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Peachy
When twenty-three-year-old surly, and slightly tipsy, Frankie finds her hag of a grandmother dead on the sofa, her best friend, playful Ben Bowen, introduces her to the magical underbelly of Aspen Ridge, Utah.
Ben is a witch, a seer to be exact, and he guides Frankie into her new identity as a healer, a restoration witch. With the help of Ben and his coven-mate Cleo, Frankie navigates the treacherous classes of witches: dragons, shifters, and the abhorred vampire—life-drinking witches. It was a vampire that killed Frankie’s grandmother, and she’s after Frankie. But, much to the chagrin of best friend Ben, it isn’t Frankie’s vitality that the vampire wants.
Frankie must work her newfound magic—despite her fear, her self-doubt, and her desire to have one more drink—with her friends to eliminate a common enemy. She’ll have to endure nightmares and commit horrors unspeakable, or risk losing them all.
It will take guts … whosever they may be.
Ben is a witch, a seer to be exact, and he guides Frankie into her new identity as a healer, a restoration witch. With the help of Ben and his coven-mate Cleo, Frankie navigates the treacherous classes of witches: dragons, shifters, and the abhorred vampire—life-drinking witches. It was a vampire that killed Frankie’s grandmother, and she’s after Frankie. But, much to the chagrin of best friend Ben, it isn’t Frankie’s vitality that the vampire wants.
Frankie must work her newfound magic—despite her fear, her self-doubt, and her desire to have one more drink—with her friends to eliminate a common enemy. She’ll have to endure nightmares and commit horrors unspeakable, or risk losing them all.
It will take guts … whosever they may be.
344 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2023
26 people are currently reading
4720 people want to read
About the author
Camri Kohler
2 books174 followersRaised by a welder and a Jack Mormon in the small town of Wallsburg, Camri Kohler worked her way up to the grid city, Salt Lake. Camri earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Utah before completing her Masters of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Camri is the Digital Initiatives Librarian at the University of Utah and spends her free time with her partner, her dogs, or her tomatoes. She is a mess of unresolved issues, which are the primary inspiration for her writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
March 31, 2024
I received an ARC of this and there are so many things I can say about this book!
First, I enjoyed this story immensely.
Camri Kohler is an excellent writer. Peachy is creative, amusing and very scary at times.
Frankie is a fantastic protagonist. She’s very relatable in the sense that she isn’t your cliché main character. She burps, has piles of dirty laundry and struggles with motivation to go to work; I’m here for it!
While mourning the death of her grandmother, Frankie has to come to terms with a part of herself she didn’t know, and that dominoes into a very messy, and deadly, adventure.
It took no time at all for me to fall in love with the different characters and their unique abilities. I love how they mold into her own little family. They are the Breakfast Club of Aspen Ridge. I don’t want to play favorites, but Ben will forever have my heart.
Peachy is a perfectly balanced blend of hilarious banter, intense action, with a touch of sexual tension all wrapped in spells and dark magic.
The detail of Camri’s writing made every moment so clear, I couldn’t put it down!
This is definitely on my re-read list and I’m having the hardest time waiting patiently for the rest of the series to come out.
Hands down, one of the best books I’ve ever read!
First, I enjoyed this story immensely.
Camri Kohler is an excellent writer. Peachy is creative, amusing and very scary at times.
Frankie is a fantastic protagonist. She’s very relatable in the sense that she isn’t your cliché main character. She burps, has piles of dirty laundry and struggles with motivation to go to work; I’m here for it!
While mourning the death of her grandmother, Frankie has to come to terms with a part of herself she didn’t know, and that dominoes into a very messy, and deadly, adventure.
It took no time at all for me to fall in love with the different characters and their unique abilities. I love how they mold into her own little family. They are the Breakfast Club of Aspen Ridge. I don’t want to play favorites, but Ben will forever have my heart.
Peachy is a perfectly balanced blend of hilarious banter, intense action, with a touch of sexual tension all wrapped in spells and dark magic.
The detail of Camri’s writing made every moment so clear, I couldn’t put it down!
This is definitely on my re-read list and I’m having the hardest time waiting patiently for the rest of the series to come out.
Hands down, one of the best books I’ve ever read!
December 31, 2022
Disgustingly horrifying, witty, and real. Peachy feels like both an extension of home and a fall into a witchy wonderland at the same time, with a main character that every messy twenty-something will be able to relate to.
ALL I CAN SAY IS WOWWWW. This book is soooooo good. 😭😭 it is truly “Twilight for dirtbags” with a hint of body horror and an EPIC level of relationship tension. Seriously, I loved this book, and am now IMPATIENTLY waiting for #2.
ALL I CAN SAY IS WOWWWW. This book is soooooo good. 😭😭 it is truly “Twilight for dirtbags” with a hint of body horror and an EPIC level of relationship tension. Seriously, I loved this book, and am now IMPATIENTLY waiting for #2.
December 7, 2022
I absolutely loved this book. Peachy is a whirlwind of urban fantasy and horror, and Kohler expertly blends these genres.
Frankie is an authentic protagonist that is easy to relate to, and the tension between her and the love interests had me enthralled. I would absolutely lay down and die for Ben, and his witty dialogue and their banter was fantastic.
That being said, Peachy is also very scary at times. Kohler's descriptions had me wanting to crawl out of my skin some chapters and delightfully turned my stomach. I absolutely loved every disgusting, sickening second of it.
The attention to detail throughout the entire book was wonderful, and the second half of the book had me flipping pages so fast because I was desperate to know what was going to happen next.
Peachy is a delightfully spooky read that had me equal parts laughing and terrified. I loved it all, and I cannot wait to read the sequel.
Thank you to publisher Lake Country Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Frankie is an authentic protagonist that is easy to relate to, and the tension between her and the love interests had me enthralled. I would absolutely lay down and die for Ben, and his witty dialogue and their banter was fantastic.
That being said, Peachy is also very scary at times. Kohler's descriptions had me wanting to crawl out of my skin some chapters and delightfully turned my stomach. I absolutely loved every disgusting, sickening second of it.
The attention to detail throughout the entire book was wonderful, and the second half of the book had me flipping pages so fast because I was desperate to know what was going to happen next.
Peachy is a delightfully spooky read that had me equal parts laughing and terrified. I loved it all, and I cannot wait to read the sequel.
Thank you to publisher Lake Country Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 14, 2023
I don't feel like anything really happened in this book.
May 26, 2023
I was enthralled with the setting of Utah paired with the singular characters Ben, Frankie, Cleo and Jessimae, immediately! I found it totally entrancing to read a book so well balanced between warm fuzzy feelings and absolutely gnarly horror. I cannot wait to see where our crew end up in the next book!
Kohler does a fantastic job blending the ordinary with some truly spectacular horror. I’d recommend this for people who love Sam Raimi horror movies, the occult, and gritty but lovely found family.
Kohler does a fantastic job blending the ordinary with some truly spectacular horror. I’d recommend this for people who love Sam Raimi horror movies, the occult, and gritty but lovely found family.
December 30, 2022
I cannot put into words how much I love this book. I am obsessed. It has made me laugh out loud so many times, and the descriptions are just extraordinary. I’ve never read anything quite like it. Frankie and Ben are just dreamy in their own messed up, glorious way, and they make my heart hurt in the best way possible. And the supernatural danger around these guys is so wonderfully gross. I LOVED it. Cannot wait for the sequel.
Want to read
January 3, 2023added this solely bc of the use of hag to describe the mc’s dead grandma lmfao
March 22, 2023
Rating: 3.5
Special thank you to NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you handed me this book when I was 10 years younger it would have been come an instant favorite of mine. Snarky characters, witches, demons, and a male lead that is hopelessly into the female lead but not possessive about it. This has all the makings for a top book for me. That’s not to say I didn’t like it, because I actually liked it more than I thought I would, I honestly think I’m just too old demographically for this book. To prove this point the female lead almost never showed up to her job and while she was arguably busy… I couldn’t help but constantly be like “GIRL YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE THIS JOB!”
And while I like that the female lead was bisexual (or at least they baited it?) I inevitably was annoyed because not every paranormal romance needs two romantic options….
I have no real complaints about this book. It was good. But it was JUST good, not great.
Special thank you to NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you handed me this book when I was 10 years younger it would have been come an instant favorite of mine. Snarky characters, witches, demons, and a male lead that is hopelessly into the female lead but not possessive about it. This has all the makings for a top book for me. That’s not to say I didn’t like it, because I actually liked it more than I thought I would, I honestly think I’m just too old demographically for this book. To prove this point the female lead almost never showed up to her job and while she was arguably busy… I couldn’t help but constantly be like “GIRL YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE THIS JOB!”
And while I like that the female lead was bisexual (or at least they baited it?) I inevitably was annoyed because not every paranormal romance needs two romantic options….
I have no real complaints about this book. It was good. But it was JUST good, not great.
November 17, 2022
I have so many thoughts! Peachy is an horrifying look at the urban fanatsy genre, with witty dialogue, a prose that borders on the literary and some of the deepest, complicated characters I've read in a long time.
I'll do a more in depth and probably spoilery review closer to the pub date!
Thank you to Lake Country Press for this advanced reader copy!
I'll do a more in depth and probably spoilery review closer to the pub date!
Thank you to Lake Country Press for this advanced reader copy!
May 6, 2023
This is such a fun & fresh spin on paranormal lore/horror! I love the bright cover & the music playlist at the beginning.
I really enjoyed this; it gave me the feel of Twilight for adults with horror. I love that. It was nostalgic feeling but new. I have missed books like this. Ben, Frankie, Cleo, and even Jessamae have my heart. I'm interested to see where book two goes.
The angst and bit of romance build-up was well done (trying to remain spoiler free, but I know who I'm rooting for), the horror was gruesome and atmospheric, and the characters were funny and witty and relatable (minus the magic powers of course, but even the magic payment/magic system was realistic seeming).
For a book with witches and magic, these characters were so down to earth and unpretentious. This was SO well done, and Camri is an auto-buy author forevermore.
Thank you so much, Netgalley & Lake Country Press & Review, for allowing me to enjoy this before the masses.
I do weekly book giveaways on my tiktok, and I will definitely be giving away a copy (@hauntedhousebooks) around the release date to help promote it.
I really enjoyed this; it gave me the feel of Twilight for adults with horror. I love that. It was nostalgic feeling but new. I have missed books like this. Ben, Frankie, Cleo, and even Jessamae have my heart. I'm interested to see where book two goes.
The angst and bit of romance build-up was well done (trying to remain spoiler free, but I know who I'm rooting for), the horror was gruesome and atmospheric, and the characters were funny and witty and relatable (minus the magic powers of course, but even the magic payment/magic system was realistic seeming).
For a book with witches and magic, these characters were so down to earth and unpretentious. This was SO well done, and Camri is an auto-buy author forevermore.
Thank you so much, Netgalley & Lake Country Press & Review, for allowing me to enjoy this before the masses.
I do weekly book giveaways on my tiktok, and I will definitely be giving away a copy (@hauntedhousebooks) around the release date to help promote it.
April 17, 2023
I’ll be honest, I was terribly bored throughout the majority of this book. The last 15-20% was the only part I found somewhat enthralling. I wanted to dnf at around 30% so bad but forced myself to finish it to help my NetGalley rating. I won’t be continuing with this series.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
June 7, 2024
soooo incredibly mid.
December 16, 2023
*DNF AT 50%
It is entirely possible that the last quarter of this book makes it worth reading but I just couldn't make myself continue. I wanted to like this so bad but this just wasn't for me.
I didn't find the characters realistic or compelling. Actually found them to be quite grating in all honesty apart from Cleo.
The romance felt hamfisted with little development.
And on top of everything, the plot felt pointless and like nothing was happening even when things were happening.
Clearly others like this book and it's successful enough to get more books in a series, but I just couldn't with it. Maybe if I meshed with the writing style better or liked the characters more I would've powered through
It is entirely possible that the last quarter of this book makes it worth reading but I just couldn't make myself continue. I wanted to like this so bad but this just wasn't for me.
I didn't find the characters realistic or compelling. Actually found them to be quite grating in all honesty apart from Cleo.
The romance felt hamfisted with little development.
And on top of everything, the plot felt pointless and like nothing was happening even when things were happening.
Clearly others like this book and it's successful enough to get more books in a series, but I just couldn't with it. Maybe if I meshed with the writing style better or liked the characters more I would've powered through
July 24, 2023
3.5⭐️ rounded up. i wanted so badly for this to be a 5 ⭐️ read. however there were a few plot holes that drove me crazy. what happened to patrick? what did he grandmother know? what happened to the mom and why?
overall a wicked fun read. so much adventure and magic and witchiness. nasty visuals and fun horror. i hope theres a part 2!
overall a wicked fun read. so much adventure and magic and witchiness. nasty visuals and fun horror. i hope theres a part 2!
April 24, 2023
thanks to netgalley, the publisher and the author for this arc!
peachy is a horrifying and disgustingly chaotic take on a favorite urban fantasy character—the witch. it's funny and gorey and entertaining. there's something about the mc frankie's pathetically messy life (at home, at work, in romance) and unkempt personal hygiene that makes her actually endearing.
there's an interesting yet easy-to-grasp concept of witches and each individual's "affinity" that makes them unique. while it does depict some pretty graphic violence against animals and humans, the tone isn't overly serious ... it's almost comforting because you know it's going to work out for this weird little group of misfit witches in the end.
not a big fan of the love triangle though. this is in the lesbian tag so the little romance between frankie and her male bff caught me off guard, especially knowing how they met?
oh and the author included trigger/content warnings and a chapter playlist and that is greatly appreciated
⚠️ content warning: animal harm, body horror
peachy is a horrifying and disgustingly chaotic take on a favorite urban fantasy character—the witch. it's funny and gorey and entertaining. there's something about the mc frankie's pathetically messy life (at home, at work, in romance) and unkempt personal hygiene that makes her actually endearing.
there's an interesting yet easy-to-grasp concept of witches and each individual's "affinity" that makes them unique. while it does depict some pretty graphic violence against animals and humans, the tone isn't overly serious ... it's almost comforting because you know it's going to work out for this weird little group of misfit witches in the end.
not a big fan of the love triangle though. this is in the lesbian tag so the little romance between frankie and her male bff caught me off guard, especially knowing how they met?
oh and the author included trigger/content warnings and a chapter playlist and that is greatly appreciated
⚠️ content warning: animal harm, body horror
April 27, 2025
Maybe 3 stars for me? I didn’t love this like I thought I would. Although I found out this is YA after I finished it and that may have been the problem for me. It was just ok. I really didn’t like the main character so it was really hard to read. The actual story and premise was fun. Interested play of paranormal creatures like witches/vampires/werewolves. But I don’t have a strong urge to read the next one.
May 25, 2023
Been very interested in this book since I saw it on this app & tiktok. I love the humor and connection between all the characters. Give me a book with powers, creatures, and witches then I’m happy. I just needed more back stories with the main characters. A solid 4.2 for me. I will definitely read the rest of this series
also the playlist at the beginning of the book is perfect!
also the playlist at the beginning of the book is perfect!
September 2, 2024
I wouldn’t say it’s horrifying. The descriptions did concern me sometimes , but it’s not too bad. I loved the characters !! They weren’t bland and were well rounded. I especially loved Ben! Frankie and his banter was too tier!! I love a soft man who is down bad for the fml. The author giving him having a lip piercing was a solid choice. Now back to the plot, it was pretty solid. I don’t rlly read occult things bc of # religious trauma BUT I enjoyed this one. I loved the witchy vibes wo it going into satanism. The plot was well paced and I didn’t get bored. Each chapter seemed to be important and add something to the story instead of being filler. Which is why I finished it in a day. I believe the only issue I have w this book is the weird love triangle going on. I hope the second book clears some of it up. Overall, I love the plot and vibes!
August 5, 2023
It’s was a fun and enjoyable time!
September 18, 2024
DNF'je, kon het niet meer aan
December 23, 2025
This book surprised me! It took me a minute to get into it and to engage with the characters but, when we started to get deeper into the plot, I ended up really liking where it went. The themes of grief, isolation, and disengagement really worked well with the supernatural elements.
3.5 rounded up to 4 for a fellow UIUC iSchool grad from Utah!
3.5 rounded up to 4 for a fellow UIUC iSchool grad from Utah!
August 10, 2024
*DNF
Boring, cringey, waaaaay too descriptive of EVERYTHING, couldn’t get into it
Boring, cringey, waaaaay too descriptive of EVERYTHING, couldn’t get into it
July 10, 2024
I...did not enjoy this book. We'll call it a 'soft' DNF, as at a certain point, I got really annoyed, lost interest completely and ended up skimming towards the end.
The good: Honestly, the opening had me ready to give the story a chance. It set a great tone, it was brisk and well written (and in fairness, I would say overall the writing throughout is more than capable of shouldering the load.) The protagonist is actually someone I'd usually be interested in seeing grow through the book, and I started off liking her, and felt invested in what might come next throughout the first glimpse we see of her and where she is in her life. A lot of people seem to use the word 'surly' , or something similar, to describe Frankie, including her friends in the book who love her. (They love her, and are completely trustworthy people , honest , guys...and the MC has enough PTSD that she actually believes this.) The system of magic is thoroughly engaging, and the presentation of witches was something I'd love to delve into deeper. In another world, and with maybe the story told in a different way, I could see myself enjoying the book.
There will be some spoilers following, so...take that as you will
The Bad: This might be me. I'm sure it's me. But from the introduction of Frankie's 'friends'...I just cringed. And kept cringing. And...cringing. Her best friend of six years (forgive me if I get the exact time wrong) is Ben. Ben , of course, thinks she is the love of his life and will spend the entire book doing things that are explicitly said to make Frankie uncomfortable. And he will take an immense amount of joy from doing this. He will leer. He will touch ( to get her used to it, you see..completely honorable, decent impulse). He will get REALLY jealous that the other 'love interest' talked to her and Frankie didn't immediately run screaming for Ben. He will get REALLY mad that Frankie 'disappointed him by doing something he would not approve of when he stopped magically spying on her'. (Which he does constantly, without asking..without caring at all of what it might seem like). He has magically stalked her , and insinuated himself into his life because he can't take the chance they might not meet. Did he care what Frankie wanted? Did he ask her? Nah! Who cares! Ben wanted it, and so Ben did it. But don't worry, this is all Frankie's fault for even tacitly questioning Ben, so it's fine.
Maybe I skimmed past the part where any character actually asks what Frankie wants, and that's fair. But, really, who cares what she wants? Ben needs to get laid. Cleo and Ben need another witch to feel better. And their lives were so hard, guys. It's ok because their lives have been so hard, guys. Fuck Frankie, really. She should just take it and like it. (and of course she does, because magic!!! magic!!! ) Mind you, interest number two has murdered Frankie's grandmother, and also tried to make Frankie's powers be released. Again, who cares what Frankie wants. We need them magic witch powers pronto, so fuck grandma, she's gotta go. Everyone does make a point to basically "well...I mean we didn't think she deserved to die, per se..but hey, she was a bitch, so...really...it's for your own good" .
At the end of the day, what really bothered me was the fact that at no point is there any self awareness given by either the characters or the author that these actions were just the actions of a bunch of pretty awful people doing pretty awful things to Frankie. At no point is there any awareness that I could easily see Ben getting drunk one night, getting mad at Frankie because some other person flirted with her and she didn't screech and throw holy water on them...and beating her to within an inch of her life..I mean..that smile, am I right, people? Who cares if he throws off the vibes of a serial abuser. And hey, who cares if Jessamae offed grandma and lied to Frankie about her goals. Magical connection! When a story goes like this, and goes out of it's way to justify the awful actions of people who never have to actually own up to those actions or grow in a meaningful way..but are in fact rewarded for those shitty actions..I just check out, and that's unfortunate because I really started this book on a good note.
Most of this is subjective, and I feel like I might just not be the audience for this type of book and the types of characters and actions that happen and get a pass because "oh god, they are so cute together, I ship them". There's a fair bit of things to enjoy here, if you can overlook certain things. I just think that poor Frankie deserved better than what she was given. It goes without saying that I won't be continuing the series, but I hope others that do enjoy it, and that the author keeps on writing (I can easily seeing myself getting engaged in a book written by her in the future with less bothersome characters.)
The good: Honestly, the opening had me ready to give the story a chance. It set a great tone, it was brisk and well written (and in fairness, I would say overall the writing throughout is more than capable of shouldering the load.) The protagonist is actually someone I'd usually be interested in seeing grow through the book, and I started off liking her, and felt invested in what might come next throughout the first glimpse we see of her and where she is in her life. A lot of people seem to use the word 'surly' , or something similar, to describe Frankie, including her friends in the book who love her. (They love her, and are completely trustworthy people , honest , guys...and the MC has enough PTSD that she actually believes this.) The system of magic is thoroughly engaging, and the presentation of witches was something I'd love to delve into deeper. In another world, and with maybe the story told in a different way, I could see myself enjoying the book.
There will be some spoilers following, so...take that as you will
The Bad: This might be me. I'm sure it's me. But from the introduction of Frankie's 'friends'...I just cringed. And kept cringing. And...cringing. Her best friend of six years (forgive me if I get the exact time wrong) is Ben. Ben , of course, thinks she is the love of his life and will spend the entire book doing things that are explicitly said to make Frankie uncomfortable. And he will take an immense amount of joy from doing this. He will leer. He will touch ( to get her used to it, you see..completely honorable, decent impulse). He will get REALLY jealous that the other 'love interest' talked to her and Frankie didn't immediately run screaming for Ben. He will get REALLY mad that Frankie 'disappointed him by doing something he would not approve of when he stopped magically spying on her'. (Which he does constantly, without asking..without caring at all of what it might seem like). He has magically stalked her , and insinuated himself into his life because he can't take the chance they might not meet. Did he care what Frankie wanted? Did he ask her? Nah! Who cares! Ben wanted it, and so Ben did it. But don't worry, this is all Frankie's fault for even tacitly questioning Ben, so it's fine.
Maybe I skimmed past the part where any character actually asks what Frankie wants, and that's fair. But, really, who cares what she wants? Ben needs to get laid. Cleo and Ben need another witch to feel better. And their lives were so hard, guys. It's ok because their lives have been so hard, guys. Fuck Frankie, really. She should just take it and like it. (and of course she does, because magic!!! magic!!! ) Mind you, interest number two has murdered Frankie's grandmother, and also tried to make Frankie's powers be released. Again, who cares what Frankie wants. We need them magic witch powers pronto, so fuck grandma, she's gotta go. Everyone does make a point to basically "well...I mean we didn't think she deserved to die, per se..but hey, she was a bitch, so...really...it's for your own good" .
At the end of the day, what really bothered me was the fact that at no point is there any self awareness given by either the characters or the author that these actions were just the actions of a bunch of pretty awful people doing pretty awful things to Frankie. At no point is there any awareness that I could easily see Ben getting drunk one night, getting mad at Frankie because some other person flirted with her and she didn't screech and throw holy water on them...and beating her to within an inch of her life..I mean..that smile, am I right, people? Who cares if he throws off the vibes of a serial abuser. And hey, who cares if Jessamae offed grandma and lied to Frankie about her goals. Magical connection! When a story goes like this, and goes out of it's way to justify the awful actions of people who never have to actually own up to those actions or grow in a meaningful way..but are in fact rewarded for those shitty actions..I just check out, and that's unfortunate because I really started this book on a good note.
Most of this is subjective, and I feel like I might just not be the audience for this type of book and the types of characters and actions that happen and get a pass because "oh god, they are so cute together, I ship them". There's a fair bit of things to enjoy here, if you can overlook certain things. I just think that poor Frankie deserved better than what she was given. It goes without saying that I won't be continuing the series, but I hope others that do enjoy it, and that the author keeps on writing (I can easily seeing myself getting engaged in a book written by her in the future with less bothersome characters.)
April 27, 2023
What is UP I got an ebook ARC for Peachy (thanks Camri!) and I have Emotions. All of them. I love this book in a deep and special place in my heart.
First off: I wasn't immediately sold on the MC, Frankie. She's surly, negative, and cagey as hell. I spent a while worried I wasn't going to like her. And now, just having finished it, I'm close to crying over how much I love her. She's got LAYERS, guys.
I think the first glimmer I had of how much I was going to love her is when she swiped a six pack from work, drank it on the way home to hide it from her grandmother and then puked because she did it too fast. And it wasn't in a "haha, so quirky: kinda way, it was like "ugh. yep. this is my life. I'm just getting through it." Like this is not how she'd like to be, she just doesn't know how to be anything else. Frankie has such warmth that you don't get to see at first because she's cagey, she's got all these walls up, she doesn't let herself be touched, she's isolating herself and avoiding life so it can't hurt her.
There's this great line near the end: "It would use every person I connected with, had ever cared about, against me until I was totally alone. Just as I had always wanted."
Frankie just embodies this sense of self-destruction that I think a lot of us can relate to - the avoidant kind, the 'lazy' kind where you want to lie down and let your life crumble around you, you want to be horrible so everybody will leave and you can just rot alone in your room - and then throughout the book Frankie kind of realizes: oh shit, I want to live? I want these people who have come into my life. I don't want to rot alone in my room, I want to do things and connect with people and have things happen to me. And I got really emotional about it. I don't think we see that kind of character arc enough.
I can't wait to see how it unfolds in the next Peachy books.
ANYWAY the magic system is dope. I usually don't care about magic systems but in this book the magic is WILD and FUN and HORRIFYING and THEMATICALLY INTERESTING!
Also, obviously, the writing is baller. Some books you can devour like yoghurt, no effort needed. Peachy requires some chewing, in the best way. The most delightful chewing. Everything is phrased so interestingly. I was taking notes to improve my own writing, especially during fight scenes - Camri's fight scenes are so vivid and electric. I usually skip over fight scenes in books, but not in this book!
Also! The ROMANCE! Holy shit I'm invested. So it was described to me as Twilight for dirtbags. and for a while I had no idea what they were talking about. There's just the one love interest, right? He seems nice enough, he's very warm and kind and witty. Their relationship, as much as it exists in this first book, is based on friendship. It's sweet.
And then this vampire comes in. And she's so beautiful and otherworldly, and Frankie feels so powerless and entranced when she's around her - and I'm like "ohhhh we're going FULL twilight." and unlike twilight, I'm actually not sure who I want her to end up with? Like the guy is her friend. He's humanity, or something close to it. They have a good time together. They've known each other for years. The vampire lady has powers parallel to Frankie's powers. Frankie is life, the vampire is death. They have this magnetic pull towards each other because of their magic.
Anyway! his is a very disjointed review, I just have a lot of feelings. I can't wait to see what happens in the next books. I have full trust that whatever happens, I will be satisfied. I was almost crying at the end of this book as the found family recovered from the events of the climax - no one came out unscathed. They've been through a lot and will continue to go through shit. But they'll do it together!
There's also a scene with a snake that got me SO close to crying in an office. It's so sweet. Can't believe a snake almost made me sob. Can't believe how sold I was on this weird witchy found family and this surly mess of a MC.
Love love love. Thanks again for the ARC.
First off: I wasn't immediately sold on the MC, Frankie. She's surly, negative, and cagey as hell. I spent a while worried I wasn't going to like her. And now, just having finished it, I'm close to crying over how much I love her. She's got LAYERS, guys.
I think the first glimmer I had of how much I was going to love her is when she swiped a six pack from work, drank it on the way home to hide it from her grandmother and then puked because she did it too fast. And it wasn't in a "haha, so quirky: kinda way, it was like "ugh. yep. this is my life. I'm just getting through it." Like this is not how she'd like to be, she just doesn't know how to be anything else. Frankie has such warmth that you don't get to see at first because she's cagey, she's got all these walls up, she doesn't let herself be touched, she's isolating herself and avoiding life so it can't hurt her.
There's this great line near the end: "It would use every person I connected with, had ever cared about, against me until I was totally alone. Just as I had always wanted."
Frankie just embodies this sense of self-destruction that I think a lot of us can relate to - the avoidant kind, the 'lazy' kind where you want to lie down and let your life crumble around you, you want to be horrible so everybody will leave and you can just rot alone in your room - and then throughout the book Frankie kind of realizes: oh shit, I want to live? I want these people who have come into my life. I don't want to rot alone in my room, I want to do things and connect with people and have things happen to me. And I got really emotional about it. I don't think we see that kind of character arc enough.
I can't wait to see how it unfolds in the next Peachy books.
ANYWAY the magic system is dope. I usually don't care about magic systems but in this book the magic is WILD and FUN and HORRIFYING and THEMATICALLY INTERESTING!
Also, obviously, the writing is baller. Some books you can devour like yoghurt, no effort needed. Peachy requires some chewing, in the best way. The most delightful chewing. Everything is phrased so interestingly. I was taking notes to improve my own writing, especially during fight scenes - Camri's fight scenes are so vivid and electric. I usually skip over fight scenes in books, but not in this book!
Also! The ROMANCE! Holy shit I'm invested. So it was described to me as Twilight for dirtbags. and for a while I had no idea what they were talking about. There's just the one love interest, right? He seems nice enough, he's very warm and kind and witty. Their relationship, as much as it exists in this first book, is based on friendship. It's sweet.
And then this vampire comes in. And she's so beautiful and otherworldly, and Frankie feels so powerless and entranced when she's around her - and I'm like "ohhhh we're going FULL twilight." and unlike twilight, I'm actually not sure who I want her to end up with? Like the guy is her friend. He's humanity, or something close to it. They have a good time together. They've known each other for years. The vampire lady has powers parallel to Frankie's powers. Frankie is life, the vampire is death. They have this magnetic pull towards each other because of their magic.
Anyway! his is a very disjointed review, I just have a lot of feelings. I can't wait to see what happens in the next books. I have full trust that whatever happens, I will be satisfied. I was almost crying at the end of this book as the found family recovered from the events of the climax - no one came out unscathed. They've been through a lot and will continue to go through shit. But they'll do it together!
There's also a scene with a snake that got me SO close to crying in an office. It's so sweet. Can't believe a snake almost made me sob. Can't believe how sold I was on this weird witchy found family and this surly mess of a MC.
Love love love. Thanks again for the ARC.
May 12, 2023
Wow, what an absolute knockout. A delightful read, first book in a while that had me pining for it while at work, excited to come home and keep reading.
The character dynamics immediately pull you in, killer protagonist and the personality in the narration really worked for me. The plotting was impeccably paced and really nicely logical cause and effect while still keeping me having no clue what was going to happen next.
The horror and gore was perfect, great with the contrast of Frank’s bleak humor, and one of the best climaxes of any book or story fighting demons I’ve ever seen. The stakes felt real and visceral to me even after being so burnt out of comic-book confrontations with ultimate evil; this is GOOD DAMN STORY TELLING,, (Gordon Ramsey voice) finally some delicious content. I have been starved for so long! I will be rereading and annotating this book for years to come.
And Frank’s resolution to her impossible enemy was so clever and perfect. The way the trauma lingers and leaves them all with new, unhealthy coping mechanisms was very refreshing and real. But they still find their dynamic again, and I really hope those crazy kids make it work!
I stumbled upon this book by chance at the barnes and noble in Irvine on my way to San Diego. I was supposed to just use it as a bathroom break before getting back on the 5. But I stopped to look at the horror section and was impressed by the offerings, and while scanning the shelves I see this neon chartreuse spine with a white blood drop, and you know I love me some chartreuse. The back text really sells it and I love urban-fantasy-horror more than any thing else. I have a big pile to TBR books and I picked this one I had no clue what to expect with to start first. And damn was that the right call!! I’m a devotee to this series now and really rooting for these characters and this world.
The only critic I am legally required as a Graphic Designer™️ to make is that “bangers” as the header font is so incongruous and a baffling choice. The other fonts are so good! Resist the temptation of comic sans’ google font sibling, I beg you!!
The character dynamics immediately pull you in, killer protagonist and the personality in the narration really worked for me. The plotting was impeccably paced and really nicely logical cause and effect while still keeping me having no clue what was going to happen next.
The horror and gore was perfect, great with the contrast of Frank’s bleak humor, and one of the best climaxes of any book or story fighting demons I’ve ever seen. The stakes felt real and visceral to me even after being so burnt out of comic-book confrontations with ultimate evil; this is GOOD DAMN STORY TELLING,, (Gordon Ramsey voice) finally some delicious content. I have been starved for so long! I will be rereading and annotating this book for years to come.
And Frank’s resolution to her impossible enemy was so clever and perfect. The way the trauma lingers and leaves them all with new, unhealthy coping mechanisms was very refreshing and real. But they still find their dynamic again, and I really hope those crazy kids make it work!
I stumbled upon this book by chance at the barnes and noble in Irvine on my way to San Diego. I was supposed to just use it as a bathroom break before getting back on the 5. But I stopped to look at the horror section and was impressed by the offerings, and while scanning the shelves I see this neon chartreuse spine with a white blood drop, and you know I love me some chartreuse. The back text really sells it and I love urban-fantasy-horror more than any thing else. I have a big pile to TBR books and I picked this one I had no clue what to expect with to start first. And damn was that the right call!! I’m a devotee to this series now and really rooting for these characters and this world.
The only critic I am legally required as a Graphic Designer™️ to make is that “bangers” as the header font is so incongruous and a baffling choice. The other fonts are so good! Resist the temptation of comic sans’ google font sibling, I beg you!!
October 11, 2023
An outstanding horror novel!
Peachy is not for everyone, but those who love horror and hard-core witchery vibes will love this one.
Not an easy read, let me tell you, the gore and the horrific aspects of the story are so well crafted that it makes for a frightful experience.
I highly recommend it.
It's terrific.
Horror aside, this is also a story of love and friendship, and the relationship between the cast was wonderful to read. Frankie is a great MC, and the supporting cast, Ben, Cloe and Jessimae, are fantastic. The romance was beautiful, and the love triangle brilliant (upsetting, oh yes, but brilliant). The found family here is phenomenal.
I LOVE Ben and Cloe, rooted for Frankie, and was scared stiff of Jessimae.
So, GREATNESS all around.
The magic system is awesome, the world-building immersive, and the prose well done.
* MILD SPOILERS*
Horror with a happy ending? Yes, please, sign me in. Of course this is a series, and more bad things might (will probably) happen, but for now, I'm really glad to have left Frankie, Ben and Cloe in a good place. I do hope they are doing well.
*Trigger warnings*
When I say this book is not for everyone, I mean it. There is death --- so much death --- including animals. No blatant cruelty happens on the page, but animals do get hurt and killed by our cast.
It was not easy to read those bits, so proceed with caution.
Highly recommend this book for horror fans, hard-core witchery fans, and those who are looking for hopeful horror and fantastic human relationships. If you are feeling brave, give Peachy a read, you won't be disappointed.
Peachy is not for everyone, but those who love horror and hard-core witchery vibes will love this one.
Not an easy read, let me tell you, the gore and the horrific aspects of the story are so well crafted that it makes for a frightful experience.
I highly recommend it.
It's terrific.
Horror aside, this is also a story of love and friendship, and the relationship between the cast was wonderful to read. Frankie is a great MC, and the supporting cast, Ben, Cloe and Jessimae, are fantastic. The romance was beautiful, and the love triangle brilliant (upsetting, oh yes, but brilliant). The found family here is phenomenal.
I LOVE Ben and Cloe, rooted for Frankie, and was scared stiff of Jessimae.
So, GREATNESS all around.
The magic system is awesome, the world-building immersive, and the prose well done.
* MILD SPOILERS*
Horror with a happy ending? Yes, please, sign me in. Of course this is a series, and more bad things might (will probably) happen, but for now, I'm really glad to have left Frankie, Ben and Cloe in a good place. I do hope they are doing well.
*Trigger warnings*
When I say this book is not for everyone, I mean it. There is death --- so much death --- including animals. No blatant cruelty happens on the page, but animals do get hurt and killed by our cast.
It was not easy to read those bits, so proceed with caution.
Highly recommend this book for horror fans, hard-core witchery fans, and those who are looking for hopeful horror and fantastic human relationships. If you are feeling brave, give Peachy a read, you won't be disappointed.
November 28, 2022
“Look at you,” she purred. She was close enough to touch me. And she did. Her hand lifted and curved around my chin, her thumb finding the dimple there. I trembled into her skin. She traced the outline of my lips before she pressed them softly with one finger, as if she were hushing me. “Such a peach.”
THIS BOOK. Where to even begin.
First, the prose in Peachy is haunting and dirty and atmospheric in all the best ways. It makes you feel every single word on the page, bringing every scene to life in a way that sometimes makes your skin crawl and sometimes makes you want to cry. Each scene is so visceral, and it becomes so easy to inhabit this world and connect with Frankie because of the writing.
On top of the writing, don't get me started on the characters. They are just so flawed and complex and... REAL. We've all been Frankie at one point in our life, stuck in a dead end job we hate dealing with a lot of shitty stuff. And a lot of shitty stuff happens to this poor girl. The book feels more like memories than fiction at times, as if Frankie is a real person, and you're living this story with her rather than just through her eyes. The other characters are all fleshed out and so flawed and complex too, and never once did it feel like any of them were making a good decision lol.
This book also just lives so inherently in its queerness that you cannot separate one from the other. It defies many labels, and really the only way to describe it would be queer-normative. The readers learn with the characters how they may or may not want to define their identities in this supernatural side of our world (especially Frankie, for who the whole supernatural thing is new).
Though heavy on the horror for my usual tastes, I read with my fingers half over my eyes because even during the scary parts (tbf I'm not a horror reader, but there is a decent amount of body horror in this!) I didn't want to put this book down. Worth every nightmare it gave me, and I can't wait to see what horrifyingly magical things Kohler cooks up next.
THIS BOOK. Where to even begin.
First, the prose in Peachy is haunting and dirty and atmospheric in all the best ways. It makes you feel every single word on the page, bringing every scene to life in a way that sometimes makes your skin crawl and sometimes makes you want to cry. Each scene is so visceral, and it becomes so easy to inhabit this world and connect with Frankie because of the writing.
On top of the writing, don't get me started on the characters. They are just so flawed and complex and... REAL. We've all been Frankie at one point in our life, stuck in a dead end job we hate dealing with a lot of shitty stuff. And a lot of shitty stuff happens to this poor girl. The book feels more like memories than fiction at times, as if Frankie is a real person, and you're living this story with her rather than just through her eyes. The other characters are all fleshed out and so flawed and complex too, and never once did it feel like any of them were making a good decision lol.
This book also just lives so inherently in its queerness that you cannot separate one from the other. It defies many labels, and really the only way to describe it would be queer-normative. The readers learn with the characters how they may or may not want to define their identities in this supernatural side of our world (especially Frankie, for who the whole supernatural thing is new).
Though heavy on the horror for my usual tastes, I read with my fingers half over my eyes because even during the scary parts (tbf I'm not a horror reader, but there is a decent amount of body horror in this!) I didn't want to put this book down. Worth every nightmare it gave me, and I can't wait to see what horrifyingly magical things Kohler cooks up next.
March 28, 2023
I had a great time with this book and it was not at all what I was expecting. If you're looking for a book with a plot and a lot of romantic screen time... this is not the book for you. There is romance in this book, but it is not the MAIN story line and I am very happy that it wasn't. The plot of this book literally had me hooked, and I was not expecting the turn of events.
We follow the story of Frankie, a slovenly, not at all put together young adult who is basically just going through the motions of life. She doesn't know who her father is, and had lost her mother in a fatal accident and is now living in the same house as her grandmother who she does not see eye to eye with. After returning from work one night, Frankie finds her grandmother... well, dead. Right where she left her. Ben who is Frankie's best friend, invites her to stay with him for a little while and this is where things start to go crazy.
I will not go into detail, because I think you should READ THIS BOOK!
I enjoyed the characters, the horror, and all the gory details and I looked forward to picking this book up every night after the kids were in bed.
Big thanks to Netgalley for giving me an ARC for this book, I will be purchasing a hard copy once it is available and will be recommending this book to all of my friends.
We follow the story of Frankie, a slovenly, not at all put together young adult who is basically just going through the motions of life. She doesn't know who her father is, and had lost her mother in a fatal accident and is now living in the same house as her grandmother who she does not see eye to eye with. After returning from work one night, Frankie finds her grandmother... well, dead. Right where she left her. Ben who is Frankie's best friend, invites her to stay with him for a little while and this is where things start to go crazy.
I will not go into detail, because I think you should READ THIS BOOK!
I enjoyed the characters, the horror, and all the gory details and I looked forward to picking this book up every night after the kids were in bed.
Big thanks to Netgalley for giving me an ARC for this book, I will be purchasing a hard copy once it is available and will be recommending this book to all of my friends.
May 3, 2023
What fun read!! There are so many things to love about this book!
The characters all feel very realistic and relatable. Ditto for the setting. These pages are chockful of people you either are or know well. Everything happens in places you've been before - that one store you always stop by, average houses on average streets where nothing weird ever happens. I felt so grounded within this story, like everything could be happening on the next street over with the people I walk by every day. Frankie and Ben are especially fantastic - I want to be friends with them both.
The witchy elements are really cool and well-crafted. And the horror? my god... I had to put this thing down during nighttime reads MULTIPLE times because I was getting way too freaked out to sleep. The body horror is graphic and so cringe-worthy in the best way. I do wish there'd been less violence towards animals, so if that's a trigger for you, you may want to watch out for this one. I didn't expect it and really struggled during some of those scenes. I KNOW it fits the earthy witchcraft elements, so don't come for me - I just wasn't a fan, ok??
I'm also just a huge fan of Kohler's voice. Her writing is so easy to read and flows really well. I struggled with the pacing in the beginning, but her style is captivating enough that I kept turning pages anyway. Then the action picked up and I was along for whatever ride she decided she wanted to take me on.
But honestly this book was a fun, wild ride. I never knew what was going to happen next. I loved the characters, I cared about the storyline, and I was plenty freaked out multiple times. I'll absolutely be keeping an eye out for the sequel.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for review.
The characters all feel very realistic and relatable. Ditto for the setting. These pages are chockful of people you either are or know well. Everything happens in places you've been before - that one store you always stop by, average houses on average streets where nothing weird ever happens. I felt so grounded within this story, like everything could be happening on the next street over with the people I walk by every day. Frankie and Ben are especially fantastic - I want to be friends with them both.
The witchy elements are really cool and well-crafted. And the horror? my god... I had to put this thing down during nighttime reads MULTIPLE times because I was getting way too freaked out to sleep. The body horror is graphic and so cringe-worthy in the best way. I do wish there'd been less violence towards animals, so if that's a trigger for you, you may want to watch out for this one. I didn't expect it and really struggled during some of those scenes. I KNOW it fits the earthy witchcraft elements, so don't come for me - I just wasn't a fan, ok??
I'm also just a huge fan of Kohler's voice. Her writing is so easy to read and flows really well. I struggled with the pacing in the beginning, but her style is captivating enough that I kept turning pages anyway. Then the action picked up and I was along for whatever ride she decided she wanted to take me on.
But honestly this book was a fun, wild ride. I never knew what was going to happen next. I loved the characters, I cared about the storyline, and I was plenty freaked out multiple times. I'll absolutely be keeping an eye out for the sequel.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for review.
April 17, 2024
Peachy is incredible.
The detail with which this world is written is SO impeccable. I felt drawn into the story immediately because of all the visceral imagery. That carries throughout the story and makes for some difficult reading later when the body horror comes into play (the grotesque descriptions are a vomit fest- but totally worth the read!).
Frankie, the main character, immediately charmed me. She's surly and cranky and real in a way that only a true personality could be. In fact, I truly believe this story shines because of the strength of the characters. They had my heart early on and didn't let go. I wanted to drink cheap beer and smoke cigarettes on musty couches with these people while listening to Nirvana.
I never thought that a horror or any genre-blend book thereof could become a comfort read for me, but this one definitely will.
Read if: You're a 90s kid and you're still hung up on grunge; in high school, you fell for the boy who smoked behind the bleachers; you like your fantasy stories to be a little rough around the edges.
Don't read if: You're uncomfortable with visceral depictions of witchcraft, blood magic, or body horror.
The detail with which this world is written is SO impeccable. I felt drawn into the story immediately because of all the visceral imagery. That carries throughout the story and makes for some difficult reading later when the body horror comes into play (the grotesque descriptions are a vomit fest- but totally worth the read!).
Frankie, the main character, immediately charmed me. She's surly and cranky and real in a way that only a true personality could be. In fact, I truly believe this story shines because of the strength of the characters. They had my heart early on and didn't let go. I wanted to drink cheap beer and smoke cigarettes on musty couches with these people while listening to Nirvana.
I never thought that a horror or any genre-blend book thereof could become a comfort read for me, but this one definitely will.
Read if: You're a 90s kid and you're still hung up on grunge; in high school, you fell for the boy who smoked behind the bleachers; you like your fantasy stories to be a little rough around the edges.
Don't read if: You're uncomfortable with visceral depictions of witchcraft, blood magic, or body horror.
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