Add an Alma have been married for over 40 years and have been happy for all of them but when Ed gets bored in his retirement and becomes a real estate agent for Kane Mills Realty he is super excited and has no clue how this new job is going to affect his life. His first clients are Joe and Emily moving to Chicago due to being transferred by Joe’s job but they first have to sell their home the only problem is they’ve been having problems for one thing they called in a plumber who found a creepy doll with a note in the tan that says the damn live here not to mention the living moving group he found in the bathroom they also have a bad stench coming from the kitchen but when Ed called in workers it seems like it’s been fixed. What Ed doesn’t know is Kane Mills is a reality company but it also has a more supernatural business side that they keep secret. Unfortunately at his other problems as well his wife Alma cannot get over that he wants to represent a lesbian couple , I mean what will the church lady say? This causes a big rift between Ed and Alma and Ed doesn’t know what to do about it. Can Ed fix his marriage and sell his first property or will he even live to do either? This book was way better than I honestly thought it was going to be a really enjoyed the spot I mean who doesn’t love a book where the dog levitates? I had no idea where this book was going but totally enjoyed where it went. This is a book I highly recommend if you love horror the new love this book I certainly did. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I thought this was an interesting book . I would have liked it to be longer with more threat. I like the way the book addresses bigotry, not only from religious people but also from self styled “liberals”. All in all a good read.

Sanctum by Sue Rovens was short, yet entertaining new thriller with some twists I wasn’t expecting.

The first chapter had me hooked! Who doesn’t love a floating corgi named Ms. Loaf!?

I found the main character, Ed, and the gay couple Ronnie & Emily to be relatable and delightful throughout the entire books. Even though this book was less than 300 pages, I felt like I could really relate to them, especially Ed. His love for food and small town quirks was just right for his character. I felt like I could trust him from the very start. I enjoyed his consistency, strength, and authenticity.

The best part of this book for me were the unexpected cult vibes. There were enough inklings to have me suspecting something was suspicious, but still left me guessing on exactly what it was. The twist was quite original and I throughly enjoyed discovering the truth of Cain Mill Homes.

There were some things I wasn’t particularly fond of in this book. I completely understand that this book was written about a small, religious town. However, I feel like Alma’s character was a bit unbelievable and some of the wording was a bit too harsh for me. Ed and Alma are an older couple that have been married for over 40 years so I found it hard to believe that their views on the LGBTQIA community never arose. I also found the passage regarding Emily’s family’s reaction to her being a lesbian to be quite cruel and uncomfortable to read.

The horror aspect of this book was a little lacking. The first signs of haunting were a bit too basic for my taste but I found that they begin to make more sense as the story evolved. I wish there had been one more big scare towards the end to really leave the reader with an ominous feeling.

Overall, this quick read was better than I had anticipated. I read it in one sitting over the span of a couple hours and didn’t loose interest in it. I would recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a quick thriller with a really great main character.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free and give my honest feedback and review.

Sanctum by Sue Rovens

Release date May 23, 2023

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 4/5
Suspense/mystery: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 4.5/5

“The floating dog. The scrawled messages. The corpse-like hands reaching into the world of the living.”

Wow! What a book. I was not sure exactly how the author was going to pull all of this off and still show how small town America can have homophobic citizens. While I had some issues with confusion throughout the book and felt like the writing was awkward and rushed in some places, I still was able to keep up until the end. I felt like I gave the correct stars and did so based on the authors writing ability. There was mystery and suspense that truly kept me enthralled and trying to figure out what the end was going to provide. The ending was certainly all worth the wait.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

4.5 stars rounded to 5

Fast paced and engaging. Modern and relevant. I thought this book did a great job of capturing the homophobia that is prevalent in much of small-town America.

There were a few places where the writing felt strained—awkward and/or overly dramatic phrasing. But overall, it held my attention and kept me interested.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good spooky mystery. Unfortunately, this book didn't totally work for me. It wasn't bad, but I was really confused by the long build-up - like 13% in and nothing weird or creepy had even happened, just a lot of discussion about the main characters' jobs, job interviews, and packing boxes. Considering the book is less than 300 pages, getting nearly 15% in without any scares was just a little too long for me.

I liked the authors overall messaging, and would try something else again in the future.