Reader – Donna's Reading Chair

Book Review: He Started It

After reading My Lovely Wife I knew I had to get my hands on He Started It…

This is a story of 3 siblings, Beth, Portia, and Eddie, who go on a road trip after their grandfather passes away in order to be eligible for their inheritance from him. This cross country trip takes us on a thrilling ride! The siblings are not close and I can only imagine the grandfather knew what was he was doing as the will states that, “anyone who ends up in jail, who does not complete the trip, or who deviates from the original trip in any way, will get nothing.”

This is a dual timeline book as well with the present time and then 1999 when the siblings took the road trip. The amount of lying and manipulation the siblings do is wild and makes each page turn faster and faster as you need to find out the end results.

With families and then a body in trunks (wait, what did I just say), will these siblings be able to complete the cross-country road trip? Is someone following them? Were they just set up by their grandfather and it’s all a rouse?

4 stars. Great, fast paced thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. The family drama is constant and all of the characters with their flaws add such a fantastic touch. Beth, our narrator, also keeps us on our toes because can we trust her? Overall, great read, you won’t regret picking this one up!

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Title: He Started It

Author: Samantha Downing

Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: July 21, 2020

Find it here on Goodreads

Book Review: Creation’s Captive

Are you ready to hear about the Broken Souls Trilogy? Buckle up…my Kindle Unlimited subscription loves to spoil me with reads and this was one I read with that subscription!

The dedication got me. When you start with dedicating a book to dark romance readers and welcoming them home, I am in. So imagine my disappointment when at 50% in to the book…nothing has happened.

The book takes us through realms and paranormal activity. Vivian has been put through some traumatic events which include essentially being stoned and left for dead by her so called friends. This is after an encounter with a ghost changes her fate, but she can’t help her friend’s fate. Now she’s in college, making TRUE friends, until she gets pulled into a new world…

Enter Leon. Her bonded mate. He’s a destroyer and now they have to stop Morgana and her destroyer from destroying Earth. For what it’s worth, I cannot stand Leon. He is a jerk and I think something is up with him and I just don’t like him. He’s full of himself and just a jerk.

The book ends on a cliffhanger…of course…and now we’re left hanging. Despite the fact that I’m only just meh into this one, I will read the next one because I really hope Leon just gets what should be coming to him. Maybe I’m the only one who cannot stand any time Leon opens his mouth, but I’m hoping to be vindicated in my feelings. It’s a quick read and I read fast, so no sweat.

3 stars. If you’re on the fence, I would skip it. Maybe the next books will make me change my mind for you, but right now, no. Don’t let the dedication suck you in like it did me, you’ll end up disappointed!

Title: Creation’s Captive

Author: Melody Joanne

Genre(s): Fiction, Dark Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy

Publisher: Independently Published

Release Date: April 11, 2024

Find it here on Goodreads

Book Review: Saint X

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for my advance copy of Saint X in exchange for my honest review! (Yes, another delayed review, my apologies, but I’m working through them all!!!)

Saint X is a PERFECT summer read, that is if you’re into thrillers (and I am very much am). It starts off with us realizing that a summer vacation went horribly wrong. It is every parents’ nightmare. You go on vacation with your 2 children and only come home with 1.

Claire is seven years old when her family is turned upside down. She has theories about what happened and goes through life being neglected by her parents. Since her sister, Alison, went missing on a resort island, the local authorities are not interested in looking any further into her disappearance aside from, she drank and got lost.

When her body turns up they close the case and say, she fell and died. They did not seek out if anyone intentionally harmed her, despite the family pleas.

Claire grows up and makes her way to New York City where she runs into one of the men she believed killed her sister. This is where the book takes us on turns, flipping timelines from present to past. The story builds and builds and yes, my book ends in my favorite way…with undisputed closure.

4 stars. SOLID read, great thriller. I enjoyed the mystery of guessing how she died. We have enough to have our own suspicions and then to get that closure, oh that was the chef’s kiss! It was a fun, fast paced read. Great to read at the beach or next to the pool! Just don’t go wandering off anywhere with people you don’t know…

Title: Saint X

Author: Alexis Schaitkin

Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery

Publisher: Celadon Books

Release Date: February 18, 2020

Find it here on Goodreads