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Explore honest, spoiler‑free book reviews across genres — from romance and contemporary fiction to memoirs and thrillers. Use the search bar or browse by category to discover books you’ll love.
Romance
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4
Okay, so I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. Because I am a fickle reviewer, I will say Fake Mate had little to no plot and almost no character development, and at times, it felt like it was just bouncing from spicy scene to spicy scene, yet I undeniably enjoyed it. The banter was charming and, at times, laugh-out-loud funny. The main characters, Mackenzie Carter and Noah Taylor are a dual POV grumpy/sunshine pairing who enter into a fake relationship to protect Noah’s job and prevent more setups for Mackenzie; they add some benefits, the end.
Additionally, both main characters are physicians, shifters, and rare forms of their species (omega and alpha, respectively). If you are unfamiliar with shifters (aka werewolves), this book has little to no world-building; I would not consider it true paranormal or fantasy. I sometimes cringe at hospital descriptions, but for the most part, this worked; there were a few out-of-scope lines, but I think most healthcare workers would approve of the descriptions. This book has a ton of intimacy, including unique aspects of shifter anatomy, so if an open-door is not your thing, I would avoid it. The book’s ending was too quick for me, and it would have benefited from a scene entailing some details mentioned in the epilogue (no spoilers, but if you have read it, I hope you agree). Overall, this was light, fun, and very sexy, and I would recommend it for a quick MF shifter read.
I have seen this book recommended for those who liked Bride by Ali Hazlewood, and they are entirely different. Comparing them closely is a disservice to both books. Where Bride is dark with mystery and lots of character development, Fake Mate is honestly a lighter and fluffy romance. Both include detailed descriptions of wolf anatomy(🪢), but the similarity stops there.
General Fiction
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5.0
I absolutely adored this debut novel about aquarium custodian Tova Sullivan and her friend Marcellus, the octopus. Tova lives a simple life in Sowell Bay, Washington, until she finds Marcellekus entangled in cords far from his enclosure. Following this, Tova and Marcellus form a bond, and Marcellus attempts to use his observation skills to help Tova find closure in the mysterious loss of her son 30 years ago. The story that unfolds is both tragic and yet beautifully redeeming.
Primarily a character-based novel with what some may feel is a slow-moving plot, Remarkably Bright Creatures focuses on how grief never truly leaves us and how one fits into one’s community. Van Pelt pens Marcellus and Tova wonderfully with genuine complexity and believable personality traits. Even the background characters, Cameron (who honestly was a manchild, but I can’t love every character) and Ethan, were full of depth and added to the complex character development and plot. I particularly enjoyed Ethan and the patient ways he took care of Tova. The writing is heavy at times as it deals with the fears of aging alone, grief, and loss, but it also can be funny as we learn about Marcellus and his antics at the aquarium and his valid opinions of his human captors. If you’re on the fence about character-driven books, I highly recommend this one, as the prose, plot, and characters are extraordinarily crafted.
One of my favorite reads of the year so far, Remardly Bright Creatures, would be a fantastic book club book as well! Finally, the narration is perfect and wonderfully cast, and I highly recommend it!
Romance
Latest Book Reviews
3.5
A decade ago, Florence Day, the undertaker’s daughter, fled her small town and reputation as the “girl who talks to ghosts.” Now, a family crisis forces her back to visit the literal ghosts she left behind. A romance ghostwriter for a best-selling author, Florence has been unable to finish her latest novel as she no longer feels she can believe in true love after having her heart and stories stolen by her ex. When a handsome and confused ghost shows up at her door, she finds herself falling for this seemingly off-limits man while at the same time trying to cope with her life falling apart.
I loved the beginning chapters and the ending but felt the middle fell flat. There were some loose ends in the character development I would have loved to work through, especially Florence’s grief; it just felt too surface-level for a book heavily related to death and dying. Additionally, despite one sexy conversation, I did not feel much tension between Benji Andor and Florence Day. I wanted more longing from both of them. It likely stemmed from never getting attached to Benji the way I usually do when I read romance, mostly because I felt like I didn’t get to know him. However, I found the main character talking to ghosts unique for a contemporary romance, and the magic/ ghost elements of death were dealt with well. There were points where dual POV would have added the connection I felt I was missing.
Despite death and ghosts, the book did not feel heavy or spooky and was still a fast-paced romance. I truly enjoyed the writing style and the unique plot and thus made this a 3.5. Overall, I will read something by Poston again!
General Fiction
Latest Book Reviews
4
Despite (Chinese American) Athena having significantly more success and fame than June (white American), Athena remains one of June’s only writer friends. When Athena dies in a choking incident, June steals Athena’s manuscript on WWI Chinese soldiers and edits and promotes the manuscript as her own. Suddenly experiencing overnight success, June also faces harsh criticism for using an “own voices” story and her efforts and those of her publisher to erase her whiteness to sell more books. Through June’s point of view we listen to her worry and then become angry over the constant (justifiable) criticism and honestly as the book’s end I found myself both sympathetic and utterly annoyed by June (which feels to be the author’s point).
Kuang’s writing is detailed, and times quite dark as she takes June on a journey from literary nonbody to best-selling author; using the characters of June and Athena and snippets of social media to tell the tale. At times the pacing of this book was undulating from fast to slow but overall, I read this quickly as I was desperate to see how June’s career progressed. Much of this book reflects on whether a white author can write a story (or even characters) that are not white. Kuang points out how “diverse” subjects and authors are marketed as unique to sell more books. June’s book is popular despite the critiques, and a scene I have seen of books play out in real life (for example, a popular sports romance series from TikTok). From the discussion on how social media sells books to how the publishing industry has already selected what will be a best seller long before books make it to market, Kuang gave details on the “dirty” side of publishing. As someone who spends lots of time engaged on book-related social media, I loved the critique I believe Kuang was trying to get across.
Romance, Young Adult
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4.0
Thank you Macmillan audio for the advanced audio copy!
Gossip Girl meets The Princess Diaries, full of teenage angst, blurry boarding school lines, and the pressure of family expectations.
First of all, Imani Jade Powers and Gail Shalan excellently narrated this. Both brought the emotions of these teenage girls to life. I particularly thought the performances excelled when the teens experienced anger or sadness. The voiced cracked at the right moments and was soft when needed. I always appreciate feeling these emotions through an audiobook
I would have loved this book in high school: the paparazzi, the princess, the brother’s school, and rugby matches. The school setting felt real, and I was really intrigued by this fictional country’s politics! At times, I felt I was maybe too removed from adolescence to fully appreciate all the details the author provided, but overall, I really enjoyed this book!
I would note that this book addresses teenage drug and alcohol use, describes an unintentional overdose, and has implied sexual content. I think this would be perfect for ages 14.
This truly reads like a book for high school kids, and the last 30% felt a bit over the top to me. That said, I think the intended audience would eat it up.
Overall, I loved the narration and felt the book did an excellent job of addressing the pressures and expectations of being a teen
Young Adult
Latest Book Reviews
4
boy meets girl. The girl is in love with someone else. Boy and girl have a magical day exploring New York City, and boy and girl fall for each other; it sounds simple. However, this beautiful book is anything but simple. The boy, Leo, is a trans boy struggling with feeling terrified of the reaction his extended family will have to his being trans and a sense of impending doom over a news story about to run. The girl, Abby, believes she is in love with her female best friend and is questioning how she identifies and whether she even needs a label to describe herself. Abby hopes the magic of NYC will give her the courage to pull off a grand gesture to tell her best friend, Kat, her true feelings. Abby and Leo share many similarities from small towns where they feel isolated. They are in marching bands about to play in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, and they both happen to get on the wrong subway car. They spend the day together, and “everything changes” as they discover not only the magic of New York City (especially at Christmas – Underhill’s descriptions were perfect). Underhill writes a beautiful message about not needing to put a label on who you are or who you love. I felt this book did an excellent job illustrating the turmoil that all teens go through in their search for identity. I mainly found the description of whether telling people he was trans should be a big deal or not for Leo, as it simply how he exists. Leo and Abby were lovable, well-crafted with depth, and well-supported by the cast of secondary characters. The writing is descriptive, moving, and fast-paced. While I enjoyed watching Abby and Leo begin to get butterflies for each other and the sweet descriptions of falling and navigating first love. “I love yous” within 24 hours of meeting each other, just not for me.
I was inspired to read this book after seeing it on @reading.with.kristen posts for #transrightsreadathon. I have read minimal YA romance and very few books with trans representation, and this was a perfect pick. I am constantly working on diversifying my selections. I loved the reminder that it is okay to, as the book states, “love people and not genders.” I truthfully enjoyed this novel, and it felt like both a love letter to New York and teens everywhere trying to navigate a world that is trying to tell them they need to exist in a specific box or not at all. The descriptions of gender and sexuality felt very age-appropriate and easy to understand. I would recommend it to those who work with teens and teens alike. Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Underhill’s adult novel!