Book Review

Book Review: He Started It by Samantha Downing

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Thriller/Mystery
Length: 384 pages
Author: Samantha Downing
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 21st, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven’t all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we’ll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance.

But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone.

It’s even harder when you’re all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory—a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won’t stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there’s a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.

But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.

WELL THAT WAS TRIPPY.

I’ve hit a thriller wave and I’m going to ride it out as long as I can catching up on all of the ones my friends have recommended. This was one of them and I definitely wasn’t disappointed!

I read this as an audio book and LOVED it. Great narration, can easily increase speed and found it really quick to fly through.

Wow, this book was *mind blown emoji*.

Even from the start I felt He Started It was keeping me guessing. The story seemed odd, and clearly, things aren’t how they should be. I loved the tidbits that slowly started to occur and had me needing to know what happens next.

These siblings were something else. Such twisted and dark characters. There back stories came out smoothly and worked into the story perfectly. And each time I learned something new it only added another layer to the mystery being unfolded. I couldn’t fathom some of the things they did to each other?! I’m still flabbergasted by it. It was an interesting thought about how the pursuit of money can overtake your life and decision making.

My only iffy thing was the ending. It was definitely maniacal. Jaw dropping, gasp out loud, freak my spouse out because of my reaction, maniacal. I wish it did last a bit longer though to wrap up a few things, but I know that can be the nature of a thriller (and it’s not my usual genre).

Overall audience notes:

  • Thriller / Mystery
  • Language: some strong
  • Violence: murder, guns, physical, car wreck
  • Trigger warnings: gas-lighting, accusatory statements that someone may have sexually assaulted another and the same statements for domestic violence

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Monthly Wrap-Up

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: September 2020

I have big goals to hit 200 books this year.

Which may have lead to a wild amount of books read to make sure I’m on target. I hit 177 and 200 is in sight y’all.

Favorite reads: Blood & Honey, A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, and the Wayfair Witches series

Least favorite: The Last House Guest, Bone Crier’s Moon, A Kingdom of Ash and Briars, and The Princess Will Save You

  • He Started It by Samantha Downing – (☆☆☆☆)
  • The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda – (☆☆)
  • Blood & Honey (Serpent & Dove #2) by Shelby Mahurin – (☆☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • [ARC] Float Plan by Trish Doller – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Silent Kingdom by Rachel L. Schade – (☆☆☆)
  • Majesty (American Royals #2) by Katharine McGee – (☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • Fireborne (The Aurelian Cycle #1) by Rosaria Munda – (☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager – (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout – (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • Bone Crier’s Moon (Bone Grace #1) by Kathryn Purdie – (☆☆☆)
  • The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Bottling It (Wayfair Witches #1) by A.A. Albright – (☆☆☆☆)
  • The Enemy (It Happened in Charleston #2) by Sarah Adams – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Poison Study (Study #1) by Maria V. Snyder – (☆☆☆☆)
  • [Reread] Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas – (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake #1) by Victoria Schwab – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Kingdom of Ash and Briars (The Nissera Chronicles #1) by Hannah West – (☆☆)
  • Bricking It (Wayfair Witches #2) by A.A. Albright – (☆☆☆☆)
  • [Reread] Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas – (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • [ARC] The Bitterwine Oath by Hannah West – (☆☆☆)
  • Room-maid by Sariah Wilson – (☆☆☆☆)
  • A Trick for a Treat (Wayfair Witches #3) by A.A. Albright – (☆☆☆☆)
  • The Forgotten Kingdom (The Lost Queen Trilogy #2) by Signe Pike – (☆☆☆☆)
  • The Princess Will Save You (Kingdoms of the Sand and Sky #1) by Sarah Henning – (☆☆☆)
  • [ARC] Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Magic Study (Poison Study #2) Maria V. Snyder – (☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • Winging It (Wayfair Witches #4) by A.A. Albright – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Wrapping Up (Wayfair Witches #5) by A.A. Albright – (☆☆☆☆)
  • [Novella] Of Sun & Sandstorms (Swift Shadows #2.5) by M.L. Greye – (☆☆☆☆)
  • [ARC] Georgana’s Secret by Arlem Hawks – (☆☆☆☆)
  • A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles #1) by Amanda Bouchet – (☆☆☆☆)

How was your reading this month? Any favorites? Did we read any of the same books? Lets talk in the comments!

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