Book #1:
Congratulations, the Best is Over! by R. Eric Thomas (Length: 231 pages) This is a book of essays written by a gay black man wedded to a white pastor, living in Baltimore, MD. There are several LOL funny lines, but these essays are more often a poignant look at the author’s life journey–through the pandemic and after the pandemic, as well as his life-long battle with depression. This is SO well-written! I enjoyed the mix of fun, pop-culture references mixed with his deeper analyses of society and today’s political climate. This is a truly memorable book, and I hope you get a chance to check it out.
Book #2:
The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling (Length: 315 pages). This is the sequel to The Ex Hex, which I reviewed in September. This obviously has the same snappy dialogue, adorable setting and a mild mystery just like the first. I could see this series getting a bit repetitive, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride this time through just as much. This is an open-door romance and features the relatives of the romantic leads in the first book, so you’ll get to see those characters again, which is a nice bonus. I love all of the fall atmosphere and the witchy vibes, and the strong sense of place here. I give it a solid 3 stars–nothing phenomenal but definitely worth the time to read.
Book #3:
The September House by Carissa Orlando (Length: 352 pages). YES! This is a TRULY creepy horror novel with a very original premise. A couple finally moves into their dream house and quickly discover that each September, it becomes truly terrifying . . . think blood pouring down the walls, lots of dead children who clearly died in horrific ways walking about, and the entity in the basement grows even wilder. This a bit gory and violent in parts, but the payoff is truly worth it here. I will say in the beginning the plot jumps forward quite a bit in the second chapter–almost 2 years ahead–and that was pretty confusing, so if you find yourself similarly confused, just push through and it will make sense. At the 30% mark (in the Kindle edition), I was fully invested, and I could no longer put it down. This is a lot of fun and VERY scary in parts. An awesome read for sure!
Book #4:
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center (Length: 325 pages). I’m a big fan of this author’s work (Things You Save in a Fire is one of my favorite rom coms of all time) so I was excited to pick this one up. The premise here is that Sadie, a portrait artist living in Houston, Texas, is involved in an accident which results in her having possibly temporary face blindness, which is a real thing. This obviously causes problems for Sadie as it affects how she makes a living, and she’s a finalist in a national portrait show/contest with a monetary prize that could greatly improve her life circumstances. Sadie also happens to have two simultaneous new love interests which makes her life even more complicated. The central romance(s) are cute, and I enjoyed the different premise. I found Sadie to be a bit mopey and whiney, all things considered, and I would’ve liked to see the characters more fully fleshed out here, but overall, I enjoyed this closed-door romance. A solid 3 stars from me.
Lora Terrill 