My 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge: March - April

The Villa by Ruth Kelly

It’s destined to be the ultimate reality show: Ten contestants. A luxurious villa on a stunning private island. Every moment streamed live to a global audience who have unprecedented control over those competing for the cash prize. Coerced by her editor to enter the show undercover, Laura is a journalist told to get the inside scoop. However, there is more to every contestant than meets the eye, including Laura. How far will the contestants go to secure audience votes? How far will Laura herself go? And would somebody really kill to win?

Whether you love or loathe reality TV shows like Love Island, The Villa takes you into that world with some really interesting commentary on it. I liked the two different perspectives and timelines, as we start to piece together what has led to murder. I wasn't entirely sure if I was 100% behind Laura and her motivations, etc. But I enjoyed the behind the scenes bits that we don't see as viewers of these reality shows and the last act was pretty surprising too. Definitely a page turner that would make for a great beach or holiday read.

Publication date: 25th May 2023

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

Anastasia has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. Nothing will stand in her way, not even the captain of the hockey team. Nate's focus is on keeping his team on the ice. Which is tricky when a facilities mishap means they are forced to share a rink with the figure skating team, including Anastasia, who clearly can't stand him. But when Anastasia's skating partner faces an uncertain future, she may have to look to Nate to take her shot. Sparks fly, but Anastasia isn't worried. Because she could never like a hockey player, right?

The premise of a hockey player having to step in and become a pairs skater was an interesting one. But this didn't happen until at least 200-250 pages in. And then when it did, it was so brief. I love a good sexy/steamy scene as much as the next romance lover but it got to the point where I was bored of reading them. Anastasia was so incredibly unlikeable as well. And don't get me started on all the Aaron drama. Was there a plot? Barely. There were so many unnecessary side characters too. Like, what was the entire point in Ryan? Did we need 101 hockey players to keep track of? This also didn't need to be over 400 pages long at all.

Right Man, Right Time by Meghan Quinn

Running into your ex is never ideal. Running into your ex who is now dating your nemesis is a literal nightmare. That’s how I found myself in a panic, reaching for the closest guy at the bar and kissing him. And to my delight he was easily the most attractive man I’ve ever seen. The only problem is, when I tried to walk away, he stopped me with three life-changing words. “You owe me.” That’s how I found myself in a fake relationship with a professional hockey player ten years older than me. At first it was easy. It wasn’t until he started staying the night at my dorm did the rules of our arrangement become complicated.

This is right up there with my favourite of Meghan's books. I wasn't the biggest fan of the first two books in this series. But I really enjoyed this one. It's a well executed fake dating story with a lot of great build up to them eventually getting together. A lot of times the female main character in Meghan's books can be pretty immature. However, Ollie was the youngest and actually felt a lot more mature than I was expecting, which was nice. There are also some great steamy scenes (hello home sauna). Let's just say, I would definitely be up for reading more from this series. And I can only wonder who will be picked as the male main character from the hockey team next.

How To Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn't want to deal with her family home that's stuffed to the rafters. She doesn't want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world. Mostly, she doesn't want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another and resents her success. But she'll need his help to get the house ready for sale. Some houses don't want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them.

This really is 'out there' and not quite what you might expect from a typical haunted house story. As soon as puppets are mentioned, I wanted to roll my eyes. I also really didn't enjoy the section about what Mark got up to at college. Once the action does get going though, particularly once Louise and Mark are fighting them off, it did have my attention. And when Pupkin essentially renders the person that he's on the hand of powerless and is in complete control, that is where this is at its most interesting and captivating. There are also some gory sections that definitely give you that classic horror movie vibe.

The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard

Stranded on a dark road in the middle of the night, a young woman accepts a lift from a passing stranger. It's the nightmare scenario that every girl is warned about. But what other choice does she have? As they drive, she alternates between fear and relief - one moment thinking he is just a good man doing a good thing, the next convinced he's a monster. But when he delivers her safely to her destination, she realises her fears were unfounded. And her heart sinks. Because a monster is what she's looking for. She'll try again tomorrow night. But will the man who took her sister take the bait?

I liked the pace and the changing of perspectives between Lucy (and Nicki to a degree), the man who is responsible and those trying to track them down. And Angela's perspective was easily my favourite. I wasn't expecting how it ended and the final twist but I would have liked a tiny bit more resolution from the ending. As well as what happened to Tana. It was difficult to see certain characters being so unbelievably reckless at points as well. But I still enjoyed this overall and it had me gripped the whole way through.

Publication date: 3rd August 2023

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

Emma is house-sitting on the rainy Washington coast with only her golden retriever for company. She likes the isolation, the peace and quiet, and the opportunity to read. But her latest pick, a poorly written and gruesome horror novel, is disappointing and Emma leaves a one-star review. A message dings back. The author, H.G. Kane, has replied and he’s furious. Emma brushes it off, until disturbing incidents start to occur. Scratches in the night. A figure crawling around in the shadows. Kane has written sixteen other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. He knows he’s a brilliant writer. He just needs to make Emma understand.

If you love a good home invasion horror/slasher movie, this is the book version. Did I immediately guess how Howard was connected to the house, above and beyond the 1 star review? Yes. I was also weary of Deek the whole way through. However, the way in which it is written, both from Emma's point of view and in the mysterious author's book, was well done. There were some nice twists. Like I didn't expect what had actually happened to Emma's husband. I also liked how tension was built and the fact that you had no idea what was going to happen next. And the lengths that she went to to protect Laika the dog truly made this book for me. This was one hell of a ride.

Publication date: 18th May 2023

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

Dr Briana Ortiz's life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalised, her brother's running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants. Oh, that's probably going to the new man-doctor Dr Jacob Maddox. But just when all systems are set to hate, he completely flips the game by sending her a letter. He actually might be this fantastically funny and likeable guy who's terrible at first impressions. When Jacob turns out to be the perfect donor for her brother, Bri starts to realise that this quietly sexy new doctor might just be her perfect match, too.

Might Jacob be my favourite male love interest ever? Easily. I liked the self-aware way that several of my most-loved romance tropes were dealt with. There were so many cute moments, while both main characters also had depth. It was great seeing them interact with the side characters too. My only gripe, as happens so often, is the use of the miscommunication trope. It was tough to see Briana push Jacob away in such a cold manner, even though I understood why she was behaving that way. Them both thinking that neither of them could be in love with the other, when it was so clear that they were, was a bit frustrating too.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

New York is slipping from Cleo's grasp. Sure, she's at a different party every other night, but she barely knows anyone. Her student visa is running out and she doesn't even have money for cigarettes. But then she meets Frank. Twenty years older, Frank's life is full of all the success and excess that Cleo's lacks. He offers her the chance to be happy, the freedom to paint and the opportunity to apply for a green card. She offers him a life imbued with beauty and art and hopefully, a reason to cut back on his drinking. He is everything she needs right now.

I actually enjoyed the switching of perspectives, even if some characters such as Santiago only get one chapter. None of the characters are particularly likeable, yet for some reason I couldn't look away. I think out of everyone, I had the most sympathy for Eleanor and what she was going through. Then there were characters like Zoe and Cleo to a large degree, that I really didn't have any sympathy for. It is frustrating watching so many of them be self destructive and certain parts were also troubling. However, I can also see why it has been compared to Sally Rooney's work.

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

Six months ago, Clementine had the worst day of her life. So, she came up with a plan to keep her heart safe: stay busy, work hard, take no risks. And it’s been working. That is until one day she finds a strange man standing in her kitchen. A man with kind eyes, a crooked smile, and a recipe for the perfect lemon meringue pie. The kind of man that, before everything, she could have fallen for. He’s perfect but for one thing: he lives in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. This should be impossible, but love is never a matter of time but a matter of timing.

This was a really unique take on the time travel romance genre, even if I wasn't completely convinced with them both falling for one another almost instantaneously. It came off as a bit too insta-love for me. There was also quite a bit of repetition when it came to certain descriptions and parts, which took me away from the magic of the story. But I adored the NYC setting and in particular it being mostly set during summer, as well as the "Lemon" nickname, which was cute. It was nice to see the difference in Iwan/James all those years later, as this felt realistic. And additionally, I liked the subplot of them trying to acquire his book too.

Publication date: 6th July 2023

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Alicia Berenson lived a seemingly perfect life until one day six years ago. When she shot her husband in the head five times. Since then she hasn't spoken a single word. It's time to find out why.

I went into expecting to be blown away. But once the eventual twist is revealed, all I could think was, "is that it?" I also wasn't buying Alicia still having her diary. How did she get it in with her? And given that it is key to her eventually speaking/the ending, it simply isn't explained. Then there's Theo. I couldn't take him seriously at all, especially when he's just as troubled as those at The Grove. And *spoiler alert* he should know exactly what happened that night, given he was the one to basically orchestrate the whole thing. So why are we reading what is essentially a detective looking for clues when he would have to be stupid not to know what happened. It was easy to read and the pacing wasn't bad but I expected so much more.

Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton

Paris rose to prominence as an heiress to the Hilton hotel empire but cultivated her fame and fortune as the IT Girl of the aughts. Using her celebrity brand, Paris set in motion her innovative business ventures, while being the constant target of tabloid culture that dismissively wrote her off as “famous for being famous.” Paris is ready to take stock, place everything in context and share her story with the world. Separating the creation from the creator, the brand from the ambassador, Paris strips away all we thought we knew about a celebrity icon.

Having watched Paris' documentary, I had some idea what to expect but this was so much more shocking, gut wrenching and heartbreaking than I expected it to be. There were lighter moments but a lot of this book is tough to read, yet difficult to put down. We see the impact that her infamous leaked sex tape and DUIs had on her life. But what was the most shocking and hard to digest was her time at a series of 'troubled teen' facilities. What Paris goes on to shed light on is incredibly important, so don't let the pink cover or your preconceptions of Paris put you off giving this a read.