Tag: Reading

August 2022 Reads

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I don’t even know where to start. The book started a bit slow, but that doesn’t even matter. The book is absolutely beautiful, and easily the best book I’ve read this year. It is FULL of video game stuff, but the story itself is just so beautiful. The book is about friendship between Sadie, Sam and Marx, and the way their relationship changes over nearly 30 years. Everything about this book is great. And heartbreaking. And just plain poetic. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Unexpected in a god way, History of Wild Places was a fast-paced thriller. While there were several aspects that I did not see, there were some big ones that I did. Though predicting some of the plot did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Quick middle grade read, but this is Gaiman and he can’t go wrong. I loved reading about Bod growing up in the Graveyard with the dark beginning I was worried about the end, and while it wasn’t tragic, it was a bit bittersweet.

4 Stars

Loki! Ms Marvel Kicking Butt! I’m loving watching Kamala come into her own as a superhero.

4 Stars

What a great book about being queer in a conservative environment. McQuiston really explored what it is like to be queer at a Christian School in the South. I thought it might be a bit Paper Towns but it wasn’t. I loved the characters and loved watching their journeys to discovering who they are.

4 Stars

Powerful memoir about the trauma and abuse McCurdy faced growing up at the hands of her mom. I’m really glad she had the courage to open up and share with the world everything her mom did her. I’ve already seen friends open up about the abuse they faced thanks to reading this book. Easily the best memoir I’ve read this year.

5 Stars

Beautifully written book about family and “home.” All Olivia wanted was a family, and when she goes to Gallant, despite her mom’s warning, she hopes to find just that. What follows is a story that is creepy, mysterious, touching, and heart wrenching. I closed the book with tears in my eyes.

4 Stars

Carol Danvers. The End of the World. The scene between Kamala and her mom. The Scene between Kamala and Bruno. THE ART. This volume was full of very powerful stuff. Made me cry a little bit.

4 stars

There were certainly aspects I liked – the post-virus. But there was a lot of unnecessary things, most pre-virus stuff, that I felt unnecessary. I wanted more details about life in the new world, less details about how to make a Bible.

3 Stars

This book was amazing. Barry and Helena’s love story is easily my favorite part, but I also loved this take on time travel and timelines. It was a very unique take on a well-used trope. I loved Helena – a strong, brilliant female character is always a win. I also loved Barry. I loved how chaotically it was written in part, to make it feel like you were the one being shifted through time. My first Blake Crouch, but definitely not my last. (BOTM)

5 Stars

July 2022 Reads

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Loving the show, I decided to give the comics a shot. Loved this first volume. Feel like I really need to read more since this was just establishing Kamala and the characters.

4 Stars

Emily Henry knows how to write a romance. This book was so good. Even almost a month later, I’m still thinking about this book. When Nora and Charlie bantered, I couldn’t keep a smile off my face. Their attraction was palpable and leapt off the page. The ending defied tropes and made me giddy. Everything about this book was perfection.

5 Stars

Touching memoir about a daughter and her grief over losing her mother to cancer. The story of her and her mother’s relationship was touching. I loved when she began talking about learning traditional Korean food as a way to feel closer to her mother after she died.

5 Stars

Was the tiger real? Were the stories real? These are questions I walked away from this book with. The book was heartbreakingly beautiful. The hope Lily had when trying to fix her grandma, the heartbreaking moment when everyone realizes there is nothing to be done, and the hope at the end with continuing with traditions all made this book remarkable.

4 Stars

Fun story about men who read romances to try and fix their relationships. It was funny and sexy and I rooted for Gavin and Thea the whole book.

4 Stars

Fun fake dating romance. Hilarious dialogue and the characters were great. Loved everyone in this book especially the side characters. Felt everyone got what they wanted in the end without having to compromise their character. Laughed out loud several times. (BOTM)

4 Stars

This book was so good. Daunis was such a great character. I loved her growth throughout the book. Her love for her community was astounding and really drove the plot. Her relationships felt organic. Very much felt the thriller vibe throughout. I was kind of hoping for a better, less realistic ending, but I still liked the one I got. (BOTM)

5 Stars

The book was pretty standard Rear Window trop for about 70% of the book, which made it feel tired and cliche. However, after the “twist” the last 30% of the book was edge of your seat. Overall the book was good, but nothing too memorable.

4 Stars

Okay, after a second volume, this book is really fun. I’m really enjoying the comics, even though they are completely different from the show. I really like Kamala and I like discovering her powers and her limitations. I’m really looking forward to reading the next volume.

4 Stars

June 2022 Reads

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Really cute story. Beginning to really see a trend in my reads…love cooking competition books. The love story between Dahlia and London felt really organic and well paced. I really enjoyed falling in love with their love story. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Book Club book for June. This book, while ridiculous, ended up being quite charming. I am a sucker for books where someone who didn’t want kids is forced into being a parent and falling in love with the kids. I fell in love with Bessie and Roland along with Lillian. The book ended the way I wanted, but it would have been better if there was an epilogue. (BOTM)

4 Stars

This was a lovely dual memoir. I was worried that it would just be a rehash from the podcast, but it wasn’t. It was funny, touching, and it made me tear up at times. It also made me want to rewatch the show. I highly recommend listening to it as audiobook.

5 Stars

A harrowing tale of a boy’s journey from Ghana to Spain, North to Paradise was beautifully told evan as Umar didn’t hold back on the details. I was doing fine until he told of how he met his adoptive mother, and then I started crying. Very good book.

5 Stars

A fun romantic adventure. The second chance romance was amazing, and throw in “there is only one bed (tent)” and you have magic. The treasure hunt was great and I loved the danger of it all. Leo and Lily were a great couple and I completely bought their love story.

4 Stars

Fun and quirky book about magic bread. What’s not to love? I loved Lois’ journey and her growing relationship with baking. I loved the emails with Beo about the history of the Mazg people. OVerall, if it had an epilogue, the book would have been perfect. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Not a good book. The characters were not well written. I could not get into the love story. The writing was clunky. And the celebrity encounters were weird. (BOTM)

2 Stars

A very slow-paced, but satisfactory book. I loved the women and their roles, and how each found a man, or not, to satisfy them. I loved the outcome of the book, and the examination of gender roles in post WWII London. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Enjoyable book about nature and the state of food production in the US. Yes, Offerman tended to go off on tangents- so many tangents-but I found myself liking this style, made it feel more conversational.

4 Stars

This book did not live up to the hype. It was “okay.” I felt the story dragged. I wouldn’t have chosen to read if it wasn’t picked for my book club. Kya and Tate were the only likeable characters in the book, and even then it couldn’t save the story for me.

3 Stars

I don’t know why I couldn’t get into it, but this book didn’t really resonate with me like I had hoped it would. It may have been how slow she told about the case, and how she made it more of a memoir. The case didn’t seem like the forefront of the book like I had expected it to. The book seemed to just drag on. I also felt it was weird to change names and not talk specifics about a case I easily found on Google. (BOTM)

3 stars

May 2022 Reads

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Wow. Cried my way through this entire book. the relationship between Greta and Conrad was so profound. The way they grew together throughout their week on the boat – I’m sorry, ship – was great. I think it was dealt with perfectly and realistically. The ending was so full of hope, it left me wanting more. (BOTM)

5 Stars

The book was okay. Nothing to get excited over. I felt the plot was really lacking due to pacing. Once everything was revealed, I wished Harris had done more with the OBC plot earlier in the book than where she expounded and revealed it. (BOTM)

3 Stars

I’m not an Outlander fan, but I’m a history fan, and I loved listening to this book. I don’t know much about Scottish history, so I found everything to be incredibly fascinating. I cried a few times and I laughed a lot.

4 Stars

Creative retelling or adaptation of Peter Pan. I enjoy these immensely, particularly when Pan is the villain. The book has all the trigger warnings, so be forewarned, and this book is probably one of the saddest I’ve read all year. However, there is also hope. My favorite thing was the way Michalski incorporated the Pan characters. I felt that there needed to be a few more details in the backstory, but overall I really enjoyed this book. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Not great. Not terrible. I feel like nothing really happed in the story. Found it hard to root for any of the characters, no one was likeable. the ending was very anti-climactic. Just left me with a general ‘meh’ feeling. (BOTM)

3 Stars

This book wasn’t what I expected – in a good way. I expected a book about a man dating three women at the same time, which wasn’t what I got. Instead, I got a book about mental health, grief and moving on. I loved every second of the book, even though it made me cry. A lot.

5 Stars

Hilarious. Oscar Wilde does it again. the play is witty and fast paced. I enjoyed it very much. Wilde’s sense of humor is timeless.

4 Stars

Edge of my seat, couldn’t stop reading. Loved the way Shepherd tld the story through multiple points of view. Never would have thought cartography could be so thrilling. The idea of this book was so unique it really kept it interesting. Loved Agloe and the whole idea of phantom towns. (BOTM)

5 Stars

I have always wanted to read this. For not liking poetry I really enjoyed it, especially the beginning and the end. Got a bit lost when Dante began listing his enemies in the middle.

4 Stars

Reminded me of Rebecca and Haunting of Hill House, except it was how I wanted Rebecca to be – spooky, dangerous, forbidden. I loved that Beatriz did something. She found Andres, the priest/witch who was too sexy for his own good. The book was engaging, atmospheric and it was impossible to put down. (BOTM)

4 Stars

While it had a few good twists, the book was merely okay. It was trying to do too much and there were so many characters I didn’t really find myself connecting with any of them. The book felt like it went halfway with a lot of the details and really left me wanting more. (BOTM)

3 Stars

This book was just as good as the first. I really enjoyed every second of it. I am really becoming a sucker for the trope of two people falling in love so I instantly fell in love with Stacey and Daniel’s story. I thought their story was sweet and realistic. Of course, I cried. I also want to go to the Ren Faire.

4 Stars

April 2022 Reads

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Powerful book. I honestly don’t even know how to describe what I read. The book is a great discussion on Race and what it means to be a Black man in America. That’s about all I can say without giving too much away.

5 Stars

A cute romance. Loved the setting and the premise. Rachel and Mason had a lot of chemistry right out of the gate. Really loved the slowburn aspect. Maisie was also a delight.

4 Stars

I wasn’t sure about this series after the first book, but I’m now hooked. It was a little slow and dragged a bit, but the last quarter was exciting and pushed the plot along. Loial is my favorite character.

4 Stars

Finishing this book (book 19 in the main series) only made me want next year’s book so much more. While this was Balz and Erika’s book, Lassiter was clearly the star. I loved this book so much, I couldn’t put it down. I love the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

5 Stars

Great book with a cute premise. I don’t read a lot of clean, sweet romance so it felt like a lot was missing, mostly swoonworthy passion. But, Will and Savannah were cute together and the premise was clever.

4 Stars

Heartbreakingly romantic. What else could I expect from Josie Silver? Cleo’s growth into a strong, fierce woman, Mack’s growth into the man and father he wants to be — *chef’s kiss* Salvation was even a character all on its own. A slow, soft book that made me cry. Loved every second of it.

4 Stars

A beautiful story about Katy as she learns to find herself without her mother. Until she finds her mother 30 years in the past. A subtle time travel novel centered on a love between a mother and daughter. Could have done without the cheating storyline, it knocked a star off for me. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Powerful story about a time period I honestly didn’t know very much about. I loved the choice to tell the story of Romania’s Revolution through the eyes of teenage revolutionaries, it made the story so much more powerful and heartbreaking. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Loved. It. Fox and Hannah had the best chemistry. Their love story moved at the exact right speed. I devoured this book in one sitting.

5 Stars

This book was a little “meh” for me, which I’ve found with a lot of Reese Witherspoon books. Everything just felt “blah.” I didn’t care for the characters, they were okay, but I felt no emotional attachment to them and the plot just felt empty.

3 Stars

Everything about this book was amazing: The plot, the characters, the pacing. Finlay knows how to write a thriller and do it well. I could not put this book down. Kept me guessing the whole time. Loved it. Cried at the end.

5 Stars

Re-read this book almost one year later for book club. Still love this book, but my favorite essays have changed. It makes me wonder if my favorite essays have to do with where I am in my life at the moment when I read the book. Since this is not only my favorite John Green book, it is easily in my top 5 of all time, I can see myself re-reading this again in the coming years. I wonder which essays will be my favorite then? (BOTM)

5 Stars

A wonderful collection of vignettes. I loved Sophia and Grandmother and their relationship to each other and the island. The descriptions of the island were breathtaking.

I am firmly entrenched in this series. Honestly, this was my favorite of the books so far. I really loved the focus on the characters other than Rand in this book. I felt it was more of a character building book rather than a world building, and I’m glad we can finally focus on plot rather than explaining what everything is.

4 Stars

March 2022 Reads

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A great retelling, I really enjoyed the plot. The characters were really well written. They were very well developed and I loved seeing the character growth. I loved, loved, loved the slow-burn between Easton and Ian. Very original twist on a classic.

4 Stars

I actually enjoyed both POV’s in this book, which has been rare lately with these dual POV books. I loved how both Lilian and Veronica were models and their lives turned out so different from what they expected. The story was interesting and I loved hearing about a wealthy Gilded Age family I knew nothing about. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Easily my favorite read of the month, I highly recommend you consume this via audiobook, it is read with a full cast. This book was my first book hangover of the year. I’m a sucker for these “Behind the Music” books. Opal and Nev told a rich story with vibrant characters. Opal came across as amazing. Nev wavered. More than once I wished they were real so I could YouTube their performances or see “The Picture.” (BOTM)

5 Stars

Our book club book for March, and so disappointing. The book had amateurish writing and had a real POV problem which made reading a little difficult and hard to follow at times. The characters were not well developed and hard to distinguish between each other. The crime solving was also difficult to read and felt like the author just Googled terms and slapped them in.

2 Stars

Fell in love with Kim and Penn on the recent season of “The Amazing Race” so I needed to get their book. The book is full of great marriage advice, and I will definitely be utilizing some of the tips for my own marriage.

4 Stars

This is a book I really wanted to love, but something prevented me from getting all the way there. It felt like something was missing the whole time I was reading it. The romance was okay, but I never really connected with Kian and Hudson. The numerous pop culture references were fun at first, and then they became too much and really distracted from the book.

3 Stars

Book Club pick for my sisters. this was a great book. It was so. funny. I loved it so much. It was witty and clever. Characters were all ones I could root for. Even a tiny little love triangle! I read the whole thing in two sittings. The action just pulled me along, and I didn’t want to stop!

5 Stars

I LOVE true crime, even fake true crime. This book had everything I love: true crime, a strong female lead, and all the suspense. This book was amazing. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Shea and Beth’s stories intertwined beautifully. And I love the way Simone St. James treats the paranormal elements in her books. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Nicky, yes. While the book started a little slow, it quickly sucked me in. There was nothing I didn’t love about this book. Coming of age story told through queer superheroes? Yes please! The story, the action, the found family, the romance, the parent/child relationship–it was all amazing.

5 Stars

This series is so good. I was worried the second book wasn’t going to live up to the first, and I’m so glad I didn’t have to worry. The mystery was on point in this one, I honestly didn’t see any of it coming. Finlay has amazing chemistry with everyone. there isn’t one character I didn’t like. I’m completely invested in this series.

5 Stars

This was a really good sequel. The book made me just as hungry as the first. What I liked best was how Lila was still dealing with the aftermath of the last book mentally, and I felt that was very realistic. The mystery was pretty good, and I couldn’t solve it before Lila. I still ship her with Detective Park.

4 Stars

February 2022 Reads

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The Wolf is the second book in the Prison Camp series by JR Ward. I really enjoyed the book and flew through it. However, it felt like Rio and Lucan were not the main focus of their own story. They were side characters to Vishious and Butch and their character development. This being said, I was not disappointed, I love V and Butch and their complicated relationship, and would be fine with even more of it in the future.

4 Stars

Told in verse, Clap When You Land was beautifully written and powerful. I couldn’t put it down. Such a beautiful story about loss and family. It made me cry several times, and I’m pretty sure it will be a book that sticks with me for a very long time.

5 Stars

Chosen for the book club I’m in at one of my local libraries, I really didn’t know what to think about Rules for Visiting before I read this book. And I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. I loved following May on her year of visiting and her reconnecting with her old friends and gaining so many more. I love books when you can see the characters growing before your very eyes.

4 Stars

A nice, short, pulpy story. I’m a big Bradbury fan, and this didn’t let me down. Great commentary about how you choose to spend the time you have on this (or any) planet.

4 Stars

Clocking in at THIRTY hours on audiobook, I was really worried The Eye of the World would be a book that would be slow and drag, but the opposite was true. For being so long it really engaged me and kept me interested the whole time. I liked all of the characters, but Rand was my favorite. I enjoyed the show, but I honestly like the book even more. I wasn’t sure starting this if I would continue the series, but I have book two on hold at the library and I am looking forward to seeing how their journey will continue.

4 Stars

Chosen for my regular book club, I have to say, I am really pleased with the selection this month. I really liked this book. Casiopea was so relatable and Ioved how unsure she was about being a “hero.” I loved Hun-Kame and his slow descent into humanity. The roamance. That ending. I honestly am hoping for some small novellas to give us some more adventures following the characters at the end of the book. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Chosen for my book club with my sisters, this was actually my second time reading the book, this time I listened to hit, and I think that made rereading it less of a chore. I loved the book just as much the second time as I did the first time. I especially loved her discussion about Gilmore Girls, and still cried during the Year in a Life part. This just reiterated how much I want to read her fiction book.

5 Stars

My February choice from Book of the Month, Don’t Cry For Me was moving and tragic. It was a poignant look at the relationship between Black fathers and their sons and the fluidity of what it means to be a man throughout several decades. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Arsenic and Adobo was a really cute book, and a fun, light read. I loved all of the characters, especially Lila. I totally ship her with Detective Park, no matter what the author is trying to push on us. The dialogue was witty, the food descriptions made me hungry, and I already have book two in the series on hold. (BOTM)

4 Stars

These BBC Radio dramatizations are amazing. The productions are very high quality. The cast is superb. Loved this final installment of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It was interesting to spot the differences between the book and the movie I’ve seen a dozen times.

5 Stars

My third Oscar Wilde book, and it’s safe to say, I love his writing. This was a hilarious short story. The caricatures of the American family had me rolling with laughter. There was so. much. snark. I loved every second reading this book. I have now made it my goal to read all of Wilde’s catalog.

4 stars

I binge read The Charm Offensive and have absolutely no regrets, other than it being over so soon. The book was so good. I especially loved the discussion about mental health and how it’s okay to always be discovering your sexuality. Charlie was a sweet cinnamon roll who need to be protected at all costs, and Dev was just hilarious and vulnerable and I just wanted to hug him. The romance between Charlie and Dev was sweet, and hot and everything.

5 Stars

January 2022 Reads

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With some of the writing a little cringeworthy, it really lowered my opinion of the book. I liked Lindsay and Ryan, but their story didn’t feel complete. Their break up felt forced and inorganic.

3 Stars

Everything I could hope for in a book by The Levy’s. The letters by each actor about their character was definitely the best part of the book. I also loved the behind the scenes stories. I laughed and I cried.

5 Stars

A raw and honest memoir about growing up in challenging circumstances, hitting the lowest lows, but coming out okay in the end. It was difficult to read at times, but at the same time it was inspiring. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Poor Wooley. This book was so good. A great book about adventure, friendship and fresh starts. Found myself rooting both for the boys and against them several times. The book had rich characters and an engaging plot. Towles has done it again. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Very good, especially on audiobook. Learned a lot about Will Smith as a person and professionally that I never knew before. Although, I’m not quite sure he is a great person, he is definitely very egotistical.

4 Stars

A cute romance. I loved Annie, but Patrick was the standout. It was a lot of fun. Glad there was no real break up between the characters. And obviously the Australia bits were the best.

4 Stars

A delightful memoir about a happy childhood. Was fun to read. Loved reading about Ames in the 1960s and 1970s. The whole book was very wholesome and I enjoyed reading it.

4 Stars

Poetry is not the genre for me. Found myself glossing over many poems to just get this over with.

3 Stars

Very interesting book about exploration. It was neat to read about the time and what it took to explore. But, it was also a little dry and boring.

3 Stars

Not the book for me. Too long, there could have been about 500 less pages. Too much rape. Too many contrived reasons for Jamie Claire to be in trouble. Writing not the best. Best part was the Jamie and Claire romance.

Not my favorite of the series, but I still really enjoyed it. You can tell Frank planned to write more books because the ending was a complete cliffhanger and left me wanting more. But I don’t know if it was enough for me to read the Brian Herbert books.

4 Stars

Amazing set up for the new spinoff series. Love the ties to BDB. Love that it seems the series is going to focus on Lydia and Daniel. I’m so excited for the new book that I went to preorder it and discovered I had already preordered it back in October.

December 2021 Reads

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Our book club pick for December, I went into this book hoping for something fun. Charles Dickens pulls a Sherlock Holmes? Yes, please! Instead, what I got was a Charles Dickens of his time, views on gender roles and all, and a mystery that was not as fun as I had expected. I wish the author hadn’t been so rigid in keeping with historical accuracy. I could have used a good, strong female character.

3 Stars

A cute YA holiday romance, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt that the characters were beautifully developed, and the pacing was very realistic. This book definitely met my expectations of a cute holiday read.

4 Stars

I felt the first book was pretty good, and decided to read the sequel because, why not? I went into the book thinking it was a duology and this book would complete the series. And I grew to love El and Orion even more than before as the book move through their senior year and the choices they made for their classmates and their relationship. However, with 20 minutes left of the book I realized Naomi Novik changed the book to a TRILOGY and I may have screamed in the parking lot of Kohl’s at the last line of the book. Now I’m anxiously awaiting book 3 in September.

4 Stars

Bayliss’ Twelve Dates of Christmas was one of my favorite holiday reads last year, so I was looking forward to reading this new book from her. And it did not disappoint. I fell in love with the small town of Willow Bay and found myself longing to visit. Annie and John had the perfectly paced slow burn, and I found myself sad when I reached the end of the book, wanting at least a hundred more pages so I could stay with Annie, John and the rest of Willow Bay’s residents.

4 Stars

Hallmark Christmas movie in a book. This was the perfect Christmas romance, and I just ate it up. I loved Annie. The twins were just freakin’ adorable. And the romance was great. Perfect holiday fluff read.

4 Stars

Twins swapping places, food network baking competition, small snowy town, and romance. What more could you ask for in a Christmas read? I could not put this book down, and loved every second of it. It was so cute, and I loved that I got two love stories for the price of one. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Prior to reading this book, I could not name one Foo Fighters song, and could only name one Nirvana song. I chose to listen to this book because I heard it was a great memoir. And it was. I really enjoyed it, and I fell in love with Dave Grohl. I have since listened to some of his music.

5 Stars

Chosen for my book club I do with my sisters, I was really excited to read this book since Project Hail Mary was easily the best book I read all year. Artemis, however, really fell short. I think my expectations were too high after Mary and The Martian. This book was a lot different than the other two. That being said, I still enjoyed the book, and loved the thriller aspect. It did start a bit slow, but it picked up.

4 Stars

Typically I read to escape reality, so I almost didn’t pick up a book so firmly set during the beginning of Covid. The concept of a woman being stuck in the Galapagos intrigued me though. And I have to say, this was a great book. I really loved the stuff on the Galapagos. However, there’s a twist that happens at about 60% that really knocked me for a spin, and knocked a star off my rating. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was jarring and a bit disappointing. However, I’m going to choose to believe it ends the way I want it to end, and that will keep it at the higher rating.

4 stars

October 2021 Reads

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This book moved slower than I would have liked, I wish the romance had started a little sooner, and the break up seemed a bit contrived, but overall I enjoyed the book. I loved Lucie and Tristan together, and wish more pages had been devoted to them together rather than apart. I love how well researched these books are, and how angry it makes me to read about how little women had in so far as independence and rights in the 19th Century. It truly makes me grateful that I live now instead of then. (BOTM)

4 Stars

This was easily my favorite book of the three. I felt the romance was earned more in this one than in the other two. It may be because Hattie has always been my favorite and I was so happy for her to get her HEA. Taking Lucien and Hattie out of London and up into Scotland was brilliant, and definitely gave the story more depth. I loved all the side characters and hope to see them again of there are more books. (BOTM)

5 Stars

I wasn’t quite sure what to think starting this one, with yet another huge time leap between books and 100% new characters, however, I found myself enjoying this one quite a bit. In true Herbert fashion the book is SO MUCH set up, however, I love the way he world builds I honestly don’t care that nothing really happens for the first three fourths of the book. The ending and the revelations in the last fourth are totally worth it. I had a lot of predictions that turned out wrong, but I find myself really looking forward to the final book in the series.

4 Stars

What a great book. Everything in love in a romance and some of my favorite tropes. We had friends to lovers, game dating and only one bed all in one book. Add in a strong independent Latina protagonist I could identify with and you have a book I could devour in a day. I loved the pace of Gabe and Mich’s relationship and I loved their extended families. The book made me laugh, and it made me cry.

4 Stars

What a beautiful book. Really makes you think about the way you live your own life, what is your legend journey? What is your treasure? Are you listening to the world around you? The prose was beautiful. I was moved to tears at points.

4 Stars

Other than the fact that I couldn’t stop picturing Piper as Season 1 Alexis Rose and Brendan as Ron Swanson through the entirety of the book, which made for some interesting visuals when they started bumping uglies, this book was a lot of fun. I enjoy a good enemies to lovers book, and I love a good fish out of water book, and this provided both. The writing was smooth, the characters well developed, and I rooted for them from the first page. I’ve already put the next book on my TBR.

4 Stars

Powerful book about a horrible event in our history. Colbert does a great job contextualizing the massacre in history and bringing the event to life. Written for a teen audience, the book isn’t too bogged down by complex sentences. The history is told concisely and simply and it’s easy to follow and read.

5 Stars

This book was everything I had hoped for in a sequel. It was just as good and beautiful as the first book, and picked up the second after the first book ended. I fell in love with Ari and and Dante even more than I did before. They are so well written. And Ari’s journey was so great. I know it probably won’t happen, but I would love to see at least a short story following Ari, Dante, the girls, the parents, et all maybe like twenty years later, just to see where their lives are. If I don’t get that, I’ll be happy. The ending of this book was perfect. This book was…perfect.

5 Stars

Now THIS was a thriller. Everything that I thought would be a last minute twist happened in the first 50% of the book, and I honestly had no idea how it would end. The book kept me at the edge of my seat and I didn’t want to stop reading. (BOTM)

5 Stars

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve read a lot of these dystopian female heroes books or what, but this one just didn’t wow me. I enjoyed the book okay, but if it weren’t picked for my book club I may have set it aside. The only thing that compelled me to keep reading was the relationship between Immanuelle and Ezra, and even then there wasn’t enough there. I would have loved to see their relationship flushed out. And more of them together. The book wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t AMAZING. I don’t think I’ll be reading the next book in the series.

3 Stars

This was a fun book to read during October. I really liked the Jones girls and I liked how magic was just a thing in the world. And I really like Rhys. I’m a sucker for a Welsh man. (BOTM)

4 Stars

This book was okay. I wanted to love it more, but I just couldn’t get into the way it was written. Too many pop culture references, not a lot of character development, which I know can be difficult in a novella, but can be done. Maybe I was walking into this expecting something different, but whatever I was expecting, this wasn’t it. It just didn’t draw me in. 

3 Stars