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Review: It Ends Here by Heidi Perks

Every once in a while, a thriller comes along that feels… different. Not louder, not twistier, but somehow more human. It Ends Here is exactly that — a mystery that doesn’t rely on shock value or high-speed chaos, but on a quiet, simmering intensity that keeps tightening around you page by page. The premise is already gripping: five strangers receive a phone call telling them that their loved one is inside a café being held hostage. What they don’t know is that one of the hostages is actually the hostage taker. We just don’t know who. Or why. The narrative switches between three key threads: – the detective in charge, trying to piece together motives from the shadows – the loved ones outside, desperate for answers – and the hostage taker, speaking to us directly… but always just out of reach What I loved is how we get to know the hostages through the people who love them. It creates this beautifully soft emotional layer — you care about these people even though you barely spend any tim...
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Review: My Dear Illusion by Sarah Ready — A Fantasy Debut That Broke Me

 

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.


Summary:

My Dear Illusion follows Mari Locke, who grew up in Hell Gate - the darkest corner of New York City. She has a rare gift: she can unravel illusions, which makes her both dangerous and hunted in a world ruled by conjurers who bend reality itself. When Mari is forced into the brutal Hundred Year Games, she must ally with Finn Alterra, a half-conjurer who’s considered the weakest contender of them all. Her mission is simple on paper: help him win, then destroy him. But in a world built on lies and illusions, Mari quickly realizes nothing is what it seems - not her enemies, not her allies, not even her own heart.


My review:

If you know me, you know I love Sarah Ready. I fell in love with Josh and Gemma and then devoured her other romances. So when I saw she was releasing a fantasy novel (and almost 900 pages at that), I was intrigued but nervous.


And I’ll be real: after about 20%, I wasn’t sure I’d continue. There’s a lot of worldbuilding front-loaded, it felt more told than shown at first, and I usually prefer it to unravel more organically. But because it was Sarah, I peeked at a few other reviews, decided to push on… and I’m so glad I did.


Once I got deeper, I realized every detail mattered. By the end, I wouldn’t have cut a single page. The world is layered and intricate, illusions within illusions, betrayals stacked on betrayals. I found myself second-guessing everything, who to trust, what was real, and even what I wanted to be true.


Mari is a heroine I rooted for from the beginning, and Finn… oh, Finn. Complicated, broken, flawed. Their slow-burn connection is everything I love: subtle, tense, tender, and yes - so much better for not being overrun with spice. The romance works because it feels both impossible and inevitable.


And then there’s the Wind. I never thought I’d fall in love with the Wind as a character, but I did. It gives the book a unique voice that’s poetic and haunting.


The ending left me with tears in my eyes and a desperate need for the next book. This is Sarah Ready’s fantasy debut, and she absolutely pulled it off.


⭐ 5 stars. New favorite. Please, Sarah, tell us when the sequel is coming.


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