 This vlog, I literally have never been more excited for anything in my entire life. I just decided to do this, right? I'm so random. I can't believe I just did that. I'm so random. I can't believe I just did that. I was supposed to be doing a different vlog this week. It will now be next week. But it was just like stressing me out. It requires a lot of like filming other little bits here and there. And I was just like, mmm, that's not for me this week. Because this week I'm really trying to get back to uploading three videos a week. So I thought we would film something that comes a bit more naturally to me. Because naturally and it takes my breath away. Anyway, we're going to be reading my two most anticipated mysteries that are coming out this year. Like the whole year. There's nothing I'm anticipating more than these. One just came out. One I've had for a couple of months and I've been waiting to read. We're going to be reading The Maid by Nita Prose and The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley. Now, if you're a regular on my channel, you'll know The Guest List by Lucy Foley. One of my favorite mysteries of all time. And The Maid has been like, I'm just so excited. It's like a cosy-esque kind of mystery. This one we're following a maid who works at this hotel. Oh, can we just like talk about? I love the UK edition of this so, so much. Yeah. And a murder happened. She discovers a said body in the hotel and she is prime suspect numero uno. And she's like trying to convince everyone it's not her. And this one, it's again a classic Lucy Foley mystery where you've got all these archetypal characters who I think we're going to be switching between their perspectives. It's about this girl who is visiting her older brother who lives in this Paris Apartment. She gets there. He ain't there, girl. He's missing. And so you're trying to discover what's happening with him. I... You don't understand. These are like... They have to be five stars. They have to. There's no choice. Me editing this video knowing what happens. Well sweetheart, the results are in. I just can't wait to get into both of these. I think because I've owned it for longer I'm going to start with the maid because I'm scared. Like I'm more scared about reading this because you know the guest is just so up there for me. But I've also... I didn't like the hunting party by Lucy Foley so we could go either way whereas there's like a little bit less stakes in this but I'm very, very excited. I hear it's like a bit different, you know. It's like a more unique kind of mystery that hasn't been out there. It's been one of the most popular like debuts of the year so I'm really excited. I'm really, really excited. So I'm going to start this. I feel like I'm bursting out of my body and I'll speak to you in a little bit once I am a ways through this. We've got to talk not too loud because otherwise Mika will leave. It's already just pleased. You are so evil. Don't ever call me again. You are a low budget bitch. Oh no. It won't be long. It won't be long. So I have read the first 95 pages of The Maid and I'm really enjoying it. Mika. Yeah, I'm really enjoying The Maid. It feels like a very like endearing mystery so far. I'm very much enjoying it. So we're following our main protagonist, Molly, who in the book she's kind of described like I think terms like different so you'll see things differently don't understand like social cues is a terminology. She fused her in a very matter of fact way. If people speak in like metaphors and stuff she doesn't necessarily understand what they're saying. And she's definitely been brought up to view the good in people. She's raised by her grandma and it means she can be quite gullible with people's intentions. So we've already had a few cases where like people are actually, you know, people are like taking advantage of her and how lovely she is. And you're like, Molly, no, we can't trust them. She's a maid at the Regency Hotel. She loves her job. But one day she discovers the body of one of the most famous like guests there. A man who actually, his wife, she had befriended kind of in like the months leading up to it and the years leading up to it. In this one I'm pretty sure it says that she, they end up thinking it's her. Like she's a suspect for the murder. That hasn't really happened yet. But we're already meeting some people who like are friends, her friends at the hotel. Like the chef and there's like the doorman, whatever the term that is. But they all love her and I feel like they're going to all come to her aid. But already I will say it's not like a thriller or mystery that is entirely plot focused. It is already very character focused. It's very like voicey. We're going a lot into Molly's upbringing and her perspective on the world. Just her view on things. We're definitely going in depth off. And she's like a very distinctive voice as a narrator. But I will say something I love about her because she notices the details and everything. And like the way that means like the hotel is described and like the settings are described I think is really, really vivid. It is kind of like a cozy mystery, not like a hundred percent cozy mystery, but it has that kind of cozy endearing quality to it like the Thursday Meta Club. So I'm really enjoying it. I mean, I love my audition. Bling, bling, bling. Bitch is this mad? Yeah, I'm enjoying it. I'm excited to see what route the story goes down. Like it could end up delivering nothing. That is my fear. It could just be kind of like cute and but you know, not necessarily like get to the depths of things I want to get to the depths of. So I'm going to read some more tonight and then I'll see you hopefully in the morning with what I'm thinking of it after a little bit more. I have read some more. I'm currently on live reading sprints of my patrons, but I am a bit. It's like having a job working 24 seven for two days on the trot. I'm on about page two hundred and fifteen and I'm still really enjoying it. I am getting the feeling that it's going to be a four star, but I'm not like entirely disappointed with that. I'm enjoying the reading experience. I'm really enjoying the like the route that the book is going down now. Something's just happened. And I think like it's picked the book up a bit more plot wise because it is very voicing, like it's very, very focused on Molly and like her life and her opinions and her life experiences. I feel like if you like the Thursday Murder Club, you probably like this. It's got that same like kind of coziness to it. I will say the book because it's like Molly is very trusting of a lot of people in this book who she should not be trusting of. And it's getting to the point now where like I'm ready to see that stop because it's pissing me off. You know what I mean? It's just like aggravating to see these characters like over and over again in these in these scenes, like take advantage of her. Yeah, it's just getting like irritating and angering. So I'm ready to see that change now. But I think the writing is really, really good. It's really like fun, really light, light sense of humor. I think it's really, really good writing. I want to know what other authors need to produce to edit because the only one that I know that she did edit was Ruth Ware. And like very different books, obviously. Ruth Ware is more like thrillery. This is very much a mystery. But I would be intrigued to know what other authors she edited in the past. Also, I will say that this book is set in America. I refuse to believe that. It's a lot of fantasies. And when I feel the fantasy, it is my reality. In my brain, I'm setting this in like the Savoy in London or something. That is just the vibe I get. Like, this is like a posh London hotel. I'm sorry, but that is the choice I'm making. I'm not. Any time it's like a dollar, I'm like, we're going to we're going to ignore that. We're going to ignore that. I don't think it's going to be a five star unless the ending is like absolutely amazing. I think it's going to be a really solid four star that I recommend a lot. And I'm not disappointed. I'm not like, oh, my God, I'm so sad. Do you know what I mean? Like, if this is the case of the Paris apartment, yeah, I think I will be a bit sad. But I am really enjoying the experience of this. And especially for a debut, I think this is such a solid, accomplished debut. It doesn't feel like a debut. I think it's a really fun mystery, but we're a good place for people to start with mysteries. So I'm going to go ahead and hopefully finish this tonight. But I'm going to. Get the light. You OK? Everyone say, hey, look. Right, everyone, let's chat. So I finished the maid this morning. This book is actually difficult. I've been like, it's OK. Let me finish sentences before I start anyone. It's difficult for me to talk about. I have been spending the whole day trying to figure out what my rating for this book should be. So my overall reading experience this book was great. I would like if I had a thing of a word, I'd say delightful. You know, it's a lovely reading experience. I absolutely loved the experience of reading it. Do I think it's a perfect book? No, I have like a few issues with it. I liked the voiciness of the main character. I loved getting to know her. But I do feel like that was at the expense of the plot. There's not really a mystery in this. You can guess from the first page what has happened. Pretty much there's not, you know, you're not solving a mystery, which is what I went into this hoping it would be. And it wasn't. It's very obvious to read what's going on from the get-go. In that regard, is it what I wanted? No. But was it ever marketed like that? Yes, I think it was. You know, on the front, it says a gripping and heartwarming who done it. It's not really a who done it. Like, you know who done it. Pretty much. I wasn't something to be liked. It was something to be understood from an academic perspective. Obviously, you're not an academic. No. I feel like perhaps we could have had a little bit less of the voiciness for a little bit more of the plot, for a little more to actually happen, because not a lot actually happens in this book, my opinion. That was my main issue with it. I also feel like the ending, like the... Well, I suppose you don't know who done it. That's okay. Okay, hang on. It is a who done it, but it's not... None of the rest of the book leads up to the who done it. The rest of the book leads up to a larger mystery, but in terms of a murder, the book doesn't, you know, it's not fair play. You don't really, you couldn't really guess that aspect. So there's like a duality to it and the fact that it's obvious and unguessable in the two different parts of the book. So I suppose that was a bit of a lie. But I did tell a bit of a lie there. But I loved the characters. I loved the heartwarming coziness to it. So it's difficult for me to figure out a rating, you know? I think I've settled on a four. The more like, when I first finished it, I wasn't very happy with the ending. I was like, oh, maybe a 3.5 at a push. But now that I've had like the day to kind of separate myself from it, I do think it is a four because I really love the re-experience. And like, funny enough, even though I was disappointed by the ending, I'm not disappointed in this as a book. Even though it was like a five-star prediction, because I had such an enjoyable reading experience of it, I don't like resent it or feel like disappointed necessarily, which is a strange feeling. So I would recommend this. I don't think it's amazing. It's not everything I was hoping for and more. Do you know what I mean? It's fine. But I enjoyed it. I love the addition. I would recommend it to people. It's a fun, very simple mystery. I'm gonna pick up my most anticipated release of this year, arguably. Apprehensive, nervous, bit scared, also weirdly calm, perhaps on the verge of hysteria. I feel like I need to commune with this book. I'm not feeling very well today. I've been really sick this morning and I've just like tried to pick it up. Like, let's get the energy up, girlies, it's gonna be cute and we're gonna have fun. So I'm hoping this will make me feel better. I'm gonna read the first 100 pages and then I'll come back to you. 100 pages into the Paris apartment and I would say I'm starting to love it. Just, I'm beginning. I'm beginning, I'm starting to love it. Oh, I love good news, love good news. I just love good news. So it took me a hot second to get into this. The first 50 pages, I was like. But I think that's the nature of, Lucy's books often have lots of perspectives. This does. It has like six perspectives that we're following and flipping between, I think. And that doesn't mean it takes you a little bit longer to get into the story. But now, I am beginning to love it. I am, I am beginning to love it. Just the way it flits between all these characters and you can tell they all have secrets. Lucy probably better pull it out with the reveals. I'm just saying that. We better have some shocking twists in here because that's what we're gearing up for. Basically, our main character, Jess, is going to stay with her brother, Ben at his Paris apartment. She turns up, he go and he's gone with the wind and he's like, stuff is still there and you're like, what the fuck? So she is trying to figure out what is happening. Now that brings her into the path of all the people living in this, in this Paris apartment and they eat some shady shit. They are some shady people. We can't trust any of these people. It seems like there's a lot of secrets in this Paris apartment block that Ben was about to reveal. Each of these people seem to have secrets. Panamies fitting like they're all, they're all laying on it together but I don't know if that's a bit like too obvious. I'm just loving the way we're skipping between all the perspectives and like the other thing, it's not one mystery. It's not just where's Ben. It's like, what is this person talking about or what is this person talking about? What is this person talking about? Like I'm loving that aspect of it. I like drama. Drama drives me at times. I think without drama, what's the fun in life? But yeah, I mean, like Jess is a pretty cold character. So it did take me like a hot second to get into this book. I don't think this is going to be something you're going to like fall in love with straight away. I was a bit nervous. I was like, I'm feeling nervous at the start. Also, something I told myself I wasn't going to do was like, I'm not going to listen to the audiobook. I didn't listen to the audiobook when I read the guest list. Hence why I didn't want to do it this time because I wanted to kind of experience this the same way I experienced the guest list. For my favorite books, I like to not listen to the audiobook and then like reread them by the audiobook. That's what I'm planning to do with the guest list. So I was like, I'm not going to, I'm not going to. I'm not going to. And then one of my patrons mentioned that it was on the script and I was like, I'll just have a look. I'll just listen. I was like, I'm going to listen to like a chapter and I'm not going to listen anymore. And I listened to it and like they've got a full cast feature the perspectives and like a lot of them are French. So they've got like French accents. I'm like, oh, we're in trouble. We're in trouble is the guest who's listening to the audiobook now along with the book. This cloud. So yeah, it is on script. So you can go, if you have a script, you can go listen to it. If you don't have a script, I've got a code in the description where you get two months free. I get one month free if you use that. You can use, if you know other people have links to use that. I'm set for life pretty much with the script. But it's there if you want it. If you want to get two months free. I don't know who to suspect yet. I don't, I don't think we've spent enough time with any of the perspectives to suspect people. I've got a few sneaking suspicions, but I think they're too obvious. I think they're too obvious. So, oh, I'm so excited. I'm really hoping I love it. I'm like, oh my God, I have to love it. I have to. I don't have a choice in the matter. But Lucy Farley just knows how to write. She knows how to write shitty main characters. And I feel like I don't read a ton of thrillers and mysteries written by UK authors. Or if I do, they're not like tapping into shitty British people like Lucy Foley is. I wonder if like, if you're an American reading this, like when Jess talks about the shitty guys who would like come into her bar in Brighton, do you know, do you know the extent of what she's talking about? Lucy Farley just, I think manages to just capture people so well. When I went to the talk that she did for the guest list, she spoke about how she often, well, this is like pre-pandemic, but she used to write in coffee shops a lot. And stuff she overheard in coffee shops from like, she'd go to like rich areas. So she'd get like a rich people in there. And the stuff she'd hear from them would make it into her books. And I think you can really feel that authenticity of people who don't think they're shitty, but are shitty. It's like sometimes you read books like when I read rock, paper, scissors, it was like people like, oh my God, I'm evil. I'm a bad rich person, but it doesn't feel like that in this. It feels like people who genuinely believe like, oh, I'm a good person, but they're not. That's what she does really, really, really well. So anyways, I've been gushing for long enough. Let me go read some more and then I'll check back in with you. Oh my God, I feel like I'm gonna throw up. There's a dumb way to add this apartment plug. Of course there is. Of course there is. That's not gonna be used further down in the plot. Listen, Lucy Foley just gets it. She just gets it. Yup, yup, yup, yup, yup. She just understands what I'm looking for. You guys, I mean, if you're one of the people who to be told there's a plot twist is a spoiler to you, exit the chat, okay? Because there was a plot twist, 150 pages in. Gagatronica, Gagatronica, girlies. Gagatronica. But I can't get over it. It was such a good twist and I'm so excited for the rest of the book now. Like, you gotta understand, she just gets what I want. She gets what I want. I want these dramatic plot twists. I love it, I'm having so much fun. I'm 200 pages in. This book is 350 pages long. So I'm gonna read to page 300 then check in again and then finish the book. That's what we're gonna do, okay? So, it's so good, we've learned so much as I last checked in with you. Like, the information is constantly fed to a little ways you don't expect and the twist was immaculate and the route that it's taken the book down, I wasn't expecting. Well, actually, I suspected one thing that hasn't really been revealed but it would make sense with the reveal that we've had already. Excuse me, Sunny's. Yeah, it would make sense to what's been revealed if that was also true but that hasn't been confirmed. But, so good. Let me tell you, also, it's a very refreshing to finally have a decent sized cast and a mystery or thriller that I'm reading. Like, I had this problem last month. Rock, Paper, Scissors and Survive the Night where the cast was so small, so small that like, it was obvious. Like, there wasn't many people to suspect whereas it's like, okay, so there's Jess, our main character and then there's like, one, two, three, four, yeah, five, to six, depending how you view it, suspects that we can't trust in this book. And that is just the perfect size for a mystery, thriller, murder mystery, like, not murder mystery, but you know, this is in the vein of a murder mystery. You get what I'm saying? Yeah, perfect, perfect size because it's like a small, tight-knit group that's isolated and tight-neared. Who can we trust? Who knows what? But it's not so big that like, you know, the world's our oyster, you know? But it's not too small, like, so I don't know what it is where it's like, oh my God, we know who it is. So anyway, I am loving it. I can't take it much, I'm loving it. It's making me feel so nostalgic reading this. I'm just, I'm absolutely loving it. It feels like I'm reading The Guest list again. I'm so relieved. I mean, it could, I mean, we've still got time for me to not like it. Don't say that. Mona, don't ever say that. But at the moment it's feeling like a five star and I just feel like Lucy Foley is like, one of the best, you know, mystery writers out there at the moment. Like, she just gets it. She just gets it. And her writing is so great, so vivid. She's very good at settings. I've noticed in all of her books, like, okay. Some may say the Paris setting in this is a bit cheesy. Like it's a little bit of a no. It's like everyone's like, Poutant, Poutant, mad, mad. I just, I'm just making you wanna go Paris, you know? You know, a little bit of mystery, a little bit of missing person case, never hurt anyone. I like the campiness. I always said the guest list is campy. It's over the top. It's ridiculous, but it's fun with it, you know? And it's got a touch of class. And I feel like that's what this has. Like the setting of Paris and this Paris apartment is so good. It's so, so, so, so good. So I'm just loving it. It makes you know what? Do you know what? It's made the game. Did anyone else play the Nancy Drew games as a kid? That is, you know, I talk about this quite a bit sometimes. I loved the Nancy Drew computer games as a kid. And there is one set in a fashion house in Paris and I'm like, oh, Paris, the metro. Oh, I feel like I'm playing that game again. Anyways, I'm gonna go read to page 300. I think we're gonna go out for a walk in a bit. It's very good, in my opinion. And I'm a bit, I was very nervous actually. I've been talking for a long time again. This book obviously gets me talking. But I went on Goodreads and so many people I'm friends that have given it like one star, two stars, three stars. So it remains to be seen, but I'm feeling very good about this book. I'm really enjoying it. I wanna be free of this heart, yeah. I wanna feel your arms around me. I need you more, I need you here. More than I would like to admit. Let's forget about tomorrow, yeah. Should I hide away forever? Could I close my eyes and never again? Call you time, call you mine. Think about you every time. I remember that it's over, yeah. You never break, you're ever scared of the dark. So I'm... Whoa. You got scared. It's so dark. Is that what you call your face to? Okay, I am on page 300, but I'm not stopping to check in because I need to finish the book. And I need to know what's gonna happen. Okay, bye. Yes! Yes! I loved it. I loved it so much. I'm so relieved. I'm so relieved because I got so worried after seeing those negative reviews. I was like, let me tap out. Like let me not even read this, but I loved it. Though this is just, it is a great book. I don't, it doesn't top the guest list for me, but it's still like a solid five style book that I loved that I don't really have any flaws with. The way that this mystery just evolved, the way by the end, like everyone's truths and lies were so like tangled up in one another. I love a mystery that by the end of it, you can't remember life before it. Do you know what I mean? You can't like begin again and remember how you got to the end without everyone's stories like weaving in and out of each other. I just loved it. It's difficult for me to talk about this. I find like, A, mysteries hard to talk about when I finish them. And B, books that I've loved hard to talk about when I finish them because I'm just like, it was great. Like what else do you need from me? Like, can I just say also, the fact that Lucy Foley managed to write this book whilst heavily pregnant and then having a baby with a newborn baby is nothing short of miraculous. Like what the hell? Like amazing. But yeah, I really, really loved this. I could not have predicted what was happening, but she does it in a way that you could not predict what was happening. But by the time it gets revealed to you, you're like, well, it couldn't have been anyone else. Nothing else could have been the truth. This is obviously what happened. Perhaps in this one, there were a few plot lines that didn't feel fully formed, but I feel like Lucy Foley does a great job of honoring each part of the book and everything flowing so well. All the plot linking up and weaving so well. I just, I didn't love it. You're thinking the best. I have a broken record because I don't have anything else to say to you. I just thought it was great. I thought it was a great mystery. Oh, I'm so relieved. And the thing is, Lucy Foley doesn't need to come out with a book every year or every other year now because she's like set for life with how well her book's doing. But I'm like, Lucy, Lucy. A book every six months, how does that sound? How does that sound? I just feel like she is doing it for mystery out here at the moment. I love the reveal at halfway. I always, I love a good reveal at halfway through a book that dramatically changes the meaning of everything that you can't even like, makes it difficult to talk about the rest of the book because it kind of switches up on you. It kind of switches up the meaning of what's happening in the book. I love that. And that's what this has. Impeccable, amazing. I am so, so glad. Oh, I loved it. I loved it. And I think if you like to guess this, you will probably like this as well. I think it's a bit more ambitious timeline or time wise. Like I think the way it jumps through time is a bit more ambitious than a book like The Guest List which is a bit more formulaic. But I just, yeah, I really admire this book. I love the red herrings. I just think it was great. I love mystery. And this is like a solid mystery. Do you know what I mean? Like it's not like a thriller pretending to be a mystery. It's a mystery. And I loved it. So there we have it everyone. That was me reading probably my two most anticipated releases of the year. And I would say a four star, maybe like a 3.8 star. But a four star and a five star is pretty good. Like it's pretty good showing. I feel like I know my taste pretty well what I'm gonna like. And I would really recommend both of these books. Definitely the Paris Apartment over the maid because I think the Paris Apartment is just like, it feels very accomplished. It feels like someone who knows what they're doing. And perhaps a few of the flaws I had with the maid were it being your debut, but still like an incredible debut. So yes, I hope you enjoyed this vlog. If you got into the end of the video, comment a wine, there's a wine bottle emoji, right? I believe there's a wine bottle emoji. Can't say I've ever used it, but I believe it's there. Let's not ignore this and just comment any emoji you want down below. Comment the wine emoji down below if you've gotten to the end because wine plays a big role in the Paris Apartment as you would expect. And thank you so much for watching. I love you very much and I'll see you very soon in another video. Bye.