a solid 4 stars. But considering that it has now been 4 days since I finished it and I still can’t stop thinking about it, I’ve obviously rethought my rating. Yes it’s a slow build but there’s a reason to that madness. And after the jaw dropping conclusion, I actually went back and reread the first half and appreciated it that much more.

Sydney received a dream opportunity on the tail end of almost seeing her life crumple around her. She jumps at the chance to come to prestigious Madrona Foundation for their incredible research. But the second she steps outside of the airplane, things take a sinister turn. Nothing is as it seems and Sydney doesn’t know if she’s going crazy or there’s something more to what she swears she sees.

She doesn’t know what to make sense of what she’s convinced she sees. And she also doesn’t know how to fight her undeniable attraction and chemistry with the brilliant Professor Kincaid, who also happens to the leading professor for the studies at Madrona and her psychologist.

Now I won’t give you more than that, because this story needs to be experienced absolutely blind. But what I will say is reading it after knowing the ending made it that much better and that is saying something about the cleverness of this twisty story. This is one of those reads that’s perfect for the spooky season. It’s creepy but not gross with just the right amount of romance weaved in so that it doesn’t take anything away from the suspense and mystery component. The second half of this book had me riveted and the ending left me with my jaw on the floor.

When I tell you that you need to read this, trust me, you NEED to read this.

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#DGRFave & Review: Anathema by Keri Lake

September 18, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

ANATHEMA
Series: The Eating Woods Duology #1
Genre: Gothic Dark Fantasy Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: September 8, 2024

A new gothic dark fantasy coming in 2024

Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods …

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what’s taken is never given back. Only those who’ve lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that’s as dangerous as it is alluring.

It’s there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he’d sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth’s blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.
Including himself.

AMAZON 

“You are mine, Lunamiszka. For all eternity and whatever lies beyond it. No soul has ever been more intricately woven into mine than yours.”

I cannot remember the last time I read a book that consumed me in a way that this one did. This was, hands down, my top read of the year. It may have been my favorite book from Keri today. And considering I’ve read the woman’s entire backlist, that’s saying something.

This is a dark, gothic romantasy and it was everything you’d expect from the immensely talented Lake and so SO much more. Think Assassin’s Creed meets Witcher type vibes. And yes, it really is as good as that sounds.

It’s also very much a slow burn, and when I say slow burn, I mean a serious slow burn. And while in any other book I would struggle with this, it kept me riveted in this one. The writing is so vivid and multifaceted, that I swear I could see this like a movie reel behind my eyes as I read. And I tell you, if this isn’t picked up by a producer, I will riot. This needs to be a movie. But I digress.

This is book one in a duet, and there is a lot of world building that takes place in this book and oh my god was it delicious. There’s magic, kingdoms, witches, demons, all of the things. And all of them combined for a simply unputdownable read.

We have the ruthless king’s assassin with a dark secret and an even darker agenda. And then there is a beautiful mortal who may be more than meets the eye. The first 30% of the book really develops both of these characters. And while they don’t meet for a bit, it doesn’t take anything away because the story itself was so gripping. But when they finally do meet? OMG the sparks!

He glanced over his shoulder, and I jerked my head up so fast, I nearly toppled backward. “Perhaps you should walk alongside me, unless you insist on staring at my ass the whole way.”
A scorching heat warmed my cheeks, cooled only by the icy anger of having been humiliated. “Perhaps you shouldn’t walk like you’ve got two snapping turtles attached to your ass.”

Maevyth Bronwick lives in fear of what’s known by her village as the Eating Woods; a place of banishment for those they deem sinners. But when her sister’s life is on the line, she doesn’t spare a moment of thought before running deep into the danger. But then suddenly finds herself in a world she didn’t even know existed.

Zevander Rydainn is a mystery wrapped in darkness. An assassin for the king, he hides a dark secret that can cost him his life. A mission that is meant to kill the mortal suddenly turns to his protecting her and suffice it to say neither of them is thrilled about it. And the chemistry that brews between them? The perfect cherry on top.

Now look, I won’t go into too much detail because you really just need to experience this book for yourself. But when I tell you I was glued to the pages from cover to cover, I mean I lived and breathed this story. I thought about it when I put it down for even a second. Heck, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I still can’t, weeks after finishing.

I’m not sure if I will survive the wait for the conclusion and if this book isn’t on your radar, it NEEDS to be. Simply unforgettable!

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Review: Nightshade by Keri Lake

October 29, 2021 by · 3 Comments

NIGHTSHADE
Genre: Gothic Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: October 29, 2021

A love so forbidden, it would shake the heavens

My father called them messengers.
He once told me they walked among us, and that somewhere in this dark and godless city, there shined a faint sliver of hope. I had only to look for the signs.

Well, I’ve spent my whole life investigating the inexplicable, and all I’ve found are the unsettling vestiges of iniquity – the evidence of another world shrouded by the obscure. Purgatory to some, where depravity hides in shadows, and girls like me are little more than delicious bites of temptation.

Others call it Nightshade.

This peculiar place is where I first met the cold and callous recluse living in a decaying cliffside cathedral. Jericho Van Croix is the epitome of everything I’ve been told to fear. A raven-winged harbinger who wears intrigue like a warm black cloak. An enigma that I’m determined to unravel – even if it means getting closer than I should.

One touch is forbidden. Even so much as a kiss would be my demise. But the sin on his lips burns me up like a wild flame, and his growing infatuation weakens my resolve.

Giving him what he wants, though, will mean no chance for redemption, or escape. What’s worse is, the signs I’ve followed yet failed to see all these years begin to unmask a terrifying reality:

That falling may be my only saving grace.

AMAZON

You are a mystifying enigma, Mister Van Croix.”
His gaze swung back to me, devouring me in one sweep. “And you are a frustrating distraction, Miss Ravenshaw.”

I don’t know how the woman does it, but her books just get thicker with each release. And this book? Well she REALLY THICK. So set aside some time, brace yourself and prepare for one hell of a ride. Literally.

You belong to me, Farryn. Should another man dare to lay so much as a finger on you, I will flay his hand and shine my boots with his skin.”

I’ve seriously missed Keri’s unique brand of world building. I loved her PNR series. But this world? Well it’s just something entirely different.

Nightshade was unlike any book I’ve ever read. It was full of captivating and gritty world building. It had Keri’s signature dark layers, but it was also incredibly unique. And the romance? One that defies everything, including time. My suggestion? Go into this completely blind. I will also say that if you’ve read Master of Salt & Bones, you’ll appreciate this one even more.

Now about this book, what can I tell you? It had a bit of everything; angels, demons, monsters, and sinners. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned about Keri’s writing, she’s not afraid to give you the very depths of human depravity. And this book takes you into the very pits of that darkness, but with a twist.

Van Croix is an enigma that I couldn’t get enough of. He’s captivating, cold, tortured, and something just…other. When each new layer of his gets peeled back, you get sucked in even deeper into this world. And let me tell you, there’s a lot of it. The romance is a slow burn. The pacing was deliciously torturous but also perfect for the story.

Nightshade brought a dark and captivating world that I never wanted to leave. Full of vivid characters, spine tingling setting, and a romance unlike any I’ve ever read. In one word, I’m hooked. TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY HOOKED. SO GOOD

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#DGRFave & Review: The Isle of Sin & Shadow by Keri Lake

March 16, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE ISLE OF SIN AND SHADOWS
Genre: Gothic Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: March 16,  2021

This island alone boasts more ghost stories than all of Louisiana combined.
And I’m one of them.

In the Louisiana swamplands, ghost stories are as much a part of childhood as chasing fireflies and crawfishing. They never much scared me, though, nor the possibility of evil out to do me harm. Until the night I watched shadows come to life and butcher everything I loved.

With a stranger’s help, I managed to escape to an isolated place miles north, and, in time, became my own ghost story. A cautionary tale for the locals.

Nearly a decade passed, before I returned to my birthplace, in hopes of unearthing long-awaited answers. Instead, I found something I wasn’t looking for. Someone. A remedy for my loneliness.

Or so I thought.

Turns out, Thierry Bergeron is no elixir. He’s a deadly poison, cursed by the demons of his past, and feared by those who call him the elusive Rougarou of the bayou. A devious rogue, whose seductive whispers and rough hands haunt my dreams. The big bad wolf that defiles me without apology, or remorse.

I should resist him, but I can’t.

And when the shadows return to stake their claim on me, his darkness is the only safe place to hide.

AMAZON

This island alone boasts more ghost stories than all of Louisiana combined. And I’m one of them.

Spine tingling, suspenseful, and utterly mesmerizing. The Isle Of Sin and Shadows was unlike anything I’ve read and a story I won’t be forgetting any time soon.

When Keri Lake announced that she’s writing another gothic romance, I knew I was in for a treat. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING prepared me for the absolute thrill ride that was this book. I mean MY GOD.

This unbearable ache inside of me has a name: Thierry Bergeron. He’s what I desire more than anything. The exquisite poison that’s sure to destroy my heart this time.

If you want a mystery that will send chills down your spine, possibly cause a few nightmares, and own you from beginning to finish…well, look no further.

Céleste has spent years both running from her past and seeking answers. Her mind is a jumbled mess of broken memories and horrors that haunt her living nightmares. After barely escaping with her life when she’s a little girl, the grown woman needs answers. She’s back to the town and her childhood home and all of the haunting memories that come along with it in her desperate search for answers about her family’s gruesome death. She’s fierce, feisty, and everything that I would expect from the brilliant mind of Keri Lake.

Thierry Bergeron is a mystery wrapped in barbed wire. He’s the owner of an exclusive adult club and a cold blooded killer for hire for a ruthless cartel. His history is shadowed at best, but one thing is for sure. This is not a man that you want to cross. And when the young Céleste stumbles into his crosshairs, he’s determined to learn her secrets. But nothing prepares him for the dark web that spins around this woman’s past and just how dangerously close she is to his own present.

The romance is flawlessly and effortlessly interwoven into the dark mystery and suspense. It’s a slow burn that hurts so good and when it finally explodes, it’s downright incendiary. But beyond the romance, the story is completely unputdownable. The mystery unravels piece by agonizing piece, and nothing prepares you for the plot twists that hit you over the head like a two by four. Keri is the queen of dark suspense, I swear, but this was something altogether ELSE. I can’t even begin to describe it to you. All I know is that it played out in my mind like a movie and at times left me completely shell shocked.

This was a book unlike any I’ve read in a long LONG time and if you’re looking for a dark, gothic romance to take you out of your comfort zone and stay in your memory, look no further!

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