Book Review: Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi

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Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi  was published on March 11, 2025 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Bantam. It opens with Claire finding out that her fiancé, Noah, isn't working where he said he was and is now ghosting her. Claire must find out why. Book Review: Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Bantam for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Claire Darling by Callie Kazumi for free in exchange for my honest review. I was absolutely thrilled when my request for a copy was approved because the synopsis was so good. From the beginning, I absolutely loved the main character of Claire and her work friend named Sukhi. Throughout the novel, we learn about Claire's past and how terrible her mother was towards her. I kept hoping that somehow we would learn who Claire's father was and would eventually connect with him. It's really no wonder Claire had no self confidence as an ad...

Book Review: The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

Book Review The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman is a novel about a rich, eccentric family and traditions that may be deadly.  Harriet "Harry" Reed, a novelist, and her fiance Edward Holbeck are in love.  Edward's estranged family wants Harry's help in bringing back into the folds of their family, but when their strange family traditions make Harry uneasy, she starts to rethink her decision.

A big shout out and thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballatine Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Family Game by Catherine Steadman.  I requested to review this book because of the cover art and the synopsis.  To say I was excited to be approved to receive this book for free in exchange for my honest review would be an understatement.

This was the perfect book to put me in the mood for Halloween even though the majority of the book takes place in November and December.  An intense, dark book, the first quarter of the novel was a bit slow but quickly picked up from there.  There were twists and turns galore, and I didn't see the ending coming at all.

One of the traditions of the family is a game brought over from their homeland of Germany called Krampusnacht and included Krampus, the evil shadow of Santa Claus, chasing children throughout the house until one of the kids found the special stick that would "kill" Krampus.  Harry and one other adult were pulled into the game to help the youngest two children in the game.  I found my heart pounding during this scene . . . it was that scary!!  I think what made it so scary to me is that I had watched a horror movie a few years ago about Krampus and knew how scary this creature could be.

All in all, I absolutely loved The Family Game by Catherine Steadman and gave it five out of five stars.  I highly recommend this book, especially if you love the horror genre.

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