If there's one thing I absolutely live for, it's stumbling upon regional authors whose writing feels like it was tailor-made for my book-loving soul. But you know what's even better? When an author not only kicks off a series with an amazing first book but then swoops in with a second one that somehow manages to be even better. I’m talking growth on all levels: characters, plot, writing chops…the whole shebang.

Enter: Minnesota's very own Evi James. I read her debut, Entangled in the Woods, last month (scroll down for my Instagram review!), and y’all... that cliffhanger? It had me shouting “NOOO!!!” at the book like it was a season finale. Thankfully, the bookish gods smiled upon me and I got an ARC of her upcoming sequel, Shadows in the Woods, dropping April 25th, and let me just say, WOW.

I honestly didn’t think she could top book one, but she absolutely did. The suspense? Cranked up. The emotional depth? Chef’s kiss. The characters? So much growth I wanted to give them all a hug. Full fangirl review is just a scroll away!