JD

Don't judge a book by its cover. Honestly, I had put this book off partially because the cover well not very good and looked a bit thrown together.

I read it after watching some heart breathings videos on plotting a series. I'm so glad I did. This structure while similar to save the cat or the hero's journey is tighter and clearer than either of those.

He gives you choices, suggestions, a loose guide to stretch your story into something that elicits emotion and commitment.

I was gripped and entertained while reading this, which shows his writing chops are well earned, lol.

I'm now going to binge his other books that I have bought and haven't read yet. This is gold!

And if you're a pantser this is still for you! Read it and save yourself some headaches!

Clear and succinct with actionable tools!

Honestly this is what I want from any self help book. I'm neurodivergent and I'm working on a planner to help ppl like me get things done. Most if not all ND folks have deficiencies in the happy brain chemical department. So I wanted to give ppl ideas on how to take matters into their own hands.

This book will be one I recommend, the exercises are easy and basically free which means they're accessible to everyone!

We should all work on habits that bring more happiness into our lives!

Overall rating: 4.75/5Writing: 5/5, Her writing style and prose are always solid.Plot: 5/5, very satisfying build up and pay offCharacters: 4/5, I feel like our MC who is basically the only character we interact with could have had more depth. I feel like you get to know more about the original people in the house than her.
Would I reread?: Yup, definitely

Narrators: single narrator, Elle? I think we hear her name like once
POV: 1st person, single
Genre: Horror, Adult, Cozy Horror or Feel Good Horror, First-person POVs
Pace: Fast-Paced, It grabs you pretty quickly with minimal stupid choicesTone: Tense, emotionalStoryline: Character-driven, Character explorationThemes: Cults, protecting family, haunted houseWriting style: Contemporary and light, succinct, well plottedBook Appeal: For those wanting cozy horror, wanting a good tension but a happy ending for our MCType: StandaloneContent Warnings: death (off-page not graphic), betrayal, child abuse (light and off-page), missing children Was the Blurb/Genre Accurate: YesAdditional Comments:I love Darcy Coates. There has been only one out of about 7 novels that I didn't like, which was House Next Door. Everything else of hers has been 5 star reads for me. This was a home run. You get the tension, you get connected to characters you feel for, you get scary stuff! I'm deducting .25 stars because the MC is someone we know nothing about. We really don't know why she took this gig, or what her life history is like. I would have liked a bit of background info weaved into the story. But ultimately the story is more about the earlier inhabitants so maybe that's fine.

I've read a lot of books on Meditation, a LOT! This one has some gold. I would say that it's maybe not the best for a beginner if you're the kind of beginner that needs in-depth discussion on how the Law of Attraction Works.

This is very straightforward with very little “it works because of” chapters. That said there are things he's talking about that get skimmed over in other books.

And I'm a huge fan of his Hypnotize Yourself as you Read, which he does have a script at the end of this book. Definitely recommend even if you've been manifesting for awhile.

This one is hard to rate. If you can ignore some things then this does have some good advice. I have a lot of highlights. Problem is the author inserts a lot of his opinions and they are rude and insulting in many cases!

My biggest problem? He craps on indie authors so immediately that's a big issue for me. Next, he is a “my way is the only right way” kind of guy. There isn't one way to write. And it annoys me that a pantser that has undoubtedly been told that's the wrong way is going to spit that back. Some people work better as discovery writers and some people's brains do not work that way and that's okay.

I also feel that a lot of his advice is very strongly wrapped up in thrillers. And older thrillers at that.

I checked out when he repeated that having sex scenes removed tension and basically was lazy and made it a lesser novel. To me, everything can be done well. You can have plenty of tension and also a lot of sex.

I dislike nonfiction books that slam and diss other people just because they can't do what they do and that is what this felt like.

He is very biased. But there is good info which is why I eventually finished this book but it took a while after the comments about romance/sex scenes. I made notes and am going off that.

It would be a 5 star if he didn't put down other authors that are indies, in another genre, or just generally don't write like him. It's distracting and infuriating!

I read Writing in the Dark after starting this one and am happy that Dean Wesley Smith put a disclaimer saying there is no right or wrong way to write. I think his book is better because of that and because he works to lift other writers up instead.

It's a fun novella that felt like an old vh1 remember the band kind of documentary. But with a ghostly kick.

I enjoyed it! But I do wish there was more, a found journal of Julien or something to tell us what he was going through during the stay. It does leave you wanting more and having almost no answers.

But it was an easy short read and I loved the audiobook has a full cast to narrate the seperate viewpoints!

This packed a surprising punch for a short novella. I genuinely got uncomfortable, which is not easy to do, and nothing felt too rushed. It was a quick read but I enjoyed it and the angle she took.

And the ending worked for me. I almost would have liked to see this a bit longer to see what could have been further developed but I always feel that way with a short story I like.

This is a great quick Spooky read for October!

This is a cozy, feel-good read! And to be honest, I loved it!

I do get the issues that others are having with the style. A lot of writers do not use 3rd person omniscient anymore. It can be harder to follow for some people. You are bouncing heads from paragraph to paragraph, so you have to pay attention. I do feel like she used this style well and it conveyed that the characters were stuck in their head. Communication was the main theme and I feel like the POV added to the sense of that.

The star deduction for me was the absolute lack of dialogue, especially around the inciting moments of romance throughout. That was a big problem for me. The romances included felt too easy like they were a spell. I would have loved a longer book that flushed the romance out as well as she did the characters. More dialogue would have helped give some substance versus fate like obsession. Dialogue is a tricky art and I wonder since this book was early in career if she shied away from it because it wasn't a strong suit.

To the reviewers that dislike this because they love the movie, I get that too. They are very separate things. Going into a book thinking it will be exactly like the adaptation is almost always going to lead to disappointment. I personally, loved getting to know the inner workings of these women. The book is far more focused on the lives of the women and their motivations rather than the movie focused on the magic and spookiness far more. Both have their merits.

I think it is also worth noting that this book is Literary Fantasy. Heavy on the Literary part. It is not supposed to read like an urban fantasy. To me, it reminded me of reading classic literature. It is somewhat flowery and poetic. In my opinion, she does poetic gracefully and it didn't feel overdone or lengthy. But it is a literary novel so it is going to be more character-driven.

The characters were the best part of the book by far. I felt the character were real living beings. I could relate to the characters. I saw myself, my own sisters, and mother in the thoughts of these women which drew me in even further. The book was almost like reading each of their diaries which is an unusual writing style. This is my first Alice Hoffman novel, and I'm looking forward to seeing how her style shifted and grew as time went on.

I will definitely be reading Rules of Magic before the end of the year as the Aunts' lives are fascinating to me! And I recommend this as a feel good book about family with a touch of magic.

Start here, or re-start here.

Consistency is the hardest part of LOA. I've had great luck and I've in the past also struggled.

And as rudimentary as this book is, it gives it to you straight! You can't skip levels anymore than you can go from lifting 10 lbs to lifting 150 lbs overnight w/o injury!

This book reminded me of how to start over and build a foundation again. Mine had cracked.

I'm looking forward to finding general improvement in the next few weeks and then moving on to get next book!

Can I give this book 10 Stars? Or 20?

I may seem overdramatic, perhaps, to say that this book is life-changing. But that is what it feels like for me! Totally and utterly life-changing.

It takes you on a journey little by little you change how you live and how you think to follow your dreams and passions. If you follow these exercises I can practically guarantee you that your life will start shifting for the better. Day by day. Little changes will turn to big changes until one day you'll realize you're living your dream!

This is the best blend of Self-Help and Non-spiritual law of attraction I've ever seen. And if you want to boost your results with manifesting read the Course in Manifesting Box Set by Genevieve Davis. They blend perfectly!

The beginning of this was pretty good, I was enjoying it a lot. But I think the story got away from him in the second half. I'd be extremely surprised if he actually outlined or plotted this book at all.

He just made it bigger than he needed to which really hurt pacing and satisfaction.

Great idea, solid start, terrible forced ending filled with needless info dumps.
Not sure if I'll try more of his or not.

Pretty good, enjoyable ride. Ending was unhinged.

Absolutely fun and creative twist on the cozy mystery genre!

Huh... Huh. This is a weird one. For one I immediately hated the main characters, in fsct almost all the characters. I think maybe Jude is meant to be awful, can't tell. So for me, I didn't really care if they survived. It was a moot point.

And without spoilers, trigger warnings for sexual abuse, child abuse, suicidal themes, etc.

To be fair, there was a fair share of unique concepts. And it mostly moved quickly. A unique version of a haunting story.

There's a lot of things that I think could have been cut out that would have improved the whole thing. Especially in the first few chapters. And by the back half I was kinda checked out, the only twists were inevitable. I only finished because a lot of people rave about the ending.

For me it was a bit too neat. I saw a lot coming from early chapters as a bit of a clichéd theme was emerging that had to be wrapped up. “Don't put a gun in the first act unless it goes off by the third” vibe. And the whole thing is toxic as far as relationships go.

That said is like to maybe give him another shot at some point because I loved the movie Horns and this was his first big novel.

But if his other characters are built solely of their childhood trauma or assault I'm out. That is really feeling over done and an lazy excuse for character development /background.

3.5

Well... It is bizarre, weird, surreal, funny, and more than a bit horrific! Which are all things I enjoy in a book!

And as almost always it was better than the movie. But how could it not be? It has so much more space to go into details. That said I really like the movie as well, and they did a pretty decent job at the adaptation!

Do be aware that there are some derogatory words used throughout that will be familiar to anyone that went to school in the late 90s. The n-word is used as is Fgot and Rtard. This generally makes sense as there is a sense of Late teens to early 20s male humor and those words were thrown around a lot back then as much as F**k. I could ignore it as none were really done in true malice from what I could tell. And much of it is said by the “bad guys”

I really enjoyed the weirdness and it felt like a watching National Lampoon's version of the Welcome to Night Vale. Which I did in fact enjoy!

Want to write more later for sure. If you've read any of his other books, mind f*ckery is par for the course and I expected that and loved it.
I'll also say you need to love mixed media experimental storytelling to like this as we bounce back and forth. The audiobook I think helps this along better than reading on the page. I love books that do this and honestly a lot of this book felt like what I desperately wanted from house of leaves but done better.
Overall it's great and pretentious in the right way as you only have the old screenplay fully taking the art angle seriously.
And it leaves you with a similar feeling I had in head full of ghosts. That in the end, people are the ones that make monsters and suffer the consequences of that making. Perhaps, a theme rather on the mark for our times.

Overall rating: 4/5Writing: 4/5, It's good but nothing outstanding. She is reliable.Plot: 5/5, good whodunit, I enjoyed the mystery a lot. The romance is standardCharacters: 3/5, Again these are formulaic romantic suspense, the characters mostly have one big defining moment that is discussed and the basis of their personality. They're fun but a bit cookie-cutter.
Would I reread?: Probably not, just because these are my easy guilty pleasure books, so when I'm in the mood or need a palette cleanser I grab a new book of hers. Her Vampire Alliance series I have reread but with the Krewe, you might as well just grab a new one rather than reread.

POV: 3rd person limited
Genre: Romantic Paranormal Suspense, Romantic Paranormal Mystery, PNR
Pace: Fast-Paced, her books go pretty fast with the mystery and the romance.Tone: Fun, mysteriousStoryline: These are more plot-driven than character I would say, locked door mystery is the main plotThemes: revenge, romance, mystery, movie sets, hollywoodWriting style: Simple and to the point, focus on a well-plotted mysteryBook Appeal: Great for a cozy paranormal mystery read. I love these when I'm in the mood to zone out with a book a little. It still keeps you guessing, but is fun and easy to read.Type: Standalone Series #6 of Krewe of Hunters, They can be alone or in order. They go in about 4-6 book larger arcs of the teams. This is the 2nd book of the 2nd team. You can bounce around and still enjoy them.Content Warnings: death (on-page a little graphic), cancer death, betrayal Was the Blurb/Genre Accurate: Yes

Listen, we all need guilty pleasures. And this hit my early 00s Roswell Loving Heart. Is it super original? Yes and mostly no. I mean I could name a dozen books that follow a similar formula and similar High School Trope. And It's got the whole biting her lip and him brushing his hair out of his dazzling emerald eyes thing. But did I love it like I was still 17 myself squealing along? Oh, you bet your ass I did.

And frankly, those are the tropes we show up for aren't they? With romance whether YA or Adult I expect certain things from those stories and I love authors that are somewhat formulaic in their style for my go-to-I-don't-want-to-think-about-what-to-read-I-just-want-to-have-fun type books. This series is one I will continue. And you get what you expect to get. The angst, the drama, the scary life or death circumstances of everything. It's all there.

And I wanted to hate these books, to be honest. I wanted to snub my nose at another Twilight-esque book. But I actually really like them. And I found the storyline and the relationship actually pretty good. He isn't a stalker for instance!

The bottom line they are fun and relaxing. This kind of easy read is and always will be my guilty pleasure whether the YA version or the Adult Romance version.

And mentioning the Adult Romance if you like these books and are of Adult age I HIGHLY recommend Gini Koch's “Kitty” Katt Series. Yeah, the main character/narrator even has the same name. They are also Alien Romance just the adult action thriller kind!

I always feel torn with Anne Rice. There were parts of this that I actually really liked. But there is a LOT of incest. Like A LOT! I get the point of it. But it was really uncomfortable to read.

Also, all her books have the repressed Catholic issue of being really weird about sex. Which is why I think she went the direction she did for your vampire anatomy. You get that kind of Catholic guilt here as well.

And while she will always be dear as my first vampire series, they aren't my favorite. There are better vampire characters available nowadays in my opinion that feel freer.

Can I give it 10 stars... Maybe 50?
This short and sweet book nails home every tip you need to write better books. Simple. Straightforward!

This is my 3rd deep pov book and the only one I found useful off the bat! The others failed in enough examples and enough clear directed tips to aid in editing.

This book is gold, pure gold and now if one of my favorites. My notes of these tips will be used in every manuscript from now on AND I have a clear list for my editor to watch out for!

Okay, thoughts? The more I've had time to think and chat with my mom that buddy read this. I hate it kinda. Is it fall vibes? Yes. Is it cute/cozy? Kinda if you don't notice how much he sucks.

Does this give Gilmore Girls vibes?? No, not really at all.
Is this grumpy x sunshine? Also, no not really. The main gal isn't really sunshine, more nervous. And the main guy is really just kind of pathetic and in need of hella therapy. He was maybe grumpy the first few scenes.
Is this spicy? Also, no. I was happy about that as I typically skip those scenes at this point. But I think there's some heavy makeouts and maybe 2 sexy scenes.

Overall opinions. They both needed therapy, badly! The fast romance made ZERO sense as there really weren't any cute moments that make the falling believable. He wasn't all that thoughtful. He really wasn't trying like at all for most of it, because of his issues. I just didn't feel they were really well suited. And expect to be reminded about his ex every few pages.

Also, rubbed me the wrong way that his big embarrassment was related to the fact he doesn't really get to know women or listen to what they want. Just saying.

For the rest of the series. I borderline hate the future pairings that we are introduced to in this book even more. It seems to be a series of women getting with hot but flat and emotionally stunted men. Not really the cute vibes. And really fell short of Gilmore Girl vibes entirely!! It was a cool premise but not a good delivery.

I'm happy that I get to know these characters more in the next books. Really enjoyable characters and tone for a short story. I'm starting the next one this week!

This is to date the most enjoyable book on writing I've read! I feel there is a lot of teaching through story in this book.

He keeps everything brief and direct. You learn about him as a man and as a writer. You see the evolution of his craft which is unique and enlightening.

I'd recommend to any writer, even if we have cell phones and ebooks now there is timeless wisdom inside these pages.