therivingtonreader's reviews
237 reviews

This was such a wild ride from start to finish. There was not one part where I had any idea where the story was going to go. And this book has everything: crime, horror, a cult, gore, the supernatural, and even a very sweet relationship that I was not expecting to make me emotional. I really loved all of it.

For as long as this book is (almost 450 pages), it is incredibly well paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat. There was not one moment where I was tired of what was going on. It was action-packed and unpredictable.

The characters were also very well written, in my opinion. I absolutely adored Anne and Gemma, and I even grew to enjoy Dutch's character as well. They were all extremely flawed individuals, but they were believable and loveable all the same. And the same goes for the characters we were meant to dislike like Travis and Win; I REALLY hated them. 

I don't think this book will be everyone's cup of tea, just because there are so many elements to it. But I think the author did an excellent job of taking everything in this story and blending it together in such a cohesive and entertaining way.

This is such a beautiful debut novel. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to receive a copy of this from Vintage.

To be honest, I had a hard time getting into the story initially. It's stream-of-conciousness style sometimes made it hard for me to figure out what line was coming from who. But it really, really adds to how remarkable this book is and the overall feeling the story gave me. 

This book heavily delves into struggles with mental health and living life with trauma in a world that seemingly does not care about us as individuals. It also deals with the difficulty of being part of the LGBTQIA+ community without a support system. 

And at the end, even through all the bad stuff, I still got the message that it does get better. I really loved this a lot and I'm happy I got to read it. Thank you again to Vintage for my copy!

This was the first I've read from Sophie Lark, and it was a pretty solid dark romance, I think. 

Remi's character was fun and I enjoyed her, but I didn't really care for/connect with Dane. There was enough other story going on that, in my opinion, my indifference towards him didn't really matter.

I liked the kind of spooky, Halloween vibe that was trying to be achieved in the book, but there were quite a few storylines to follow and a lot of really shitty people/circumstances surrounding Grimstone. There's also a decently-sized twist towards the end that was fun but is easy to catch onto, I thought. 

Overall it wasn't terrible! Not sure if I'd go out of my way to read more from this author, but that is most likely a me problem and not a slight to Sophie Lark's writing ability because she definitely knows how to keep your attention.

First of all, thank you SO much to Shortwave Books for sending me an ARC of this to review!!

Second of all, how dare Nat Cassidy go into my brain and put my worst nightmares down on paper. Being trapped in a dingy gas station bathroom with a huge fucking spider?? I'll be laying awake at night thinking about that for the rest of my life. I was literally horrified throughout 90% of this, and I loved every second of it. 

This was such a good, creepy novella. It could easily be finished in one sitting. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, waiting to see what would happen next. If you haven't pre-ordered this yet, I suggest you go do that right now!!

As always, be sure to check TWs!!

❗Rest Stop releases on 10/15/2024 ❗

First of all, thank you so much to Lyonne Riley for allowing me to be part of the ARC team for this book!! I had a great time reading it 😍

This little book was a lot of fun and full of emotions, spice, and even some action. Mia cares so much about her big, soft-spoken ogre, Cragnorr, and just wants him to be safe. Cragnorr is willing to risk his life to protect his Mia. There's a lot of spice, and a wonderfully sweet and happy ending. I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys big, soft romantic interests. 

I had a great time reading this, so much that I finished it in a day (that never happens anymore, who am I??) It was a fun, low-stakes little novella I needed while I recover from this seemingly endless sickness. Theo was incredibly thoughtful and sweet, and I immediately liked him. There was a perfect amount of story, cute little dates, and lots of spice 🌶️🌶️

This is the first I've read from Lyonne Riley but it definitely won't be my last! 

I'm so sad to be caught up on all the books that are currently out in this series, but I also can't wait for the next one!!

Every single one of these books was a non-stop, ridiculous rollercoaster that I didn't want to get off. Thank you to Matt Dinniman for creating such an immersive, unique world with so many diverse and relatable characters. Carl and Donut have a permanent place in my heart 😭

Anyway, as if I haven't sung enough praises about this series already, I loved this book just as much as the others. Go read this series. Now is a perfect time too, since the new hardcover for the first book is releasing soon. I can always use more people to chat about my absolute favorite series with!!