Made You Look by Tanya Grant

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Contemporary, First Person Narrative, Mystery, New To Me Author, Standalone Title, Thiller / Suspense, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Made You LookMade You Look by Tanya Grant

Tracy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: November 18, 2025

The story follows a group of social media influencers—Sydney, Caitlyn, Lucy, Jeff, Nash, and Brent— who are trapped by a snowstorm at a resort in the isolated, snowy Catskills of New York and cut off from the outside world. As the magnitude of their situation kicks in, a killer emerges, turning their retreat into a fight for survival. The characters, though distinct on paper, often felt shallow and interchangeable, with most of their decisions lacking believability. The story shifts between multiple points of view, but Lucy is the only character that I felt offers occasional depth through her cancer survival experience.

The novel blends influencer drama with classic locked-room mystery elements. I was all set to enjoy a nail-biting, edge of my seat thriller and ultimately ended up a bit disappointed. While the premise is promising and the setting atmospheric, the pacing falters and suspense dissipates midway through the book as the story began focusing more on interpersonal drama than danger. Plot twists vary in effectiveness, and the ending resolves the mystery without major surprises. In addition, the writing features first person narrative from a multi-character POV, which is hard to follow at times and makes the story feel repetitive. I think this book may appeal to younger readers who are fans of influencer culture, but for me it fell short as a gripping thriller.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Revenge, Served Royal by Celeste Connally

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Contemporary in Period Dress, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

Revenge, Served Royal (Lady Petra Inquires, #3)Barbara’s rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Series: Lady Petra Inquiries #3
Publication Date: 11/11/25
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 328

This series has mostly fallen into the “meh” category for me. I didn’t hate the books, but I also didn’t love them. Unfortunately, this third installment is my least favorite so far. The pacing felt slow throughout, with very little suspense and far less involvement from the supporting characters I’ve grown to enjoy. Even Duncan is absent for long stretches. The tone still feels much too modern for my taste, though I will say I’ve warmed up a bit to Lady Petra.

The premise—a blend of Murder, She Wrote and The Great British Bake Off—sounded like it would be a lot of fun, but it didn’t quite live up to my hopes.

Lady Petra is summoned to attend a week-long anniversary celebration for Queen Charlotte and King George. Her cook is participating in the royal bake-off, and Petra has been invited to serve as one of the judges. Since the judging is blind, there’s no conflict of interest there. Petra is excited for her cook and also eager to reconnect with her father’s former chef, now retired and writing cookery books—at least until he turns up murdered.

Petra has no intention of investigating until the victim’s valet is accused—and until she discovers the man’s true identity. Solving the crime proves difficult. Although Duncan oversees security for the Queen and Royal Family, he has no authority within the Royal Palace. That falls to someone else, someone very determined to see the valet hang. Petra and Duncan are convinced of the man’s innocence, but proving it won’t be easy.

Overall, this was a smooth but very slow read with little excitement. There is, however, plenty of detail about the bake-off, the dishes, and the judging process. As I mentioned earlier, the book still feels far too modern—so modern that I sometimes wondered why it wasn’t simply written as a contemporary story. Petra and Duncan are openly sharing a bed, and while everyone seems aware of it, nobody cares—even though she’s an unmarried earl’s daughter. Petra has declared she’ll never marry, and Duncan seems content with that. There are also hints at upcoming relationship developments for two supporting characters—one I liked, the other I didn’t. If I do pick up the fourth book, I assume I’ll see where those threads are headed.

I wouldn’t reread this one, but I am mildly curious to see how things unfold for Lottie and Caroline. At this moment, I’m not inclined to read the next book, though that could change once I see the blurb. If you enjoy a slower, steadier pace in your mysteries, this one might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Happy reading!

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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