Welcome to As The Plot Thickens
Dive into the world of literature with me. Explore insightful book reviews, discover emerging authors, and stay updated on the latest book-to-movie adaptations, all while enjoying our monthly book recommendations.
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Welcome to My Site! I am passionate about serving the local community with top-notch book related services. My journey began with a vision to create a space where book enthusiasts can come together, discover new authors, engage in lively discussions, and stay updated on literary events. I am dedicated to fostering a vibrant community of readers by providing an enriching and inclusive platform. Join me in my mission to celebrate literature and connect with fellow book lovers.
March New Releases
Lady Tremaine
Rachel Hochhauser
In a world of glittering courts and whispered ambition, Lady Tremaine has learned that power rarely belongs to the kind—it belongs to the clever. Behind every polished smile and carefully chosen word lies a woman determined to secure her place in a society that leaves little room for weakness.
As alliances shift and rivalries simmer beneath elegant gowns and candlelit halls, Lady Tremaine must navigate a dangerous game of reputation, influence, and survival. Every decision carries consequences, and every secret has the power to destroy.
This Story Might Save Your Life
Tiffany Crum
This Story Might Save Your Life follows a woman who’s trying to figure things out when life isn’t going the way she planned. Along the way she finds unexpected moments of connection, a few surprising friendships, and small things that slowly start to shift her perspective.
It’s a heartfelt, relatable story about feeling lost and finding your way again—one step at a time. Honest, a little funny, and full of hope, it’s the kind of book that reminds you that sometimes the smallest moments can make the biggest difference.
Magic and Mischief at the Wayward Hotel
Elizabeth Evertt
Magic and Mischief at the Wayward Hotel is a cozy, lighthearted fantasy that feels a bit like stepping into a quirky magical getaway. The story centers around the mysterious Wayward Hotel—a place where unusual guests, hidden magic, and a fair amount of chaos seem to show up on a regular basis.
What makes the book fun is the mix of charm and mischief running through the story. The characters are a little odd, a little messy, and often caught up in situations they didn’t exactly plan for. Watching everything unfold inside the hotel—between magical mishaps and unexpected surprises—keeps the story entertaining.
The setting is easily one of the highlights. The Wayward Hotel itself feels lively and unpredictable, the kind of place where you never quite know what’s going to happen next. It gives the book a cozy fantasy vibe that’s easy to settle into.
Wait For Me
Amy Jo Burns
Wait for Me is one of those emotional stories that slowly pulls you in and sticks with you long after you finish it. The book follows a young woman whose life is shaped by love, loss, and the complicated choices people make when their hearts are involved.
What really stands out in this story is how deeply it explores relationships and timing. The characters feel very human—flawed, hopeful, and sometimes unsure of the right path forward. As their lives unfold across different moments and decisions, you start to see how love can endure even when circumstances pull people apart.
The writing is warm and reflective, with a lot of emotional depth. It’s not a fast, twisty kind of story, but more of a thoughtful one that focuses on feelings, memories, and the way certain people leave a lasting mark on our lives.
Good Sister, Bad Sister
Jill Childs
Good Sister, Bad Sister is one of those twisty thrillers that keeps you guessing about who you can actually trust. The story follows two sisters who grew up in a complicated, messy family situation. As adults, they’re still tied together by secrets from their past—some of which refuse to stay buried.
The book does a great job slowly peeling back what really happened in their childhood. Just when you think you understand the situation, another piece of the puzzle shows up and changes everything. The tension builds as the sisters’ relationship becomes more and more complicated.
I also liked how the story digs into family dynamics. It’s not just about the mystery—it’s about loyalty, resentment, and how the past can shape who people become. The characters aren’t perfect, which actually makes the story feel more real.
How To Survive in the Woods
Kat Rosenfield
How to Survive in the Woods is a quick, fun thriller that mixes survival adventure with a bit of mystery. The story follows a group of students who head into the wilderness for what’s supposed to be a survival course—but things quickly spiral out of control.
What starts as a learning experience about navigating the woods and living off the land turns into something a lot more dangerous. As the group gets deeper into the forest, tensions rise and it becomes clear that the real threat might not just be the wilderness.
The book moves at a pretty fast pace and keeps the suspense going. The remote setting adds to the tension because once things start going wrong, there’s really nowhere to run and no easy way to get help.
The Bookstore Diaries
Susan Mallery
If you’ve ever dreamed about owning a cozy little bookstore, The Bookshop Diaries might make you rethink it—just a little. In this book, Shaun Bythell shares a year’s worth of diary entries about running his used bookstore in a small town in Scotland, and it turns out the job is a lot more chaotic than it sounds.
Most of the book is made up of short, day-to-day stories about the strange, funny, and sometimes frustrating things that happen in the shop. There are odd customer requests, people trying to bargain over cheap paperbacks, and the constant challenge of keeping a bookstore running.
What really makes the book work is the author’s dry humor. His observations about customers and bookstore life are often hilarious, especially if you’ve ever spent time browsing around in small bookshops.
The Keeper
Tana French
The Keeper is one of those slow-burn mysteries that really pulls you into its atmosphere. The story follows Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago cop who moves to a small Irish village looking for a quiet life. Of course, things don’t stay quiet for long. When a local kid comes to him asking for help finding his missing brother, Cal ends up getting drawn into the kind of trouble he thought he’d left behind.
What I liked most about this book is the mood. The rural setting feels incredibly real—quiet fields, tight-knit neighbors, and that underlying feeling that everyone knows more than they’re saying. It’s not a fast, action-heavy thriller, but the tension builds slowly as Cal starts digging into the disappearance and realizing the town has plenty of secrets.
Cal is also a really interesting character. He’s trying to figure out who he is now that he’s left his old life behind, and his relationship with the kid who asks for his help adds a lot of heart to the story.
Robbie McNeil's Hit List
Brianna Heath
The Hit List is a gritty crime thriller that pulls you into the darker side of the criminal world right from the start. The story revolves around a list of names—people marked for death—and the dangerous chain of events that begins once that list starts making the rounds.
What makes the book interesting is how the tension keeps building as different characters get pulled into the situation. No one really feels safe, and there’s always the sense that someone is watching or planning the next move. As the story unfolds, you start to see how the list connects people and how quickly things can spiral once violence enters the picture.
The pacing is fairly quick, and the story moves along with plenty of suspense and action. There are twists along the way that keep the plot from feeling predictable, and the darker tone fits well with the subject matter.
Killing Me Softly
Sandie Jones
Killing Me Softly is a twisty psychological thriller that really leans into the idea that you never truly know someone—no matter how much you think you do. The story follows Claire, who seems to have the perfect life: a good job, a steady relationship, and everything pretty much on track. But when she meets a charming and mysterious stranger, everything changes.
Claire quickly gets swept up in a passionate new relationship, but things start to feel off almost as soon as they begin. Small red flags appear, and the deeper she gets into the relationship, the more she starts to question who this man really is—and what he might be hiding.
What makes the book work is the tension around trust. The story plays with that uneasy feeling of realizing you may have made a huge mistake, and it keeps you wondering what the truth really is. The twists keep coming as the story unfolds, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, something shifts again.
February New Releases
The Astral Library
Kate Quinn
The Astral Library is a cozy, imaginative escape that feels like a warm hug for anyone who loves books about books. Set around a magical library where books hold deeper power and secrets wait behind every stack, this story blends whimsy with heart in a way that’s just plain delightful.
What hooked me most was how Quinn creates this space where characters — each carrying their own pasts and longings — find refuge and transformation among the tomes. It’s not a blockbuster thriller or a sweeping epic; it’s quieter, gentler, and full of the kind of small, meaningful moments that make you slow down and smile.
Kin
Tayari Jones
Kin is a quietly powerful story that leans hard into emotion and relationships rather than big plot twists. It centers on Annie and Niecy, two girls who grow up side by side after losing their mothers, forming a bond that feels more like sisterhood than friendship. As they get older, life pulls them in completely different directions — and watching that distance grow is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
What makes this book special is how real everything feels. The characters aren’t polished or perfect. They make questionable choices, carry old wounds, and struggle with who they are versus who they hoped to be. Tayari Jones writes with so much compassion that even when the characters frustrate you, you still understand them.
It's Not Her
Mary Kubica
It’s Not Her is the kind of psychological thriller that sticks with you long after you close the book. It starts with a woman whose life has been shattered by a violent attack — an attack that leaves her haunted, confused, and struggling to piece her memory back together. From there, the story slowly builds this creeping sense of unease that just keeps tightening.
What I really loved was how Kubica unfolds the mystery. Instead of throwing twists at you non-stop, she lets the tension simmer. Every chapter feels like you’re peeling back layers of a life you thought you understood. The characters aren’t perfect — they’re messy, unreliable, and sometimes downright frustrating — but that’s exactly what makes them feel real.
So Old, So Young
Grant Ginder
The story centers on a family dealing with loss and change, and Ginder writes these characters with so much humanity. They’re flawed, they’re messy, and they’re sometimes frustrating — but they’re real in that way that makes you care about what happens to them. The narrator’s voice is warm and wry, so even when things get heavy, there’s this wry humor and keen insight that balances it out.
What I enjoyed most was how the book mixes heart and humor. It dives into grief and family tensions, but it’s never bleak — there’s a brightness here, a recognition that people can hurt and heal at the same time. The relationships feel lived-in, and the emotional moments hit because they feel earned, not forced.
Blood Countess
Shelley Puhak
The Blood Countess is one of those books that feels like a dark, immersive journey rather than just a story you read — it’s a story you live through. Puhak takes the legend of Elizabeth Báthory, the 16th-century Hungarian noblewoman often called the “blood countess,” and spins it into a richly textured portrait that’s eerie, poetic, and emotionally layered.
What struck me most was how Puhak brings Báthory’s world to life. This isn’t simple sensationalism — it’s atmospheric and thoughtful, pulling you into feudal castles, shadow-filled forests, and the tangled politics of a time when superstition, power, and fear were all dangerously intertwined. Even if you think you know the legend, her take feels fresh because it leans into mood, character, and the strange beauty buried in the horror.
A Forest Darkly
A. G. Slater
A Forest, Darkly is one of those moody, witchy fantasy reads that slowly pulls you in and wraps you up in atmosphere. It centers on Mehrab, a gruff, solitary witch living deep in the woods who just wants to be left alone—until people in trouble start showing up at her door and dark things begin creeping through the forest.
This isn’t fast-paced, action-heavy fantasy. It’s more of a slow burn, focused on vibes, character, and that eerie fairytale feeling. The forest feels alive, the magic feels old, and everything carries this quiet sense of danger. Mehrab is prickly but lovable in her own way, and I really enjoyed watching her walls come down as she gets pulled back into the world.
Cleopatra
Saara El-Arifi
This is one of those books that makes Cleopatra feel like a real person instead of just a famous name from history.
El-Arifi gives Cleopatra her own voice — smart, ambitious, vulnerable, and fiercely protective of everything she loves. You see her not just as a ruler, but as a daughter, a mother, and a woman trying to survive impossible political pressure while holding onto her identity. It’s refreshing to read a version of Cleopatra that isn’t reduced to being someone else’s love interest. She’s strategic, emotional, stubborn, and human.
The writing feels rich and immersive, pulling you straight into ancient Egypt with all its beauty and danger. There’s plenty of drama — betrayals, alliances, heartbreak — but what really stood out to me was the emotional side of the story. Cleopatra wrestles with power, legacy, and how history might remember her, and those quieter moments made the book hit harder.
Fireflies In Winter
Eleanor Shearer
Fireflies in Winter feels like sitting by a window on a cold night, watching snow fall while something inside you slowly begins to thaw. It’s not loud or dramatic — it’s the kind of story that unfolds gently, layer by layer, until you realize how much it’s settled into your heart.
The characters carry heavy things — grief, regret, missed chances — but they feel incredibly real in the way they navigate it all. There’s no perfect hero here, just people doing their best in the middle of difficult seasons. And that’s what makes it resonate. You don’t just read about their pain and healing — you feel it with them.
The writing leans into quiet moments: small conversations, shared glances, the kind of subtle shifts that change everything. And through it all runs this steady thread of hope — not the flashy kind, but the soft, persistent glow that refuses to go out.
Her Last Breath
Taylor Adams
Her Last Breath is the kind of thriller that pulls you in fast and keeps tightening the screws. It starts with a suspicious death, and from there everything spirals — secrets surface, tensions rise, and it becomes clear pretty quickly that no one is being completely honest.
What really worked for me was the pacing. Adams knows how to keep things moving, with short chapters and constant momentum that make it hard to put down. Just when you think you’ve figured things out, another layer gets peeled back. The characters feel flawed and real, and their reactions to the chaos around them add emotional weight to the mystery.
It’s tense without being overwhelming, twisty without feeling messy, and packed with that “one more chapter” energy. There’s a steady sense of danger running through the whole book, and the suspense builds nicely toward the end.
Stolen Midnights
Katherine Quinn
Stolen Midnights is one of those fantasy reads that’s just plain fun to fall into. The story kicks off when Wren doesn’t receive her magical gift on her eighteenth birthday — because someone literally stole it. From there, everything unravels fast, pulling her into a world of thieves, secrets, and a broken system that decides people’s worth based on magic.
Enter Damien — sarcastic, guarded, and definitely hiding more than he lets on. Watching Wren and Damien clash, team up, and slowly start to trust each other was easily my favorite part. Their dynamic has that classic enemies-to-lovers energy, with plenty of banter and tension to keep things interesting.
I also loved the way magic works in this world. It’s not just cool powers — it’s tied to privilege and class, which adds real weight to the story. Wren starts off sheltered, but she grows a lot once everything she thought she knew is stripped away. Damien, meanwhile, is messy in the best way, shaped by the unfair world he’s been surviving in.
January New Releases
My Husband's Wife
Alice Feeney
It starts with a simple but creepy idea—one woman’s life suddenly isn’t hers anymore—and from there, nothing feels stable. The tension builds fast, everyone feels a little off, and you’re constantly wondering who’s lying (and about what). Just when you think you’ve figured it out, the story pulls the rug out from under you.
It’s not nonstop action, but the unease is constant, and the short chapters make it easy to keep saying just one more. If you like domestic thrillers with unreliable characters, marriage secrets, and big “wait… WHAT?” moments, this one’s a solid pick.
Definitely a book you’ll want to talk about when you’re done.
The Storm
Rachel Hawkins
Set in a small Southern coastal town with a hurricane on the way, the story is full of heat, tension, and long-held secrets. Everyone feels a little suspicious, and the closer the storm gets, the more cracks start to show. It’s less about nonstop twists and more about that steady feeling that something bad is coming—and no one’s being totally honest.
The timeline jumps around a bit, but it works, especially as the past starts colliding with the present. I liked how the setting almost feels like another character—humid, claustrophobic, and quietly threatening.
Skylark
Paula McLain
Skylark is a beautifully written, quietly powerful story about finding hope and home when life keeps knocking you off course.
The book follows Sari Murphy, a woman whose world has been shaken by loss and uncertainty. When she decides to move to Alaska to start over, you can feel the mix of fear and excitement that comes with leaving everything familiar behind. McLain writes the landscape — and Sari’s emotional journey — with such tenderness that you almost feel the cold wind on your face and the wide, open sky overhead.
All The Little Houses
May Cobb
Set in an East Texas neighborhood where appearances are everything, the story is packed with gossip, jealousy, and people who care way too much about what everyone else is doing. From the start, you know something bad is coming — and watching how it all slowly falls apart is half the fun.
The characters are messy, competitive, and sometimes downright awful in a very believable way. It feels like overhearing scandal at a backyard party where no one is telling the full truth. The tension builds through looks, whispers, and long-held grudges rather than nonstop action, which makes it weirdly addictive.
If you like domestic thrillers with big personalities, neighborhood secrets, and a touch of Southern drama, this one is a fun, fast read that keeps you flipping pages just to see how much worse it can get.
Graceless Heart
Isabel Ibanes
This book is a moody, atmospheric read with magic, danger, and a slow-burn romance at its core.
The setting is gorgeous — Renaissance Italy vibes, secret magic, political tension — and that alone pulls you in. The main character is determined and talented, even when she’s clearly in over her head, which makes her easy to root for. There’s a competition, high stakes, and an enemies-to-lovers kind of tension that simmers more than it explodes.
That said, the pacing can feel a little slow at times. Some parts linger longer than necessary, and the romance takes a bit to really spark. But if you like immersive worlds, forbidden magic, and stories that focus more on mood and character than nonstop action, this one is easy to sink into.
A good pick if you’re in the mood for something lush, dramatic, and a little broody rather than fast and flashy.
Dead In The Water
John Mars
This book starts with a guy nearly drowning during a stupid dare, and while he’s underwater, he sees flashes of his life — except one image doesn’t belong: a dead boy he doesn’t recognize. That moment sticks with him, and instead of letting it go, he becomes obsessed with figuring out what it means… even if it puts his life at risk again.
The book moves fast with short chapters and lots of “okay, just one more” moments. It gets unsettling in places and definitely leans into psychological tension rather than cozy mystery vibes. You’re constantly questioning what’s real, what’s memory, and how far someone would go to uncover the truth.
If you like thrillers that are creepy, twisty, and a little unhinged, this one delivers. It’s not subtle, but it’s addictive — and the kind of story that lingers in your head once you’re done.
Dandelion Is Dead
Rosie Storey
This is one of those stories that’s a little sad, a little awkward, and quietly heartfelt.
It follows Poppy, who’s grieving her sister Dandelion and makes a questionable (but very human) choice: she replies to her sister’s old dating-app messages and ends up meeting someone who has no idea the person he thinks he’s talking to is gone. It sounds strange — and it is — but the story handles it with a lot of care.
The characters are messy and not always making great decisions, which actually makes them feel real. There’s grief, guilt, and confusion, but also moments of humor and connection that sneak up on you. It’s not a big dramatic romance or a fast-paced plot — it’s more about emotions, healing, and figuring out how to move forward when everything feels off.
If you like character-driven stories that deal with loss in a gentle, honest way, this one’s a thoughtful, bittersweet read.
The Invisible Woman
James Patterson & Susan DiLallo
The story follows Claire, a woman with a complicated past who’s trying to stay one step ahead of people who want her found — dangerous people. When she gets pulled into a new threat she can’t outrun, the action kicks into high gear. There’s a lot of running, lots of close calls, and enough suspense to keep you flipping pages.
What I liked most was how quick the pacing is. Chapters are short and snappy, so even if you pick it up thinking you’ll just read a bit, you’ll probably be well into the next twist before you know it. It’s not super deep or philosophical — it’s just pure thriller energy with characters in high-stakes situations and secrets unraveling fast.
If you want something that’s fun, edge-of-your-seat, and easy to binge over a weekend, this fits the bill. It’s not the most emotional or layered book out there, but it does exactly what it sets out to do: keep you turning pages.
The Future Saints
Ashley Winstead
This book follows a struggling rock band dealing with grief after losing someone who held them all together. Everyone’s a little broken, a little lost, and not always making great choices — which honestly makes it feel real. The story leans hard into messy feelings, complicated relationships, and how music can both save you and wreck you at the same time.
It’s not a fast, plot-heavy read. It’s more about the characters, the tension between them, and that in-between space where people are trying to figure out who they are after everything changes. There’s romance, but it’s subtle and tied into the bigger emotional mess rather than being the main focus.
If you like books about bands, grief, second chances, and imperfect people, this one sticks with you in a quiet way. Definitely a “sit with it after you’re done” kind of read.
December New Releases
Needle Lake
Justine Champine
Needle Lake is a quiet, eerie thriller about a place that never forgets what’s been buried. When a woman returns to the lakeside town she once fled, strange disappearances and old secrets begin rising to the surface. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes the past isn’t done with her—and the lake may be holding the darkest truth of all. A tense, atmospheric read that pulls you in and refuses to let go.
The Last Wish of Bristol Keats
Mary E. Pearson
The Last Wish of Bristol Keats tells the story of a woman who discovers a final request left behind by her brother—one that pulls her back into the complicated web of their childhood. As she follows the trail he left for her, long-buried secrets, fractured relationships, and painful truths rise to the surface. What begins as a simple goodbye becomes a journey through memory, loss, and the one wish that could finally set them both free. A tender, emotionally charged tale about love, guilt, and the cost of letting go.
The House Saphir
Marissa Meyer
The House Saphir centers on a crumbling seaside mansion with a reputation for swallowing secrets—and the woman who inherits it without understanding the legacy she’s stepping into. As she settles in, strange noises, missing objects, and whispers from the house’s past begin to surface. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes the Saphir family’s history is stitched together with lies, obsessions, and tragedies that were never put to rest.
A moody, elegant mystery where the house itself feels alive—and nothing stays buried for long.
The Gallagher Place
Julie Doar
The Gallaher Place follows a woman who returns to her family’s old estate after years away, only to find the property steeped in rumors, half-truths, and a tragedy no one will talk about. As she starts to uncover what really happened within those walls, the line between memory and mystery blurs. Every room seems to hold a secret, and every answer leads to another unsettling question.
A slow-burning, atmospheric tale about family, guilt, and the shadows a home can hold long after everyone has left.
In Your Dreams
Sarah Adams
In Your Dreams is a charming, feel-good romance about second chances, unexpected sparks, and learning to rewrite your own story. When a down-on-her-luck heroine ends up in a small town hoping for a fresh start, the last thing she expects is to be thrown together with the one man who gets under her skin—and makes her heart race. As banter turns into chemistry and old wounds begin to heal, she discovers that sometimes the life you’ve always wanted is the one you never saw coming.
Warm, funny, and full of heart, it’s the perfect escape-read for anyone who loves love.
Dark Sisters
Kristi DeMeester
Dark Sisters is a haunting, unsettling tale that digs into the shadows of a small Southern town and the women who’ve learned to survive its secrets. When a string of strange events pulls long-buried fears to the surface, old friendships fracture and loyalties are tested. Each woman is forced to confront the dark thread connecting them—a legacy of violence, desire, and quiet rebellion.
Lush, eerie, and emotionally sharp, it’s a story about sisterhood forged in darkness and the truths that refuse to stay hidden.
Friends and Liars
Kit Frick
Friends and Liars follows a woman who returns to her hometown after a close friend’s death, only to discover he left behind a mysterious letter hinting that the truth about their old friend group is far more tangled than she ever knew. As buried secrets begin to surface and old loyalties crack, she’s forced to confront the lies they all told—about each other and themselves.
A gripping, emotional story about friendship, guilt, and the damage we carry long after we’ve grown up.
Before I Forget
Tory Henwood Hoen
Before I Forget follows a young woman whose carefully ordered life begins to slip when unexpected memory lapses start disrupting her world. What she first brushes off as stress soon unravels into something far more personal—and far more frightening. As she pieces together the moments she’s losing, she’s forced to confront the truths she’s tried hardest to avoid: about her family, her past, and the version of herself she’s been clinging to.
A sharp, heartfelt, and quietly suspenseful story about identity, vulnerability, and what it means to hold on when everything feels like it’s disappearing.
An Arcane Inheritance
Kamilah Cole
The Arcane Inheritance follows a young woman who discovers she’s the last heir to a long-forgotten magical bloodline—one tied to a world she never knew existed. When a mysterious relic surfaces with her name bound to it, she’s thrust into a dangerous legacy of spells, secrets, and old rivalries. As she uncovers the truth behind her family’s power, she must decide whether to claim the inheritance that could change her fate… or destroy her.
A moody, enchanting fantasy about destiny, hidden histories, and the cost of awakening what was meant to stay buried.