Tag: Sourcebooks Landmark

Book Review:: A Killer Getaway | Sienna Sharpe

A Killer Getaway is a twisted new romance by Sienna Sharpe that shines a light on the delicacy of human psychology. There’s a little bit of mystery, a little bit of suspense, set in a idyllic summer resort.

A Killer Getaway by Sienna Sharpe Book Cover

Lily’s first visit to Riovan Wellness Resort was with the love of her life, and she’s found her way back every year since, despite the deadly accidents that tend to happen every year. This year she meets an attractive man who calls himself Daniel Black. A journalist, sniffing around for a story. He’s exactly the kind of kink in her plan she doesn’t need…

This is a bit of an odd story. I think maybe the closest actual comparison I might have is Butcher & Blackbird, though this is nothing like the same level of grotesque, graphic, or explicit.

Lily is hurt people. And everyone knows hurt people hurt people. She once saw a perfect future stretching out before her, and she was thisclose to having it. She blames Riovan and the ‘coaches’ who work there on the disintegration of that future, and she cannot let that stand.

It is an interesting enough story, and I feel like it was probably quite complicated to pull off considering the twist.

I think maybe my reluctance for a high rating stems from Lily being an unsympathetic character and overall muddy messaging. For me, Lily is not really redeemable. It’s not okay that she plays judge and jury and to be honest she plays her game pretty cavalierly. There’s not really any coming back from that for me. In her eyes people make one mistake, or hurt someone’s feelings in the wrong way and…they deserve to die? I mean, she’s a full blown psycho. At least in Butcher & Blackbird the victims are atrocious vicious a**holes who deserve whatever they have coming. For me, that makes all the difference.

Does that mean this book isn’t worth reading? I wouldn’t say that. It’s a quick summery mystery suspense that’ll surely perk up your weekend!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: A Killer Getaway
Author:: Sienna Sharpe
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Landmark
Length:: 320 pages
Published:: August 12th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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Butcher & Blackbird | Brynne Weaver
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Book Review:: The Ghostwriter | Julie Clark

Once upon a time, two children were murdered in their home. Siblings. Leaving one brother, not home at the time, alive. No one was ever convicted. This tragedy is the foundation Olivia’s life is built upon.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Book Cover

The surviving sibling is Olivia’s father, Vincent. He’s become a global sensation for his horror novels, but before that, he was sensational for being the lead suspect in his siblings’ murders. Olivia and her father had a falling out years ago, and she separated herself from him as much as she could. She even married a man she didn’t love in order to change her last name. Blood runs thick though, and she ended up in the same industry as her father, ghostwriting books for other famous authors. Now, on the edge of financial ruin after a big scandal, the only job available is from Vincent Taylor, and he said she’s the only one he’ll work with. It’s the first time returning home for Olivia, and she wants to get back out as soon as possible, but when she gets there, she realizes she might be able to finally learn the truth. Is her father a killer? Or was he always telling the truth about that night?

What a compelling psychological thriller! The backstory of this novel is so rich and murky at the same time. Enough details to create that dark misty tone for the past, but not enough to give away the store.

I always love the devices authors use to add doubt to the information the reader receives, so we don’t know what’s real and what may be a lie. In this case, Olivia’s father has a disease that affects his mind, and we all know human memory is fallible anyway. I love that feeling when reading a book like this that you never really know what the reality is, and what is fabricated. It leaves a lot of room in your mind to sort through evidence and form new theories up until the very end.

In this story there are quite a few scenarios that seem likely as Olivia learns more about her family history. It’s the story of one family’s darkest hour, and it has been shrouded in mystery and doubt all these years.

The characters are believable and well formed, the writing is clear and atmospheric, the plot is complex and interesting, and just look at that stunning cover!

I’m very happy to have received this book for early review via the publisher through netgalley, and I’m excited to have another author’s backlist to add to my TBR!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Ghostwriter
Author:: Julie Clark
Genre:: Mystery Suspense
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Landmark
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: TBA
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: June 3rd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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Famous Last Words | Gillian McAllister
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline
The Heiress | Rachel Hawkins

Book Review:: All the Perfect Days | Michael Thompson

Every choice we make effects innumerable other choices in our lives. Some of them can change our trajectories entirely. It might not even feel like a big decision at the time – looking back it is sometimes the smallest things that trigger the biggest changes. For Charlie, a small-town doctor, it’s a lesson learned the hard way in All the Perfect Days, a new novel by Michael Thompson.

All the Perfect Days by Michael Thompson Book Cover

See, one day Charlie has an episode when he’s helping a patient. There’s nothing medically wrong with him, but it keeps happening. When one of his patients dies unexpectedly, he realizes what is happening to him. Though he isn’t sure yet if it is a blessing or a curse, he sees how many days a person has left to live.

It is one of the age-old questions, isn’t it? If you could find out when you were to die, would you want to know? The same idea is explored in another book I read this year by another Australian author, Here One Moment, by Liane Moriarty. As you can imagine, it’s not a straightforward answer. As Charlie struggles with this new ability, he’s forced to confront questions of morality, chance, trust, and honesty. When you know when it ends, will it change the decisions you make along the way?

I absolutely loved this novel. It is thoughtful and well-executed, showing all the sides of the cube. There are many implications and permutations of this phenomenon, each of them interesting and meaningful not just to the characters, but the way we think about our lives, all in a highly readable story.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: All the Perfect Days
Author:: Michael Thompson
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Landmark
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 48m
Audiobook Narrator:: Ryan Ennis
Published:: May 21st, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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The Last Love Note | Emma Grey
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Book Review:: Babylonia | Costanza Casati

Ancient history fascinates me. Getting to read such vibrant and extensively-researched fictional interpretations like this one is such a treat.

Babylonia by Costanza Casati Hardcover Book Cover

Babylonia is the story of a girl who came from nothing. Less than nothing, some might argue. Semiramus was born into shame, but by mercy of the gods, she survived. She became a young woman beaten down by hardship with only her own wits to rely upon. They serve her well as she navigates her fate in the ancient Assyrian Empire.

Because of her hard upbringing, Semiramus never takes anything for granted. She knows what it is to suffer and to live in squalor, so when she comes to the greatest city in the Empire and gets to live in a palace, she doesn’t get complacent. She also has no fear. She befriends slaves and wild leopards. She does not let the King’s mother or the court’s spy master intimidate her. She trains with weapons like a soldier with her husband, and then by herself.

Babylonia by Costanza Casati Paperback Book Cover

When the army comes home from their siege at Balkh begging for more troops, Semiramus volunteers to come as one of the climbers. She does not take no for an answer, her husband and her King need help, and she is not one to sit idly by. Then, when there, she sees an opportunity the King’s advisors did not, and it leads them to great success. This clever act of bravery is yet another turn in her story that leads her down a more complicated and treacherous path she could never have anticipated.

This novel is beautifully immersive and speckled with immaculate detail. The names, the rituals, the exhibitions, battles, the dramas…I loved every minute of it. She is an example of making lemonade out of a few raggedy lemons and the importance of taking control of your own destiny. She is a strong woman in a time of strong women, and an absolute pleasure to read about.

I am so grateful to the publisher and netgalley for granting me an early review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Details

Title:: Babylonia: A Novel
Author:: Costanza Casati
Genre:: Mythological Fiction
Publisher:: Sourcebooks Landmark
Length:: 448 pages
Audio Length:: 16h 21m
Audiobook Narrator:: Ayesha Antoine
Audiobook Publisher:: Recorded Books
Published:: January 14th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristin Vokovic
The City in Glass | Nghi Voh

Book Review:: Libby Lost and Found | Stephanie Booth

Libby Lost and Found is an absolute treasure. The originality crackles on the first page. The themes resound toward our deepest fears and offer hope through profound pain. The prose stuns in both its beauty and wisdom. The whole thing is a parallelogram that had me wondering for a while if everything I was reading was a jaunt into madness or relatively reliable which left me nearly speechless. But not completely, lucky for you.

Libby Lost and Found Stephanie Booth Book Cover.

Libby is a writer. But not just any writer. She writes The Falling Children series-the most popular franchise in all of history (bigger even than HP). She’s struggling to write the next book so much she sees a doctor and gets an early diagnosis of dementia. It leaves her already anxiety prone personality in shambles. She’s missed so many deadlines the fans are feral. She’s desperate for some way to Save the Children (who she’s written into a forest from which there is no escape), so she reaches out to her ‘biggest fan’ for help finishing the book. The thing is, no one knows she is F.T. Goldhero, and it’s vital she keeps her real identity a secret.

Maybe my favorite part of the book are the voices. Libby and her biggest fan Peanut are our two narrators, and each one of them has such a strong and pigeon-holed voice. Peanut is a series obsessed child with unique family circumstances, and Libby is quickly losing trust in her own mind. Their voices covered everything in an almost otherworldly sheen that was so interesting and beautiful.

Then we can talk about world of The Falling Children. Wow! The creativity it takes to come up with a secondary world like that for the sake of telling another story is incredible. The concept, the personalities, the ‘magic’…I was blown away.

So don’t be a bone grocer – go get this book!

Note:: I received this title as an advanced readers copy from netgalley and the publisher. Then I pre-ordered a copy for myself 🙂

Details

Title:: Libby Lost and Found
Author:: Stephanie Booth
Genre:: Women’s Fiction
Publisher:: Sourcebooks Landmark
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 58m
Audiobook Narrator:: Mia Barron
Audiobook Publisher:: Recorded Books
Published:: October 15, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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