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The August heat is still refusing to let go, and after finishing the newest Riley Sager, I’m not quite ready to leave that eerie, mysterious mood behind. So here I am once again tucked away in my little garden sanctuary, iced coffee beside my Kindle, soaking up the afternoon sun and letting it kiss my skin into the prettiest late-summer bronze. Sarah Pekkanen always knows how to lure me into stories wrapped in secrets, and The Women in White felt like exactly the kind of mystery I needed to keep that spell alive.
The story follows Riley Bell, a recently divorced woman desperate for a fresh start when she accepts a job caring for Betty, an elderly widow who lives in a house that seems almost completely untouched by time. No television. No internet. No microwave. Betty recently had an accident that left her in a wheelchair, hence the need for Riley, but the more time Riley spends with her, the more I started wondering whether Betty really needed a caretaker at all. Maybe what she actually needed was a companion. And honestly, being lonely is hard enough, but being lonely and old just feels particularly cruel.
One of my favorite things about the book is that the story moves between the present and 1964, slowly revealing what happened to Betty and three other gifted young women who participated in a series of parapsychology experiments at a prestigious university. There’s something inherently creepy about watching these young women walk into those experiments knowing that, sixty years later, something clearly went very, very wrong.
And I’m sorry, Betty, but I did NOT trust you.
There was always something about her that made me feel like she knew considerably more than she was telling Riley. Eventually, Betty sends Riley searching for the women who participated in the experiments with her, and that’s when things get even stranger. Riley can barely find documentation proving these women existed. Records are missing, information leads nowhere, and sometimes the only evidence that they were ever there comes from surviving relatives.
Excuse me???
Someone clearly does not want the truth about 1964 coming out, and that immediately rubbed me the wrong way.
The experiments themselves have a very MKUltra-ish feeling to them, and this was also where the book surprised me because I genuinely wasn’t expecting it to lean quite so heavily into the paranormal/SF side of things. Telepathy, reading minds, strange abilities… at some point I genuinely stopped and thought: do we even consider mind reading science fiction? Impossible? Possible but extremely unlikely? I DON’T KNOW ANYMORE. Sarah Pekkanen had me questioning things I absolutely did not plan on questioning while drinking my iced coffee in the garden.
What disturbed me more than the supernatural element, though, was how these women were treated.
Reading the 1964 chapters made me angry because underneath all the mystery and strange experiments is something painfully real: women being dismissed, controlled, underestimated, and exploited by men who believed they were entitled to their bodies, abilities, time, and obedience. And every time the expectations placed on women during that period came up, my modern-day brain was basically screaming. Like, fuck you — if you expect me to have dinner waiting on the table every single night, you better be the best fucking husband alive and treat me like an actual princess.
I felt genuinely sorry for these women. Whatever abilities they may or may not have possessed, they were fascinating to the people conducting the experiments mainly because of what could be extracted from them. And that’s probably the part I disliked reading the most—not because it was badly written, but because I have a very hard time reading about women, animals, or honestly any living creature being subjected to experiments by people who have completely lost sight of the humanity behind whatever they’re trying to discover.
The doctor behind the experiments especially pissed me off. His motivation didn’t feel like some noble obsession with changing the world or discovering something that might genuinely help humanity. Underneath everything was something much uglier and much more selfish: he simply couldn’t stand the idea of being forgotten.
And people like that? Maybe being forgotten is exactly what they deserve.
Through all of this, I kept hoping Riley and Betty would develop a genuine friendship because these two women are lonely as hell in completely different ways. Riley is rebuilding her life after divorce, while Betty is sitting inside this strange little time capsule of a house surrounded by memories and secrets from sixty years ago. Their connection gave the present-day storyline a softer emotional layer that I really appreciated alongside all the WTF-is-going-on mystery.
Overall, I really liked The Women in White. It kept me completely hooked, constantly suspicious, and genuinely curious about what happened to those women in 1964. The paranormal aspect went further than I expected, and some of the experimentation storyline was uncomfortable for me to read, but the combination of forgotten history, female friendship, exploitation, buried secrets, and the question of whether something impossible might actually be possible made this such an interesting ride.
Eerie, weird, occasionally infuriating, and mysterious enough to keep me glued to my Kindle until I finally had answers.
Exactly the kind of book I wanted for these last hot, strange days of summer.
#AugustReads, #BookBlog, #BookBlogger, #Bookish, #BookLover, #BookRecommendations, #BookReview, #Bookstagram, #CurrentlyReading, #DarkSecrets, #DualTimeline, #EerieReads, #FemaleFriendship, #KindleBooks, #KindleReader, #MysteryBooks, #MysteryThriller, #ParanormalThriller, #PsychologicalThriller, #ReadersOfInstagram, #SarahPekkanen, #SummerReading, #SummerReads, #SuspenseBooks, #TheWomenInWhite, #ThrillerBooks, #ThrillerReader -
Oh, how I’ve waited for another Riley Sager release this summer, and it finally arrived just as August decided to show off its hottest days. Sitting in the shade of my garden with a Coca-Cola Zero packed with ice, this book resting on my legs while nature hums around me already feels like the definition of a perfect reading day. Let’s hope this one completely blows me away.
The Unknown follows Marin Keane, a struggling actress who lands the role of a lifetime in a film based on one of America’s most chilling unsolved mysteries. One hundred years ago, five women mysteriously vanished from the isolated island of New Avalon, leaving behind nothing but five empty dresses hanging from an ancient oak tree and whispers that a séance awakened something that should never have existed.
As Marin and the cast travel to the island to prepare for filming, strange sounds echo through the woods, unsettling symbols begin to appear, and a sudden disaster leaves them trapped on New Avalon. When history starts repeating itself and people begin disappearing once again, the line between reality and the supernatural becomes terrifyingly thin. Armed with nothing but the diary of one of the original missing women, Marin must uncover the truth before the island claims another victim.
A remote island, a century-old mystery, eerie séances, an isolated film crew, and Riley Sager’s signature promise that nothing is ever what it seems… I already have a feeling this is going to keep me glued to my Kindle long after the ice in my Coke has melted.
Right from the very first pages, the atmosphere is wonderfully eerie, and I couldn’t be happier. It doesn’t just feel like Summerween—it feels like Halloween itself slowly creeping closer. It’s Augtober, autumn girlies, and honestly, what better way to celebrate than reading about witches, séances, and a creepy little island in the middle of summer?
It also gives me major Widow’s Bay vibes—and yes, that’s officially a genre in my vocabulary now.
I love the parallel between the group of women from a century ago and the women in the present. They’re not nearly as different as they first seem. The story has already delivered a few surprises I genuinely didn’t see coming, even if it hasn’t become outright terrifying yet. It’s eerie, not scary, and I absolutely love that. It’s that perfect brand of creepy-cozy that makes you want to keep turning the pages with a cold drink in one hand and the lights dimmed just enough.
Honestly, I think this might be the first time I’ve found myself hoping a thriller doesn’t reveal a human killer. I actually want this to be a true ghost story. Normally I’m the complete opposite.
At this point, I have no idea what to expect beyond the fact that history is repeating itself. But I don’t trust the crew. I definitely don’t trust Loretta or Violet. What if they’re descendants of the women who once lived on the island? What if, in order to save themselves from Azra—the demon—they’re luring these actresses here to become the next sacrifice?
I also really like the chemistry between Marin and her director. It definitely helps that he’s hot, but there’s absolutely no way I’d trust him that quickly. I’m only halfway through, so I’m incredibly curious to see where this story goes. People are starting to disappear. There’s no boat. No one is coming. Loretta is nowhere to be found. And with every chapter, the sense of dread grows heavier.
I adore the ghost-story aspect of this novel. It genuinely feels like it was written for Summerween—meant to be read on warm summer nights, out on the porch, surrounded by darkness and the sounds of nature. The atmosphere alone is worth picking this book up.
Oh… I can already see this becoming not only a five-star read but one of my favorite books of the year—right behind My Dreadful Darling, of course.
And then…
Fuck me.
This book just became so interesting.
I had a theory, and I was completely right. I’m obviously not writing it here because I hate spoilers, but wow… when that realization hit, I just sat there grinning like an idiot because everything suddenly clicked.
And that ending?
WTF.
This story is absolutely insane. It made my eyes go wide in a way no thriller has managed to do in a very, very long time. I genuinely sat there staring at my Kindle thinking, what the hell did I just read?
Without a doubt, this is my favorite Riley Sager novel to date.
Absolutely incredible.
#Augtober, #AutumnReading, #BookBlogger, #BookCommunity, #BookReview, #Bookstagram, #Bookstagrammer, #CocaColaZero, #CozyReads, #CreepyCozy, #CurrentlyReading, #FallVibes, #FavoriteBook, #FinishedReading, #FiveStarRead, #GardenReads, #GhostStory, #HorrorBooks, #IslandMystery, #KindleBooks, #KindleReader, #MysteryBooks, #ParanormalThriller, #PsychologicalThriller, #ReaderInTheMountains, #ReadersOfInstagram, #ReadingJournal, #RileySager, #RileySagerBooks, #Séance, #SpookySeason, #Summerween, #SupernaturalMystery, #TheUnknown, #ThrillerBooks, #UnsolvedMystery, #Witches -
Starting this Friday, we’re introducing a brand-new series on the blog: Spend the Night With Me.
Think of it as a cozy late-night chat between friends. Grab your favorite drink, get comfortable, and let’s talk about anything—books, life, writing, mental health, travel, cozy routines, guilty pleasures, or whatever is on our minds that week.
I want this to become our little Friday night tradition, so I’d love for you to help shape it.
💌 What topics would you like us to talk about?
Leave your suggestions in the comments below, and I might pick yours for an upcoming Friday night conversation.I can’t wait to spend Friday nights with all of you. 🤎📖✨
#BlogCommunity, #BookBlogger, #BookCommunity, #BookishLife, #BookLovers, #Bookstagram, #BookTalk, #CoffeeAndBooks, #CozyLiving, #CozyReads, #CozyVibes, #FridayNights, #LateNightReads, #LetsChat, #LifestyleBlog, #ReaderInTheMountains, #ReadersOfInstagram, #ReadingCommunity, #ReadingJournal, #SpendTheNightWithMe -
I’m reading this wrapped in the quiet of a warm August night, iced coffee melting beside me while the garden outside slowly falls asleep, and I already know letting go of Kirill is going to be harder than I expected. There’s something about these late-night reading sessions that makes his softer moments hit even harder. After everything he’s survived, watching the ruthless monster slowly become gentle with Sasha feels so rewarding. I have a feeling this finale is going to leave me staring at my Kindle long after I turn the last page. 🌙🖤📖 Slowly falling asleep feels like the perfect way to say goodbye to Kirill Morozov. I already know letting him go is going to hurt.
This finale proves why stretching the story across three books was the right choice. Every twist has room to breathe, every secret matters, and with each chapter we uncover more about Kirill’s family, the Bratva, and the dangerous world surrounding them. Sasha’s hidden pregnancy adds another layer of tension, making every moment feel like it could shatter everything they’ve fought for.
Mafia romance usually isn’t my favorite trope, but this trilogy completely won me over. Dark, emotional, full of twists, and impossible to put down. And… this is how Vaughn was born? Absolutely iconic.
#AugustReads, #BookAddict, #BookReview, #Bookstagram, #BookTok, #BratvaRomance, #CurrentlyReading, #DarkRomance, #DarkRomanceBooks, #HeartOfMyMonster, #KindleReader, #KirillMorozov, #MafiaRomance, #MonsterTrilogy, #ReaderInTheMountains, #RinaKent, #RomanceBooks, #RomanceReader, #SashaIvanova, #SummerReads -
After that tragic ending in the previous book, I immediately jumped into this one because there was no way I could leave things like that. And OMG… this book absolutely crushed me. Kirill, I almost stopped rooting for you there for a second.
This was honestly such an addictive finale. We got to spend more time with Damian and Ray, Konstantin and his sister, and I loved seeing more of the world outside Kirill and Sasha. It made the whole trilogy feel even richer. I can officially say this is my favorite Rina Kent trilogy after Legacy of Gods.
And can we talk about those cliffhangers? My Kindle literally froze twice while I was trying to buy the next book because I was in such a rush to find out what the hell was going to happen.
Lies of My Monster is the explosive conclusion to Kirill and Sasha’s story, where every secret finally comes to light and every lie they’ve been living with catches up to them. What started as revenge and deception turns into a desperate fight for survival, forcing them to face impossible choices, dangerous enemies, and painful truths they can no longer outrun.
If you’ve fallen for Kirill’s possessive, ruthless side and Sasha’s strength, this book delivers everything: emotional moments, high-stakes action, jaw-dropping plot twists, heartbreaking revelations, and a love that refuses to break, no matter how impossible the odds become. The tension never lets up, and the “WHAT?!” moments just keep coming until the very last page.
The plot twists were so good that I genuinely hated Kirill for a hot minute… and then Rina Kent somehow made me love him all over again. What a ride.
And honestly? This trilogy became the soundtrack to my summer. It’s ridiculously hot this August, I’m deep into my Rina Kent era, surviving on iced coffee, and spending my late evenings reading in my summer garden. I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better atmosphere to experience Kirill and Sasha’s story.
What an unforgettable trilogy.
#BloodOfMyMonster, #BookAddict, #BookBlog, #BookReview, #Bookstagram, #CurrentlyReading, #DarkRomance, #EnemiesToLovers, #HeartOfMyMonster, #IcedCoffeeAndBooks, #KindleReader, #KirillMorozov, #LiesOfMyMonster, #MafiaRomance, #MonsterTrilogy, #MorallyGrey, #PlotTwist, #PossessiveHero, #ReaderInTheMountains, #RinaKent, #RomanceBooks, #RussianMafia, #SashaIvanova, #SummerReads, #TouchHerAndDie -
If there’s one thing Rina Kent knows how to do, it’s making me fall for the one man I swore I wouldn’t like.
Blood of My Monster opens the Monster Trilogy with a dangerous game of revenge, deception, and obsession. Sasha Ivanova disguises herself as a man to join the military, determined to uncover the truth behind her family’s murder. Standing in her way is Kirill Morozov—her commanding officer, the son of the Russian mafia’s most powerful man, and quite possibly the worst person she could ever fall for.
Or… the only one.
Going into this book, I was convinced I was in a full-blown Rina Kent burnout. June and July were basically sponsored by morally gray men, obsessive romances, and the entire Rinaverse. I honestly thought I needed a break.
And yet… here I am.
I wasn’t even excited to start this one. Mafia? Military? Those are usually two tropes that make me want to close the book before chapter one. Politics, ranks, endless power games… they’re rarely my thing.
Well… I was wrong.
From the moment Kirill walked onto the page, he completely stole my attention.
This man is a walking red flag wrapped in military uniform, emotional repression, and dangerous levels of self-control. He’s manipulative, possessive, intimidating, and absolutely obsessed with knowing everything about Sasha. The best part? He sees through her disguise almost immediately, yet instead of exposing her, he quietly becomes her protector long before either of them are willing to admit what she means to him.
And that’s exactly my type of romance.
The tension between them is addictive. Every conversation feels like a battle. Every glance feels dangerous. You know they’re standing on the edge of something that could either destroy them or consume them completely—and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
Sasha surprised me too. She’s brave, stubborn, and willing to walk straight into hell if it means getting answers about her family’s murder. Watching her slowly let her guard down around Kirill, without realizing just how deeply connected he is to the people she’s hunting, made every chapter hurt a little more.
Also…
I despise Kirill’s family.
With my whole heart.
Which somehow made me love him even more.
And then Rina Kent did what she does best.
That ending.
That absolutely criminal cliffhanger.
I literally closed the book and bought book two before my brain had time to recover because there was no universe where I was leaving Kirill like that.
Needless to say, I’m officially obsessed.
Kirill Morozov might have just climbed straight into my list of favorite Rina Kent men, and if this trilogy keeps this energy… I’m not escaping the Monster world anytime soon.
#BloodOfMyMonster, #BookBlogger, #BookLover, #BookReview, #Bookstagram, #CurrentlyReading, #DarkRomance, #EnemiesToLovers, #ForbiddenRomance, #KirillMorozov, #MafiaRomance, #MilitaryRomance, #MonsterTrilogy, #MorallyGreyMen, #ObsessiveLove, #ReaderInTheMountains, #RinaKent, #RomanceReader, #SashaIvanova, #TouchHerAndDie, booktok -
God, how I’ve missed Ilya… and how much I’ve missed watching Ilya be completely, hopelessly in love with Shane.
The Long Game picks up years after Heated Rivalry, when stolen weekends and secret hotel rooms are no longer enough. After a decade of hiding the most important relationship in their lives, Shane and Ilya are forced to face the impossible question: how much longer can they keep choosing hockey over each other?
If you’re looking for angst, yearning, tenderness, emotional healing, found family, and one of the healthiest romances you’ll ever read, Rachel Reid delivers all of it—and somehow makes you fall in love with these two all over again.
I have one weakness in romance novels: men who yearn. And nobody yearns quite like Ilya Rozanov.
Watching him love Shane so openly, so fiercely, and so unconditionally after all these years completely melted my heart. Even after ten years together, he still looks at Shane like he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him, and that’s what makes their relationship so special. Their love never feels stagnant—it keeps growing, evolving, becoming softer, safer, and even more intimate with every page.
The only part I struggled with was seeing Ilya’s longing slowly give way to depression. At the same time, it made perfect sense. He’s spent years living half a life—constantly separated from the person he loves during the season, watching his team struggle while Shane continues to thrive, sacrificing so much of himself to protect their relationship. It was heartbreaking to watch, especially because it sometimes felt like Shane didn’t fully realize just how much Ilya had been carrying on his shoulders all this time.
This is definitely a heavier book than Heated Rivalry. Rachel Reid doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations about mental health, identity, aging, and what it costs to keep hiding the people you love. Some moments were genuinely difficult to read, but they also made the emotional payoff feel even more rewarding.
More than anything, I loved simply being back with Shane and Ilya. Seeing them laugh together, cuddle, tease each other, and continue choosing one another after all these years reminded me why they’re still one of my favorite romance couples ever written.
And seeing them finally move toward a future where they can love each other openly? That felt like the ending they’d deserved all along.
Rachel Reid gave these two exactly the story they needed—and I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful continuation of one of my all-time favorite romances.
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Consumed by Deception brings Adrian and Lia’s trilogy to an explosive conclusion. With the truth finally coming to light, the lies, manipulation, and secrets that have defined their relationship begin to unravel, forcing them to face the past once and for all. As dangerous enemies close in and long-buried revelations finally surface, Adrian and Lia have to decide if their love is strong enough to survive everything that’s been keeping them apart. Expect emotional chaos, shocking twists, obsessive romance, and a finale that finally answers the biggest mystery of the trilogy.
And… I finally made it to the end of Adrian and Lia’s story. One more trilogy checked off on my mission to read the entire Rinaverse.
I have to admit, though, this trilogy wasn’t really for me. It constantly felt like I was rereading the first book from a different perspective. Yes, we got new information and a few reveals along the way, but the story itself often felt repetitive, and at times I was honestly struggling to stay invested.
That being said, this was definitely my favorite book of the three. We finally got to see Adrian let his guard down and show genuine, healthy love for Lia instead of just obsession and control. Watching Lia love him back without all the constant walls between them, and seeing them finally become the family I’d been waiting for since book one, was by far the best part of the trilogy.
Overall, not one of my favorite Rina Kent series, but I’m still glad I pushed through it. One more stop closer to finishing the entire Rinaverse.
✨ Did you enjoy Adrian and Lia’s story? And more importantly… who’s your favorite Rinaverse couple?
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Guess who’s trying to finish not only this book, but also the final book in the trilogy this weekend? And Empire of Lust, the last standalone in the Empire series? Yep… me.
It’s Friday morning, and I’m determined to make it back to The Legacy of Gods by Monday. I don’t want to skip a single book because I really want to be able to proudly say that I’ve read every book Rina Kent has written this summer.
I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, so I went into this one with high hopes. That said… I still don’t think Adrian and Lia needed three books.
Tempted by Deception picks up immediately after the shocking ending of Vow of Deception. As Lia struggles to piece together the missing fragments of her past, the line between truth and lies becomes even blurrier. Secrets surrounding Adrian, his late wife, and the dangerous people around them slowly come to light, forcing Lia to question everything she thought she knew. Filled with psychological twists, emotional tension, obsessive romance, and plenty of suspense, this second installment answers some long-awaited questions while introducing even more shocking revelations.
Now for my thoughts…
I really didn’t like that most of this book takes place in the past. I know the backstory is important, but dedicating almost an entire book to it? Yeah… not my thing. I like stories that keep moving forward, and this honestly made the pacing feel much slower.
That being said, if I were Lia, I would’ve gone on that date with Adrian even if he hadn’t invited me. 😭 The man is just… ridiculously hot. But at the same time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was rereading the first book. Did anyone else feel that way?
I also appreciate that Rina Kent touches on mental health. As someone who recovered from anxiety myself, I know how painful it is to feel lost or out of place. But in dark romance, I personally don’t want pages and pages focused on depression. I come for the obsession, the chaos, the danger, and the action.
And that ending… I honestly didn’t love it. I’m still not convinced this story needed to be a trilogy. But am I opening the third book immediately after finishing this one?
Absolutely.
#BookBlogger, #Bookish, #BookRecommendations, #BookReview, #Bookstagram, #CurrentlyReading, #DarkRomance, #DarkRomanceBooks, #DeceptionTrilogy, #KindleReads, #KindleUnlimited, #ObsessiveRomance, #PsychologicalRomance, #ReaderInTheMountains, #ReadingCommunity, #RinaKent, #RinaKentBooks, #RomanceBooks, #RomanceReader, #TemptedByDeception, book review, bookstagram -
Is anyone else here attempting the impossible challenge of reading every single Rina Kent book? Because apparently I hate myself enough to try, and that’s how I ended up with Vow of Deception.
I’m not even going to pretend—I DNF’d the entire Empire of… standalone collection because I was genuinely fighting for my life trying to get through them. They just weren’t for me. And that’s the weird thing with Rina Kent: Legacy of Godsis one of my favorite romance series ever (okay… slight correction, Edge of Darkness still owns my soul), but everything else in the Rinaverse has been very hit-or-miss. Am I alone in this, or does anyone else feel the same?
So naturally, I went into this trilogy praying the Deception wasn’t the actual deception.
Vow of Deception follows Winter Cavanaugh, a woman who’s backed into a corner after finding herself in serious legal trouble. With nowhere left to go, she’s approached by Adrian Volkov—a terrifying billionaire who basically breathes intimidation. His proposal? Pretend to be his dead wife. Simple… except absolutely nothing about Adrian Volkov is simple. As Winter is pulled deeper into his world of lies, manipulation, power plays, and dangerous secrets, the line between pretending and reality starts to disappear. And suddenly, trusting anyone becomes the most dangerous thing she can do.
Now let’s talk about my reading experience.
The first half?
I was bored out of my mind.
I kept waiting for something to happen, checking how many pages I had left every five minutes, questioning my life choices… the usual.
But then, somewhere around the halfway mark, things started clicking. I unexpectedly found myself feeling sorry for Adrian. Then for Winter. Then for both of them.
And don’t even get me started on Jeremy.
Reading this after God of Wrath completely changed the experience because all I could think was, look at this tiny marshmallow before life absolutely destroys him. Every scene with him hit differently knowing the man he’ll eventually become.
One thing I still don’t understand, though… why is this a trilogy? At least after book one, it feels like this story could’ve easily been told in fewer pages. But clearly Rina has something planned because despite my complaints… I’m intrigued.
I need answers.
I need more Adrian.
I need to know what’s really going on with Winter.
And I’m ridiculously excited to finally meet Annika, Jeremy’s little sister.
So yes… I’ll be picking up book two immediately.
If you’ve read this trilogy, let me know—without spoilers! Does it get better? Because right now I’m invested enough to continue, but I’m still waiting for that moment where everything completely blows my mind.
See you in the review for Tempted by Deception.
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