August was a bit of a random reading month. I read some contemporary, with a little romance and two VERY dark books that were chilling to the bone.
This book started off really depressing, and I thought I had chosen a fun summer chick-lit read (which it definitely wasn’t). However, as I got past the halfway mark, it got better!
I was surprised by the wit and humor in Espach’s writing. I enjoyed the character development and the depth of the trials Phoebe was facing.
There were some humorous parts that I was not expecting, so there’s that.
Overall, it was a good read, just not my favorite.
Slow Dance was a bit of a miss for me. It started off really strong, Shiloh and Carey were best friends throughout high school, and eventually became romantic in college. 14 Years later they are reconnected at their best friend, Mickey’s wedding.
Unfortunately, from there it went downhill for me. It was slow and steady and I only kept reading to find out what happened in the end.
I appreciated Rowell’s writing, and short chapters are always a plus. But this one just didn’t have enough to fall in love with the characters or the storyline.
The Butterfly Garden had me in a chokehold. Holy moly this book was dark, horrific and seriously disturbing. If you like crime/thrillers than you will like this.
The book starts out with FBI Agents interviewing a survivor, a “butterfly” set free from captivity. The young girl is named Maya. She is one of the butterflies and is a survivor from a serial killer. As Maya is telling her story, the FBI Agents learn more about the man known as the Gardener, who kidnaps young women and tattoos butterfly wings on their backs before torturing them and keeping them captive in his garden. I am not going to give any more of the plot. You are just going to have to pick it up and read it.
Wow, Ihli had me on the edge of my seat and flipping the pages so fast!!
Literally read this book in 24 hours. It has a unique plot, and the storyline is easy to follow (even with 3 different POVs). If you like dark and twisty thrillers, you will like this one.
I recommend going in blind, it’s much better that way.
If you like mood reading, I highly recommend the last two for spooky season. If you’re more a romance reader check out some of my favorites so far here.
