My Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
The Shadow Girls by Alice Blanchard is a thrilling police procedural with an equally compelling personal story. Detective Natalie Lockheart is trying to solve multiple cases while dealing with her feelings over multiple men – sound messy? It is but in only the best ways.
I loved how much was going on in this story. It was never dull, though sometimes a bit confusing because multiple cases meant even more characters than usual, and trying to keep straight who was connected to who and how could be a daunting task. But I wouldn’t change how compelling all the different cases kept the story because it also kept the pace fast.
I also loved how compelling Natalie’s personal story is and how it ended up intertwined with the cases she investigated. Her personal life is very messy, but that just made it fascinating. Almost as fascinating as the town this takes place in. Burning Lake in upstate New York has quite the history, which plays so well in the story. The history of witches, occult activity, and a popular Halloween destination worked well with the story and the mysteries.
The Shadow Girls is the fourth, and I believe, last book in a series, or at least at a pivot point. You can easily read it as a stand-alone, but I feel you will enjoy it so much more if you read the series in order, especially since it’s only four books.
My Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Ghosted by Amanda Quain is an emotional and engaging story that broke my heart and, by the end, stitched it back together. YA stories about teens grieving a dead parent often move me to tears, and Ghosted was no exception. I spent as much time in tears as I did laughing. Henrietta, a senior in high school, lost her father a year ago, and she, her two siblings, and her mother are all stuck in their grief. Of course, they are all experiencing grief differently, but for each of them, it is all-consuming, and they’ve lost their familial bonds with one another. The situation is overwhelmingly sad for me, and the counselor in me just wanted to step in and help this fictional family that is so well fleshed out and developed that it felt very authentic.
The romance is very innocent, and I loved Kit’s pure soul and his small part in significantly changing Hattie’s life. I also adored Hattie, who works so hard to be strong that she loses her identity. The romance is more of an enemies-to-lovers romance as Kit represents everything Hattie says she doesn’t want anything to do with. I always enjoy that relationship dynamic.
I also found the ghost-hunting part of the story fun. Hattie’s mom is the headmistress of the boarding school she and her brother attend. The school has a long history that is featured in ghost documentaries and movies, so it’s a mecca for ghost hunters. This paranormal aspect brings a lot of fun to the story but is also very relevant to the central theme and plot. Ghosted is much more than it might seem from the cover and blurb. It is a multi-layered story about grief and self-discovery.
17 responses to “The Shadow Girls by Alice Blanchard and Ghosted by Amanda Quain #bookreviews #thrillerbooks #thrillerseries #ya #RomCom #paranormal”
Great review. This sounds fantastic.
They are!
Fab reviews, glad you enjoyed them!
I really did 😊
I like the sound of both of these, great reviews 💕
They both are very good!
I lost both my parents when I was a senior in high school so I’m incredibly drawn to books with grieving teens. I like to see how the author handles it. I’m definitely grabbing Ghosted. Fantastic reviews!
I think Quain handled the different kinds of grief responses very well from my experience working with clients (mostly teens) going through it. But I will be curious to hear your thoughts on it having gone through it yourself. I’m so sorry you had to go through that at such a pivotal age. I know it was a rough time for you. 💕
Both great reviews, Tessa. I have only read the first in the Natalie Lockheart series , but always intended to get back to it. Thanks for the reminder about this series.
Yes, you definitely should make time for the rest!
Two good ones, Tessa. I’m excited to get to Ghosted.
Get your Kleenex ready!
Good to know that 4 books in this series is still a win. I’ll definitely be starting at the first book. Great review, Tessa💜
I look forward to seeing your thoughts on it!
Your review of The Shadow Girls drew me in, but it sounds best to start at the beginning.
Two good reviews, Tessa!
She does a very good job of giving background info as the book goes along, so I never felt lost but I could tell there was full blown stories around the info, too.
How do they get multiple love interests and handle them? We find one and that too married dramatically! Ghosted sounds really good. It’s been a long time I read an entertaining ghost book.