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Latest Book Reviews
5.0
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Libby Audio
ABOUT:
Xiomara Batista is navigating a lot. Her first relationship, her connection to her twin, her mother’s religious convictions, and the way the world has suddenly begun to see her as an object rather than a person. Through her newfound love of poetry, she begins to explore these feelings and more.
MY THOUGHTS:
My first novel in verse and certainly won’t be my last!
Xiomara’s voice is refreshing, honest, and a fascinating look inside the teenage mind.
There is so much to touch on, but I particularly enjoyed the parts where she questioned the strict nature of her parents’ religion.
I grew up Catholic (school/church), but in a much more affirming way. I loved seeing this new perspective.
AUDIO:
Read by the author, her pronunciation and cadence made this an all consuming experience, and I highly recommend it on audio.
SIMILAR BOOKS:
For more YA Catholic guilt, read The Lesbian’s Guide to Catholic School
SHOULD YOU READ:
Absolutely recommend this to everyone. I also think it would be particularly powerful for high school teachers and teenage parents.
Fantasy
Latest Book Reviews
5.0
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Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, and MacMillan Audio, for the #gifted the advanced copies. #smpearlyreaders
ABOUT:
Told from the perspective of Lady Tremaine, or Ethel, Cinderella’s stepmother, we learn of a life full of hardship and heartbreak, and the difficulties women face to maintain their autonomy. Ethel must make difficult decisions not only for self-preservation but also to provide her daughters with successful marriages. It turns out there isn’t much she isn’t willing to save face and protect her children.
MY THOUGHTS:
This was SO GOOD. The book takes a somewhat dark tale and turns everything you know about it on its head.
The result: lush writing, a complex but ultimately entirely relatable view of womanhood, and well placed twists.
I particularly enjoyed the way expectations of women were explored. Despite all she does to push boundaries, women are forever existing in expectations “designed by men.”
I love a woman who pushes boundaries of what is considered proper, and Hochhauser’s Lady Tremaine does just that.
AUDIO:
The audio was absolutely beautiful. Bessie Carter did an amazing job of bringing Lady Tremaine to life. I found myself not wanting to stop listening.
Her voice acting is incredible, from castle guards to the prince himself; each character had a distinct tone.
SIMILAR BOOKS:
This book is a little bit of Disney’s Descendants, but make it for adults, meets regency era scheming and matchmaking à la Shonda’s Bridgeton.
SHOULD YOU READ:
This book is made for lovers of strong women and reworked fairy tales, and it’s a debut that is not to be missed!
Romance
Latest Book Reviews
5.0
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Libby e-book
ABOUT:
After being widowed four years ago, Sloane is finally enjoying the success of her interior design business. However, suddenly she finds herself working on a project with her late husband’s best friend, Dominic.
Unfortunately, they have never gotten along, but it appears Dominic may be harboring feelings all along. They must navigate their grief, guilt, and years of animosity if they want things to work.
MY THOUGHTS:
First off, this book was extremely hot. Dominic and Sloane have a lot of complex feelings, and they sort most of that out in the bedroom.
If you’re looking for top-notch spice, I would definitely pick this up. That said, I think I could have done without a few spice scenes to bring down the length.
I am typically hesitant towards love after loss themes, but I loved the way her late husband’s family still loved Sloane. Seegars did an excellent job of contrasting Sloane’s relationship with her mother-in-law with her own mother.
Sloane is smart, successful, and navigating life after loss. I loved how Dominic was confident, used his privilege to spoil Sloane, and was working hard against the demons of his own
Overall, an excellent book for high spice with complex, layered characters.
SIMILAR BOOKS:
This reminded me a lot of Natasha Bishop’s Only for the Week in terms of spice levels and difficult family members.
SHOULD YOU READ:
This is for those love stories where heartbreak leads to a second chance at love.
Romance
Latest Book Reviews
4.0
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Thank you to Hachette Audio and Forever Pub for the gifted audio and e-copies
ABOUT:
Sloane Donovan, a music journalist currently freelancing, finds herself with the opportunity of a lifetime: a once-in-a-decade interview with one of her favorite bands. The caveat: the frontman, Dax Nakamura, previously broke her heart.
As Sloane and Dax slowly find themselves back to each other. Sloane worries that she’ll be unable to separate her feelings from her desire to grow her career. But Dax is not willing to let her go again.
My Thoughts:
I had a lot of fun reading this book!
There’s something about the way Erin Connor writes that just adds so much charm to her characters. While this was single POV, we got interview clips that helped us understand Dax and the backstories of the secondary characters.
Dax and Sloans have so much chemistry, of that I had no doubt. Where I struggled a bit is with Sloane’s development. It felt like her and Dax were faced with the same obstacle that broke them the first time, and it was addressed so late. Physically, though, their attraction was clear.
Erin Connor can write the heck out of a steamy scene, and like her debut, this was hot and tension filled, and definitely will make you blush.
Overall, I really loved the music scene setting here, and I loved that it took place in the 2010s, when I was also a young 20-something. It just felt so nostalgic, and I squealed when they mentioned an iPod; those truly were the good old days.
AUDIO:
The full cast, Karissa Vacker, William DeMerritt, Donald Chang, James Fouhey, Robb Moreira & Greg Chun, knock this audio out of the park. The behind-the-scenes narrative was brought to life by their production.
SIMILAR BOOKS:
This takes Erin’s debut Unromance and adds a Daisy Jones and the Six vibe that is hard not to enjoy!
SHOULD YOU READ:
This is a love letter to early 2000s music, kids, and second chance loves, so if that’s your vibe, pick it up.
Thriller/ Horror
Latest Book Reviews
4.5
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Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for the free advanced listening copy.
ABOUT:
When Joy Moore goes missing, Benny Abbot immediately spirals into panic. Joy is his best friend and podcast co-host, and there appears to be a decent strain in their relationship. Benny’s unease is compounded by the fact that Joy’s husband, Xander, is also missing. As the days pass, Benny becomes a subject himself. It is only through Joy’s POV that the truth begins to come to life.
MY THOUGHTS:
This is one heck of a debut. I love that this thriller also had this huge friendship/romance subplot. Genre-bending lovers, this is for you.
The writing is sharp, the pacing near perfect, and the reveals are shocking. Crum easily propels this narrative forward in a way that left me excited every time I picked this book up.
In particular, I enjoyed the feeling of not knowing whom to trust, and Crum did an excellent job of casting doubt in the reader’s mind about what was happening.
The dual timeline- dual POV helped feed my ever present suspense while also giving me enough information to keep me fully engaged!
Plus, the Los Angeles hills vibe was immaculate, which always makes me enjoy a book more!
AUDIO:
If you are an audiobook fan, you need to listen to this book. The production quality is through the roof. Whelan and Hopkins complement each other so well! I wanted this podcast to be real. The snippets we got were so excellent!
SIMILAR BOOKS:
This reminded me of None of This is True, but that might just be because it’s a podcast. This was (thankfully) a little less dark.
SHOULD YOU READ:
This Might Save Your Life will be a hit for fans of thrillers and contemporary fiction alike.
Fantasy, Romance
Latest Book Reviews
4.0
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libby ebook
ABOUT:
Owen Mallory, scholar, reluctant soldier, and lifelong fan of the legend of Sir Una the Everlasting, the hero of Dominion. He finds himself part historian, part time traveler and quickly falling for the lady knight he spent a lifetime studying. As history both changes and repeats itself, Una and Owen fight to find a time when their love can flourish and survive.
MY THOUGHTS:
I approached this book with huge expectations, and unfortunately, it fell short.
This is a slow burn in every sense. I felt the world-building was slow, the romance was slow and drawn out (mostly complimentary), and the action was reserved for the last third of the book.
Personally, I had a really hard time with the second-person voice of this story, so much so that I almost put the book down around 30%. While I can appreciate a unique approach, the initial investment required to reach the action was almost too much.
That said, I think I might be the only person who did not love this book, and man, that’s a weird feeling.
However, I am not a true hater; I did appreciate the ethereal illustrative nature of the writing. It felt like an epic romantic poem. I found the time-travel portion of the plot fascinating, and the eventual reveal both shocking and satisfying. I also loved that Owen was “weaker” of the two, not trained in battle, and one who expressed more emotions, yet he was the one wielding the pen (likely more important than strength).
The last 40% of this novel had me riveted as I (and our hero and heroine) desperately searched for a solution to prevent their fate. It was the construction of the final act that ultimately redeemed this book for me and helped me to see why so many others were obsessing over it.
SIMILAR BOOKS:
This is part Outlander, part knight in shining armour fairy tale with yearning that rivals The Second Death of Locke.
SHOULD YOU READ:
Honestly, you should probably ignore me and listen to the hundreds of five star reviews, but my DMs are open for those that also in the “I don’t get the hype club”