February 2025 – Stephanie Caffrey, Author

Simply to Die For by Maxine Douglas

Release Date: March 11, 2025

Thank you Rowan Prose Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Simply to Die For by Maxine Douglas is a romantic suspense book about a former adult film star turned candy store owner trying to outrun a stalker. Even though it’s less than three hundred pages long, Douglas manages to pack in enough intrigue and romance to keep the reader wanting to turn the pages.

All Char wanted to do was forget about her life in LA and quietly make chocolate in her hometown in Wisconsin. When she gets word that one of her friends and former coworkers was nearly killed at her former studio, she rushes to LA and headlong into the investigation. What follows is a tale with twists and turns and a lot of romance.

It took me a while to get into the book. The love interest’s name is Jimmy, which is my husband’s joke name for everything, so it took me a minute. I also felt like the story read like a sequel for the first bit, I actually had to look Douglas up and make sure it wasn’t. I also had a hard time with how rushed everything felt, but because of the short page count, I was able to let that go.

What I really liked about the book was the suspense aspect. I honestly had no idea who was stalking Char. I thought I had figured it out fairly early, but I was really glad when I found out I was very, very wrong. The last quarter of the book had me on the edge of my seat, waiting to find out what happened next.

If you’re looking for a quick read that is jam packed with suspense, this is definitely the book for you.

This book was different than I expected. I expected more behind-the-scenes stories, more dirt. I did enjoy seeing the show from a different perspective than the lead’s. I also enjoyed how O’Heir brought in many people to read for the book. I just wish there was more substance.

This book was really sweet. My favorite aspect was the relationship between the three sisters, more than likely because I’m one of three sisters. I loved how unique they each were and their problems. I loved the partners in their lives, and the children. I especially loved the task set upon them. I’m a sucker for small towns coming together.

This installment was okay. I think this series is becoming a bit predictable. There were a few plot threads that I felt were dropped: Elena being elusive, Jae saying I love you for the first time. The book just didn’t seem to have the magic the other four seemed to have. I’ll have to think about if I want to read the next installment or not.

I love this series, I really do, but Mia is my age, and she still reads as a teenager, and that was disappointing. I think that’s really what took me out of the book. The plot was fine, it was just Mia’s voice that really threw me off. I was hoping she would be more mature as an adult.

The Quarantine Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

I forgot how much I really loved this book. I think it hits differently as an adult than it did as a high school student, but all the tangled webs and hypocrisies and some of the symbolism just stood out more. And I truly felt sorry for Gatsby who was trying to fit into a class that would never accept him and who would let him take the blame for things he did not do.

Quinn’s Story was at once heartbreaking and inspirational. Her character development was phenomenal. I loved her relationships with her friends. I especially loved her and Oliver together – the labyrinth was magical. I wish her art was real so I could see it. Everything about this book was amazing, and it had me staying up late and crying in my office at work.

Is She Really Going OUt with Him? By Sophie Cousens

This book was great! I loved everything. The writing was witty; the story was fun and plausible, and the characters were great. Plus – there were all my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, there’s only one bed, AND he falls first. Anna and Will were great together – their banter was top-notch, their falling in love beautiful. The only thing that would have made the book better would have been more interactions between Will and the kids!

After setting it aside last year, I’m glad I tried it again. This book was delightful. I loved Tress and her pirate friends. I loved her love for Charlie – and his for her. The twists, the turns, the world-building – it was very unique, while also feeling a bit like The Princess Bride.

Tress and the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

I went into this book not knowing much about Ina Garten and I walked away loving her – especially her relationship with her husband, Jeffrey. This book was simply delightful to read. I loved hearing about her journey to where she is today.

This book was a very fascinating read. I grew up in the 90s and didn’t know a lot of this was going on. I remember hearing about a lot of these events, and forming the exact opinions the author talked about – so the author was correct and the media worked. The book is going to give me things to think about.

90s Bitch: Media Culture, and the failed promis of gender equality by Allison Yarrow

Since I was young, I’ve been obsessed with figure skating. In high school, I became obsessed with Wuthering Heights. Kat and Heath fulfilled a need I didn’t even know I needed. The book was dramatic, and full of excitement and so much passion. I loved the behind-the-scenes drama of international figure skating. This book is my new obsession.

I’m not going to say much, since I don’t want to spoil anything, but this book was amazing. it was very much the middle book of a series, setting up so much and not really answering questions. But, I think the crumps Yarros spread were satisfying. And I will wait (mostly) patiently for the next installment.

Month: February 2025

Book Review – Simply to Die For by Maxine Douglas

January 2025 Reads