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over the influence by johanna jojo levesque

Review: Over The Influence by Johanna JoJo Levesque

“I’ve never been good at playing the game, but I’m great at telling the truth.” …

Kathleen Haagenson June 8, 2025June 7, 2025

Book Review: The Wives by Simone Gorrindo

I stumbled upon The Wives by Simone Gorrindo while perusing my public library and found …

Kathleen Haagenson February 12, 2025February 12, 2025

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A Contemporary Fiction with complex family dynamic

A Contemporary Fiction with complex family dynamics? Sign me 🆙 #bookstagram #contemporaryfiction #askyfulloflove #lornalewis #bookreview

Whew friends my sinus has taken me out these last

Whew friends my sinus has taken me out these last few weeks and there’s so many reviews I need to catch up on. Earlier this month I finished the ARC I received from NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for H. Lee Justine’s debut novel You Watched In Silence which was such a fun and enjoyable read.

This novel follows Caitlyn who becomes a nanny for a cancelled YouTuber named Bella Greene and while trying to learn more about the family vlogger and why she got cancelled she finds herself caught in a string of strange occurrences as she’s haunted by a ghostly apparition. Things reach a head when a shocking truth is revealed creating a twisty and shocking conclusion.

What I loved:

👻 How the setting was the perfect backdrop for the content of this novel creating a rich atmospheric and suspenseful vibe

👻 Caitlyn’s personality. She’s witty, sarcastic and self-aware.

👻 Mental health representation was relatable and captured the reality of depression and anxiety

👻 The romance between Caitlyn and Hannah was adorable

👻 The social commentary regarding the ethics of YouTube family vloggers including their children in content without their express consent and creating potential safety risks in online spaces

What didn’t work for me:

👻 The change in pace towards the end felt rushed with events escalating super fast

👻 The conclusion while shocking and I liked how the author didn’t hold her punches I did feel there were parts that didn’t seem plausible

This is a great debut novel and would be ideal for readers that love an atmospheric paranormal thriller, with Queer rep, problematic Influencers who et their comeuppance and delicious atmospheric vibes.

#paranormalthrillers #debutnovel #youwatchedinsilence #bookstagram #bookreview

May favorite thing in the world aside from reading

May favorite thing in the world aside from reading is to yap about books. And I had so much fun with this reading vlog learning about the mysteries of female friendship and how to be a better friend and build healthier and better friendships and also running my mouth 🗣️. Plus these books had me feeling a roller coaster of emotions. Have you read either of these? What were your thoughts? Visit the link 🔗 in my bio to watch The Chaos and Magic of Female Friendship reading vlog and share your thoughts!

#bookstagram #

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