Black Heart by Anna-Lou WeatherleyDetective Dan Riley #1

 

Title: Black Heart

Series: Detective Dan Riley #1

Author: Anna-Lou Weatherley

Publisher: Bookouture

Release Date: January 31, 2018

There’s a letter on the floor covered with blood next to a heart-shaped box of chocolates. The note says: ‘My beautiful darling, I’m sorry, please forgive me.’

When the body of a man is found with his wrists slashed in a London hotel room, it appears at first to be a tragic suicide. But Detective Dan Riley suspects there is more to this case than meets the eye and the pathology report confirms his worst fears – the victim was poisoned and suddenly Dan is dealing with a murder inquiry.

Then he makes a disturbing discovery, uncovering links between the victim and a woman calling herself Goldilocks on an online dating site. Is she seeking revenge or something more?

Still grieving the devastating loss of his girlfriend and unborn child in a car accident two years ago, Dan throws everything he has into the investigation. Yet just as Dan begins to piece together the clues of this complex case, the body of a woman is found in her bed with identical wounds.

Dan is on the trail of a twisted individual who is much closer than he realises. Can he overcome his own demons and stop the killer before it’s too late?

An all-consuming and totally unputdownable read that will have you holding your breath to the very last page. Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Robert Bryndza and Karin Slaughter.

Previously published as Last Cry

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A good beginning to a new series!

Two years ago, Detective Dan Riley lost everything he cherished when his pregnant girlfriend died in a car accident. Still grieving, he’s decided it might be time to start dating again.

Balancing work and a love life hasn’t been an issue, as he’s thrown himself into his job. When a man is found dead in a hotel suite with his wrists slashed, Dan senses something’s off. The clues lead him to a woman who calls herself Goldilocks—and she may not be finished killing.

This was an intriguing start to a series. Some elements felt a bit far-fetched, but I’m curious to see what happens next with Dan and his future cases.

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby JimenezThe Improbable Meet-Cute #2

Title: Worst Wingman Ever

Series: The Improbable Meet-Cute #2

Author: Abby Jimenez

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories

Release Date:  January 23, 2024

They’re falling in love, yet they’ve never met. Maybe fate can intervene in a heartwarming “what-if” short story about new beginnings by the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly.

Holly is dealing with the impending death of her grandmother and still reeling from a bad breakup. One bright spot: a Valentine’s Day card on Holly’s windshield—even if it wasn’t meant for her. An amusing mistake soon turns into a lovely exchange of anonymous notes, little acts of kindness, and a growing affection between two strangers. What happens when one of them has to say goodbye?

Amazon

A chance encounter!

Holly, a hospice nurse, is caring for her own grandmother in her final days. The job is emotionally draining and deeply personal, leaving Holly with little time for dating. But when she finds a note left on her car by mistake, she begins an unexpected correspondence with a stranger, exchanging messages that spark a connection.

John, a handyman at an apartment building, is asked by his brother to leave a note on a car. He accidentally places it on the wrong one. To apologize, he leaves another note, signing it “the Worst Wingman Ever.” This mix-up ignites a relationship with an unknown woman through their written exchanges.

Could these two strangers meet? Could they become a couple?

This story was heartwarming, and I was thrilled with the ending. Abby Jimenez’s rom-coms are unmatched! She makes me care deeply about her characters and root for their happy ending.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally ThorneThe Improbable Meet-Cute #3

 

Title: Rosie and the Dreamboat 

Series: The Improbable Meet-Cute #3

Author: Sally Thorne

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories

Release Date: January 23, 2024

For a hopeful and hopeless romantic, it’s love at first sight—with a little twist—in a hilarious short story about finding Mr. Right by the USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game.

Rosie Whittaker and her sister are up for some Galentine’s pampering at a day spa. Getting locked inside a flotation tank is so Rosie. Enter a firefighter hero determined to pry this luckless pearl out of her high-tech shell. All Rosie has to go on is a dreamy voice and a flirty sense of humor. Remain calm, Rosie. This could be what you’ve been waiting for. Is this the man she’s waited for her whole life?

Sally Thorne’s Rosie and the Dreamboat is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s make a date of it.

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A meet-cute story in a horrible setting for someone with a fear of enclosed spaces.

Rosie Whittaker uses her savings to treat her sister to a spa day after her sister earns a promotion. Rosie imagines a relaxing day together, and the spa owner even shows them a new device recently imported from Japan—a flotation chamber they’ll be the first to try. Unfortunately, with Rosie’s typical luck, she gets stuck inside. Trapped in a tank that resembles a toilet, she requires firefighters to intervene. They debate whether to contact the device’s creators in Japan for an alternative solution or resort to the jaws of life. Meanwhile, they leave her with Leo, a firefighter tasked with keeping her calm as they work to free her.

At times, the main characters come across as a bit childish. I didn’t particularly care for Rosie’s sister either. Rosie grapples with insecurities, feeling like an ugly duckling next to her sibling. Despite these flaws, I overlooked them, and the story ultimately succeeded in entertaining me.

Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

Title: The Fall Risk

Author: Abby Jimenez

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories

Release Date: March 1, 2025

Two good neighbors make the best of a bad Valentine’s Day in a funny and improbably romantic short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer.

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, and Charlotte and Seth are not looking for romance. Armed with emotional-support bear spray, Charlotte is in self-imposed isolation and on guard from men. Having a stalker can do that to a person’s nerves. Just across the hall and giving off woodsy vibes is Seth, a recently divorced arborist. As in today recently. Heights, he’s fine with. Trust? Not so much. But when disaster traps them one flight up and no way down, an outrageously precarious predicament forces a tree-loving guy and a rattled girl next door to embrace their captivity. Soon their defenses are breaking away. Considering how close they both are to the edge, Charlotte and Seth could be in danger of falling—in love.

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Loved it!

As a huge fan of Abby Jimenez's books, I was delighted to find this gem in my audible recommendations.

The main characters are Charlotte and Seth. Charlotte, an accountant, works from home—not by choice, but because she has a stalker. She’s been moving frequently to evade him, yet he always manages to track her down. Seth, meanwhile, has just finalized his divorce when he meets Charlotte. Due to an error, a set of stairs has been removed, leaving them stranded with no way down over the weekend. It’s Valentine’s Day, and neither had plans. Spending time getting to know their neighbor doesn’t sound bad at all.

It's a cute novella with so much heart! It features engaging main and secondary characters, and the narrators—both personal favorites—make it a delight. A total win-win!

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

Back After This by Linda Holmes

Title: Back After This

Author: Linda Holmes

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Release Date: February 25, 2025

From the New York Times bestselling author of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo, a podcast producer agrees to host a new series about modern dating—but will the show jeopardize her chance at finding real love?

Cecily Foster loves to make podcasts. She fiercely protects her colleagues, dearly adores her friends, and never misses dinner with her sister. But after a disastrous relationship with a colleague who stole her heart and her ideas, she’s put romantic love on hold.

When the boss who’s disappointed her again and again finally offers her the chance to host her own show, she wants to be thrilled. But there’s a catch—actually, two catches. First, the show will be about Cecily’s dating life. And second, she has to follow the guidance of influencer and newly minted relationship coach Eliza Cassidy, whose relentlessly upbeat attitude seems ready-made for social media, not real life.

Cecily would rather do anything other than put her singledom on display (ugh) or take advice from the internet (UGH). But when her boss hints that doing the show is the only way to protect a friend’s job, she realizes she has no choice.

To make matters more complicated, once she’s committed to twenty blind dates of Eliza’s choosing, Cecily finds herself unable to stop thinking about Will, a photographer she helped to rescue a very big and very lovable lost dog. Even though there are sparks between the two, Will’s own path is uncertain, and Eliza’s skeptical comments about Cecily’s decision-making aren’t helping. On the one hand, Will seems great. But on the other hand . . . don’t they all?

As Cecily struggles to balance the life she truly desires and the one Eliza wants to create for her, she finds herself at a crossroads. Can Cecily sort through all the advice and find a way to do what she loves without losing herself in the process?

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Very well written!

Cecily Foster is a podcast producer. She used to do a podcast with her ex-boyfriend, but when he dumped her, she lost her home, her show, and her lover.

A couple of years later, and at her work, things are tense. There are rumors that they might be letting some people go. Cecily's boss calls her into his office to tell her that they have a new idea for a new podcast, and Cecily will be the one running it. She will also be the main feature. His boss wants her to partner with an influencer who is now a dating coach. The dating couch is setting her up with twenty blind dates, and she assures Cecliy that she will find love by the end of the dates. Cecily has never seen herself as someone who will want to do this, but she hopes that if this goes well, no one will lose their job, and it may help find her a companion. Yet, the universe has another idea. Just before the new podcast begins, she meets Will, a photographer who is trying to catch a great dane that was running away. Sparks fly between them after they keep on bumping into each other. What is Cecily going to do when she is not supposed to see anyone else who is not part of the podcast?

I fell for Will and Buddy, the great dane, right away. In my head, there was no reason to go on other dates. I was rooting for Cecily to pick them.

This was a nice rom-com with likable, down-to-earth, and relatable main characters.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Ballantine Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden

 

Title: The Boyfriend 

Author: Freida McFadden

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Release Date: October 1, 2024

Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She’s seen it men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can't shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot.

Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet.

Then the brutal murder of a young woman―the latest in a string of deaths across the coast―confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.

Sydney should feel safe. After all, she is dating the guy of her dreams. But she can’t shake her own suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move, and if she doesn’t get to the truth, she’ll be the killer’s next victim...

A dark story about obsession and the things we’ll do for love, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden proves that crimes of passion are often the bloodiest…

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So many red herrings!

Sydney Shaw is a young accountant living in New York, dating to find the right guy. In her last serious relationship, she dated a cop but broke up with him because he never had time for her.

Though she’s open to dating regularly, she hasn’t had much luck finding the one. Her mother’s constant pressure to get married and have babies doesn’t help. To make matters worse, Sydney feels left behind. Her friend Bonnie says things are getting serious with her current boyfriend, and her other friend Gretchen is already in a relationship.

Then she meets Tom. He seems perfect: a doctor, attractive, and generous enough to pick up the bill when they dine out. But something feels off. Women are being murdered, and the police suspect an unidentified man who’s dating them. Sydney begins to suspect Tom.

The Boyfriend was entertaining from start to finish. Freida McFadden kept me guessing the whole way!

I listened to the audio version and thought both narrators did an excellent job with the dual timelines.

I’ll definitely check out more books by this author.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

 

Title: A Killing Cold

Author: Kate Alice Marshall

                                                             Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Release Date: February 4, 2025 

A woman invited to her wealthy fiance’s family retreat realizes they are hiding a terrible secret—and that she’s been there before, by the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods.

A whirlwind romance.

When Theodora Scott met Connor—wealthy, charming, and a member of the powerful Dalton family—she fell in love in an instant. Six months later, he’s brought her to Idlewood, his family’s isolated winter retreat, to win over his skeptical relatives.

Stay away from Connor Dalton.

Theo has tried to ignore the threatening messages on her phone, but she can’t ignore the footprints in the snow outside the cabin window or the strange sense of familiarity she has about this place. Then, in a disused cabin, Theo finds something impossible: a photo of herself as a child. A photo taken at Idlewood.

I’ve been here before.

Theo has almost no recollection of her earliest years, but now she begins to piece together the fragments of her memories. Someone here has a shocking secret that they will do anything to keep hidden, and Theo is in terrible danger. Because the Daltons do not lose, and discovering what happened at Idlewood may cost Theo everything.

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A good atmospheric thriller ride!

Theodora Scott meets Connor Dalton, sparking a belief in love at first sight. The couple quickly becomes inseparable. After six months together, Connor invites her to his wealthy family’s retreat, Idlewood. Theo is nervous about meeting his family, and she’s right to feel uneasy. Upon arriving, she finds no one making an effort to include or welcome her. To make matters worse, she receives cryptic messages warning her to stay away from Connor. Strangely, she also feels an inexplicable sense of familiarity with the place and finds herself drawn to an empty cabin called Dragonfly. Her dragonfly tattoo only deepens the mystery—what’s the connection?

I listened to the audio version of A Killing Cold, which helped me keep track of the characters across present-day scenes and flashbacks. The novel delivered several twists—some I anticipated, others caught me off guard. I also appreciated the denouement; it felt satisfying without being overly perfect.

This is my second book by Kate Alice Marshall, having enjoyed What Lies in the Woods as well. I’m eager to read more of her work.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Macmillan Audio via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.