It's been a minute since I read a hardcore thriller so when I was deciding my next book after the Fourth Wing series, I knew it had to be one that would satisfy that urge. Ever since reading The Family Plot by Megan Collins, she's become one of my favorite thriller authors so when I got an ARC of her latest novel, Cross My Heart I knew I would be in for a treat. 

Cross My Heart was published on January 14th, 2025 so yes, I am a little more than a month late but it was worth it. This was one of the most interesting book plots I've ever read and had the hairs on the back of my arms standing up more than once. 

If you need an interesting, thoughtful and thrilling book to sink your teeth into, that isn't predictable or too gory, Cross My Heart is that book.

I've read all of Riley Sager's books and I don't think there has been one that I didn't love; even the ones that everyone else didn't love like The House Across the Lake, I appreciated. I'm always excited whenever Sager releases a new book and it immediately gets added to my TBR. That was no different with his latest novel 'Middle of the Night'. 

I was going to pre-order or pick the book up from my library but then I saw it was available as an add on for Book of the Month and decided that was a better solution. It matches all my other Riley Sager books so that's always a plus.

I had purposely stayed away from any reviews or think pieces about the book so my opinion wouldn't be clouded, and I succeeded. I flew through the book and my thoughts were interesting... 

When I read the summary of Mister Magic, I was intrigued. Immediately, my favorite childhood show, Barney, sprung to mind. I think when you read the summary your favorite show will come to mind because it's centered around imagination, innocence, and fun. 

However, you soon learn that's not the case...but nothing is as it seems in the town of Bliss, where Mister Magic was filmed. 

I thought Mister Magic was going to be a favorite of the year for me but it missed the mark; I did not love this book as much as I thought I would because of ultimately, how the book ended. I didn't hate this book, but didn't love it. You kind of have to know what you're going to get yourself into with this novel, and that's why I'm writing this review, even though it's not 100% glowing. 

 Megan Miranda is one of my favorite mystery/thriller authors ever and whenever she releases a new book I immediately pre-order it. I know her stories are easy to read, have tormented characters and will always deliver a nice twist.

I knew her latest, "The Last to Vanish", published on July 26th, wouldn't be any different and I was right. I flew threw the book within a few days and it was a solid read. It definitely wasn't my favorite book by Miranda but I enjoyed it and would recommend to mystery lovers and those who enjoy an easy, mild mystery with a handful of twists. 

Who is sick of book reviews? I'd apologize but I really enjoy writing these posts. I love talking about books and I'm a reader before I'm a writer -- reading has been my safe haven since I was a child and for not one moment has that stopped.

I've become addicted to audiobooks because it allows me to "read" books even when I actually can't read it.

Years ago I would've never guessed that I'd be one for suspenseful and mystery novels but here we are. Most of the books I read, aside from self-help, memoirs, and career books, are mystery thriller novels. If this isn't your first book review Wednesday, you know this about me.

I've talked about the most f***ed up book I've ever read, Pretty Girls, but I honestly think this one beats it.

The Roanoke Girls was just released in March and has taken the publishing world by storm. I saw it on a lot of must-read lists and book reviews from other bloggers I read and I was completely drawn in by the summary.



Lane Roanoke has never met her mother's family; her mother fled the family home when she was 16 years old and pregnant. When her mother commits suicide, Lane is brought back to the place her mother left... with a new cousin, Allegra, grandparents, and an odd, old family house, Lane feels slightly at place in Kansas.

She meets a boy, makes some friends, and bonds with her new cousin. That is, until she discovers a dark, twisted, and disgusting family secret, which causes Lane to flee.

Now, Allegra is missing and it's 10 years later; Lane is forced to come back to face the reasons she left and to help find her cousin.

In classic thriller fashion, the book is told from past and present. You're constantly switching back and forth between Lane first arriving at Roanoke (which is what the family home is called) and her coming back after Allegra disappears.

But that's what Roanoke girls do, they disappear. No girl has ever left Roanoke and came back, expect Lane.

Before I get into the twisted secret, I want to say how much I loved this book. I loved all the characters and thought the development was great; I thought the writing was wonderful and the story was really well thought out. I think this is one of the best books I've read in a while, in terms of how it was written.

There is obviously a love story thrown in here between Lane and Cooper (Lane's old boyfriend from when she first moved to Roanoke) and it's something really powerful and what I find really romantic.

I love the history of Roanoke and I imagined the house so clearly in my mind; a house so rich with history and stories, with hidden passages and rooms... it's so interesting to me.

Now, onto the big part of the story.

I won't reveal anything but I advise you not to read any reviews on Amazon or Goodreads because pretty much everyone gives it away in the first words.

If you pay attention, you'll immediately pick up on it within the first 3 chapters. As the book continues, you'll be trying to remember which Roanoke girl is which and you'll figure it out. I say you'll figure it out because I did. Even though you may know what's happening, you won't really know until midway through the book when you're just like HOLY SHIT I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT'S ACTUALLY TRUE.

The ending of the book, when the mystery is solved, it's so satisfying and so beyond what you thought was going to happen. It's incredible

The Roanoke Girls is SO WEIRD and SO SICK but it's so interesting. If you're squeamish, you may not be able to handle it and I'd be lying if I said there were times when I didn't want to gag but it's such a good book.

I promise you, you won't be able to put it down and you'll want to finish it within a few hours of cracking it up.

If anyone reads it and wants to freak out over it, please email me 'briana@royallypink.com' -- I feel like I really need to discuss it with someone!

Happy reading :) 
xoxo
B

Back at it with another thriller book review. This was not so much as thriller as the rest of them and it was a rather quick read.... er listen.

The Perfect Girl centers around Zoe, a teenager who lives with her mom & her new stepfamily. Zoe has a secret that her and her mother, Maria, have kept between them for so long. It's weighing heavily on Zoe and eventually, it all comes to light.

Within a few hours after her stepfamily finds out, Maria turns up dead.



The entire book centers around trying to figure out how Maria died and flashes back and forth between Zoe's POV, Zoe's aunts POV, and Zoe's lawyer(?).

There are a few other story lines within the book but the main one has to do what happened with Zoe in the past, and what is happening with Maria's death.

Eventually, you find out what happened and it was super interesting, and it was even more interesting the way the book ended.

Was I seething at the mouth to find out what happened? Kind of but not as much as other books. This was on the more predictable side of thriller novels but it was still awesome.

I really did enjoy this book; it was just the right amount of suspense and mystery while also being entertaining. I would highly recommend this as it was interesting and a quick easy read.

*PS: Sorry if this seemed all over the place. I read this a while ago! Still a great book though ;) 

I went on a book buying binge before putting my Audible subscription on hold a few months ago. I wasn't in the mood for books and I had been listening to my podcasts on the commute to and from work, so I thought putting the subscription on hold was for the best.

One of the books I purchased before putting the freeze on my account was The Girl Before by JP Delaney. It's in that suspense/thriller genre (my favorite obviously!) and boy was this a doozy.

The book is the classic "goes back and forth to past and present" and is narrated by two women, Emma and Jane. The premises is surrounded around the idea of living a minimalist life in a house created by a famous architect.

The house is One Folgate Street and is a special kind of house with a lot of rules. If you don't follow the rules, there are problems, as one will find out.



That is a very vague description and I can't describe the book properly without giving a lot of detail away, so read the description on Amazon (*you can head to the "Favorite Book" category page in my navigation bar to shop my favorite books!)

I'll get right to my review...

I loved this book! It was so different from everything else I've read and reviewed on the blog. It had a deeper meaning than just being a mystery novel. It was about examining your life when something bad happens to you and dealing with it in a way that suits you. What lengths are you willingly to go to feel safe?

It's also the kind of book that will throw you for twists and turns; you think one thing but then something different happens. I will say though, I knew who committed whatever crime/mystery a little less than half way through the book. I think I've just gotten good at figuring out what the writers are thinking.

This was an easy, quick yet interesting read and I think it's a book that would be a great listen instead of read! A perfect one for your first, free Audible book *if you haven't checked it out yet*

What is on your reading list?
xoxo
B

This was one of the last thriller books I read before taking my plunge back into the celebrity memoirs. It was a really good book for a send off out of this phase; I really enjoyed the entire plot, the narrator and everything about it.

"What She Knew" is a thriller by Gilly Macmillan that was released last December and it was her first novel ever released. Well, what a novel.

It wasn't on the edge of your seat thriller, but the last few chapters were wild. Like all good thrillers, in my opinion, it had the classic twist where you just didn't see it coming. You're floored beyond words and you want to scream and throw the book across the room.

Or that's just me...

What She Knew centered around a kidnapping/missing child. It's set in England, where all my favorite books take place, and Rachel is out with her son Ben when he runs ahead of her, and suddenly is gone.



Rachel is divorced from Ben's dad, but all seems well in the Jenner household. There isn't any prolonging drama between the parents, and everything seems very ordinary.

The book is a little slow at the beginning, not in the boring way, but in the way that a lot of time passes before they find anything related to the missing boy. There are a lot of suspects, with pretty good motive, but none of them stick.

Also like all good thrillers, the narrative switches back and forth between Rachel and the cop involved with the case. The cop's part of the tale is told through diary entries with his therapist, because the case really messed with his head, for reasons you find out later on.

There are a handful of other stories going on while everyone is looking for Ben, and it's very interesting to see it all play out. There's a story involving Rachel and her family that is a really interesting twist and a nice addition to the story.

Not too much detail was given out, like in another thriller I read, and it kept my attention the entire way through.

The author does lead you to believe there is one specific suspect, and you just have a feeling that it's exactly that person, when the rug is pulled out from under you.

I definitely give "What She Knew" my seal of approval; it was a quick read but in the best way possible.

What books have you read lately?