Ever since I read In the Dark last year by Loreth Anne White and loved it, I've been excited to check out more of the author's books. So it's with great anticipation that I dug into In the Deep, the author's latest offering.

Ellie had been trying to get over the traumatic death of her young daughter when real-estate developer Martin walked into her life and made her feel whole and happy again. Now as newlyweds, they have moved to an Australian coastal town so that Martin can be near his latest project while Ellie gets the fresh start she craves. But when Martin is brutally murdered, all attention focuses on his wife. But what secrets is she really hiding?

For me, I found this to be a good, though not great, psychological thriller. I think part of the problem is that this book feels very typical of its genre, in that everything is overly dramatic and amped up a notch. Everyone acts extremely suspiciously at all times, even when they have no reason to. There are secrets, but they are foreshadowed to be much bigger than they actually are. And my biggest pet peeve is here, where the unreliable narrator is only so because she can't stop drinking like a fish, even when she knows it makes it hard for her to remember clearly what is going on.

After all this over-hyping and over-emoting, when the reveal comes, it feels like a bit of a letdown. Sure, it's twisty, but it's not as mind-blowing as it was built up to be. I don't want to sell this story short, as I think most readers will really enjoy it. But for me, while it was an agreeable way to pass the time, it just didn't quite rise above the rest of this over-saturated genre.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Those in the dominant caste who found themselves lagging behind those seen as inherently inferior potentially faced an epic existential crisis. To stand on the same rung as those perceived to be of a lower caste is seen as lowering one's status. In the zero-sum stakes of a caste system upheld by perceived scarcity, if a lower-caste person goes up a rung, an upper-caste person comes down. The elevation of others amounts to a demotion of oneself, thus equality feels like a demotion.

Coming across the passage above was a eureka moment, a lightning strike going off in my head. It immediately made me think of the now-famous quote that showed up around the time of Trump: "Equal rights for others does not mean less rights for you. It's not pie." I had long puzzled over the necessity of stating this obvious fact, and why it was that a significant portion of the American population did not seem to agree with it. And the paragraph above, along with this entire book, has finally given me the answer, a comprehensive explanation for all that has confused me for so long.

Going into Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, I had never thought about racism as a form of a caste system. Yet, the book makes an articulate and thoughtful argument for why one is really a manifestation of the other. It refers to India's famous caste system to explain America's racial structure, but it also spends a good amount of time comparing them to Nazi Germany. Through it all, it provided answers to so many discrepancies that racism alone could never quite fully account for.

This book is unflinching in its analysis and chilling in its comparisons. To see racism in America as being equal to, or even at times worse than, the Nazi Germany's treatment of Jews, is horrifying and eye-opening. For example, in one of the passages around the formation of the Nuremberg Laws, the book talks about how the Germans learned from the Americans. They actually studied U.S. segregation laws and were impressed with their ability to keep black citizens powerless, all within a legal framework.

The book doesn't just talk about history, but also what is happening today. In particular, it addresses the backlash that formed following Obama's election to the highest office in the land, the seemingly confounding actions that Trump supporters took in voting against their own self-interest, and the fanatical fever of white and Confederate pride that have overtaken so many citizens and towns.

One of the unintended side effects of this book is that it helped me understand my Chinese heritage and culture. There were so many verbal and nonverbal cues I had picked up throughout my childhood, which had shaped me into the quiet and passive person I'd been in my early adult years. That, combined with the personality differences I have seen among my Chinese peers, all seem to tie into Chinese's implicit caste system of favoring sons over daughters. Even though there is nothing about China in this book, everything that is said about the psychological effects of a caste system can still apply (though to a much lesser degree).

I almost didn't finish this book, though. For all of its insightful breakthroughs, I almost stopped reading because I found the beginning chapters to be dull, indulgent, and flowery. It spent so long telling me what the book will be about instead of just getting on with it. It was full of metaphors for what racism is, like it's an old house, or a virus, or a play. And each metaphor is stretched to its limits, filled with pages and pages of comparisons. It wasn't until the middle of chapter 4 that the content finally starts to become cogent. If you are considering this book, do try to power through the initial muddling pages to get to the rest of this powerful and worthwhile book.

We cannot hope to bridge the divide that has so fractured this country if one side cannot understand the other. So for me, this book is of the upmost importance. It has done more for my understanding of US race relations than any other book I have read. Looking at race through the lens of a caste system is the only explanation I've come across that is both logical and comprehensive.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

Wow, The Nothing Man sucked me in from the very first moment, and held me captive until the very end.

Eve Black, at the age of twelve, survived a serial killer entering her home and murdering her parents and her sister. Now as an adult, she has become obsessed with catching this killer the media has dubbed the Nothing Man, and has written a true crime book detailing his atrocities, in the hopes of generating renewed interest and finally catching the killer. When Jim Doyle, a security guard at a local store, sees this book, he can't resist the urge to read it. But the more he reads, the more he is enraged. Because he is the Nothing Man and he realizes that in order to keep his secret safe, he must do what he failed to do that night 20 years ago.

Talk about gripping! Once I started in on this book, I couldn't put it down. It kept me riveted, all the more surprising because it wasn't building towards a big mystery reveal at the end. We already know the guilty party, pretty much from the first page. Yet the way the story unfolds, with Jim hurrying to read Eve's book to figure out how much she knows and to keep one step ahead of her, kept the pacing taut and tensions high.

Plenty of books promise chilling atmospheric reads, though hardly any deliver. But this book does, drawing me deep into the mind of a serial killer. It's extremely creepy to read a book from such a cold and psychotic person's point of view. It was masterful how the author went about this, forming a cohesive picture of the killer through his thoughts and actions. The killer's character felt real and complex, and that is what made this story all the more disturbing.

This book had the most interesting format of a story within a story. For me, it's a complete win, and I have pretty much loved every book I have ever come across that employs it. In this case, it's a clever way to showcase two separate viewpoints, to have one read the other's, while they are both moving towards a common destination. Authors everywhere, if you're reading this, please give me more of this story within a story!

What a memorable read this turned out to be. For sure, this has earned a spot on my favorites list for the year!

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

I've been looking forward to Tools of Engagement ever since I read and loved the previous two books in the series. Sweet and steamy are its hallmarks, and this book continues to deliver!

When Bethany is dragged into a house-flipping competition to prove to herself that she has what it takes, Wes volunteers to be a part of Bethany's team. These two have a tumultuous relationship based on biting remarks and mutual hate, but could their animosity be rooted in something more? As they work side-by-side, their time together slowly thaws their relationship, and these two flawed people realize they don't have to be perfect to find their perfect love.

This story has everything I've come to love about the series: interesting and passionate characters, lots of witty banter, plenty of laughter, and enough steam to defrost the coldest of hearts. What makes this couple even more compelling is that they are both deeply in need of love and acceptance. To see them slowly come to terms with their attraction and love for each other is so rewarding and heartwarming. The house-flipping element also added a level of fun to the whole thing, as if I'm reading a HGTV love story.

If you haven't read anything by Tessa Bailey, it's worth mentioning that her books are extremely hot and steamy, at times shockingly so. This is especially surprising because the covers of this series will have you believe it's an innocent rom-com which you can blithely read whenever and wherever. To come across unprepared one of these raunchy passages would definitely be a startling experience.

I wholeheartedly adore this series. Its cast of kind, sweet, and loyal characters always fill my heart with so much joy. Their naïve and stalwart belief in love seems so full of potential, harkening back to a time before cynicism and stress takes its toll on relationships. These books are pure escapism, no doubt, but they're exactly what I need right now.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I picked up Among the Beasts & Briars because I've been having a craving for a good YA fantasy, and I haven't read one in ages. Unfortunately, this book's terrific start was slowly squandered into a meandering middle that ultimately ended up disappointing me and not satisfying any cravings whatsoever.

The first king of Aloriya long ago struck a bargain with the Lady of the Woods to wear a magical crown in exchange for his kingdom's protection against the evil lurking in the woods. Three hundred years later, Cerys, the royal gardener's daughter, lives a mostly safe and charmed life in the kingdom. However, the evil beings in the woods will not stay hidden forever. On the day of the new queen's coronation, they come calling, and Cerys must find a way to save herself and everyone she loves.

I was immediately sucked into this enchanting tale, with its fun heroine and her cute furry sidekicks, a fox and a bear. The writing style made it feel like an adventurous fairy tale of good versus evil, where unsuspecting maidens are thrown into a world of danger. Of course, she would rise to the occasion, save the kingdom and find true love, all in one go. But it didn't quite play out that way.

For one, Cerys is extremely naïve and often tricked into trouble. Also, both she and the fox are in constant need of reassurance. So Cerys would nose her way into trouble, then she or the fox would whine about how they are cowards and can't fight. Then the others would have to give them a pep talk of how awesome they are, before they can proceed. This happened so many times that I got fed up. I can take one needy character, but two is too much.

The other issue is that it feels like the author knew how she wanted the story to begin and what the ending is, but had trouble getting from the former to the latter. This was especially true when the characters were traveling in the woods. They would wander around, then get attacked by evil beings, but nothing bad really happens, and then they wander some more. This happened over and over, without feeling like it was building into something. Yes, the characters were lost in the woods, but I honestly felt lost reading it too.

When we do reach the end, it felt unsatisfactory somehow. Maybe it's because I'm still unclear about the why's and the how's of what happened. So many questions were unanswered or insufficiently explained. And that made the whole story feel like it didn't really hang together.

There was a lot of potential with this book. It had an interesting premise, I really liked the writing style, and the beginning was riveting. But once we get to the crux of the adventure, it kind of lost me. The needy characters, their meandering journey, and the vague explanations all contributed to my ultimately unsatisfied feeling.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

In Three Single Wives, a fun wine-fueled book club turns deadly when a body is found. Could their discussion of cheating husbands and murder have paved the way? Everyone has secrets, and the four women at the book club have more than their fair share to hide. So who was killed and who really did it?

The premise of this book is intriguing, and it certainly grabbed my attention. I found the initial pages to be compelling, introducing the readers to each of the main characters in this murderous little drama. But then, it started dragging on, and I pretty much lost interest.

One problem for me is the writing style. It's overwritten, as a lot of psychological thrillers tend to be. It's heavy on the (melo)drama, going on and on with each person's thoughts and emotions, way past the point of necessity. I can grasp why a character is feeling a certain way, and I don't need it spelled out for me across paragraphs upon paragraphs. Less is more, you know? It feels like hardly anything happens, so every small event or feeling is stretched out into so many pages of text. I felt my attention wandering constantly.

The other problem is that a lot of the things that happen don't really make sense at all. For example, the court transcript is pretty much just the prosecution and defense accusing every single witness of being the murderer. Or, when a wife suspects her husband of cheating, she befriends the mistress because she feels bad. Or, when a friend's husband starts to blackmail a character, they remain BFF with that friend. I could go on, but most of the character's actions don't follow with their personalities or logic or even emotion. It just feels random.

I don't read a lot of psychological thrillers because I find most of them to be disappointing, and this one definitely falls in that category. None of the characters really gelled into real people with thoughts and actions that make sense. Not much actually happens in the story, but every ounce of meaning and drama is wrung out of every little action and emotion until all the suspense is gone. By the end, I hardly cared who was killed or who did it. I'm just happy to be done.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be starts off with eight-year old Jack at the cemetery, where he briefly meets a mysterious young girl named Stella. From then on, he can't get her out of his head, but it'll be another year before he sees her again, at the exact same place. In a separate storyline, Detective Brier is investigating a homicide where the victim's body is burned completely, but his clothes are perfectly intact. He can't make heads or tails of it, but a year later, another body shows up, dead in the same way. In the third storyline, Subject "D" is deemed dangerous and kept in a lab, forced to grow up without human interactions.

There were so many things to enjoy about this story. The premise was fascinating, and it set up for an unusual and different story. I was constantly wondering exactly what was going on in each of these separate storylines, and how they all tie together. It was definitely a meaty book, one that took its time in setting things up and revealing its secrets. It was also action-packed, filled with many thrilling moments.

Still, for me, this story didn't quite reach the level of awesomeness that so many other readers experienced. One reason is that this book is extremely long at 760 pages. It's hard to sustain enough momentum throughout that sort of page length, and this story definitely feels that way. Yes, there was a lot of action, but much of it didn't really go anywhere and could easily have been cut out. The last 250 pages felt like one long climax and resolution, with one octane-fueled action sequence after another, going on and on. After reading all of it, it sort of meshed into one big lump, and I can barely recall what specifically happened.

The other reason I didn't connect more with this story is that Jack's motivations are really hard to understand. He supposedly saw Stella for like a minute when they were both young, and fell completely infatuated with her. Based on this minute, he knew they were meant to be together forever, at the tender age of eight. Then he goes on to do crazy things just to see her, and he carries this obsession with him into adulthood. It's the most insta-love story I have ever read, even including YA books. Since Jack's motivations underpins the entire story, it comes across as too forced and superficial to me.

This book has been on my to-read list for so long, ever since I read and loved Dracul and wanted to check out more by J.D. Barker. And I'm glad I finally got to it. Even though it wasn't as amazing as I hoped, it still entertained me and I had great fun following along in this crazy story.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars