Toni Apple

ARC Copy Review

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Moss and Mirrors

Author Nicole M King

Publication Date September 30,2026

First, I want to thank Nicole M. King and InsideStory for sharing this book with me prior to publishing.

Okay… this book seriously messed with me.

I went into it thinking Quinn had finally gotten a second chance after everything she'd been through, and then the whole thing slowly turned into something so much darker. The fact that she escapes one cult only to realize she may have been “saved” by someone with his own agenda was honestly terrifying.

I really liked how the author didn’t reveal everything at once. There were little things that just felt wrong—the house, the women, the rules, and especially the way her counselor started treating her. That “Little one” nickname went from sounding sweet to making my skin crawl.

Quinn was heartbreaking because she just wanted to feel safe and trust someone after years of being controlled. Watching her realize that she might have traded one kind of captivity for another was SO unsettling.

This was definitely a dark and heavy read but if you like psychological suspense, cult stories, creepy atmospheres, and that constant something is very wrong here feeling, I’d definitely recommend this one.

I was suspicious of everyone by the end.

Happy Release Day!

ARC Copy Review

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Taste Like Trouble

Author Luna May

Publication Date August 22, 3026

First, I would like to thank Luna May and Inside Story for sharing this novella with me.

I was looking forward to a dark romance to give my head a break from thrillers. Instead, I got a story that kept my mind racing—but for all the right reasons.

This spunky little novella had me on my toes from beginning to end, flipping pages as quickly as I could digest the words. What I expected to be a break from suspense turned out to have its own delicious tension, pulling me deeper into the story with every page.

“Roman had spent years convincing himself that he was in control, carefully constructing a beautiful but empty life. Yet beneath that carefully controlled exterior was a man who was desperately trying to find a version of himself that didn't feel like a ghost.

He wasn't stepping into the spaces where a husband should have been as some calculated strategy. He was there because he was starving to be seen. He wasn't creating the silence around him; he was drowning in it. Every message felt like another desperate gasp for air.

And then there was her loneliness—deep, quiet, and the kind that seems to settle into your bones. Roman could hear the ache hidden beneath her careful words, the desperate pride of a woman who had slowly become invisible in her own home.

What struck me most was that Roman wasn't simply paying attention to her to manipulate or impress her. He listened because her words made him feel seen, too. For once, he wasn't performing or pretending to be someone he wasn't. He was reaching into the darkness, hoping she would be there to reach back.

Because sometimes the difference between being looked at and truly being seen is enormous. It can be the difference between merely existing and actually feeling alive.”

This novella gave me exactly the kind of escape I was looking for, just not in the way I expected. It was dark, tense, emotional, and surprisingly absorbing. Sometimes the best stories aren't the ones that let you turn your brain off—they're the ones that make you forget everything else exists while you're reading.

Definitely a quick, gripping read for anyone looking for something dark, emotionally charged, and a little bit different.

Arc Copy Review

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What The Storm Broke

Author Nicole M King

Publication date June 1, 2026

First, I want to give a HUGE thank you to author Nicole M King and Inside Story for providing me with an advanced copy to read.

This book moved me. I mean, really moved me.

It pulled me in from the very first paragraph and never let go. The combination of small-town secrets, buried trauma, and unreliable memories created a constant sense of dread that only intensified as the story unfolded.

Myla is such a compelling protagonist—successful on the surface, yet clearly running from something she can’t fully remember. The true-crime podcaster angle added another fascinating layer because she spends her life investigating other people’s tragedies while refusing to confront her own. Watching her return to Cedarwood and slowly unravel the truth was genuinely gripping.

The atmosphere was incredible. Cedarwood feels haunted in the way only small towns can, where everyone remembers everything and silence says more than words. Every chapter added another piece to the puzzle, and the fragmented memories were unsettling without ever feeling overdone.

And that final line from the premise still gives me chills:

“Someone in Cedarwood has been waiting for her to come back.”

If you like atmospheric psychological thrillers with buried secrets, unreliable memories, and messy hometown histories, this one delivers. Perfect for fans of slow-burn suspense with a strong emotional core.

Content Warnings:

Child Death

Cover  Ups

Child Endangerment

Panic Attacks

Trauma

Grief

Loss