alyssa
Oh my gosh. Poor, poor Millie. Her family turned out even more harrowing than I could've imagined. Think Cinderella's wicked stepmother and stepsisters - belittling, dismissive, cruel. I WAS GETTING HIVES.
Their dysfunction aside (so. much. dysfunction.), I appreciated getting some much-needed context into Millie as a person, as well as a greater perspective on her relationship with Keme. The latter shift came about in the last book largely off-page, so this lent more to their plausibility as a whole, at least in this cozy context. I also really loved the ways Dash and Bobby demonstrated how far they've come as individuals and as a couple through the realism of their conflicts.
Now I'm one of the meager few who do read GA's books for the mystery. I'm honestly so impressed by his ability to come up with what seems like an endless stream of fresh plots without feeling repetitive. There were certainly some logistics that could've done with some fleshing out to make it more probable for the reader to suss out the answer before the Final Encounter, but this one carried quite the clever twist.
Thank you to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book; this is my honest review :)
——-pre-release thoughts——-
MARK JUNE 2, 2025 ON YOUR CALENDARS! (Queen Millie so commands it!)
Can you believe this makes #9? As the second half of the series expands its focus on the other stalwart Last Picks members, I've been chomping at the bit for each silent drop to know which character happens to get the (unfortunate) chance to, uh, fall on the sword that comes nicely wrapped in the mystery genre - and lo and behold, it looks like the baton will be making its way to Millie next. I have a feeling learning more about her family's dynamics (including the chaos from which she's arisen) will endear her to me more...
Happy release day to this spin-off from the perspective of one of the messiest characters in the entirety of the Hazardverse (and GA veterans know there's no lack of gargantuan messes to sift through)!
- Buy direct: https://shop.gregoryashe.com/b/sfZAG
- Audiobook (narrated by Greg Tremblay): https://www.audible.com/pd/Body-Count-Audiobook/B0F6DT9JMW
Suggested reading order: after all three Hazard & Somerset arcs (H&S Mysteries, Union of Swords, Arrows in the Hand) and The Evening Wolves (Iron on Iron #4)
- List of CWs: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-4poLMcuCtu5p8C-SqDygXCUsZ9sp9Jgj2qIEHVz_qM/edit?tab=t.0#bookmark=id.a8j9boi139wf
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[4.4~4.5] One of the highest compliments I can dole out to Gray Dulac in an attempt to encapsulate his no-limits, fratboy, noir-esque cynicality and self-deprecation is the mirages of Nick Nowak, protagonist of the incredible Boystown series, that I saw in his wake. Dulac's younger in many ways, arguably more self-aware in some, but their similarities are ever prominent in the directional shifts: the prolonged fall, adrift and lost for too long and with little means to cope, to meanderingly slow rise, from bitter venom to golden drops of elusive hope.
GA enacts an impressive display of the duality of man by penning this at the same time as his cozies. It's as if everything he's been holding back found their outlet in a cathartic rush. The angst, the grit, the swearing - a dam burst so painful and delightfully familiar, a flood relieved to spew unrestrained at last. No punches were pulled in the making of this book, much to Dulac's chagrin. So much so that you'll do well to heed the first two sentences of the blurb.
The case in parallel sets Dulac on a stuttering trot across a field of thorns to the land of self-reflection. While at times nebulous on the logistics, the mystery held me in rapt attention. I loved the tie-ins, the situations Dulac was led into, the creeping doubts. Taking flawed characters to their limits is where GA's stories excel, and this was no exception. I'm already wearing the edge of my seat for the official release of Dulac's Story Part 2, and sincerely hope a certain other individual gets to tell his story in the future.
Thank you to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book; this is my honest review :)
——pre-release thoughts——
From what I've read of the serialization so far, this book is a dangerously compelling character study into a broken soul that redefines rock bottom. It's also been personally the roughest for me to digest in all its difficult themes and graphic depictions - no ifs, ands, or buts about it. To be honest, I don't know if I'd be able to read this again without a narrator holding my hand through it. I'll be here desperately waiting to learn who the narrator is of this far-off audiobook
⚠️ Blurb contains Hollow Folk / Flint & Tinder spoilers⚠️
Gregory Ashe has graciously dropped this collection of previously shared flash fiction stories set in the Asheverse! Here's a list of the stories with their respective series & suggested reading order:
- “Analog Horror” (after Hollow Folk)
- “Christmas Cowboy” (after Hollow Folk)
- “Couples Camping” (after The Dust Feast, book 3 of Hollow Folk)
- “On my Mind” (after Hollow Folk and Flint & Tinder)
- “Faculty Party” (after Hollow Folk and Flint & Tinder)
- “Guessing Game” (The Adventures of Holloway Holmes)
- “Nickelcade” (The Adventures of Holloway Holmes)
- “Wanted: Gay Friends” (The DuPage Parish Mysteries ft. Cody and Demmy from Hank Edwards' Critter Catchers series - join Hank Edwards's FB group for part 2 of the story!)
In the throes of emotional turmoil thanks to this series. Messy high schoolers on the cusp of young adulthood with messy hormones creating an even greater collective mess. As much as I try to understand the whys behind Adam's fears, his undying persistence to have his cake and eat it too is infuriatingly demeaning and selfish. Oh Peter, you're exactly the kind of character I'd wholeheartedly root for till the last page and beyond. You deserve better, sweetie. (ずばりダニエル派でございます。)
[4.4~4.5 - rounding up because I couldn't put it down unless I was forced to. What a debut!] There's always a place for lighthearted, little-to-no angst stories, where the predictability is a comfort you can fall into. A foray into a fictional world without the sort of pain that renders you helpless and unable.
Then you have stories cut out of their own special mold, that slam into you like a Mack truck and leave you scrambling to finish the heart-pounding race through the pages, because you can't possibly rest until you know what happens next. Until you have the knowledge that the characters that have wedged into your heart are, at long last, safe and sound.
This was an angsty doozy, even without the explicit details played out onscreen as the hints and my imagination more than filled in the gaps. Hurt/comfort at its finest as a gentle love story weaves together underneath it all.
While I would've loved for certain angles to have been fleshed out more (e.g. Liam's background - the reasoning behind his parents' unwillingness to pay for his education felt rather flimsy), it didn't detract from how the writing flowed with an ease that made it incredibly smooth to consume - even if the content itself was not all butterflies and rainbows. I look forward to the future stories this author has in store!
I downright adored Niles in the first book and couldn't be happier for him to get his HEA. That fondness grew as I came to learn the depths of his life's insecurities and regrets that have held adjacently similar homes in mine. The maxim “comparison is the thief of joy” has never rung truer than in this man, and he can't escape the daily reminder once the esteemed Maestro comes to town.
August is far from the perfect human, despite what his long list of accomplishments and accolades may suggest. His life tilts further off kilter when he finds himself in surprise custody of his daughter and fumbling (gravely) his role as a father. By the end of the book, there was still room for him to curry my favor, and I wished for more pleasant interactions between him and his daughter after they exchanged enough discordant energy to power a whole country, but he still had a beautiful redemption carried out in resplendent prose. If you have a special place for music in your heart and/or come from a musical background, I wouldn't be surprised if you end up connecting with the words on an even greater, more profound level than me.
Thank you to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book; this is my honest review :)
[3.4~3.5] It's hard to not be swayed by trope execution comparisons (fake relationship, dislike to like, etc.) when I'd just finished a reread of my dear And Then You by the same author, but I'm feeling generous this holiday season. There also did seem to be a lack of editing in this book (e.g. names misspelled, pronouns changed between passages) - still had a good time overall though.
[2.5] I've never read anything by this author before, but I was immediately pulled in by the title, cover, and premise. They all sounded amazing, built on tropes that tickle my fancy (fake relationship, friends to lovers) and with notable representation.
However, I'll be first to admit the writing style didn't click with me. The flow felt choppy, in part due to the number of plot points being juggled, and the villains came across single-toned and cartoonish in their predictability. Especially Jackie, Kenny's abusive ex - she played such a huge role in the story from start to finish and in ways that went beyond necessary to make good on the promise of the premise that I ran out of fuel to trudge through meticulously.
This just wasn't for me, but I hope others have a better experience because there are particular parts of the story that are important to tell.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Sam and Rufus are officially back, baby!
I sadly have zero functioning brain cells left to ensure this is a coherent review, but it was a ton of fun for me to envision these two traversing through some familiar locations in NYC, as well as other new but fascinating places. NYC becomes a living, breathing entity in the hands of these two authors, and with imagery as vivid as can be, I can't help but chuckle at all the reminders why I love a day trip but a city girl I am not.
Even though this is, by nature of the mystery and its ties to certain past events, a Sam book, Rufus continues to stand front and center for me. He carries such charming, endearingly sassy energy and would absolutely be my first pick for whom I'd want to engage in some classic B&E with (...not that I would! Don't flag me. Please). That said, there's plenty to Sam that has me rooting for him as he works to find his footing in one of the most chaotic cities. It was also such a relief to get more context on his backstory at long last after all the subtle hints and hovering mystique from previous books. While the denouement ended on a slight anticlimactic note for me, I could see the temporary resolution as serving a larger purpose if the next book does indeed head in that direction. Fingers crossed the stars and GA's and Poe's schedules align so they can keep this momentum going for A Friend in the Wind to drop sometime next year!
Speaking of Sam, I randomly thought of how Tean and Theo were both originally meant to be ex-military - they've clearly shifted in more ways than one from their most preliminary forms, but I'm delighted GA has Sam as an outlet for this recurring subconscious(?) need!
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Happy cover and release date reveal day! Marking Nov 26, 2024 on my calendar - what a book year it's been!
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Pssst, a gracious & talented little birdy named C.S. Poe has kindly informed us (aka threw readers into an excited tizzy) that the penultimate book #3 is finally on the docket! After over three years, the clock can soon take a bow at last and reset for the finale.
Remaining cautiously optimistic until we get an official release date, but I'm ready for some more Sam & Rufus!
Rounding up because of the light it shines on chronic illnesses, specifically Crohn's disease.
The balance of things made this read not for me. The pacing felt a bit wonky and the push-and-pull arguably could've been cut shorter, or at least needed a change up in execution here and there. I would've appreciated more explanation for Caleb's sudden dedication and steadfastness when it comes to Drake, given he has a reputation for sleeping around and not doing relationships. He just turned on a switch and was somehow ready to romance the pants off of Drake.
Drake does the majority of pushing away in the relationship, but I was able to see, for the most part, where he was coming from with his own struggles and insecurities and past experiences. And then, when the incident happens and he takes it beyond to 110, ouch. But as a fellow self-blamer who left an adjacent field out of being at a loss as to how to carry the emotional burden, I wanted to give him the biggest hug.
Like a warm hug, this is the lovely story of strangers to friends to lovers between Seb, the prankster troublemaker and youngest in the family sent to live with his older brother and his husband (the MCs of book 1), and Laurence, the sweetest trans man whom Seb meets through his new job. I can't praise this magical world enough - the gradual progression of these two's relationship, Seb's beautiful growth into himself, and his beautiful friendship with Pip (introduced in book 2 then getting his own story in book 3) only scratch the surface.
I've said this many times already, but I love this universe, the characters, and the return to the first book's epistolary format (this time in the form of journal entries). To say I'm grateful for these fictional worlds to escape into would be the understatement of the century.
BEST BOY. I would do (almost) anything to get more of Pip. It feels like there's still much of his story left to tell.
I've also really been enjoying the audios for this series. With this book (my apologies if I hallucinated this!), there were a few sections where the mic picked up some background / ambient noises like rustling paper, but definitely not a dealbreaker. The narrator's performance has only enhanced the experience for me.
