All posts by Jo-Anna W

Crime Fiction, Kindle Unlimited, Part of a Series, Thriller

#Review – The Roses Of May (The Collector Book 2) by Dot Hutchison

September 10, 2026 Jo-Anna W Leave a comment

Four months after the explosion at the Garden, a place where young women known as the Butterflies were kept captive, FBI agents Brandon Eddison, Victor Hanoverian, and Mercedes Ramirez are still entrenched in the aftermath, helping survivors in the process of adjusting to life on the outside. With winter coming to an end, the Butterflies have longer, warmer days of healing ahead. But for the agents, the impending thaw means one gruesome thing: a chilling guarantee that somewhere in the country, another young woman will turn up dead in a church with her throat slit and her body surrounded by flowers.

Priya Sravasti’s sister fell victim to the killer years ago. Now she and her mother move every few months, hoping for a new beginning. But when she ends up in the madman’s crosshairs, the hunt takes on new urgency. Only with Priya’s help can the killer be found—but will her desperate hope for closure compel her to put her very life on the line?

At 37% – I’m going to write this as I read because I have thoughts I want to get down before I forget. This one is quite different than book 1. It’s slower but not in a bad way. Just in a way that makes you think and feel things. Book 1 was intense, while this one, at 37% is just…sad and heartbreaking. Heartbreaking because Priya lost her sister and her dad, not too far apart from each other. But her sister…man. Her sister was murdered and of course, our same trio of detectives, haven’t been able to catch the bad guy.

In this book, we get more from Eddison’s point of view. Which is a nice change from book 1, when that was in Vic’s POV.

I’m still early in and I know a lot can happen with 63% left go in the book but I just wanted to say that I feel bad for Priya. Her thoughts and her grief, are intense and rightfully so. Losing your sister…I have a younger sister and I can’t imagine what I would do if something happened to her.

At 67% – I find this book much slower than book one but not in a bad way. Priya is beyond messed up over her sister and the other deaths. Even though they’re complete strangers, she can’t help but feel broken over it. I do like how this book ties into book 1. Not a lot but it gives us current events with some of the girls from book 1 and I like seeing how they’re doing now.

At 83% – I really have no idea who the bad guy is. I have theories but I’m probably totally wrong seeing as I can never predict these things.

At 100% – Now that I’m done, I had a feeling about who the bad guy was. I liked how the story ended and I also liked how we got to see more into the lives and personalities of the 3 agents.

Man, this was so good. Now it’s time for book 3. I definitely need these books in paperback.

Read in KU – https://amzn.to/4cBBUGX

Crime Fiction, Kindle Unlimited, Part of a Series, Review, Serial Killer

#Review – The Butterfly Garden (The Collector Book 1) by Dot Hutchison

September 9, 2026 Jo-Anna W Leave a comment

An Amazon Charts bestseller.

Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding…

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS***

I kept hearing about this book on BookTok and have been intrigued but never picked it up until now and boy am I ever glad I gave it a chance. Was I really in the mood to invest in another series? No. Not really but after reading this one, I know I’m going to have to read the rest of the books in The Collector Series. I’ll also be writing this review in real time as I read through this book.

Part 1 – So we meet Maya and she slowly starts to reveal what she went through at The Garden. She talks about her childhood and upbringing and how her parents didn’t want her. She’s an unhappy girl and rightfully so. I don’t blame her at all really.

Two detectives are trying to find out what happened to the girls, who the killers were and the why for everything that went on. Maya isn’t overly forthcoming but piece by piece, she begins telling the agents about her time at The Garden.

We also learn that The Gardner has butterflies tattooed on each of his girls and gives them names. Not sure why yet. The agents think Maya may be a part of this but again, I don’t know why. I’m very intrigued and can’t wait to read more. Now onto part 2.

One thing I want to add is that I like the way the author gently writes about the abuse scenes. You know what’s happening but it’s not in great detail. Although, I’m not sure if that’s worse cause my imagination doesn’t help any.

Part 2 – I am really liking this book. I like that one part is written in 3rd person and then Maya’s part is written in 1st. It’s unique and I’m quite enjoying it. We’re still learning about Maya and the girls and what they went through at the hands of The Gardener. His oldest son, Avery, is evil and his youngest son, Desmond, is honestly not much better but in different ways.

So I’m reading and reading and thinking certain scenes aren’t that bad (I’m an extreme horror junky, so nothing can top that really) and then BAM. Holy moly. Avery is a MONSTER.

Part 3 – Last part of the book and I am so not ready for the things to come. Maybe Desmond can help but I have a feeling something goes horribly wrong.

I finished the book and I’m left here with a heavy heart but man, was this book ever good. So so good.

But I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to look at butterflies the same way again.

Read in Kindle Unlimited – https://amzn.to/4xeWgyg

Kindle Unlimited, Psychological Thriller, Standalone, Thriller

#Review #Thriller – Jar Of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

August 4, 2026 Jo-Anna W Leave a comment

* Winner – Best Novel, ITW Thriller Award * Authors on the Air Network – Thriller of the Year * Finalist – Anthony Award for Best Novel * Finalist – Macavity Award for Best Novel *

“Jar of Hearts grabs you by the throat! The perfect blend of riveting characters, chilling details, and gasping twists in this standout thriller will keep you frantically reading until the explosive end.” – Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of Right Behind You

This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who’s been searching for the truth all these years . . .

When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong—one of the most popular girls in school—disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.

But fourteen years later, Angela Wong’s remains are discovered in the woods near Geo’s childhood home. And Kaiser—now a detective with Seattle PD—finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.

To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he’s something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo’s first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.

For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela’s death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.

While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.

How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it? Find out in Jennifer Hillier’s Jar of Hearts.

This book was so good. Like beyond good. I was hooked from the very first page. I’ve never read Jennifer’s books before but I came across a video on TikTok, cause that’s where I’ve been getting most of my book recs from lately, and found this one. I went in completely blind, which I 100% suggest doing. It’s so much more fun that way.

So we meet Geo and the book starts right off with her testifying against her ex-boyfriend. She ends up in jail and the book takes us through her time in jail and through her past as a teen. We find out how she met Calvin, her ex, how she met her friends and so on. It basically takes us through most of her life and I liked the way the author did that.

I was totally invested from the start. By the last 20%, I messaged a friend and was like “I have no idea what’s going on!” – I will say, I managed to predict something but I just didn’t know the why.

I also want to say that I did not like Angela, Geo’s best friend. She came off as selfish and didn’t seem like she treated Geo very well. But at the same time, Geo didn’t treat Angela overly well all the time either. It was an odd dynamic but I guess it worked for them.

This book was everything I look for in a thriller. Twists and turns, engaging characters and it was just…man, it was just everything.

Do I agree with half of the choices Geo made? No, not at all but I’ve never been in her situation before. It just shows that she’s humans and humans make mistakes.

Ugh this book will live rent free in my head for a while.

Oh and if you like dark romance books, this one had a kinda sorta dark romancey vibe. In a totally unhinged and twisted sort of way.

One click – https://amzn.to/4ax0vfd

Extreme Horror, Horror, Kindle Unlimited, Novella

#ExtremeHorror #Review – Cravings: An Extreme Horror Novelette by D E McCluskey

July 9, 2026 Jo-Anna W Leave a comment

Sarah Todd is pregnant.

She doesn’t believe in cravings, and is determined to live the next seven months giving her baby all they nutrients it needs to grow into a healthy boy, or girl.

The baby, however, has other plans.

How far is she willing to go to succumb to her… CRAVINGS?

From the dark mind of D E McCluskey, author of CRACK, The Twelve, and The Contract, comes this extremely disturbing novelette.

The baby must have what the baby needs…

So I’ve read Zola by this author and that one was fun and gross but this book? Absolutely vile and disgusting and I loved every second of it.

I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book and I’m so glad I went in blind. With the title being Cravings and also that it’s an extreme horror, I expected something unhinged but not quite what I read.

Sarah is pregnant and doesn’t believe in cravings. Thinks it’s all in your head and stuff. Until she starts craving something and the rest is history.

This book was so gross and I’m super glad I have a strong stomach. I remember thinking near the end “what the heck made the author come up with this?”

If you’re squeamish or don’t like mention of bodily fluids, you may want to pass on this. If you’re good with that stuff? Then have fun but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

5 stars for weird

5 stars for gross

5 stars for being unique

Read in KU – https://amzn.to/4dRiApb

Extreme Horror, Horror, Kindle Unlimited

#Review #ExtremeHorror – The Found Bag of Doom: Extreme Horror (Boss Universe (Dark Web)) by Sea Caummisar

July 7, 2026 Jo-Anna W Leave a comment

Stress is piling up in Blake’s life.
A sick kid, a mountain of debt, and lack of sleep is life’s way of beating him down.
When he finds a bag full of money, he thinks all of his problems are solved.
He’s wrong. Very wrong.

Note from the author : This is extreme horror. I do not want to add any triggers. I feel like the triggers would give away the ending. The first 3/4 of the story is mild violence. The last 1/4 of the story is so vile that the author is ALMOST disgusted with herself. This is not a gimmick. This story is intended for extreme horror lovers. I will add that there is zero animal abuse in this story.

I kept seeing this book around and finally got a chance to read it. I’ve only read one other book by Sea and that was…interesting. But as a fan of extreme horror, I was excited to give this one a shot! Especially if it involves dark web stuff.

So we meet Blake who is having a difficult time. He has a sick child at home and endless hospital bills. He’s exhausted. And then he finds a bag filled with cash. I honestly don’t know what I would do if I stumbled across the same thing. It would definitely help financially but I also wouldn’t feel right. Knowing me, as tempted as I would be to keep it, I’d probably turn it in to the police and then have a good cry after. lol

After reading this book though, if I ever come across a bag filled with cash, I’m just leaving it and moving on like nothing happened.

If you like extreme horror, I definitely suggest reading this one. It’s a lot and not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure.

Read in KU – https://amzn.to/4dHS0Pb

MC, Pre-Order, Uncategorized

#PreOrder #Promo – Rogue Knight (Outlaw Titans MC, #1) by April Lynn Baker

July 5, 2026 Jo-Anna W Leave a comment

Rogue Knight, Outlaw Titans MC #1

Outlaw Titans MC Collaboration

PNR

Protective MMC

Sassy MFC

Bondage

Touch her &

Brotherhood

Cronus

I was the President of the Outlaw Titans MC until I was wrongfully arrested. Now, I’m out and on the warpath to find who set me up and reclaim my spot within my MC. What I didn’t expect is a gorgeous blonde to come crashing into my world.

Can I protect her from my enemies long enough to claim her?

** Not available on Amazon until release day **

Pre-order Link

https://books2read.com/Rogue-Knight