This was such a fun read! Definitely brought some brightness and summer fun into the dead of winter over here. I loved learning more about Aunt Gicky through Addison’s time on Fire Island as she meets the quirky residents and guests. I loved when her friends come to visit, Kizzy was a keeper! Watching Addison realize that maybe focusing so much on her advertising career wasn’t what made her happy, and getting to know Ben better was definitely a fun ride. Not to mention Sally the dog. There is some harder topics like death of a spouse that was covered well in the book. I would definitely check out something else from this author.
This is a new to me author, and I am excited to read more of her books! I didn’t realize this was the second in a series until I got into it, but that is not an issue. It is definitely a stand alone read just fine…but now I really want to go read the first because those characters are in this book too! I loved Nat and Noah’s story. The older brother’s little sister plot was hot hot hot. Noah was such a great male lead. I really liked Nat too, trying to find her place in her home town as the little sister, the doctor’s daughter. There were some tough subjects covered in this one, loss of a sibling….PTSD. All handled very well and definitely added depth to the “typical” romcom plot. There was just one thing that really rubbed me wrong…and it was Nat saying “Oh goddess” and saying that God was a woman. If it was just a comment in passing, I could have looked past it. But it was constant throughout the book, and it felt silly and immature. It really distracted me from the reading when it was thrown in constantly. That was a nit-picky thing of mine, and it might not bother others.
Bottom Line: Read it! I can’t wait to see what else this author has out there!
**I received an ARC from Happily Booked and Book Funnel and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**
I love Valerie Pepper small town romances! She is the queen! She is also local to me in Birmingham, so it makes it extra special when the small towns are in Alabama. This was also best friend little sister, funny how I always tend to read books with a similar theme back to back. I think Goldie and Matty were so cute. She was fun and exciting, and he thought he was the boring old vet in town….but he was anything but boring. Loved the dating app/hidden identity angle that this started with. Also a “secret relationship” to add to the fun. The banter was fantastic. And since Matty is a vet, you know there is going to be a cast of adorable furry friends too!
Bottom Line: Read it!
**I received a copy of Dashing For Love from Happily Booked and Book Funnel and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
Wow. What a plot. You are on a plane with a woman who starts going up and down the aisles, telling everyone their age and cause of death. For some, it was far into the future…but for a few on the plane…it was very soon! The book flows through different chapters, sharing these characters lives after they depart the plane….mixing with some chapters about the Death Lady herself…both past and present. Liana Moriarty has this way of writing her characters that really gets you invested in their lives and you start to care about what happens to them. There were a lot of people to keep up with in this book, but then you really start to know them and it is quite difficult to put down! This reminds me more of her older books, which I enjoyed so much. I don’t want to say more…..I just want you to read it! And if you already have read it, let’s discuss!!!
Bottom Line: Read it!
**I received a copy of Here One Moment from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**
I think that this is a must read for girl moms! I believe we all go through anxiety to some degree in our childhood and maybe even adult lives. This was an excellent book to learn ways to cope with said anxiety and “attack the worry monster.” All done from a Christian perspective. Fantastic.
First book reviews of the year! Finishing up some Christmas/winter ones and jumping in with a great start. I wanted to get this posted since the interest in Christmas things tends to go away around this time of year. I still have more Christmas books I didn’t get to. Isn’t that how it always goes? Also, not trying to be dramatic….but I think my favorite book of the year is already read. Such a big statement for mid-January isn’t it?
This book immediately grabbed my attention, it was such an interesting plot. Phoebe books herself a night in a fancy hotel she once saw in a magazine with plans to commit suicide. When she gets there, she realizes that she is the only guest that isn’t part of a wedding. She befriends the Bride in an elevator and somehow gets roped into the wedding festivities. Because of where Phoebe is in life, she doesn’t hold back and her honesty and snark is so refreshing throughout the book. I LOL’d and gasped so many times and just truly enjoyed this journey. The author was able to take a heavy topic and make it relatable and enjoyable. The characters were all lovely, the pacing was perfect and I just cant stop smiling as I think back on it.
I consumed this book via audiobook, and the narration was fantastic and contributed to my overall enjoyment.
Bottom Line: Read it!!! This will make my favorite book of the year list for sure, which is a strong statement considering it is January!
Emily Stone had become a must read for me each winter after loving Always, In December. Sadly, A Winter Wish isn’t my favorite from her. Before I say anything, I want to say that it wasn’t a bad book and I did enjoy it overall. I loved the idea of a travel company that wanted to create experiences and memories for people while learning different cultures and supporting local establishments in those areas. It was really cool. There was a lot of personal growth in Lexie which I appreciated…but I just didn’t love her in the book so it made it hard to connect. She was a bit immature and flakey. And while I do enjoy a well done enemy to lovers, I didn’t feel that magic spark between Theo and Lexie. Perhaps it was because we didn’t get to know Theo as well as some of the other characters in the book?
Bottom Line: Overall, I enjoyed the storyline. It was well developed, but maybe a bit too long and drug out. The different locations for settings was fun and I loved the travel company. It was well written, just not my favorite from the author.
*I received a copy of A Winter Wish from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**
I am torn on how I want to review this book. There was some decent banter and steamy moments that were enjoyable. But I did find the leading lady a bit immature. I didn’t love how she felt she had to have heartbreak to be able to write. I am not a writer, so maybe I am wrong in thinking there are other ways to get a good book. Also? A club for women who were scorned about Brick? So cringy and weird. I also hated the ending. If you read this, would love to know what you thought about it.
Bottom Line: This one kept me entertained, but had cringy moments and I truly hated the ending.
**I received a copy of Book of the Month from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**
I have mixed feelings on how I want to review this book also. On one hand, I did find the plot entertaining. I do love a good enemies to lovers/second chance romance. There is also a fake marriage thrown in, and while I love that as well, I wasn’t a fan of how it was handled in this book for some reason. It was like it was skimmed over in certain ways, but also not, since it was a big deal to maintaining it look good for Deacon’s mom. The romance in general had a bit of a weird ick factor for me since their grandmothers had a relationship. I know they aren’t in any way related, but still. Weird. I also found LaRynn super immature. This entire book is basically how these two have zero communication skills with each other, adding to the immaturity factor of LaRynn.
It definitely had good moments too. I was entertained throughout. I liked the forced proximity and some of the banter. It had a small town feel, which I always enjoy. The spice factor was up there and I really enjoyed the epilogue.
Bottom Line: Read it
**I received a copy of The Co-Op from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**
I am always here for an enemies to lovers/fake relationship trope. This was such a fun little Christmas read that went by quickly. I loved the farm setting and getting snowed in for the holidays while you are lying to your boss about your entire life. I will say that overall, Laurel might have been a little bit too immature for her age of 33/34. But really, that was my only complaint.
I have followed Meredith aka The Peachie Spoon on Instagram for a very long time. She is a local to me, so I love that. Her recipes and information she shares is SO helpful. I love this cookbook. It has amazing recipes that my whole family enjoys and tricks to keep your blood sugar stabilized and feeling your best. I love that each recipe in the book includes nutritional information so you know can tract your carbs, protein, and fat macros. Highly recommend grabbing this!
**I received a copy of The Blood Sugar Balance Cookbook from Netgalley. I am leaving this reviewvoluntarily and all opinions are my own.**
Book reviews coming in late! I got so behind on reviews both here and on Instagram. I hate that. I am going to try to catch up so I can keep current. So many good books were read over the last few months that I must share!
I first want to disclose that I did not read the other books from this series, I think you can read this alone like I did and enjoy it. I enjoyed Wes and Liz’z reconnected story. They were in college so I had to keep reminding myself of that as I read….because both their characters were quite immature. Especially Liz. I was entertained and engaged the whole time, but it wasn’t my favorite from the Author. I feel like I probably should have read the other ones in this series first to be more invested in the characters. But overall. it is more YA behavior than I like to read as a 40+ audience. Still, the writing was good.
Bottom Line: Read it.
** I received a copy of Nothing Like the Movies from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**
I have read all of Alex Finlay’s books and enjoy them a lot! This one hooked me from the beginning. It has a unique plot and a great pace as you try to figure out what happened the night Ali disappeared. There were twists and turns and it kept me engaged the entire time.
I don’t think I have read anything by this author before. This one was so sweet, it melted my heart like chocolate. I wish I had saved it for Valentine’s Day…but Christmas is just as fun. I really loved Lucy’s family chocolate shop that she wanted to keep alive. You can tell her heart and soul was into it. And I enjoyed the banter between her and Dean as they got to know each other through his news segments. You know exactly where this book is going to go, but it is still fun getting there!
I consumed this one via audiobook and I very much enjoyed both the male and female narrators. They really added extra to the fun and sweetness of this book. Highly recommend this version if audio is your thing!
Bottom Line: Read it!
**I received an audiobook copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.**
I have been a big fan of Casey and Calley Means the last few years, following their Instagram accounts and listening to the many interviews they have done. I appreciate what they are trying to do, calling out the medical and pharma communities on everything that they do wrong and sharing lifestyle changes to live a healthier, longer life. There is so much information to unpack in this book. I find it all very interesting and helpful. However, I do think some of the suggestions offered are out of touch for the average person. Spending thousands of dollars on lab testing that isn’t covered by insurance, expensive devices to track your health, and tracking every single morsel and product that touches or enters your body is a bit extreme for most. Sometimes we need to meet people where they are and have gradual changes. I think that knowledge is power, but you can also just be completely consumed by all this data and not know where to start and feel completely overwhelmed.
Bottom Line: At the end of the day, I find a lot of the information in the book a must read if you are trying to get on the right health path. I just don’t think it is realistic or sustainable for most people to follow every solution offered.
This is the first I have read from this author, and I quite enjoyed it! Definitely want to check out her other stuff. Hollyn has Tourette’s and wants to stay anonymous behind her writer’s name Miz Poppy. But her boss wants her to start making videos to keep her job. She works with Jasper, an improv star who needs attention on his group to land a deal. They help each other out and have a sort of fake dating/friends with benefits arrangement. Only we all know that someone always catches feelings, right? Add in two exes and Jasper’s past….and we have a deeper layer here. This was such a heartwarming read, with two quirky characters, lots of humor and heat. Wow the heat. Just overall a wonderful read!
I consumed this via audio book and very much enjoyed the narration. She did such a great job and it really added to the overall enjoyment of the book.
Bottom Line: Read it!
**I received an audio copy of this book via Netgalley. I am reviewing this voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**
Evie works for Southern Paws, a company that matches service dogs. She herself has a service dog for her epilepsy. She meets Jacob at a coffee shop, thinking that she is matching a dog with his daughter who has seizures. The first meeting doesn’t go great, and yet they re-meet and become an integral part of each other’s lives for a few weeks as Evie gets his daughter comfortable with her new service dog. Jacob has trust issues with his ex and Evie isn’t sure that she wants to be a part of a family…and yet they are both giving each other what the other needs. I enjoyed reading their story, and I especially loved how good of a dad Jacob is and his daughter Sam was amazing.
This was a fun, seasonal read about a cafe owner that is starting a new career and life for herself. There wasn’t a lot of depth here. It was rather predictable, but I still enjoyed reading it and seeing Jeanie’s and Logan’s relationship blossom…even though there was a bit more misunderstandings than needed.
Alicia Silver lost her finance and is having a hard time. She decides to visit her hometown in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee to try her luck with the bridge that is supposed to make wishes come true. She has tried to wish on the bridge in the past, and it didn’t work out for her. But she is determined to try again. When she gets there, she meets Leo, a man who has his own wish….to find his missing father. It was a joy to watch their friendship start up as they work together to find answers as to where Leo’s father went. I also enjoyed watching Alicia reconnect with her childhood best friend. Time heals all.
I consumed this via audiobook and enjoyed the narration.
Bottom Line: This was a heartwarming novel, set in an adorable town and not overly cheesy Christmas. Read it.
**I received an audio copy from Netgalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**
Soledad’s story was a ride! There are so many layers to this book with her cheating, jailed husband, the forbidden relationship, her kids dealing with it all and Soledad trying to figure out how to pay the bills and pivot her new life. This was much more than just another romance novel. I enjoyed it from beginning to end.
I absolutely loved Madison and Sawyer’s story. This reminds me very much of older books from RS Grey. Her perfect concoction of a good plot, steam, whit and banter are spot on as usual. I do love a good revenge plot, if done right, and this one does not disappoint. Perhaps Madison wasn’t cut out to be mean. But it sure was a fun ride watching her try. I flew right through this one.
I remember reading this book in either high school or college and thinking that it was a little far fetched and I couldn’t believe a society where the government hates us and gaslighting wasn’t even in my vocabulary. And here we are in 2024….living in a 1984 world. The news stations are a joke these days full of propaganda and constant lies or stretches of the truth to fit their narratives….all stations. Past is rewritten. People are being cancelled for questioning or thinking different than others. They want us to own nothing and be happy. It is all too real.
Can’t believe I am reading books on menopause, but I am definitely in perimenopause and I guess this is my new life. This book has some information that is a must read for any woman. Mary Claire goes over so much about perimenopause and menopause that I have never heard before stumbling on her instagram account a few years ago. I definitely feel like this is a topic that gynos really need more training in. Most barely have any training at all in menopause and certainly aren’t qualified to treat patients for it. Which is why most woman are just told it is part of life and to accept all the symptoms side effects, or are treated like they are crazy. This book was definitely insightful. But I will say, I do feel like she goes on and on about HRT and I appreciate hearing about it as an option…but she comes back to it a lot and I don’t fully know if I believe in it or want to try it for myself. But even with the heavy mentioning of that….I still find this book very helpful and a must read.
Violet and Xavier were high school sweet hearts with a bad breakup. Violet wanted to be a stylist and he wanted to be a professional basketball player. Violet was living her dream job, but Xavier ended up teaching high school english and being an assistant coach. They found each other one night in Vegas and end up getting married. This was a horrible idea! Or was it? They realize if they continue to remain married they can both benefit. Cue the fake relationship trope. Only maybe their feelings haven’t gone away. They have both grown and changed so much….but can still appreciate each other like they once did. This was a cute little romcom that kept me entertained the whole way through.
Book reviews for August coming in hot. I am going to be honest, there were several in here that weren’t quite what I wanted them to be. There are 4 months of reading for the year. I set a goal of 60 books and I am at 55, yay! Goodreads says I am 15 ahead of schedule. I like to set attainable goals with reading since it is just for fun. I honestly consume many of these books on audio book in the car if anyone is wondering how I have the time.
What a delightful summer read! This is the quintessential vacation read with so many amazing tropical scenes. This was such a fun enemies to lovers/second chance romance/forced proximity read. I loved Casey and Phillip. Their banter was super fun, a key ingredient to RS Grey’s perfect romcom recipe. I loved Casey’s grit and they way that she handled herself to stand up and fight for what she wanted when it came to her career. And her friendship with Sienna??? Oh my goodness! Mega friendship goals! Would love a book where Sienna gets her happy ending! Tyson definitely deserves a good friend award as well.
Bottom Line: Read it!
**I received a copy of Caribbean Crush and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**
This one hooked me in right away, as Laura Dave tends to do! And the story had my attention for sure, but I believe this is marked as a thriller. It certainly is not. It read more like a family drama. So in that sense, my expectations were high, and it fell a little flat for me. I did really enjoy Nora’s character and the way that she got on with her brother while they tried to figure out what happened to their dad. I am not sure that all the flashbacks of Cory and Liam were absolutely necessary. There was a major plot twist that I was a little annoyed by, but I wont say anything because I don’t want to give away the whole book. Overall I enjoyed this one while reading it, but looking at it as a whole, it wasn’t as strong as I wanted it to be.
Bottom Line: Read it, but lower expectations. This is not a thriller type read.
**I received a copy of The Night We Lost Him from Netgalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**
Another great book from Lynn Painter! I absolutely loved this one! An interesting premise for sure, interrupting marriages to save someone from making a mistake. Sophie and Max have some much chemistry and depth. I flew right through this one!
I am torn on how I want to review this. I typically loved Tessa Bailey books. They are always entertaining and usually good on the spice. But I am feeling the same way about this one as I did about Fangirl Down, in that the spice is more cringe than anything. Also, while the book started out strong for me….I quickly started to get annoyed by the pure lust between Burgess and Tallulah. I felt like there wasn’t much to them besides their attraction to each other, which makes me sad, because there was so much potential there from their encounter in the last book and the beginning of this one. And the nanny can be so cliche, and it started out not being that way…but then also became that. But the amount of times I cringed during the sexy talk and just the overall horniness of these characters was really racking up.
Bottom Line: I am hoping that TB goes back to her past style of writing, and not so cringe as this book in the last. Or her books may no longer be for me.
Annabel Monaghan has become another must read for me. I really enjoyed this one. Ali is dealing with the grief of the passing of her mother, and then her husband leaves her. Her dog picks out a guy for her at the dog park, gush!!! Reading through Ali coming back into herself and finding her place as a single mom and navigating the dating world was fun. This is the perfect beach read this summer that goes a little deeper than a typical romcom. There were many times I LOL’d with the Banter and Ethan’s clothes. I just really liked both characters and loved to hate Ali’s ex-husband. He was such a tool.
I may be in the minority here, but this book is boring me to tears. I am 33% in and I think I am calling it. The writing style is lovely, but the story is just so boring. I can’t seem to make myself care about Laura’s past with Duke. I find it weird that her husband Joe is totally fine about hearing over and over again about her ex when they are supposed to be picking cherries. I find all three daughters a little obnoxious/annoying. And it takes place during Covid lockdowns, woof.
I usually love Ashley Poston, but this one wasn’t my favorite from her. Don’t get me wrong, it was a beautifully written story, with quite the interesting plot line. But for me, it was pretty boring and it was missing that magic that her other novels hold. It passed the time alright, but it isn’t one I will recommend over and over like her others.
Bottom Line: Beautifully written, but not my favorite from her. I would say if you are a fan of hers, lower your expectations.
Well this was an interesting, twisty book with a messed up family and an old house. There were times that I didn’t really care for any of the characters in the book….but the story of Ruby kept me checked into it. I do love some family drama. I saw a few twists coming, others I did not. I feel like overall it was lacking something that would make this book memorable for me. I tend to forget books after a month or so without that extra something….and I feel like that is going to happen with this one. I liked it better than some others of hers I have read though.
Bottom Line: Read it
**I received an ARC copy of The Heiress and am leaving a voluntary review. All opinions are my own.**
First, I really liked Weather Girl and Ex Talk. I feel like the author has some really interesting premises for her books. This one was no different, though the execution of this one wasn’t as good as the other two. I liked how realistic the characters interacted with each other throughout the book. They had really healthy communication. Though, I find it hard to believe that Finn had no clue he was lacking in bedroom skills considering he was in his 30s with several past relationships under his belt. I did relate to Chandler in that she felt stuck in her career and not sure where she wanted to go. The book had a good flow to it, and I appreciated the overall vibes for it. But…..
I am not sure why we have to constantly address a list social issues/agendas/hot topics in romcoms. I feel like every book I read lately had to hit some kind of social credit quota, and the way they are thrown around in the book that is disconnected from the rest of the story. Major eye rolls. This book hits on aging parents, ocd, anxiety, anti-semitism, bullying, abortion, and hollywood. And it’s not like any of these topics are really explored to the fullest. Though, Chandler brings up her abortion three separate times in the book….and she didn’t have a traumatic experience or any real reason she did it besides she was 19. She just has to tell Finn about it towards the end of the book but then finishes her confessions with “I don’t even think about it that much.” Girl, then why did it need to be brought up so much. This made me like her way less.
And when it came to the “education” that Chandler was dishing to Finn…..all the dirty talk that she liked? Major cringe. I felt like the chemistry between the characters started out strong and wasn’t as great throughout.
Bottom Line: Ehhhh I took some serious issues with this one, it was entertaining and I actually read the whole book…so that is saying something. I will DNF something so fast. But like, can authors stop with the random hot topics throughout their books just for touching on them? It’s getting so old. Go read Weather Girl and Ex Talk because I did like those!
So excited to dive into another CL book! I know I am always going to have a solid read with them! I always love a fake relationship/forced proximity trope, and on a private island…let’s do this! You can definitely feel the chemistry build between Anna and Liam. There are definitely plenty of laughs and spice thrown into this one. I also enjoyed the family drama, which lets face it, Liam’s family is absolutely ridiculous! Loved Anna’s dad! Just the perfect beach read this summer.
The queen of beach reads brings us the final book. I have mixed emotions about this one. I love diving into EH’s Nantucket world and I am not sure what I wanted for her last book? I am not sure this was it? There was so much going on, so many side stories, so many characters. I am glad that the book was based around Ed retiring. I loved seeing so many of our beloved characters. Though, I was annoyed with Ed’s daughter. She was quite childish and annoying throughout the whole book. Sometimes it was hard to follow because of all the side stories. And it didn’t have some monumental ending like a true Swan Song should give. It was still entertaining though, and I still enjoyed it. But it wasn’t my favorite, and I am sad it wasn’t.
Absolutely loved this one! Noelle’s grandmother died, and she has been having a hard time moving on. She posts a video after she found a picture and letter from a man that isn’t her grandmother. Turns out, she knows the person who responds with the answers. And they were high school nemesis. They embark on a journey to learn the what happened in the past and connect along the way. Such a fun plot. I loved Theo and his grandfather. I loved reading the letters and learning about a love lost. The travel was fun and getting to see Noelle overcome her depression. But the lying really bothered me throughout the book. Lying/not disclosing certain things was a common theme and I could have done without all of that. Either way, it was still a great read and my favorite out of this bunch.
I enjoyed this one, but not as much as her other books. She gives a warning at the beginning that it is different than her others, less rom-com and more intense. I liked the storyline and was pulling for Eli and Rue…and I can’t really put my finger on what I disliked? But I wasn’t as into it as other books I have read lately, or as much as other Hazelwood books. At times I was more interested in the side plot between what was going on between the companies over the romance part. And I felt like we could have used more back story on it all seeing as how it made up a big part of the book. It was almost like we were thrown in the middle of the deal. I liked Rue’s best friend, and Eli’s partners. It was a little weird how many times Eli brought up his ex-fiancé.
Bottom Line: If you enjoy women in STEM, this could be for you.
I absolutely loved this book. It was funny, sweet, heartbreaking, all the feelings. It was also spicier than I thought it was going to be. It reminded me a lot of an Emily Henry book, which is one of my favorites. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the trauma bonding, I can only imagine the difficult layers of guilt that Helen felt feeling attracted and feelings for Grant after everything that happened in their past. But the rawness of it all was felt throughout the book, and really connected me to the characters. I just really enjoyed this one.
This is a third book in a series of heroes, and I did not read the first two. I don’t think you have to, to understand what is going on in this book or enjoy it. Though, I looked up the previous ones and all the characters are in this book….so it would be fun to know their back stories. With all that said, this was an interesting plot. Rose moves to Sleepy Hollow from the city and opens up her own little art studio. She was attacked one night and Ian, a man she had just had one date with, is there as a fire fighter. Ian didn’t really want a relationship after his divorce, but he cant help but be drawn to Rose and want to help her. There were a few twists in turns in the book as we try to figure out why Rose was attacked…and that part of the book was interesting. But unfortunately, I never really felt chemistry between Ian and Rose. Perhaps if the book would have started with their first date before the attack, I would have had more of a connection to the relationship? But since we jump into the attack and then watch as Ian struggles with if he wants to try something with her….there wasn’t as much spark there. Either way, it was an interesting book.
**I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.**
The cover of this book is so pretty. So so pretty. And very deceptive, because the writing is awful. I got to about 33% in and calling it. I’m so bored. The characters all have forced small talk, zero chemistry…I don’t mean for this to come out so mean. I commend anyone who writes a book and has it published. This just wasn’t it for me.
**I received a copy of Malibu Summer from Netgalley. I am writingthis review volunatarily.**
