The Way We Fall by Cassia Leo

The Way We Fall by Cassia Leo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a very quick read. I started it one night and finished it on audio the next day. Triggers for suicide, mental health, cheating, sexual abuse/perpetrator, mental health, fake pregnancy, abortion, and more.
This is told in two parts. Part one is really setting up everything that is happening and getting to know both Houston and Rory. We get back and forth chapters from their perspectives from both the now and then. I wanted a little more with their chemistry. The past included mostly fighting and grief. It makes sense as you read, but I still wanted to see the angst more between the two both before and after.

I did not like the storyline involving the wife of Houston. She was manipulating him on many levels including around what happened with his sister.

I also did not love the reveal of the letter and all it laid out around Hallie. I just did not like that twist.

I did like how everything wrapped up on this one though and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.


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The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have been putting this one off due to all the hype. I love the cover and it sounded like something I would love, so I knew I would eventually give in and give it a go. Sadly, I just do not get the hype on this one.
I really liked the start of this one with the fake dating. However; this went on too long and everything was so slow. Nothing was happening. I found myself wondering what I was missing compared to everyone else who was loving it so much.

Sadly, this one was just not for me. I skimmed some sections just to finally have something happen and grab my attention again.


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God Bless This Mess: Learning to Live and Love Through Life's Best (and Worst) Moments by Hannah Brown

God Bless This Mess: Learning to Live and Love Through Life's Best (and Worst) Moments by Hannah Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is not going to be for everyone, but I am a huge fan of Hannah Brown so I was excited to read this. I also like that she is the narrator for the audiobook.

I liked learning a little more about her when she was younger. The stories around her family were heartbreaking. I did not know some of what happened to her Aunt and cousins when she was little.

I really have not watched the Bachelor series the last few years, but I liked hearing a little behind the scenes from her seasons. Yes, there was some fun stories and some “tea”, but do not expect the whole book to be around this. It is around Hannah herself and this was one stepping stone in her journey. It is not the main focus of the book. I found almost everything talked about was used was talked about for the pre-lease of the book.

Hannah has always been open around her faith, and she does talk a lot around that throughout the book. I appreciated that she stayed true to herself and left all of that in.

Some of the body image issues, acne, and other stuff has been talked about on her YouTube channel. Other stuff was new. I enjoyed the balance of both for those of us who already follow her on social media.

I was surprised that she did not talk about Adam at all. I am not sure if she wrote this prior to their relationship, but I would have liked to hear a little more around that.

Overall, I enjoyed this for what it is.


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Unguarded by Scottie Pippen

Unguarded by Scottie Pippen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

I have always been a fan of the Bulls, especially Pippen and Jordan. If you were worried about reading this based on the pre-release press, I recommend still giving it a try. There is a lot of context around what came out for the release of this book. It was not as it was made out to be.
I did like leaning a little more around Scottie and his family. I did not know all of the information around his childhood. I would have liked more of this than recapping his stats.

Scottie talked more around his stats and previous games. Talking about previous games was fine, but he did not add anything into these conversations that many would not already know. I would have liked a little more around himself. There were some tidbits thrown in that I was not aware of though and I enjoyed those parts.

There is a lot of talk around previous players and teammates. I am happy that I know who all these players were/are as it made it more interesting to read.

I was expecting much more bashing around Michael Jordan. However; most of his stories actually contradicted many of his negative statements around Jordan that you may have seen in the media. It was a little confusing and again, I think, a way to gain interest in reading his story for the release. As the stories continued, the more he talked positively around MJ, his relationship with him, and what he did for the game. He maintained that they were not super close, but had a friendship. It was just not as others perceived or as strong as others thought it would be.

Overall, I enjoyed this for what it was and the nostalgia that it brought around my favorite time in the NBA. It was much more game by game recapping than anything though. If you are a fan of Scottie Pippen or the 90’s Bulls, I think you will like it. It is not the drama that it appeared it was going to be and I was happy about that.


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The Wrong Heart by Jennifer Hartmann

The Wrong Heart by Jennifer Hartmann
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Triggers for child abuse, trauma, death, and suicide.

This story is very emotional right from the very first chapter. I found myself crying several times during the first half. I really loved the start to this one. However; the middle dragged a little for me. It was a little too long with too much back and forth of the same things happening.

I also did not love how inconsistent Melody was with Parker. I understand she was also dealing with grief and the guilt from moving on, but she would be devasted for taking a step with Parker and then get upset with him when he would back off based on her own actions.

There were some tropes thrown in that were almost skimmed over such as the miscarriage. It was never spoke about again and was actually a very emotional scene in the story.

Overall, I did enjoy this one but did not love it as much as I was hoping based on it being such an emotional read (they are my favorite). I do want to check out more from the author though.


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My Wife Is Missing by D.J. Palmer

My Wife Is Missing by D.J. Palmer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I am actually a huge fand of D.J. Palmer and was excited to read this one.

When this one first started, my heart was pounding so fast when Michael returned to the hotel. I was flying through the beginning of this story. This did eventually slow down though and started to take a few twists and turns that I just did not connect with. This was also set up three different narratives: current Michael and Natalie and also Natalie before she disappeared. I just found some sections very drawn out. I was skimming some of the dialogues at times as I did want to know how everything would unfold.

I was just not a fan of everything that happened with this one and the directions it took. It was still a fun read, just not my favorite.


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After She Falls by Carmen Schober

After She Falls by Carmen Schober
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I love a good Christian romance and this one does deal with some much harder topics such as domestic violence. It does have a little more region aspects thrown in compared to some I have read in the past. Based on the description and the cover, I knew I needed to give this one a try.

This story had a little bit of everything: romance, abuse, family, and more. It kept my attention throughout, but I just kept wanting more. This is one that I really did enjoy but it just did not blow me away like I kept hoping it would.


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The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was expecting a lot more out of this one. I did enjoy it, but just not as much as the first two books in the series.

First off, this read much more women’s fiction with some steamy scenes thrown in. I never really connected with the romance between Anna and Quan. There were very limited scenes around their connection and most of the scenes revolved around sex. I just wanted to see more with their relationship.
This was more around Anna and her story about finding her own self and her own voice. Yes, this was sad as she is taking care of a sick father. I went through a similar situation of watching my own father pass away with Hospice in place when I was younger so I really did connect with these parts of the story. I was expecting this to be more emotional than it was though even though these situations normally tear me apart. I think we moved on from it all too fast.

I just did not love this. It just needed more for me.

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The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a really quick read. I thought there was going to be a little more around the actual Bromance Book Club as their major role was only in the beginning and lightly thrown in throughout. I also could have gone without the added chapters/excerpts of the romance novels. I could have used more around the actual characters and summaries of what they were reading.

I did like how our couple was married and were trying to reconnect on their love. However; you really do not get a sense of what brought the two together in the first place. They have toddlers as well and it was like they have never had a conversation up to that point. I was also not a huge fan of the ending. Otherwise, this was a fun read and I can see myself finishing the series in the future.


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Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I have been a Colleen Hoover fan for years and read everything she writes. I already have this pre-ordered and was excited to jump into the E-book.

This is a romance within a romance within a romance. You are really getting multiple levels of different stories: a former love, a current love, and a mother/daughter/grandparent/child love. The story is really heavy on the relationship between Kenna and her daughter. The romance between her and Ledger does take a back seat to this for most of the story. I really enjoyed it as they built their relationship and we got to know more about them and their relationship apart from Scotty and Diem. There was a nice balance of both.

There were some twists thrown in and different level emotions throughout. I found myself tearing up the first time Ledger let Kenna in to know more around Diem. I also loved the letters Kenna was writing to Scotty. The more I read, the more I wanted to know how everything was going to come to a head and unfold.

This is a very emotional read and I ended up crying the last hour or so of the book. This is such an amazing story around forgiveness: forgiveness to yourself and to others. Colleen Hoover never seems to fail me and this was no exception. I loved it.


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The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you love True Crime podcasts, I highly recommend the audiobook on this one. You actually get to listen to part of a “podcast” during the story.

This does deal heavily around the topic of rape. We are following two different stories; one current case and one previous case. Both are dealing with rape and you do go through the trial and evidence around the rapes. I do not recommend this book if you do not like or cannot read about these tougher topics.

This story will make you mad! It really looks into how much rape victims are blamed for what happened, and also how others will try to spin it on the victim. There were times my heart was pounding so hard from being so pissed off around the cases. I am used to things like this based on my field of work, but I still cried during the trial. I also cheered when they called SPOILER to the stand!

Overall, I loved this and want to read more from this author.


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Forever Golden by Rachel Jonas

Forever Golden by Rachel Jonas
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Book three is much more a romantic suspense than the others. Everything is starting to unfold, but sadly this one just did not work for me.

I still love West and Blue together and seeing how far they have come. I thought book three was going to be action packed on how it all started. However; there was too much filler. When you thought you would be starting a huge climax of events, the story almost sidelined. There was too much around other characters and almost like a mini novella around Scarlett. It all just did not work for me and I was losing interest even with it being the final book.


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Never His Girl by Rachel Jonas

Never His Girl by Rachel Jonas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am not a fan of high school romances or bully romances, but I have heard so many things about this series and wanted to give it a try. I loved book one and had to immediately jump into book three.

I just love West, especially when West showed his softer side. We get much more between West and Blue this book. There is still a mystery going on but we do start getting answers around some of the aspects in the story.

This one did move a little slower than book one, but I still enjoyed it. On to book three!


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Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant

Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant


I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

This had everything that I normally love in a story including cooking and romance. I really loved the beginning and how the characters are meeting through a dating website and through chat. However; for some reason I just had a hard time getting into this one. I found myself putting it down and having a hard time picking it back up. It could be timing since I am a mood reader, but I just wanted and needed more. I ended up skimming the end on this one but may revisit it again in the future.

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The Golden Boys by Rachel Jonas

The Golden Boys by Rachel Jonas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am not a fan of high school romances or bully romances, but I have heard so many things about this series and wanted to give it a try. At first I was pretty annoyed and was not sure this was going to be for me. However; I kept reading and I am glad I did. I really enjoyed this one. If this is not normally your thing, I still encourage you to give it a try.

Yes, West was a jerk. But, I loved the tension between West and Blue. I was waiting for the minute for Blue to find out why West had it out for her so we could move past that. I loved their interactions, especially when West showed his softer side and vulnerability. The bully parts were more so others acting out for West than West himself.

Blue and her family life really brought a lot to the story as well as it was something that really brought the emotions.

Overall, I really liked this and need book two ASAP.


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The Lighthouse by Christopher Parker

The Lighthouse by Christopher Parker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I am a little torn on this one. There were some things I was loving about it and others that I just could not get into. I really like how the stories interconnected. It was a little slow at times, but all came together in the end.
I did not realize this was going have some magical realism. I am not normally a huge fan of this within a story, but again it all worked as the story continued to progress. This did have a little bit of everything with romance, grief, loss, and mystery.

Overall, this was good.


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Flock by Kate Stewart

Flock by Kate Stewart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So I gave in and started The Ravenhood series. This was good and I did enjoy it. I do not feel like we really got to know the characters as well as I would have liked too. I think I would have bought into the relationships a little more if we got to see a little more development. I feel it was instant for both Sean and Dominic. It does add up to why it was instant when you get to the end, but I wanted more to show why they have the emotions that they do.

I was confused with the big conflict that happened in the garage. I am hoping there is more around this in the next books. Some of the conflict is revealed in a very surface level at the end. This also leads with a cliff hanger.

The story itself was ok. It did not blow me away by any means. It did leave me wanting to know what happens next with the ending. I will continue on when I can get my hands on the second and third audiobook, but it was not something that made me want to scream and jump to book two.
I am glad I gave it a shot though and will finish the series eventually.


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Since You've Been Gone by Tari Faris

Since You've Been Gone by Tari Faris


I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I did read book one in the series, but it was so long ago. I was not able to read book two. This can be read as a standalone, but right from the start I felt like I was missing something. Maybe reading the whole series from the start would have helped with this feeling.

I had a hard time getting into this one for some reason. It may have been that I felt disconnected to the story and did feel like I was missing some pieces. I am not sure, but I found myself putting it down. Sadly, I just could never get back into this one. I may pick up book one and two and try again.


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Curvy Girls Can't Date Quarterbacks by Kelsie Stelting

Curvy Girls Can't Date Quarterbacks by Kelsie Stelting


DNF

I have always struggled with my weight and also have PCOS, so I was very excited to check this out. I was hoping it was not going to be focused on stereotypes around fat people. I was not impressed how it started with Beckett being teased. Not all fat kids are picked on and outcasts in school (I was not) and I am over it being a thing in any and every story you hear from/about overweight teens.

I was hoping for an amazing romance without all of that. Sadly, it was not getting any better and I just could not finish.


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The Wish by Nicholas Sparks

The Wish by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I love Nicholas Sparks but the last few releases just have missed the mark for me. When this one started I was hopeful it was going to be that heart breaking love story that I used to love about his work. This was closer to what I wanted, but I am still waiting for an epic romance from him.

This is more womens fiction than romance. It does involve a love story, but I do not consider it romance. This also deals with a very heavy topic as the main character is dying from cancer. I was expecting my heart to break. It was very sad as we see Maggie getting worse and worse but it did not bring that heart wrenching ache that I wanted and needed.

This was pretty predictable and I figured out the twist as soon as the first flashback story was told. I did not see how it unfolded and did tear up at this moment.

The story was just so slow. Not much happened at all and it just dragged on at times. We are following Maggie when she was younger as well as when she is older. Her story was very sweet. I just wanted more.

The audiobook was pretty good. The narrator did make younger Maggie sound much younger than she was at times.

Overall, this was better than the last few but still not what I want and expect from NS.


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Dynasty by Sheridan Anne

Dynasty by Sheridan Anne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have been wanting to read something from Sheridan Anne for a while now as several of her series have been on my wish list. I was so excited to jump into The Boys of Winter series as I have heard so many amazing things. I was not disappointed.

This is unlike anything I have ever read before. It is not going to be for the weak of heart. If you also do not love multiple love interests, this will not be for you.

Winter is 17 and in Foster Care. I am pretty critical when a story involves foster care since I have worked within the field for the last fifteen years. I hated that she has shitty foster parents, but I also understand it is needed as part of the story. It was something that pulled me in right from the beginning regardless.

I flew through this and listened to the audiobook in one sitting. I just could not stop listening. I am not a huge fan of Secret Society reads, but this one just had so much going on that it made you want to keep listening.

I was not expecting some of the turns this took and it took a lot of different dark turns. I think I would have bumped this up even more if this was not high school students. Some of their actions just did not match anything close to their ages. I almost forgot at times that they were all still in HS.

Are we supposed to have a favorite? Winter does not have a favorite? Ok, if I had to choose I am team Carver. I do see this sadly going in a very bad direction and the guys turning on each other later in the series. I do not see what is going on being long term.

This does leave in a cliff hanger and will leaving you wanting book two. Overall, I really liked it.


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The Legacy by Elle Kennedy

The Legacy by Elle Kennedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was a little worried about jumping into this as I just love all of these characters so much. I am not one to re-read and since it has been so long since I read this series, I did go through and try to make notes and remind myself of each character.

Some parts were better than others. I really liked how we get to see that all of the players are still friends after all this time.

Logan and Grace were just ok. I was not impressed right off the bat with them being the start of the book. I do not really think it brought much to their story. I also do not love how they keep the secret from all of their friends.

I enjoyed Dean and Allie a little more. I found myself grinning like I did when first learning about these characters. Allie is just as stubborn as always, but I love how they do not give up on each other. I still love Dean!

Tucker and Sabrina was again just ok. Again, it did not do much for me and I found myself drifting when reading.

I have seen several reviews around Hannah and Garrett, but I liked it

I also did not care about the doll at all.

Overall, I enjoyed this for what it is. If it was following different characters I would probably give it a lower star rating. However; I enjoyed it and still loved jumping into this crazy fun world


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Till It Hurts by Cora Brent

Till It Hurts by Cora Brent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

Triggers for mental health, addiction, pregnancy, loss, death, and more. This is a friends to lovers, back to enemy to lovers story. I enjoyed the reconnection between Jace and Tori.

I really loved the first half of this story. I am not usually a fan of dual timelines, but the author just did it right with this one. I found it to all connect the story. I really wanted to find out what happened with the trio and this kept me reading.

This does deal with addiction, but in way that is more around PTSD. I would have liked to see a little more around this as I feel it could have been more used to bring out a little more emotion in the story.

I also wanted a little more around Colt and his return. I did tear up when he and Jace finally meet up again in the future and we get to see how much Colt has grown.

I feel like certain aspects had the perfect amount of detail and others could have used more. Overall, I really enjoyed this though and plan to check out more from this author.


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Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves

Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I do not really know how to explain this story. It is definitely more women’s fiction than romance. The story jumps back and forth between the past relationships and the current day. We really get to see more around the past for both Layla and Josh as the story is follows more so around their previous relationships/lives. There are very limited scenes involving the two together. There was little romance for me personally. It was more of a story around finding yourself and picking up the pieces after divorce.

This was not what I was expecting at all. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters though. Overall, a decent read.


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Stay With Me by Nicole Fiorina

Stay With Me by Nicole Fiorina
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am a little torn on my rating for this one. When it first started, I was devouring it. It was so different than I was expecting and I loved how our characters were all older.

This does deal with some very intense topics including mental health, rape, and sexual abuse. Most of the characters are dealing with trauma and it does come out as you read. I really liked the vulnerable parts when we would learn more around each person. However; we really did not get much except around Mia and Ollie.

This really slowed down for me though. I found the games between the friends to be repetitive and dragging the story. Everyone is at Dolor for something and I would have liked to see a little more of that represented. There was not enough happening in the middle to keep my interest and I found myself skimming as I did still want to find out what happens.

This really does pick up towards the end though. We have some twists thrown in that I did not see coming.

Overall, this was ok but I was expecting much more. I was expecting it to be very emotional and even though it does deal with dark topics, it did not grab on to my heart strings like I wanted it too. I would continue on with the series if it ever came to audio, but not sure I would pick up the rest for physical reads.


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When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting

When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

This may be my favorite Helena Hunting so far! I could not put this one down and I highly recommend the audiobook. I ended up reading this one in one day.

The first half of this was a five star read for me. This had my heart pounding as certain moments as it does deal with some more serious issues especially based on the families past. The audiobook just brought the right intensity to these parts and I found myself in tears waiting to see what would happen.

Once everything happens though, it does slow down. It did get repetitive at times and started to drag a little towards the middle. I needed more to happen after such an amazing start.

I loved how Avery had a group of guy friends as it just reminded me of me.

If you love friends to lovers, I would say give it a try.

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Greek by Kandi Steiner

Greek by Kandi Steiner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

I am a huge Palm South fan and am so sad to say goodbye to these characters. I love them all and could follow their lives forever. I really need more of Bear and Erin!

I could easily see this being a TV series as it just has a little bit of everything. The finale was everything I needed it to be. Yes, there were some moments where I was like “why is this happening”, but it all came together in the end.

There were so many fitting moments that just made me cry knowing that this was it. Overall, a really nice ending and a story I will never forget.


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It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ok, so this one is so hyped so I was a little hesitant to pick it up. However; I enjoyed it. The romance was super cute and I loved the Captain! It was different on that aspect, but otherwise it did not really have anything that set it apart from others. Do not get me wrong, I still enjoyed it and am giving it four stars as it was still a really fun read.

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Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai

Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wish this had a prologue to explain Katrina and her past. The story was a little confusing and I never connected with why she needed so much security. I would have liked to have known much more around this as it would have made the story flow a little better. I know we get pieces throughout, but it just did not all work for me.

The story was very slow moving. I found myself drifting a little during the audiobook as not much was happening. The romance was very immature as well with just lusting and gradual bumping into one another. I did like the idea of the romance including Jas’ being a bodyguard.

Sadly, this one just fell flat for me.

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The Pass by Rebecca Jenshak

The Pass by Rebecca Jenshak
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am a huge Smart Jocks fan and I think I gave every book in the series so far five stars. I have been so excited for this one and it took me too long to actually pick it up. I was excited to jump into this world and these characters again.

The series as a whole can be read as standalones. However; I feel this one was very disconnected from the others. It read a little more youthful than the others. At times I found the behaviors and situations very immature. It all just fell flat for me.

Sadly, I did not love this one. However; this is still one of my favorite series that I will recommend to everyone.


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Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

Thank you to LiboFM for the audiobook version.

I have heard so many mixed reviews on this one, but I am sad I put off reading it for so long.
I loved this! This is a story around a family and their lives. I loved both the before story and the current story following the characters.

This did follow a few different characters that I did not find necessary and the ending was not what I was expecting. However; I enjoyed this one for what it was.


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First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel

First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

Triggers for mental health, pregnancy loss, and racism.

I was a little lost at first with this one. So many things are brought up like we should know about it. Characters, relationships, and incidents were thrown at you when you had no clue what they were talking about. It has been a while since I read the first book in this series, but I do not remember any of this being in that book either.

I loved the first reunion between Preeti and Daniel. I love the situation they find themselves in as they are reunited after six years. It is very clear how both of them still love each other. I love their banter and how Daniel is always there for Preeti.

This does have a lot to do with cultural expectations when it comes to dating within your same race and dating in general. I love how Preeti stands up for herself, her family, and Daniel in the end.

This was a little slow moving. I did find myself cheering for Preeti and Daniel to be together. I do feel the romance was not the forefront of this story though. I wanted more with them as I really loved the two of them.

Overall, I was a little disappointed with this one. When it started I thought it was going to be a solid 4/5 stars, but as the story continued it dragged just a little too much. I wanted more romance.

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The Stopover by T.L. Swan

The Stopover by T.L. Swan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have been recommended this one so many times. It is on KU and also has the audiobook, so I decided to start the series. I had fun with this one.

I really enjoyed this one. Yes, the characters were immature at times but I still enjoyed it. I really loved Tristan, so I am excited to see book two will follow his story. That alone wants me to keep going in the series.


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Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I was very excited for this one and was excited when it showed up at my door. I saw mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it.

This is told in two parts. I found myself smiling through most of part one. I was enjoying the funny banter between Reena and Nadim. I enjoyed how they meet and how everything unfolds within their relationship.

Mental health was thrown in with very limited detail. It really did not fit in with the story and I do not think it was needed. There was also an eating disorder discussed, but again it was a very brief conversation. These were just the heavy topics that were thrown in and where not needed. They did not match the tone of the overall story.

I also did not love how paranoid Reena was based off a picture. We did not really get the information around the picture or why it was so off putting until later.

I also enjoyed all of the cultural information which also focused a lot around food. It is a nice touch for some recipes to be added at the end of the book as well. This book will make you want some fresh bread!

Overall, I still really enjoyed this light hearted romance.


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The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan

The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have had this one for several years and had the intention to read it so many times. It is now on audio, so of course, it was time to finally jump in.

This started off a little slow. I was almost going to DNF, but saw some of my favorite reviewers mention it being slow but that they ended up loving it. I pushed through and I am very happy I did. I ended up really loving it too.

This started off very insta-attraction. I really started to love this once Drew and Anna really started to connect with each other. I could not put this down after the initial 100 or so pages.

I really hope the author puts the rest of the series on audio as well!



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Little Universes by Heather Demetrios

Little Universes by Heather Demetrios
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

This was a very emotional read. If you listen to the audio, there are some very sobering parts. The narrator did a great job of matching the tone of the story.

This is not going to be a read for the light of heart. It is a story around loss, grief, and picking up the pieces. Triggers for loss, addiction, abortions, and mental health including suicide (and more). It touches on Foster Care/adoption as well. It is a great story to see how addiction effects the whole family.

This was a little too long. I think I would have bumped it up a star if some of the fluff was cut out. Some parts moved very slowly and focused too much on space and science stuff. I found myself skimming through May’s sections.

Overall, a heavy read that was pretty good.


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Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

I am so sad it is over! I thought there was one more book, but book four is following Kaiden and his POV.


Book three may be my favorite so far which is not surprising since it has the most romance in the series. If you have a younger child reading this, this one does have a sex scenes and more sex talk than the others.
I also loved the build up of the relationships and also the anticipation of the upcoming fight. I had adrenaline at times waiting to see what was going to happen.

The big moment arrived and it was very anti-climactic. I wanted and needed more. There was a very emotional scene right before everything happened, but after that it was pretty underwhelming. This was the only part of the book that I just did not love.

Again, like the others, I love all of the characters. We get even more romance in this one as every couple pretty much is paired up.

Overall, this book had me swoon, laugh, and cry. I really enjoyed this series much more than I was expecting. I even found myself talking to my husband around what was going on with this one!

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Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

I have heard mixed reviews on this series and have put off reading it for so long. I have all of the books though and decided to give it a go. I went into this with very low expectations, but ended up enjoying it more than I was expecting.
Book two was a little slow in the beginning and picked up towards the end. There is a lot of build up in this book around the story as an “army” is being formed.

I really love when all of the characters are together. They have a fun dynamic. The reason I really enjoyed this so far, is the relationship between Anna and Kaiden. I am so glad we get to see a little more between the two this time.

Overall, I did enjoy this more than I was expecting and plan to continue the series.


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Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

I have heard mixed reviews on this series and have put off reading it for so long. I have all of the books though and decided to give it a go. I went into this with very low expectations, but ended up enjoying it more than I was expecting.
This started off pretty strong. I was actually flying through it. It did slow down towards the middle/end and was longer than it needed to be. However; I did enjoy it. Yes, this does deal with younger teens “working” around the sins of the world. Triggers for drug use and underage partying and sex. I can see why others do not like this as it does talk about forcing younger kids to have sex and touches on kids in sex slavery. I knew some of this going in though.

The reason I really enjoyed this so far, is the relationship between Anna and Kaiden. Their romance was much needed within the story and I actually wanted more. We only get limited scenes with them and it really stops once you hit the half way point.

Overall, I did enjoy this more than I was expecting and plan to continue the series.


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The End of Her by Shari Lapena

The End of Her by Shari Lapena
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5
I love Shari Lapena and somehow missed when this one came out. I picked it up on audio and finished this in one day.

The pacing was pretty good. There were times in the beginning where my heart was racing to find out what would happen next. It did slow down a little and I do feel the ending was a little rushed.

I liked this one, but I did not love how everything unfolded at the end. I just wanted a little more. I was able to predict some of the twists and did not see some of the others. I needed more though.



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On Hart’s Boardwalk by Samantha Young

On Hart’s Boardwalk by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is following my favorite couple from the book series. When it started, I thought I would hate this since it was showing trouble in paradise. However; I am glad I kept reading.

I just love Nate and Liv. I loved getting to see more of their story. After reading, I can appreciate that they had struggles as marriage is not going to be all highs. This shows how even a great love can have lows, but how important it is to work through those times.

Of course, I wanted more in the end since I love them so much. And with that…I have officially ended the series.


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Moonlight on Nightingale Way by Samantha Young

Moonlight on Nightingale Way by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the sixth book in the series. I highly recommend starting from book one as there are so many characters involved. You may be confused if you are not familiar with many of them already. Plus, the series is great so far and I recommend starting from book one anyway.

All of the books really have family involved, but this one took it to a different level. I was expecting something with custody to happen towards the end, but was also happy when it did not.
This one was a little slower at times. I still enjoyed it though.

I cannot believe it is over! I still have two novellas, but will be sad when it is done.


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Echoes of Scotland Street by Samantha Young

Echoes of Scotland Street by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

This is the fifth book in the series. I highly recommend starting from book one as there are so many characters involved. You may be confused if you are not familiar with many of them already. Plus, the series is great so far and I recommend starting from book one anyway.

This one is following Cole. It really follows a new generation as Cole and Hannah were both young children in the previous books. I really enjoyed this one but for some reason I also felt it was very similar to others just with different situations thrown in. It may be due to binge reading the series and needing to take a break and coming back to the next few books. I still enjoyed it, but I feel I should have loved this one.


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Fall from India Place by Samantha Young

Fall from India Place by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

This is the fourth book in the series. I highly recommend starting from book one as there are so many characters involved. You may be confused if you are not familiar with many of them already. Plus, the series is great so far and I recommend starting from book one anyway.

This one is following Hannah which I was not expecting. It really follows a new generation as Cole and Hannah were both young children in the previous books. For this reason, it took me a little time to adjust to both of them being old enough to be adults.

This one was still great but not my favorite. Still giving it a 3.5/4 star. On to the next!


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Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young

Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think I need to read every book from Samantha Young now. I have already picked up the rest of this series. I have only read a few of her books and have loved them all.

This is the third book in the series. I highly recommend starting from book one as there are so many characters involved. You may be confused if you are not familiar with many of them already. Plus, the series is great so far and I recommend starting from book one anyway.

This one hooked me right from the start. I loved everything about it. Nate has been my absolute favorite guy so far featured in the series. Can we just say Swoon? I just loved him!

This story really hits on self love and self image. I am plus size and I did not have any issues with how many of these issues were handled. Triggers also for cancer and loss as well so be mindful of that. This really deals with many different levels of loss as many of the characters are working on moving on and coming to terms with what the previous loss means now in their lives.

This one has been my favorite so far. I loved all of the emotions! On to the next!


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The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides


DNF

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I was not initially pulled into this one by the cover, but I had heard some amazing reviews on it so I wanted to give it a try.
This one started off pretty strong. It really throws the mystery at you right away which I liked. However; this just took a turn that lost my interest. After the initial scene at the college, nothing happened. It was not too much talking and too much around mythical creatures and Gods. It was just not my thing and I found myself zoning out when reading. I decided to just DNF this one.



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Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5/3 Stars
Shari Lapena is one of my favorite authors and a must buy from me. I was so excited to jump into this one and started it the day it came in the mail.

This starts off introducing so many characters. Different sections are told from a different character; however, once sorting out the characters it was pretty easy to follow. There were some twists and turns along the way to keep pushing through, but overall this one was just lacking. Everything was so nonchalant: around the murders, the twists, the evidence. There was no emotion around anything it was all just very stoic for me.

The ending was a little rushed and the twist was not a very large twist at all. I wanted and needed more all around on this one. So yes, I was a little disappointed as I expected more from one of my favorites. I know they can not all be amazing winners though and this one just fell flat.


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How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton

How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I really wanted to love this one, but it just fell a little flat for me. I just never found myself getting lost in the story or the romance. Everything was moving a little too slow. There were also parts that were too detailed that did not bring anything to the story.

I just wanted more. I needed more chemistry between Kate and Drake. I found myself putting this one down and forcing myself to push through it.

Sadly, this one was just not for me.


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We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

When this first started you learn about way too many characters a little too fast. It is well worth sorting everyone out and pushing through though.

This had a little bit of everything: family tragedy; current mystery; romance. I loved the pacing and never found myself bored with the storyline. There were so many side stories and I enjoyed each and wanted more about them all: romance, the bar, history around the family, and etc.

This is one of those reads where you will not want to put it down. I only did a few times and every time I stopped reading, I was thinking about these characters and their story. I ended up finishing this one is one day for that reason.

Overall, I really loved this one.


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On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think I need to read every book from Samantha Young now. I have already picked up the rest of this series. I have only read a few of her books and have loved them all.

This one hooked me right from the start. I loved everything about it. I am excited that there are so many more books as I cannot get enough of these characters. I love Joce and her backstory. It really brings the emotional moments that I love in romances. I actually really liked Braden as well. Yes, he could be a jerk sometimes, but I loved the tension between the two.

Can we also talk about Adam and Ellie? I need more! I hope some of the other books will include their story or follow their love story.

I loved this and cannot wait to finish this series.


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