Beta Vulgaris by Margie Sarsfield Review

This is a spoiler-free review! This book contains detailed descriptions of disordered eating, depression, and dissociation.

Elise and her boyfriend, Tom, take off to Minnesota for the sugar beet harvest, with Elise hoping that the money she earns from the harvest will hold off the never-ending bills and rent payments that come with living in Brooklyn. As she and Tom arrive to the harvest, strange occurrences haunt her journey and Elise begins to question the things she is seeing, hearing, and even herself. From strange and threatening text messages to the slow disappearance of her fellow harvesters, her trip to earn a paycheck quickly transforms into something much more sinister.

When Tom begins to form a close friendship with another sugar beet harvester, Elise becomes consumed with their relationship, sending her backwards into a spiral of depression, relapsing in her eating disorder, and questioning everything around her. With each passing day, Elise's paranoia takes a new turn, and her dissociation dives deeper as the sugar beet harvest calls to her in a way she never expected. The consumption industry's dark side takes root in Elise, and the sugar beets call to her, luring her further into their world of growth and destruction just as Elise is falling apart.

Sarsfield creates such a unique premise with this novel - both horror and caution, Beta Vulgaris takes a jarring turn as Elise and Tom's seemingly mundane journey is suddenly filled with vanishing coworkers and the allure of the beet pile. Even prior to arriving to the harvest location, the author pulls the readers into unknown territory along with her main characters, leaving us just as lost as they are. Unprepared for the drastic turns their story will take, Tom and Elise's relationship begins to fall to shambles the longer they become one with the beets. As they dig deeper to harvest, they are thrust deeper into madness.

To read about a main character that truly seems to have no appreciation for herself and just has genuine distaste for how her life is going is something I have not come across. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh is the closest I can think of, but even that lead did not harbor dislike towards herself, but rather the idea of doing tasks and living every single day. Elise is so focused on just getting to payday that she neglects herself and instead places sole focus on why Tom is drawn to another harvester, Cee. She is consumed by anxiety and obsession with this development, and in turn is thrown back into her own past self-destruction. Every internal thought that consumed Elise's mind was boggling, and while I could not relate to her struggles, witnessing her thought processes felt like I was living them.

The entire concept of the sugar beets luring the harvesters into the beet pile was incredibly surreal and I felt as though I was slowly descending into madness as the beets called to the characters like sirens to sailors. Sarsfield's ability to turn these inanimate objects into things of power and persuasion illustrates her capabilities to entrance not only her characters, but the readers as well. I was left questioning the story as a whole, mostly because I felt as though I was sent through the looking glass and experienced an entirely different dimension.

For fans of Bunny by Mona Awad, Sarsfield's debut novel takes you on a journey of transformation, uncertainty, and the horrors of consumption. Literary fiction and horror intertwine in this consuming tale of self-destruction and fall into madness - I highly recommend picking this up if you are looking for something completely out of your element and willing to be thrown into Elise's compelling journey.

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Scythe & Sparrow (The Ruinous Love Trilogy, #3) by Brynne Weaver Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Please check trigger warnings before reading - reader discretion is advised. You can read my review of Butcher & Blackbird and Leather & Lark on my blog, now!

He's a doctor and she's a serial killer - y'all know I was shaking in my seat waiting for this book to become available. I absolutely loved Butcher & Blackbird, but had mixed feelings about Leather & Lark, so I needed this final installment to really deliver. Right off the bat, Rose and Fionn had me cackling - Rose is incredibly unserious, and Fionn takes everything extremely seriously, making them the perfect match. When a less-than-perfect murder attempt goes awry, Rose finds herself in the care of Fionn. I loved this forced proximity situation - Rose and Fionn had such great banter and the tension was literally dripping off of the page.

Rose's characterization definitely resembled Sloane's compared to the other characters in the series, and I appreciated how the author was able to really show her and Fionn's feelings as they spent more time together. Especially considering Rose's affliction for the casual murder and body disposal, her care-free nature and sarcasm truly showed another side of the coin regarding her personality. Fionn's more restricted actions and his constant need to want to control his vices complicated Rose's more impulsive personality, and her presence actually allowed him to embrace his more darker callings.

Everyone from the first two installments decided to make their presences known, and I was pleased to see them return and have significant interactions with Fionn and Rose. The bonds the girls make with one another is always a great touch, and watching the brothers reconnect and hash out some old disagreements showed true sibling relationships. The supporting characters, especially those in the crochet group, allowed Rose to gain some interaction outside of Fionn. Considering she was no longer with her circus friends, this was a great touch to continue to show her social personality compared to Fionn's loner tendencies.

I will never look at cotton candy the same way again. First it was the cookies and cream ice cream, then the pizza, and now this. Weaver really knows how to make the most insane creative choices to have her readers' jaws on the floor. I truly thought it was going to go in another direction, and while it was not as bad as I expected, I still had to take a lap around the room after reading that scene. All of the spicier scenes with Rose and Fionn were close to the same leave as Sloane and Rowan, and it was a definite improvement compared to the scenes in Leather & Lark.

The action portion of this book had me invested and intrigued - I could feel the stakes rise as the plot continued, and Rose's safety was certainly at high risk as we approached multiple obstacles and antagonists in this story. Having the other couples involved in some of the action allowed the ensemble to be utilized, and Weaver's incorporation of these characters made the action even more engaging. Watching revenge being dished and wrongs being avenged by multiple characters was entertaining and fit in well with their character development.

This was a great way to round out the trilogy, and I especially enjoyed the epilogues - I felt as though they were truly able to tie everything together in the end. I definitely have some mixed feelings about this series, but overall I had a great time with all of these characters, and while I am sad that it is over, I look forward to reading more of Weaver's work in the future.

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The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I have not felt a thrill like this since season two of Tell Me Lies aired - this was exactly what I was looking for: messy friend group, insane secrets, competitive friendships, and absolute chaos. As the reader, you are immediately thrown into craziness, and spend the entire book watching as the characters take everything one step too far, while simultaneously avoid being held accountable for their actions. Clare, our very unreliable narrator, is thrown into a world where she is clearly the outsider, yet longingly wants to be part of an inner circle that will never accept her.

Her co-dependency on Tabitha and their slightly more than platonic relationship is the driving force for Clare's eagerness to join a friend group full of people that truly do not even like each other. As she reinvents herself in order to please those around her, secrets are revealed and dig their claws into her life, desperate to come out yet aggressively pushed under the surface in order to salvage her standing in the group. The group will be accepting one moment, then cold and distant the next - while Clare pretends this does not interfere with her internal drive for acceptance, it is visible to the group, ensuring their hold over her actions.

Tabitha very clearly will die if she is not the center of attention, and it is clear from her actions and deep-rooted desire to be the leader in every situation. While she does hold the power, the others are not immune to the desire to be in charge - you see them conform to her will, yet are quick to side against her the minute she leaves the room. Their toxic tendencies make this an exhilarating read, keeping you on the edge of your seat solely to see what insane side plot they will come up with to descend upon the locals.

Watching Clare slowly unravel and reveal the most insane and chaotic information about herself was like watching a car wreck in action but in slow motion. She is absolutely unhinged, and with her as the narrator, we are thrust into her line of thinking and deranged logic she places behind every one of her choices. It was hilarious to watch Tabitha match her freak, and then totally go off the rails when she realized Tabitha is just as unpredictable as herself. Everyone is manipulating everyone in subtle ways, and the consequences of their actions causes such a severe snowball effect.

Finn's presence as a side character provided the outsider's view, especially when he and Clare essentially began on the same social standing when the book began. His commentary on the group before Clare slowly became entangled with them only intensified as he watched Clare become one of them. However, it seemed that while Clare longed to be a part of their group, she was still quick to dismiss the closeness she shared with them when conversing with Finn.

This was juicy and addicting... every chapter had me sucked further into the madness, and as the characters turned sour, it only draws you in more. Watching their slow descent into revealing their true intentions behind every carefully thought out action was like seeing into their mind and understanding how their brains functioned. Darwent's ability to create three-dimensional characters while only giving the perspective of one is worthy of the highest of praises.

For fans of The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Bunny by Mona Awad, and Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering, this book captures the intense and intimate relationships that entwine a deeply dysfunctional friend group that has dire consequences on their lives. I absolutely loved the complex character development and conflicting actions made by the characters, and cannot wait to see what Darwent has in store in her next work.

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Leather & Lark (The Ruinous Love Trilogy, #2) by Brynne Weaver Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Please check trigger warnings before reading - reader discretion is advised. You can read my review of Butcher & Blackbird on my blog, here.

Well... this was... something. I had absolutely loved Butcher & Blackbird, and was excited to dive into this book ahead of the final installment's release. I genuinely do not understand how we went from the first book to this one - it felt as though Lark and Lachlan had no chemistry between each other until the very end of the book. Compared to Sloane and Rowan, this was a major downgrade and really made the book tough to get through.

Lachlan is constantly growling at Lark, and while kind of cute at first, it became very tired, very fast. That goes for the Batman references and Lark's never-ending cackling at every other thing that comes out of Lachlan's mouth. I am assuming this was supposed to play into banter between the two, but it was giving more "I want my character to be crazy but not too crazy" which just ended up falling flat in the end.

Looking back at the content from the first book and comparing it to what we see in Leather & Lark, I was pretty disappointed. The pizza smoothie was truly the only thing that made me uncomfortable, whereas the first book had so much going on all of the time. We get one third of the way into this book and essentially nothing of importance has happened besides Lark and Lachlan meeting. Sloane and Rowan show up so much in the beginning, you would have thought that this book was supposed to be centered around them instead of Lark and Lachlan.

It does not bring me any pleasure in saying that this book was honestly boring, and maybe I went in with high expectations, but I never would have anticipated such a turn from the plot. The killing is minimal and the relationship between Lark and Lachlan does not really become anything until after 70% into the book. The spice scenes are so tame compared to other dark romance book out there, and to be frank, this was basically just heavy petting until the bonus chapter at the very end.

The "action" chapters that were supposed to have me worried for the characters fell short, and it felt obvious on what was going to happen as the story went on. If I could have shouted into the pages of this book at the characters, so much would have been avoided if they communicated with each other and some of the side characters. For being murders, they were incredibly unaware of events unfolding around them.

I wish I had more to say - there were some moments between Lachlan and Lark that made me think the story was about to turn a corner, but then the plot would get sidetracked and any development felt abandoned. Everything kept coming back to Sloane and Rowan, and it felt pretty clear that the author should have just written another book about them or kept Butcher & Blackbird as a standalone instead of expanding on their story. I think I will wrap up this series once Scythe & Sparrow is released, but I would not continue if the series was not already coming to a close.

By total coincidence, this is the second book in a row I have read involving a male lead with the last name Kane and a marriage of convenience trope. Big shout out to Terms and Conditions, you were able to keep my good memories of these tropes alive.

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Butcher & Blackbird (The Ruinous Love Trilogy, #1) by Brynne Weaver Review

This review contains mild spoilers for Butcher & Blackbird. Please check trigger warnings before reading - reader discretion is advised.

TikTok... I am sorry for repeatedly bashing you in previous reviews, I should have believed you on this one. I had a blast and a half reading this book - for being a dark romance, it was incredibly humorous, and I was constantly dropping my jaw at how insane yet perfect Sloane and Rowan were throughout the entire book. While I am still traumatized from The Fine Print by Lauren Asher, it was an utter shock to be faced with another male lead named Rowan Kane - from page one, I replaced him with Cooper from Trap (2024).

The trigger warning list in the beginning in this book was how I knew it would be one of my favorite reads of the year - if it's the length of a laundry list, it is right up my alley. Honestly, the mention of Country Roads should have been a trigger in of itself - that song haunts me wherever I go, and I cannot seem to escape it, even in fiction. Sloane and Rowan are hilarious in their own unique ways, and it was great watching them push each other's buttons as the story went on. Even at their first meeting, when Rowan is hollering "I'm such a huge fan," to Sloane and fan-girling over her hard, I knew readers would be in for a treat.

I loved the friendship dynamic between Sloane and Lark - you could tell that Sloane needed that outside support to keep her from slipping, and while Rowan was a great outlet for that part of her, Lark provided a different level of structure for her. Watching serial killers be the voice of reason for one another was certainly an experience, but the author was able to really allow them to be vulnerable without creating any clichés. Lark smacks sense into Sloane while still being protective of her, and I can only imagine how she will be in her own installment of this trilogy.

The side characters added dimension to Rowan and Sloane's characterization without overshadowing their plot, and had me excited for when they showed up on the page -- too often in dark romances, the side characters are there to cause issues or try to talk the main characters out of things. It was refreshing to see that it was the opposite in this case, and I definitely look forward to seeing how all of their stories play out in the future. Lark was such a great asset for Sloane, and Rowan's brothers and acquaintances added to their story in a natural way.

I am so obsessed with Rowan and Sloane as a couple - their dynamic is so difference compared to anything else that I have read, and this particular trope is something that I have not come across before. Sloane keeping the fact that one of the men they were after was a cannibal from Rowan and did not bring it up until after Rowan literally ate the food he cooked truly describes their relationship. Her reading out the ingredients to the cookies and cream ice cream was literally the cherry on top, and reminded me so much of Hannibal and Will from NBC's Hannibal. The way Rowan kept a table permanently reserved for Sloane at his restaurant was too cute, and their banter continued to be great through the entire book.

Sloane was really out here humbling Rowan at every chance she got, and I was cheering her on the entire time. I loved that being serial killers was low-key their side hustle, and Rowan maintains being a whole chef -- even going as far as to send Rowan orzo and other food items to make sure that she was eating. As a lover of orzo, I would have married him right there on the spot. Rowan and Sloane are so unserious with one another, it is actually comical -- the entire "lo-bot-o-my," "you love me?" scene had me cackling so hard, and the way that Sloane was about to be on her last straw with Rowan made it even better.

This is probably the most fun I have ever had while reading a dark romance in a long time, and The Ritual by Shantel Tessier is the closest in similarity regarding comedy. I will definitely be continuing on with this trilogy, and cannot wait to see what Lark has in store for us as a leading lady.

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A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers Review

This review contains very mild spoilers for A Certain Hunger. A list of trigger warnings can be found here.

Welcome to the NBC's Hannibal to girlboss cannibalism pipeline, so glad you could join us for dinner. We are taken into the mind of Dorothy, a woman jailed for her actions as a food critic turned cannibal, through her first-person memoir as she recounts her journey that led her to where she is. Dorothy is quick, frank, and gets straight to the point as she details her killings -- and recipes -- to the greatest extent. 

With each chapter focusing on a particular dish, accompanied often by a particular kill or experience, we gain insight on Dorothy's inner workings and her view on life, food, and the complications of feelings. She recounts her initial love for food and the day that she was thrown into a career as a food critic, her college days and friendship with Emma, and the countless entanglements she has with men who become meals.

Dorothy's meticulous planning of both her meals and her killings are done in such a way where both feel as though she is reading through a recipe book and adjusting the measurements to her own preference. She is sharp and calculated with nearly everything she does in her life, even after she is jailed -- we see it in the group therapy sessions, her refusal to allow Emma to visit her, and her acknowledgement of her never-empty commissary account.

She is at times reckless, and some could argue that the feelings she claims she does not experience make an appearance when she is at her most vulnerable. However, her recklessness is still coated in careful planning and has passion behind it, even if it ends in carnage. At times her killings are spontaneous, even taking her by surprise in the moment, and others have been brewing inside her for some time before executing them, much like her take down of a certain food critic magazine founder.

Some of the men that Dorothy killed were actually good people -- and even she admits that, literally during some of her plots she admits that some did not deserve the meal that they became, if only they had been more careful with their actions. Loyal to Dorothy, but not loyal to their wives. Unable to be persuaded to eat anchovies, but able to focus on it until his last breath. The men that Dorothy surrounds herself with all have flaws that may initially turn other people away from them, but draw Dorothy in -- perhaps the intrigue overshadows the indiscretions, perhaps the sex really was that good -- and that leads Dorothy down a road she expected she would eventually go down.

Summers stays true to the satire of early foodieism in the book summary as we see the exaggeration of Dorothy's superiority when it comes to cooking and ingredients, reviewing restaurants, and the transition from glossy printed magazines to the online buzzword food articles. From the preference of white truffle versus black truffle -- personally, I agree with Dorothy on the favoritism of the white truffle -- to the graphic depictions of Dorothy's crimes and acknowledgement of her elitism, Summers is able to create such a complex character that pulls traits from the likes of Amy Dunne of Gone Girl and Patrick Bateman of American Psycho.

The writing is extraordinary and I cannot believe this is the author's first novel -- it truly is one of the most compelling reads that I have come across as a reader. The complexity of Dorothy's character and relationships she forms with her lovers/meals, along with the friendship she has with Emma bring her character such depth that you feel as though you know everything you could about her in under three hundred pages. Dorothy is clearly not the perfect person, and a single slip-up being her downfall shows that even the most strategic killer can be brought down by a simple mistake.

A page-turning read that has you on the edge of your seat as Dorothy recounts every step she took that led her to where she is now, from Corpse Reviver #2 to barely edible prison food and cup noodle, we are taken on her journey fueled by rage, intrigue, and superiority. A must-read for readers looking to expand their literary genres and explore unhinged main characters that lead you to root for their success, even as they commit truly heinous acts.

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A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham Review

This review does not contain spoilers for A Flicker in the Dark. Trigger warnings include self-harm, suicide, sexual assault, drug use, and murder.

I personally was not a fan of the author's style of writing -- I found that it read a little choppy in the beginning and felt as though the main character was throwing facts and information at you that were not relevant to the story that they were trying to tell. Rather than reading with a flow, it read more like you were in someone's head trying to follow a thought process about something that even they did not understand what was going on or what was necessary to the plot. The story did not pick up for me until about two thirds of the way through when the story really started to evolve.

However, it is definitely a quick read -- you are easily drawn into the world of our main character, Chloe, a medical psychologist with a serial killer as a father. She quickly becomes involved in the search for girls who are going missing twenty years after her father was arrested for the very same thing. Told through both twenty-year-old memories and present time, we see Chloe's development from discovering her father was doing wicked things to her life decades later being thrown right back into the ring.

We get an inside look from Chloe on what these girls were like before her father murdered them as the book progresses -- each of the girls with their own stories, personalities, and stand-out traits that have stayed with Chloe over the years. 

Willingham gives us an inside look at Chloe's relationship with these girls -- how well she knew them, if they were friends, if they only talked to her because they liked her brother -- the more we read on, the more we see how they influenced her as well. Additionally, we are able to see the events that took place leading up to Chloe's father's arrest and how he came to be identified as the one who murdered these girls.

The journalist looking into these new copycat killings definitely causes an internal battle for Chloe as she is basically forced to relive her father's killings all over again, but as if she is aware of what is happening the entire time. He comes into her life the month before the twenty year anniversary of the first girls' disappearance, and is there to stay until these killings are solved -- and he makes it very clear to Chloe that even if she does not speak to him, he will continue to look into the new murders.

Chloe's relationship with her brother, Cooper, and with her fiancé, Daniel, are complicated to put it simply. It feels as though she never shows her true self to anyone, not even herself. We learn more about Chloe and her complicated past as the story progresses, and with it I found myself viewing her as an unreliable narrator. She puts herself in unnecessary circumstances and continues to make every possible wrong move, convincing herself that she is doing the right thing.

I personally found this book a little predictable, but I have always been good with guessing the ending to things, especially horror and thriller movies. The author was able to tie up all loose ends, and in my opinion, I think the main character had the ending she deserved for herself. I would recommend this book to fans of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Bleeding Hearts by Dana Louise Provo -- read my review, here.

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The Housemaid by Freida McFadden Review

This review does not contain spoilers for The Housemaid. Trigger warnings include domestic abuse, violence, and crime.

There are a ton of writing cliches littered throughout this book - even in the first chapter, we see a "I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding" line from our main character, Millie.

I also Google Translated the Italian landscaper, Enzo, said to Millie, and it was obvious that our lead was in danger from the beginning. And it is clear that Millie thought just the same, and did just that as well. The second she realized that Enzo had told her "danger," she should have turned around and ran away from that family as fast as she could.

Nina and Cecelia freak me out -- Nina definitely keeps information from Millie and chooses what she knows. Keeping vital information from Millie and causing rifts early on in Millie's employment can only lead her down a dark road. The way that Nina interacts with Millie when they are in front of other people astounds me. Even if you are not too found of someone, I could never imagine talking about them right in front of their face and speaking so rudely to someone that you originally said was so amazing.

I found myself constantly feeling bad for Andrew during Part I of the book -- he clearly was not happy in his marriage with Nina and it become glaringly obvious as you get further into the book. However, in the second half of the book, my pity for him turned to suspicion, especially after the countless warnings Enzo gives Millie.

We have a change in perspective as Nina's point of view takes the lead in Part II of the book, where we are able to see the early stages of Nina and Andrew's relationship and marriage. It completely changed my stance on the characters, as we are introduced to the other side of the story we had only expected. Enzo's character development and Nina's background are given top priority in these chapters, and it was very interesting to see their dynamic play out.

Part III takes us back to Millie's perspective and shows the progression of her time in Nina and Andrew's house, and we also maintain a glimpse into Nina's perspective as the conclusion fast approaches. McFadden does a pretty good job of developing all three of the main characters and their personalities as the tone of the book shifts the more you read. Millie and Nine have their ultimate "girlboss" moments that were mildly unexpected, but certainly well-received.

In all honesty, when I was a few chapters in, I wasn't too sure if I was going to enjoy this as much as I did. The writing was a little iffy for me, but with the short chapters it became a very quick read and I found myself flying through the book in no time. The plot takes a moment to heat up and I had to push myself in the beginning to keep going, but I'm very glad that I stuck with it to the end.

I would recommend this book to fans of Verity by Colleen Hoover -- you can read my review, here -- and Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage, as well as fans of psychological thrillers. If you have not read the two mentioned books and enjoyed The Housemaid, then I definitely recommend picking them up!

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Verity by Colleen Hoover Review

This review contains spoilers for Verity - please read with caution. Trigger warnings include graphic depictions of violence, child death and violence, and murder.

You can read my reviews for other Colleen Hoover books on my blog, here: It Ends With Us and Finding Cinderella.

I want to start off this review by saying this has to be one of Colleen Hoover's best works -- Verity is very different from her other novels, but the suspense of reading this book had me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book to fans of thriller and psychological genres, especially fans of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Bunny by Mona Awad.

The first chapter of Verity does not even begin to describe the emotions and twists that you will be put through by the end of the book. Hoover starts us off by immediately having our main female character, Lowen, bear witness to a tragedy that she could have been spared from seeing if the circumstances were in her favor. This tragedy brings our main male character, Jeremy, into Lowen's life and his presence is not fleeting -- he is here to stay. If only I could yell into the pages and warn Lowen that any man with a "J" name is not to be trusted, she would not be in this mess.

Lowen, a writer whose books are being published but not hitting the charts, is brought to a meeting where she is offered the chance to finishing writing Verity Crawford's bestselling thriller series, as she has been in an accident that leaves her unable to do so. And because there are no coincidences in Hoover's books, Jeremy happens to be Verity's husband, aiding in the search for a co-author.

Jeremy and Lowen's first interaction with each other was Jeremy help clean blood off of Lowen and bond over the fact that they both had a death in the family very recently. And as soon as they have the opportunity, they leave each other's lives and are just as quickly thrown back in when Lowen decides to accept the offer of completing Verity's book series. Personally if I was Lowen, I would be running for the hills -- why does her writing sound so similar to Verity's? How did they discover this? 

Under a pen name, Lowen accepts the offer once negotiating the price, and travels to Jeremy and Verity's home in order to go through her office and notes to get herself sorted and in the mindset to complete the series. It is in her office that Lowen discovers a manuscript -- Verity's autobiography -- and begins a descent into unravelling who Verity was as a person before her accident, and what haunts this family. Lowen will read a chapter at a time, and if I was in her shoes, I would be devouring the entire manuscript instead of putting it away when she felt it became "repetitive," as this causes Lowen to only know part of Verity's side to the story as she continues to stay at the Crawford home. 

Verity's manuscript is filled with some of the most insane encounters and actions that I have read. She thinks about killing one of her daughters, Harper, because she thinks Harper will kill Chastin. The things that she did to Harper are insane, I have never read a book where a character had such a harsh reveal of their actions, and I was truly shocked.

In a home that does not feel like a home, Lowen begins to spend her time reading this manuscript rather than actually sorting through Verity's notes on her book series. We begin to Lowen judge Verity's actions and somewhat confront Verity once strange occurrences happen near Verity. I was on the edge of my seat when Crew, Jeremy and Verity's son, was found in Verity's room with a knife and bleeding from his chin -- especially when he told Lowen that his mother does not like it when he touches her knives. Like Lowen, if there was a sign to get out of that house, this would be it.

As I was reading this book, I was increasingly becoming paranoid that Verity was literally going to be standing behind me wherever I turned -- Hoover does a great job in creating her presence in the house and in Lowen's life. It felt as if Verity was haunting not only Lowen but the reader as well, almost like you could feel her presence when you were reading scenes where Lowen was sure that Verity was standing at the stairs or in the window. Every time it was mentioned that Verity was either awake or walking around, I could only picture Samara from The Ring movies.

This book had me on the edge of my seat and constantly looking over my shoulder as I devoured this in essentially one sitting. Hoover draws the reader immediately in and you are given new, wild information about Verity throughout the book at the pace of Lowen's interest in her manuscript. We see the outside view of Lowen and Jeremy's relationship through the eyes of April, Verity's nurse, and through Crew, the sole living child of Verity.

Much like how Verity's manuscript showed her obsession with Jeremy, we slowly see Lowen go deeper and deeper into a trace for Jeremy, and eventually Lowen seems to make her time at the Crawford house revolve around Verity and not completing her book series.

It was so incredibly interesting to see Verity's thought process through her manuscript pages and the constant struggles and battles she faced internally and with her family. Her husband expresses early on that he could potentially have more love for the twins than his own wife, and we see Verity's immediate struggle with the realization that the one person that was supposed to love her the most in her life has pushed her down to third place.

I personally thought it was clear that Verity's manuscript was leading to the fact that she knew that Jeremy thought that she had something to do with Harper's death -- even in the beginning of the book when it was revealed that she drowned in the lake, I had a feeling that it was very much not an accident. It is gripping to read Verity's chapters, and the final words in her manuscript only confirm what I had thought, that it was Verity who gave herself the fate she finds herself in now.

But then I read her letter.

Verity's letter to Jeremy reads so differently than her manuscript, feeling filled with more hopeful emotions and urgency to explain her side of the story and give reasoning behind what she wrote in her manuscript. To see her describe Jeremy already have read the manuscript and basically attempt to murder her had me gasping aloud. She is pleading with Jeremy to understand the manuscript and what she witnessed while being in the house as Lowen entered their home and eventually found the printed version of the manuscript Verity so desperately wanted to find.

This letter, explaining that she did not kill her child and that Jeremy was the one responsible for her car accident, makes the reader take a harsh turn into Verity's mindset -- we have only been exposed to her thoughts through a manuscript claiming that she has done a number of heinous things, and now we see her pleading to Jeremy to understand what he actually saw. When Lowen found the letter, I knew in my heart that there was no way Jeremy would ever read it or know it its existence -- he has just murdered his wife, and what would it do to him to find out that she was not the culprit? And what if Lowen is right, and Verity only wrote the letter recently, to cover her tracks or if she survived his attempt on her life? So, that leaves one final question on what to believe.

Are you team manuscript or team letter?

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