Book Review: This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum

August 29, 2026July 31, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★.5
Audience: Mystery / Thriller
Length: 357 pages
Author: Tiffany Crum
Publisher: Flatiron
Release Date: March 10th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Benny Abbott and Joy Moore host one of the most beloved podcasts in the world. Each week, they delight listeners with a different “against all odds” survival story, gleefully finding the weird, life-affirming humor in near-death experiences. Since their first episode on Joy’s experience with severe narcolepsy, they’ve been the best friends everyone wants to befriend—and thanks to the meticulous management of Joy’s husband, Xander, they’ve built a lucrative empire.

The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander’s one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple’s disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy’s memoir. Benny will stop at nothing to find them, even as the police zero in on him as their prime suspect.

Millions of devoted listeners think they know the “real” Benny and Joy. But as the hours tick by, and the odds seem increasingly stacked against Joy and Xander being found alive, not even the most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets their favorite famous BFFs have hidden from the world—and from each other.

READ THE AUDIOBOOK.

This is another one of those thrillers where I feel like the whole experience is even better listening to the audio production. I loved the narrators and the added touches to the podcast moments and phone calls, etc. that really brought everything together.

I loved the writing and how easy it was to fall into this story. I was swept from the get go and listened much faster than I anticipated. I’m a notorious picky reader about thrillers but this delivered. I thought the plot rolled out in an interesting way that kept enough back while leaving crumbs that make you want to know what happens next.

My tiny little thing was that part of the plot was evident from the get-go for me. Besides that I thought the connections and hidden pieces were shocking. I loved the complicated dynamics that formed and how all of the side characters being met influenced the timeline.

And I think the ending solidified how much I loved this book. It was a much more complete ending than I have typical found in the genre which brought that sense of peace at closing that I tend to lean towards. I’m absolutely looking forward to this author’s next book!

Overall audience notes:

Thriller / Mystery
Language: mild
Romance: closed door
Violence: high
Content warnings: domestic abuse, partner abuse, murder, physical altercations

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Book Review: His & Hers by Alice Feeney

July 9, 2026February 3, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Thriller
Length: 304 pages
Author: Alice Feeney
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Release Date: July 28th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

There are two sides to every story: yours and mine, ours and theirs, His & Hers. Which means someone is always lying.

When a woman is murdered in Blackdown, a quintessentially British village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Detective Jack Harper is suspicious of her involvement, until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation. Someone isn’t telling the truth, and some secrets are worth killing to keep.

His & Hers is a twisty, smart, psychological thriller. A gripping tale of suspense, told by expertly-drawn narrators that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

GOOD HEAVENS.

Since I’m on a thriller journey in 2026 I am back for another review and y’all, this was another win for me. I do think it’s *very* dark and you definitely should check out all content warnings before proceeding (I did not, I was okay, but also, it was a lot).

I did love how twisty this was. I truly could not figure out what was happening. My thoughts kept moving to different suspects and gasping at every reveal as the conclusion came rolling in. There’s great misdirection and unreliable narrators and complex situations that I understand why they made a TV adaptation.

Color me SHOCKED when I got to the end. I do love a wild (but still somewhat believable) ending to thrillers and that hit the spot for me. Go in blind on this one!

Overall audience notes:

Thriller
Language: strong
Romance: none
Violence: high
Content warnings: r**e scene, dementia, alcoholism, infidelity, animal abuse, bullying, su!cide, sexual assault, grooming, loss of a child from SIDS

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ARC Book Review: Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber

October 4, 2025October 1, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Urban Fantasy Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Flatiron
Release Date: October 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It starts with a class in an old movie theater.

Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor. Most students believe the Professor’s stories are just fiction, but Holland St. James has always been convinced that magic is real. When she tracks down a local legend named the Watch Man, who can supposedly tell you when you’ll die, the world finally makes sense. Except that the Watch Man tells her she will die at midnight tomorrow unless she finds an ancient object called the Alchemical Heart.

With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles—and into the path of a magnetic stranger. Everything about him feels like a bad idea, but he promises Holland that her sister sent him to protect her. As they chase clues and stories that take them closer to the Alchemical Heart, Holland realizes everyone in this intoxicating new world is lying to her, even this stranger. And if she can’t figure out whom to trust, not even the Alchemical Heart will save her.

Thank you to Flatiron for an eARC.

CARAVAL REPEAT?

This one was interesting for me. I’m a big fan of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval/Once Upon a Broken Heart series. LOVED both of them and I knew going into this to expect something different. And while yes, that was the case, it also felt like a repeat of Caraval? Just add in older characters and an urban fantasy setting instead. I haven’t decided how that makes me feel about my overall impression of the book.

The romance was 100% lacking on the swoon. Now that I understand this is a series I CAN see what the author is going after but I don’t think that will all click until book two [hopefully]. I didn’t know what direction I was supposed to lean in and that made me pause a few too many times throughout. I will say this was a kisses only adult romance and I appreciated that it wasn’t unnecessarily spice forward.

I’m definitely going to continue the series because I do have questions. I think the folklore aspects were interesting and the POV change made me think too. I have my eyes on a few characters and want to see how they fold into the larger plot. This was a decent beginning but lacking that punch of something to give it an edge.

Overall audience notes:

Urban fantasy
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: mild-moderate

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Total Dreamboat by Katelyn Doyle

June 26, 2025June 4, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Katelyn Doyle
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Release Date: June 24th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the beloved author of Just Some Stupid Love Story, an irresistible rom-com about what happens when a cruise ship romance goes…overboard

Hope Lanover needs a vacation. Her relationship has imploded, her creative ambitions have flatlined, and she can’t seem to locate the badass girl she used to be. So when her best friend—a lifestyle influencer looking for a rich husband—invites her along a luxury cruise, Hope goes along with it…despite hating cruises, and having no interest in a fling with their elderly clientele.

Felix Segrave can’t imagine anything worse than a cruise. Sober, determinedly single and a workaholic chef, he hates leaving his restaurant and routine. But when his parents surprise him and his sisters with tickets to celebrate their anniversary, he can’t say no—he’s disappointed them too many times in his troubled past.

Hope and Felix are prepared to grin and bear it—until they lock eyes at check in. Suddenly, a ten-day fling in the Caribbean with a sexy stranger doesn’t seem so bad, despite all the ballroom dancing lessons and cheesy karaoke nights. That is, until Hope’s romantic demons catch up to her, Felix learns that the woman he’s falling for has not been entirely honest with him, and they find themselves stranded together—and at each other’s throats—in paradise. Forced to work together, not to mention share a bed, they must either navigate the stormy seas of love, or face romantic shipwreck.

Thank you Flatiron Books for the gifted ARC and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook.

KIND OF A MISS.

I did like the audiobook and thought the narrator’s did a good job. The story just didn’t roll out in the best way for me.

Initially interested I enjoyed the idea of a cruise ship romance. There’s some good flirty banter and other moments that I were fine. I think my favorite part was the friendship between Hope and her best friend. There relationship and communication was better than the romantic one.

BECAUSE SO HELP ME THE THIRD ACT. And there was a fourth act too?? I’ll admit the fourth one made a little more sense but the third one had me exclaiming out loud my displeasure. I’m also really tired of ex-boyfriends showing up unannounced?? Repeatedly???? GO AWAY.

I think the chemistry was lacking, the spice came on too soon, and the lack of both of those things made them both immature and inopportune moments.

Overall audience notes: