Andrea Ward

I have heard so much about Freida McFadden and was a bit skeptical when I started this book. It has an isolated house in a blizzard, which I love. The couple was suspicious and I didn't really like them, but I never felt like I was supposed to like them. So McFadden did a great job characterizing them. I was doubted myself if they were as bad as my first impression said and that is what a good thriller should do, make me doubt my reading. Dr. Hale is also very suspicious. I suspected part of the ending, but there were parts that I was surprised about as well. That was a good mix of surprise outcomes and expected outcomes. This was a fabulous book to start with for Freida McFadden. I look forward to reading more of her work.

I started this a while back and put it down because it wasn't the right time, but I could t stop thinking about it. So I picked it up again. I liked that the horror was related to an obsession with beauty, bodies, and organic ingredients. The body horror and capitalism to an extreme were really well done. Some of the sexual stuff was weird and didn't add anything to the story to me. The ending visuals of the narrator will stay with me. I'm glad I came back to this one.

McBride has a way of creating a realistic feeling neighborhood full of flawed and complicated people. Some of them make mistakes, but are still trying. Others don't notice the mistakes they are making and don't consider them mistakes. It makes for a heart wrenching story because you feel like you know these people and what they are suffering.

The family in this is complicated and so are their goals. The family history and the house history are complicated. It is hard to know who to trust including Jade sometimes. I liked that part well enough, but the body horror and bug horror really set this book apart. Once I even had to read a part aloud because I had to let someone else know how gross that part was.

Pirate's Cove has so many secrets! I liked the character of Ellery and the discoveries he made as well as the clumsy investigating he did. The mystery was very interesting. The solution was very clever. And the slow burn romance is my favorite. I can't wait to visit Pirate's Cove again.