Author: Cari

Hey everybody, here are the results from the free sample marathon. I didn’t manage to get through as many free samples as I wanted to, but I did manage to find some real gems!

Data Cartels by Sarah Lamden

5 STARS – A non-fiction book about the companies who own our online data, comparing them to drug cartels. It’s very well written for a non-fiction book, and it is genuinely eye-opening. I will definitely continue reading this one.

One of us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

3 STARS – I became interested in this book when I found it was going to be made into a Netflix series, but I found the music on the show obnoxious, so I decided to read some of the book instead. I found it more interesting than a typical modern YA novel because there was a murder, and I found the characters relatable, but also too cliche. I won’t carry on with this one.

Pretty Evil by Zoe Rosi

5 STARS – This novel is centred around a protagonist who happens to be an affluent, respected, influential fashion magazine editor, who is also a vigilante killer. I really liked this one, the concept is refreshing, and I want to see how everything pans out. I will continue reading this one.

Altered by Rob Kaufman

4 STARS – This is a very promising story concerning a psychiatrist and a man with multiple personalities, who weaves his way into the psychiatrist’s life. Much of the free sample was as expected, but at the end of the sample there was a twist that I didn’t expect. I will continue to read this one.

The Phantom’s Apprentice by Heather Webb

5 STARS – This retelling of the Phantom of the Opera ticks all the boxes so far, I can’t imagine a better retelling. I will definitely be continuing with this one.

The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross

2 STARS – This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the point of view of the Beast. It has excellent scene-setting, but for me it was too slow of a burn. I won’t continue with this one.

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

5 STARS – A romance set in England in 1879, Annabelle is tasked with recruiting a powerful duke, to whom she finds herself attracted, to champion the rising women’s suffrage movement. I love this book – you feel invested in the characters from the very first page. I will continue to read this one.

Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead

4 STARS – Set in the 1930s, this mystery novel depicts the murder of a celebrity psychiatrist, and Scotland Yard recruits a recruited conjuror to solve the crime. Excellent scene-setting but it didn’t grip me. I won’t continue with this one.

The Electric Brain by R. Douglas Fields

5 STARS – All about the science of brainwaves, I was concerned that this book would be too textbook for a general audience, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it’s written, in very much a story form, beginning with the first discoveries that the brain produces an electric current that reacts to various stimuli. This book holds a lot of promise, I will continue to read this one.