The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

I picked this up a few days ago and immediately put it back down. I was not sure if I was going to finish it, but I am glad I did.

There were some things I loved about this and some I hated. I loved the banter and build up over the relationship. I hated hearing “big guy” over and over again. It was annoying me soooo bad.

When they say slow burn, they mean it. You only get the couple actually together around 90% into the story.

Overall, super cute read but way too long for what it was.

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My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I went into this blind without really knowing what this was even about. This is not going to end up being for everyone, but it is an important read. It is a powerful story around the impact and hold a predator can have on his victim.

The author grabs your attention and does not let you go. This was almost 400 pages and I still read it in less than a day. The story is between a young girl and her teacher. You really get to see how he grooms her and manipulates her on so many different levels. Your heart will break when hearing how she was feeling in certain moments but then questioning why she would feel negatively around something "she was allowing."

Very powerful story. I loved it.

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Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet

Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet


I was sent a copy of this book from a publisher/publicity team/giveaway. 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 sounded super cute, but I just had a hard time getting into it. I had the physical copy and I also found the audio at my library, so I tried that as well. This one was just not for me. I picked it up several times and just never went back to it.

Overall, this was a Did not Finish for me.

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The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy

The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Off-Campus and Briar U series are some of my absolute favorites! When I heard about this new series, I was so excited!!!

First off, I loved hearing about some of the old cast members. You hear the names of all of the old guys, but this is not about them. Do not expect much more than that. I was not mad at all around this part though. It was fun just trying to remember everything from the older books/characters.

My issue was this was just too long. I found myself bored most of the time. I felt Gigi was so immature around her previous relationship and hiding it from him for so long. It ended up not even being as big of a deal as you are lead it to be. I also did not love the ending. It felt rushed and came out of nowhere. It also did not bring anything to the story for me. I just did not feel the characters were at that level yet. I know there are some time jumps towards the end, and maybe if that was flushed out a little more, the ending would be more believable.

Overall, this one was just ok but I expected more joining two perfect worlds together.

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When Ashes Fall by Marni Mann

When Ashes Fall by Marni Mann
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is my first Marni Mann read! She is an author that has been on my TBR for years. I also did not know where to start, but I saw so many recommendations for this series so I was excited to see what it was about. I went in blind.

Triggers for mental health, loss, mass trauma, and substance abuse.

I really liked this. I do feel some tropes were thrown in and they were just not needed. The substance abuse with the characters Mom was not flushed out and just thrown in. I thought it was going to set up for another emotional moment and it went nowhere. I do not think it was needed.

I just wanted more. It was sad, but not cry my eyes out sad since you knew what was happening for the most part.

We get a lot more around the past relationship and I wanted more around the current.

Overall, this was a good read but I was expecting a little more.

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The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was and still am a Britney fan. I went into this not knowing if this was really Britney telling her story or someone else for a money grab. I think it was a mixture of both.

Britney does not narrate the audiobook. I know most people do when they have a memoir. She does start off the book saying it was traumatic for her and does read a page or two. Then it moves on to someone else. I do wish we heard the whole story from her though, but the narrator did a great job bringing the emotion to her story.

Most of the information was already leaked or a promotion prior to the book being released. You do learn a little more around how Britney was feeling during some events which was nice. I think she does a good job trying to describe the grief and heartache she was facing with all the custody issues with her boys. It makes your heart break even more for her. Even though we have seen documentaries, this will still also make you mad around the paparazzi and the lengths they will go to for a moment/picture.

The conservatorship parts were heartbreaking. Britney was in a cage. It is all so disgusting what they did to her. This is where we learn more than we previously knew. These parts made me want to cry.

Overall, I think she did a great job bringing her feelings into everything about her life. Looking back, I think we all forget how young Britney was when all this happened and continues to happen. Was this the most mind blowing read? No! But I am glad that I read it and glad she is being able to tell her OWN story.

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The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

I went into this with little expectations as I am not much a young adult reader or a fantasy reader. I have also heard so many great things, and this one lived up to the hype.

I think that two things really kept my interest: the world and the romance. The world was easy to understand which is great for non-fantasy readers. I also loved the brewing romance.

I have seen people talk about the ending, but the way my jaw hit the floor! I did not see that coming. The author did a great job making sure you want to pick up book two!

Overall, I really enjoyed this one.

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The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Triggers for abuse, addiction, loss of a loved one, and more. There is not much detail around any of this, but it is mentioned and common theme in the story.

This is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but instead of long awaited candy it revolves around a new published book. Several characters are invited on House Island to play a game in which they can win the ownership of the new book. All of the characters have some past childhood/current trauma.

This was a little slow to start. It was not something I would have normally kept reading, but the stories behind the story is what kept my attention. I loved the Lucy and Christopher story so much and even cried tears of joy at one point. Their story is what had me telling my husband about this book as well which makes me want to make it a 5 star since it is one that I want to tell others about.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one.

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Inheritance by Nora Roberts

Inheritance by Nora Roberts
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent a copy of this book from a publisher/publicity team/giveaway. 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 loved the beginning of this book. I was instantly hooked, and I really liked how we started to learn about the characters before jumping into all of the paranormal stuff. I flew through parts one and two.

I loved everything about the first half. It kept moving, we were learning new things, we had the fun family ghosts, and the start of a romance. I found myself smiling when the music would start playing songs, especially towards romantic moments. Plus who does not want someone to clean up everything for you!

Sadly, part three is where this was started to lose me. Part three had way too many new characters/ghosts/past characters thrown in. I could no longer picture some of the paranormal stuff that was starting to happen.

Overall, I really loved some of this and disliked some of it. It was a little too slow and repetitive at times. I want to know what happens next though. I would have rated the first half 4/4.5 stars.


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Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh

Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I could not get into the audio with the narrators. I may grab the physical or ebook.

Update! With all the hype over this series, I had to try again. This time I did get into the story.

I was not expecting this to follow teenagers. Our main characters are 17 and 15. I guess I never realized that this is a young adult series. It does read very young adult, but also does deal with some serious issues. Triggers for bullying, mental health, family violence, injuries, and more.

The first half was too slow for me and I almost gave up. However; I knew that Shannon and her family was going to bring some heart shattering moments, so this storyline kept me going. The second half was so much more intense and so much better. We also get much more of Johnny and Shannon together.

Did this blow me away? No, but I will probably keep going in the series.

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Reign by Katharine McGee

Reign by Katharine McGee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a big fan of this series overall. I think I enjoyed this since the characters were getting older as we get to learn more and more about them. It was just a fun series and I was excited to see how it all unfolded in the end.

I had to refresh myself a little before jumping in, but everything came back to me as I continued to get back into this world. I wish things went in a different direction for some of our characters, but overall everything wrapped up nicely with this one.

Overall, a great series!

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He Should Have Told the Bees by Amanda Cox

He Should Have Told the Bees by Amanda Cox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was sent a copy of this book from a publisher/publicity team/giveaway. 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.

Even though I had the physical book on this one, I did end up picking up the audio as well which I really enjoyed. I went between the two when reading this one.

This is told through both Callie and Becketts perspectives and I liked the contrast between the two. The story was still easy to follow and had a really nice pace. I also really enjoyed some of the other characters with this one as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed the emotional aspect of this story. It was my first book from this author and now I am hooked. I want more.


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Letters from My Sister by Valerie Fraser Luesse

Letters from My Sister by Valerie Fraser Luesse
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent a copy of this book from a publisher/publicity team/giveaway. 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.

Historical fiction can be hit or miss for me. I enjoyed this story for what it was. I enjoyed the characters and the sibling relationships. There were times that I was a little bored and it dragged in some places, but I did enjoy it enough to continue on.

The romance was slow at times and I could wanted more, but that is also the romance reader in me. But I did like that this had an added mystery as well to keep everything moving.

Overall, I enjoyed this and I am interested in seeing some of the other works from this author.


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Block Shot by Kennedy Ryan

Block Shot by Kennedy Ryan


I loved Long Shot so much and was so excited to jump right into book two! Sadly, this is going to be a DNF for me.

This started off with the main character being told to blank "the fat girl." That was not my issue at all. My issue was that as soon we jump into the future, the alleged "fat girl" who was not even fat was very focused on losing weight and her health. It was all about going to the gym and being on weight watchers. Then it was revealed she was ONLY a size 10! I just could not!

This man started off liking her the way she was, and I wish even if she was not a bigger girl, they would have kept her as she was.

I was just too over it way too quickly to keep going if that was going to talked about over and over again.

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Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“I’ll play you at the five.”

Triggers for post-partum depression. Scenes with descriptive domestic violence including physical, emotional, and rape. This is not going to be for everyone, but I loved it. Be mindful the original cover does not reflect the story within besides involving basketball players.

This has been on my TBR for years! I kept pushing it off. When I saw my library had the audio on Libby, I had to snatch it up.

This started off like many sports romances and I was a little turned off with the characters meeting instantly. However; I highly recommend pushing past this as this will take a very different direction than you initially think. I was a little annoyed that Iris was putting August instantly over a boyfriend of over a year from one night of talking. I was glad they take a step back and not thrown together that night. They do not end up together quickly at all even if there is insta-love.

This story made me feel so many emotions. I was sad, I was mad, I was crying during happy moments. I love stories that can bring so many different reactions.


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The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This one really surprised me!! It is considered young adult and does follow a cast of older teens. However; the subject matter is much darker. The teens are being trained to use their skills to solve serial killer murders.

There are also references to child abuse/sexual abuse. No details but it is mentioned/inferred.

This was such a fast read and I easily finished it in one day. I am so bummed my library does not have book 2 ready for several weeks on audio. I cannot wait to continue this one!!

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Beyond the Thistles by Samantha Young

Beyond the Thistles by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh, how I have missed a Samantha Young romance! This took me a little longer to get through since I had to listen to the audio a little slower than I normally would due to the male narrator. However; he also brought the whole story even more to life.

This is a romantic suspense and it will keep you on your toes throughout. I was not expecting even more to happen towards the end. It was over the top at times, but it was still so good.

I cannot wait to see where this series will go from here! I cannot wait.

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Heartbreak Warfare by Heather M. Orgeron

Heartbreak Warfare by Heather M. Orgeron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I think you will have different emotions with this one pending if you are team Gavin or team Briggs. For me, this made me more frustrated than anything.

I will start off that I am Team Gavin and I wish that that would be where this love story would end. I wanted them to work out and work through such a difficult and tragic situation. I just felt the love and passion much more within this relationship than the one with Briggs.

Briggs and Scottie had a trauma bond kind of love. I did not love that her interest was there even before everything that happened. It was setting the story up for the romance to fall in place. But, I never bought into it. Scotties love going in for her husband did not match how quickly she waivered when laying eyes on Briggs for the first time.
I also never felt the love between them. Again, I felt more in love with her husband and her story.

I did not love how Scottie would be all "I am going to show Gavin that I love him" and the next moment she is running to stay several days with Chris.

The author did try to make Gavin the villain for taking space knowing his wife was emotionally in love with another man. This just was not the move and I did not buy into it. He came back around and still would do anything for her and his family. I wish he was not so amazing so maybe I could have routed for the other team.

This would have been a great story of love and fighting for love if it went the other way. I just could not get behind the outcome on this one.

Again, still a great read but I think it depends on who you are wanting the final story to be about. Team Gavin all the way!

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The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was so much better than I was expecting. It is told within three parts and jumps between two of the characters. This was fast paced and kept my interest the whole time. There were so many secrets to keep the movement of the story going. I did not see one of the jaw dropping moments coming. I was expecting the last twist as it was pretty easy to figure out though. It did not take away from the story since there were some twists beforehand that were not expected.

Overall, I loved this one.

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Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

I am a huge fan of Abby Jimenez and was excited for this one. I love fake dating and this one took it to another level.

This one is hard for me. It was a slow burn romance, but I never got the build up I wanted. It was more private thoughts than actually seeing the connection between the characters if that makes sense. I wanted more.

I still liked this one but just not as much as I was hoping for.

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The Twin by Natasha Preston

The Twin by Natasha Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I did not realize this was Young Adult when I picked it up, but it does read YA and follows twin sisters in high school. However; I was really pulled into the audiobook on this one. It was pretty easy to figure out what was going to happen in the end and I did not really see that as a "plot twist". I was hoping for some really big plot twist that came out of nowhere, but it was very lack luster. I was not a fan of the ending as it just ended. I literally was in bed and said out loud, "this is how it ends."

However; the story kept my interest and I enjoyed it up until the closing pages.

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Don't Let Her Stay by Nicola Sanders

Don't Let Her Stay by Nicola Sanders
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was seeing this one all over social media and was excited to jump into it.

I did not really get psychological thriller like I wanted too. Chloe brought bratty child even though she was 20/21 years old. She brought annoying and spoiled brat more than anything crazy and twisty with her behaviors. She never really did anything besides make threats and tattle.

The twist was underwhelming to me as well. I figured out the twist within the twist quickly. Sadly, this one just did not live up to the hype for me. It was good but nothing that blew me away.

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Stuff I'd Only Tell God: A Guided Journal of Courageous Honesty, Obsessive Truth-Telling, and Beautifully Ruthless Self-Discovery by Jennifer Dukes Lee

Stuff I'd Only Tell God: A Guided Journal of Courageous Honesty, Obsessive Truth-Telling, and Beautifully Ruthless Self-Discovery by Jennifer Dukes Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was sent a copy of this book from a publisher/publicity team/giveaway. 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 really gotten into journaling over the last year or so and I am always looking for new topics and prompts to challenge myself and my mind. I was excited for this one.

This has so many different questions which I love. It is broken down into many different parts: people in your life, your past, right now, your ways, honesty, and your future. There are some pages I will skip and others that have really challenged me. It has also been great for my mind to have to think about things from my past and people in my past. I have loved reflecting on some of my past memories.

I have just jumped around and have been having fun with all of the questions. I have a digital journal and I have also been using this for that. I switch between filling out the actual book and writing around a topic in my digital form.

Overall, this is great and I am loving it.



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The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis

The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Based on the cover, I was not expecting this. I have read a few Jill Shalvis and this is probably my favorite so far.

I am not a huge fan of high school bully tropes. This does follow everyone as adults but we get some journal entries from the past. I was not a huge fan of this, but it was better than some.

I loved the romance. I did want a little more of our couples though. I actually loved Kinsey and her romance so much more! I could have had a whole story around them and her medical issues could have brought some sobbing moments.

Overall, this was cute and I enjoyed it though.

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Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was super cute and I loved that I learned something new around face blindness. I had not previous heard or known anything about this.

This was a little too slow for me at times. I also wanted more romance and more of Joe and Sadie.

I figured out pretty early on what was happening within the love triangle, but I still enjoyed it.



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Under Currents by Nora Roberts

Under Currents by Nora Roberts
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Make sure you check triggers before reading this one as it can be a very hard read in some places.

This is told in 3 parts. Part 1 focuses around domestic violence and abuse towards children. It was so good though and nothing that I was expecting. Part 2 slows down a lot though. You do get some more around one character from part 1, but it was really short. Part 3 also brings a little bit around someones past but it also moved fast. Sadly, part 2 and 3 were just not for me and focused more on things that just lost that initial engagement for me.



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Darling Venom by Parker S. Huntington

Darling Venom by Parker S. Huntington
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I tried picking this one up a while back and I just could not get into it. I decided to give it one more try on audio.

I love an emotional story and I love when a book can make me cry. I saw people sobbing over this one, but it just did not get me there. Yes, this has some sad moments but they never went over that edge for me. I wanted them to pull at my heart strings even more. The ending left me in a moment of "is this it" but it just again did not go deep enough. I did get the frown face/choke up moment, but I wanted tears running down my face moment.

Overall, this was ok.

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Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry

Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am not one to usually grab for Fantasy, but I had this one on my shelf and decided to give it a try. When this started I thought it would be an instant DNF. However; I was done with Part 1 pretty quickly and was wanting to keep going.

This does have several triggers for death and murder of innocent people, women, and children. It also deals with rape and other horrible things to these same groups.

I really enjoyed part 1, but then this started to slow down for me. I was not loving part 2 or 3 as it was very repetitive with nothing new really happening. However; I also could not put it down. I ended up skimming some of these sections though to move along.

Overall, I did enjoy this more than I thought. It is more a 2 star overall, but since I am not a fantasy person and it kept me wanting to read I am bumping it up a star.

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The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific by Marcus Brotherton

The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific by Marcus Brotherton


I was sent a copy of this book from a publisher/publicity team/giveaway. 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 is much more it is me than you kind of thing. Historical fiction is very hit or miss for me. It really depends on what information they are covering and how. I was excited around this one, but I just could not get into it.

I actually tried both physically reading and the audio for this one. I just could not get into it. I needed more to hook me in the beginning.

Sadly, I did not finish this one.

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Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I will start off by saying that I am not really a fantasy person, but I love Rebecca Yarros and wanted to give this one a try.

This started off pretty strong, but then it kind of lost me. This read really young adult for almost 70% of the story. I kept pushing through since I liked the dragon selection scenes as well as the scenes that involved Violet and Xaden.

Speaking of the romance though, there really was not much at all. This is where I am a little confused based on reviews I was seeing. I read mostly romance and I found few scenes with the two together. I will say I was loving the two together, but I just kept waiting for more of them. It really did not come until almost 70/80% of the story.

I did like Xaden and liked his story and background.

The middle just dragged though and I found myself a little bored at times. I would normally DNF how I was feeling, but I did want to see when everything came together since I know how well RY can do that. I just never really got it in the end.

I predicted the ending before it happened. I may or may not pick up book two as I did enjoy this more than a normal fantasy but do hope for more romance in the next one.

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One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak

One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was completely in love with this story when it started and was enjoying learning more around all three of the sisters. Each brought a different story and I was excited to see how everything would unfold.

The middle was just too dragged out and the ending was too rushed for me. I did not like how everything unfolded and wanted more to how the sisters find out how they are related. Even if the ending was not as rushed and we got more around that part of the story where they find everything out it would have wrapped up better. It all felt too unfinished in the end.


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Mile High by Liz Tomforde

Mile High by Liz Tomforde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When this first started and the characters meet within the first page or so, I was thinking that this was not going to be for me. However; I kept pushing through and I am glad that I did.

This was super cute! I loved Zanders and how far he came within the story. He brought so many emotional impacts with his family life as well. Stevie was great as well. I was over the reason they could not be together though.

I love the side characters just as much as I loved Zanders and Stevie.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and cannot wait to see where the series goes next.

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If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook

If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was sent a copy of this book from a publisher/publicity team/giveaway. 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.

As soon as I saw that this was recommended for fans of We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange, I immediately added to my list since I loved that one. Sadly, this one just not work for me the same way.

This starts off with way too many characters and continues to follow too many characters. You get a quick run down in the beginning, but that really does not help until you can start to separate the characters as you listen to their days following their father/grandfathers funeral. Even as the story continued I was still confused on who was who and what was going on.

I kept pushing through as there were a few characters I was interested in finding out more about though. However; everything was very slow. The author also threw way too many social issues/concepts into this and they did not feel genuine the more that came up as reading.

After finishing, I am not really sure what this was even about when thinking about the overall story. It was all a little too hodge podge of people and information that just did not come together to make one cohesive story for me at the end.


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Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

What did I miss? This started off pretty strong, but it went nowhere pretty quickly for me. This just never developed into what I wanted or thought it would.

This was the same thing over and over again; a threat and being locked up. It never strayed from this. I would say if you want that feel without many details around the mental torture or torture he planned, this may be for you. I am not saying I wanted this either, but I was just expecting more. He was a psychopath who had murdered someone in the past, and all he did was threaten her constantly. It all just did not fit for me.

This was just too slow for me. The ending was thrown in pretty quickly and I was just underwhelmed.

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28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I am not one to pick up much from this author these days as I just have not fallen in love with any of the books I have read yet. I was hesitant to give this one a try, but a friend had been begging me too and told me it would break my heart. I love a good cry in a book, so I picked it up.

First off, do not pick this up if you have any issues with infidelity. This whole story is around that. This really did not put me off as much as the reasoning why the couple would not just be together. They were so in love the whole time and it made no sense why they would not just leave the ones they were with and be together. I know Jake feels he owes it to his sister, but I feel it was not holding him to his relationship as much as it really was. This was annoying to me any why I could not get over this part of the story as far as them not just being together.

My other issue is that this was so boring. There was nothing really happening to keep my attention throughout the summers. I did not care about what was going on in their separate lives especially since most of it had nothing to do when the two of them being together.

The ending! I kept pushing through hoping that the ending would tear me apart though. Is that all we get for the ending? I was so disappointed and even said out loud "that is it!"

Sadly, this one was not for me at all.

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After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was not my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid book, but it will be one that sticks with me and that I share more than most.

This was a great read for anyone who is married as well as those who look at marriage as always being perfect. This is very different as it shows some of the harder aspects of marriage and longevity in a relationship.

SPOILER: This couple does separate for a specific time to work on themselves. They really do not work with each other during this time like most other reads. They are completely separate besides one thing they do not know both are doing.

The ending was great. There are other family moments within the story which made me cry. I laughed and cried in this one towards the end.

Overall, I loved this one.

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Whispers of You by Catherine Cowles

Whispers of You by Catherine Cowles


I wanted to love this! I have been hearing so much hype around this author and I decided to pick this up on audio. Sadly, I just could not get into it.

This is more a me thing as I am not a fan of High School love gone wrong and it being so heavily a part of the romance when they are so much older. I know in this story it is something much (MUCH) heavier than most other stories around what happened to them, but it was still something I found myself rolling my eyes at. Again, this is just not something I personally enjoy and was nothing against the story. I did appreciate it was a more serious circumstance compared to just cheating or something like that.

I did skim most of this and would skip a few chapters here and there.

Even though I could not get into this one, I plan to try a few others books from this author in the future.

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Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy

Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have been seeing this one everywhere. Fist off, I do not feel this cover matches the story inside. I like the cover, but it just does not connect the story to the cover for me. I like the discreet cover much better for that reason (and it is pretty).

I cannot believe this was over 600 pages as I did fly through it. It was a very fast read.

I do not really think this was a brother best friend or love triangle. Yes, it had the base of that but that was not really the story at all. This was more moving on from your childhood love/crush. Chase really is not as involved as you would think until the second half/end.

Noah! Swoon! Where do you even start with Noah. He was perfection from the very start. I was waiting for something to happen with him or him to turn into the bad guy and I was very happy when it did not happen. I also love the depth the story around his mother brought to the story. It also made me cry (especially in the epilogue).

Overall, I did enjoy this one and look forward to reading more from this author.


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Flawless by Elsie Silver

Flawless by Elsie Silver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

I tried reading this one in a physical copy a few months ago and knew I just needed to wait for the audio. I am glad I did and I am glad I picked it up again.

When this first started off, I was thinking this was not going to be for me. However; the more you get to know both characters and start to see them together the more I started to get into the story. I love the lead up to them getting together and the tension between the two.

The bull riding brought something new and different as well.

This did not have anything that will really stick with me, but I still enjoyed it for what it was.

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Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings

Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 Stars

I wanted to love this one, but I just did not. Everyone and anyone is raving about this. I did push through as I was just waiting for that one moment where maybe I would fall in love with the story and the characters.

This reads very juvenile, but does have some triggers for a toxic relationship as well as drug abuse and overdose. Our main characters are in their early to mid twenties for the most part, but it felt much more High School behaviors. Every other chapter was repetitive with BJ getting caught by Parks doing something that upset her. This was every chapter. She would cry and they would yell and then do it again. It would have been fine if that was not the whole book.

The mystery behind who BJ hooked up was easy to pin down early on as well.

Can we talk about Tom? I need a redemption for him!

I put this down more times than I can count, but I did finish it. I liked the side characters much more and I may or may not pick up the next book just since I am not invested in the story. However; I just do not understand what I am missing overall on this one as it just missed the mark for me.

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The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So this lived up to the hype. It was a very quick read for being over 300 pages and I finished it in one day. I recommend going into this blind as it will just make it better.

I listened on audio, and recommend it as it brings the characters to live. The narrator kept me engaged as well.

This is told in 3 parts. I think part one was my favorite as you are trying to put all of your thoughts on what the twist is going to turn into. I did guess some of what was going to happen but it was not necessarily obvious which I liked.
Part two starts to unravel the story and was a little slower. Part three is the conclusion.

What I appreciated most about this story was that there was little fluff. Everything flowed and kept my interest. The middle did not drag or feel pointless like some thrillers I have read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one.


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What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson

What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson


I was sent a copy of this book from a publisher/publicity team/giveaway. 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.

First off, that cover immediately grabbed my attention and leaving me wanting more around this story and what it was going to be about.

This read a little more young adult at times and I just had a hard time with some of the sections.

In the beginning it is also a little confusing with characters and storyline changes happening so quickly. I did listen to this on audio as well but I preferred reading the physical copy on this one to keep track of where we were and who we were following. We are following Heather, Dora, and Faith. Once you get to know them all it was easier as well.

This was very slow to start. You know very little about what is going on which would be fine if there was something in the beginning to hook your attention. I just could not get into this one and did not finish.


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On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass

On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

I am so glad I picked this one back up. I started it a few weeks back and I could not get into it. I am a mood reader and it was just not what I was feeling. I decided to start it again yesterday and I finished it one day.

Triggers for infidelity and abuse.

When you start, you think this is only going to be about solving a murder. However; each character has their own story which kept my interest even through the middle where most books start to lose me. The audiobook really brought the characters to life and set them apart from one another as well. I highly recommend it on audio.

The ending was a little convoluted and seemed a little rushed which is the only reason I am taking off a half of a star. Otherwise, I loved this one. I have already downloaded several others from this author as well.

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The Wedding Game by Meghan Quinn

The Wedding Game by Meghan Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This has been sitting in my Kindle Unlimited library forever. I am so happy I finally pushed play as I was not expecting to love this one as much as I did .

This was such a fun romance with both the romance, the characters, and the competition. It is enemy to lovers. Alec is very different than how I thought he was going to be as I ended up loving him. The thing that made this whole thing for me was the banter between Alec and Luna.

Overall, I loved this one. If you love banter and competition shows, I recommend giving this one a try. The spice is also limited and very slow burn too if that is what you prefer like I do.


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Lies That Bind by Cj Stone

Lies That Bind by Cj Stone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent this audiobook from the Netgalley. 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 was my first book from CJ Stone. Triggers for death, suicide, bullying,

This is not going to be for everyone and I do recommend checking triggers before jumping in. I eally had no clue what was going to happen and I was shocked how much happened so fast. The beginning was so good. However; the rest of the story is the children trying to figure out what happened to their parents. It was very slow moving after the initial blows in the story.

There was a twist that I did not see coming. It was a good twist, but it all is thrown in so fast with the ending. Much more unfolds but really did not answer so many of my questions I still had. I wanted more of a conclusion on this one.

Overall, this was a decent listen though but just did not blow me away. The narration is also great as you have dual narrators for Frankie and Jess.


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Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks

Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5/4 Stars

I have been pretty hard on NS over his last few releases as I just was not enjoying his work like I did with his later works. However; this one is moving closer to what I love about his stories. It was my favorite out of the last few years.

This does have triggers for mental health.

This is almost two different stories in one. Each part follows one of two characters. Their stories are very different, but you know they will eventually connect. I figured out how they were going to be related pretty quickly, but was not expecting everything that unfolded with their relationship.

I was still waiting for the "cry my eyes out" moment that I love about his stories. This was a wild ride, and I did drop my mouth open at one time. However; it never hit the crying level.

Overall, I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting though.

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The Words by Ashley Jade

The Words by Ashley Jade
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have been seeing this one on so many Best of the Year reads, so I had to finally give it a try. I really did not know much going into it though and had no clue that this is following main characters in high school (to start). I kept reading as I was interested in their romance from the start though. It does move to four years later pretty quickly though.

Triggers for dementia, abuse, mental health, death, and more.

Let me start by saying I am plus size. This was supposed to be a Plus size representation, but it is not! This follows Lennon who is a 18 year old graduating from High School. I was excited when she is introduced as a size 18 character as it is rare we get to see that in a main character. However; I hated that it was all about body image as well as her being bullied. It would be great to finally have a story where the overweight character is NOT bullied and just accepted. She, of course, also loses weight to finally have a purpose and worth being looked at by other men. Ugg! I hate that so much!

This was much longer than it needed to be. I found myself skipping several chapters and I do not feel I missed anything important around the story.

Sadly, this one just was not for me. I found myself rolling my eyes so much in the beginning around the fat phobia that I just think I lost interest with the reoccurring theme throughout. Again, this was also too long and threw in so many tropes to keep it going.



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All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers

All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I went into this one blind without really knowing anything except it made the Goodreads top thrillers in 2022 for the ratings. When this started, I thought immediately about JonBenet case as there were many similarities between the two. I had no clue others were saying that too. Yes, the story takes a different turn than the real life story, but it was similar in some ways.

The first half was pretty good. The middle dragged. I did not need so much information around the Moms relationships and such. It could have still been used but without so much fluff in the middle. The ending picked back up but I predicted some of what was going to happen pretty early on. It never had a jaw dropping moment that I love in thrillers.

Overall, this one was good/ok.

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The Girl in the Love Song by Emma Scott

The Girl in the Love Song by Emma Scott
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was excited for this one but I was not expecting for almost the first half of the book to be more young adult. We start following our characters when they are in High School. I still enjoyed these parts more than I was expecting, but I found some of the story a little too slow.

I do like how this brings attention to diabetes and the true dangers around what it can do.

Overall, this one was ok but was not what I was expecting.

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