Joni Lark is one of the most coveted songwriters in Los Angeles, but she’s hiding a secret. She has writer’s block. Hoping a scenic change will help her create, she heads home to Vienna Shores, North Caroline to find her best friend acting strange, and her parents announcement they are selling The Revelry, their family-owned concert venue that helped inspire Joni to write. Mired in depression on top of her writer’s block Joni starts hearing a melody in her head, and a voice. A male voice, who is sweet, charming, and is also hearing the same melody. When Sasha shows up in Vienna Shores as a real person, he presents to her an idea to write this song together and hopefully get out of each other’s heads.
Ashley Poston always does a great job of writing gentle stories with a hint of magical realism. In this case, Joni and Sasha can hear each other’s thoughts which is awkward as heck but also creates an immediate intimacy between them. They don’t have to go through the motions of getting to know each other because they hear what the other is thinking, despite the uncomfortableness of that singular thought. The fact they met one other time and he was a complete A@@ made their current situation harder, but as they got to know each other and build that trust the magic of being able to talk to each other in their heads became secondary to the feelings they began to feel as they worked on this song together. The build-up was a slow burn, but the outcome was worth the wait.
The setting for this novel, a small beach town in North Carolina and their small concert venue The Revelry, really cast a golden, vintage light on the comings and goings of their community and Joni’s family. I loved how Joni fighting through her writer’s block was the juxtaposition against the other two story lines, her best friend’s growing discontent, and her mother’s health issues. As Joni figured out her path the conflicts in the other two plots ebbed and flowed with her decisions. It was really good writing by this author.
This novel is being hyped as one of the most looked forward to reads this summer and I can agree. It will be the perfect book to throw in your beach bag and take a step away from reality. Enjoy! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!
Click this link to purchase this book!* Sounds Like Love
Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved
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The Reading Chick 
I would love to have my new novel, Gods & Monsters, reviewed.
Thank you for your time!
Publisher: Metastellar Press
Date of publication: January, 31,2025
It’s on the nebula reading list here:https://www.sfwa.org/forum/reading/work/9411-gods-monsters/
I am attaching links to read on-line, or listen on YouTube, on Metastellar:
https://www.metastellar.com/fiction/gods-and-monsters-installment-1-wherein-we-meet-the-three-fates/
Listen on Spotify: Read by me.
https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/5RtKwRt44Dhwwya0ysS6Rf/episode/4cxxxhZXba0hTkYm3YLJbf/analytics/overview
Read on Net Galley here:
https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/629924
I’m also attaching a PDF for your convenience, and a photo of the cover, which I painted.
I’m just finishing production of an audible production.
Please email me for a FREE Audible link if you prefer listening without the intros on Spotify. I will send you a link as soon as it’s finished!
And thank you so much for your time and consideration!
E.E. King
Gods and Monsters
In the fog-shrouded streets of San Francisco the fates draw together River, a gifted baker whose treats can heal broken hearts, and Pamela, a mysterious waitress with an impossible secret.
When a series of mysterious deaths rocks the Castro district, the city is gripped by fear. Bodies are found drained of blood, bearing strange marks that defy explanation.
River’s quest to understand these murders leads him to discover an underground network of immortal beings, ancient Gods, and Lenni Lenape ghosts, lurking just beneath the city’s surface.
After Pamela vanishes, River must navigate this dangerous new reality where nothing is as it seems. His journey will take him from the redwood-shadowed hills of Marin to the neon-lit streets of the Tenderloin, from underground morgues to forgotten tunnels beneath the city. With only his faithful crow Huck and the ghost of his uncle Ryo to guide him, River must confront shocking truths about love, mortality, and the thin line between predator and prey.
Weaving together Greek mythology, San Francisco history, and supernatural romance, “Gods and Monsters” is a haunting tale of eternal love, devastating choices, and the price of immortality.
This sweeping urban fantasy explores what it means to be human in a world where humanity itself may be optional. It’s a tale of impossible choices, undying love, and the eternal question of whether we control our destiny.
PRAISE for GODS & MONSTERS
“Combines the dark mythology of fantasy with the dangerous
social commentary of Hunter S. Thompson. A masterpiece of
the genre.”
— Metastellar Magazine
“E.E. King is a genius storyteller. Gods & Monsters is pure magic, and it’ll stay with you long after you read the final page.”
— Elizabeth Wong, Playwright
“Gods & Monsters is one of the most impressive pieces I’ve read in years. I can’t pull myself away.”
— Adam Tyler Moshinsky, Independent reviewer, English professor
“Gods & Monsters is a really beautiful piece of writing. The story – and the intersection of the characters – is revealed in layers very gradually, almost as a sculptor chisels away sections of stone to reveal the figure inside… This is a stunning read, and I highly recommend it!”
— Elizabeth Frenette, Author
“This is a beautifully written book. It’s like a gorgeous intricate painting of a series of lives—endlessly fascinating, telling small stories, but only creating a larger picture in retrospect… definitely worth your time.”
— Gilbert Stack, Author, Reviewer
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