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Jody3

Jody3

Joined August 2017

I ❤️ to read
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Jody3
Unlikely Animals | Annie Hartnett
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Pickpick

The characters are charming, albeit a bit quirky. The plot is endearing as well as riddled with hidden gems. And, most importantly, the storyline solidifies the love of family, love of shared memories and the importance of enjoying the life you are given and the people you are lucky enough to call yours.

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Jody3
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This is a dark, exceptionally well written novel which is very different from anything I've read in a long while. The victims themselves were not well explored but, that in no way detracted from the effectiveness of the story. I never understood how Ansel Parker was able to do what he did yet, his story was still sometimes sad and ultimately powerful. This is one of those stories I will not easily forget; it left me with plenty to think about.

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Jody3
Acts of Violet | Margarita Montimore
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Mehso-so

Nothing else from this author comes close to Oona out of Order for me. I felt this book especially was drawn out and I didn‘t love the podcast format parts. It probably would have made a great podcast but it didn‘t work on the page for me.
I kept reading to get to the end and hoped for a great satisfying ending but it just wasn‘t there.

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Jody3
The Fixer Upper | Lauren Forsythe
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I loved the premise of this book and thought it was a super fun/quick read. It did tug on my heart strings! Aly‘s growth from beginning to end was written beautifully. You could definitely argue that she was unlikable due to the description of her business, but I promise you that you will be cheering for her by the end. There is just something special about the childhood friends to lovers trope for me, so I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.

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Jody3
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Out of all the stories this was the one felt the most rushed and awkward. There was no real chemistry and even the spicy scenes were a little lacking. The romance felt a completely rushed and there wasn‘t nearly enough time spent on the reasons why they loved each other. It felt so much more forced than the others in the series. I thought the stakes weren‘t as high as the other books, there wasn‘t a climax that really made the relationship work.

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Jody3
The Beach Trap | Ali Brady
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The Beach Trap is a sweet “chick lit” book about two women who have to deal with a lot of pain, betrayal, heartbreak, confusion and disappointment because of what their parents chose. And it takes them a while to work through those difficult, longstanding emotions to find the sweetness in the gift they have: each other. Romance for both is a nice part of the story, and so there‘s plenty to love in the ways things get wrapped up by the end.

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Jody3
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Overall this is a lovely tale, fitting of its author. There is a lot of Dahl's humour, and the narrative is wonderfully, and beautifully, imaginative.

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Jody3
The Twits | Roald Dahl
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This is a fun and enjoyable book that readers will just love the silliness of. Under the silliness is also a message of how being rude, horrible and unkind will see you pay for it in the long run and that kindness is the way to go – good will always triumph over evil.

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Jody3
The Book Thief | Markus Zusak
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This book is just a great book that I felt like I had to work to get through, but it was worth it. I don‘t think there‘s many books told during this time period about German families. It shows that not everyone believed in or sided with Hitler. I really liked that aspect.
I found that Zusak had made me care about the characters and their fates. There‘s no doubt that this is a very moving book and I was close to tears once or twice near the end.

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Jody3
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This compelling novel is set in Victorian London, where young orphans are owned by chimney sweeps and forced to clean flues. Their life is hard and dangerous. They are malnourished, and work in hazardous conditions. Providing a fascinating insight into the harsh realities faced by many homeless children in 19th-century Britain, this moving page-turner is also an uplifting tale of friendship, love and kindness, enhanced with a touch of magic.

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Jody3
The Rent Collector | Camron Wright
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The book is beautifully written and flows well. The reader definitely gets a feeling for life at the dump, and although the ending has a fairy tale quality to it, I found this story to be thought provoking and uplifting. The Rent Collector is one of my favorite reads of the year.

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Jody3
Chasing Lincoln's Killer | James L. Swanson
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This was well written and well done. Great insight and research of historical facts. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in US history.

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Jody3
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Where the Crawdads Sing is an incredibly deep and moving novel that I have no doubt I will forever remember. It is a mind-blowingly poignant debut and easily one of the best books I have read so far in 2022. This is exactly the kind of novel that will be the first in my mind when I think of recommendations.

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Jody3
An Unorthodox Match | Naomi Ragen
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While this is a great character-driven novel, I wish that the plot had been perhaps a little more complex... or that the epilogue had been set farther into the future. The characters are all more completely built and sympathetic, but I just wish that there had been more surprises... But, it's definitely a good read!

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Jody3
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This book is a cute read (and a tearjerker). It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me want to slap the main character sometimes, but I enjoyed it. I fell in love with Jennifer E. Smith‘s writing style, and I instantly wanted to read more of her books. If you‘re looking for a an emotional love story that really makes you feel every single emotion that the main characters are feeling, this is a great one.

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Jody3
Forever My Girl | Heidi McLaughlin
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Mehso-so

Seeing previews for the movie piqued my interest in reading this story. I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie, because as we all know, usually the book is better. I have a feeling the movie will be better. There is no depth in this book. Everything just keeps conveniently working out for the characters. Very predictable. Overall it is a cute quick read, but very surface level. Sometimes you need a fluff book.

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Jody3
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A great adolescent read - inspirational account of the importance of an education and freedom. Survival and overcoming obstacles are exemplified through her struggles. Under the guise of doing a young readers edition, Malala was given the opportunity to tell her story more focused on how she experienced it.

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Jody3
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After enjoying Tokyo Ever After, I knew I had to read the sequel. And what a sequel! In my opinion, it was better than the first book! If you love stories with us against the world vibes and family discoveries, you have to read this one! It‘s perfect for fans of the first and who love the Princess Diaries sequel vibes.

9 likes1 stack add
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Jody3
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This was a solid second book in the Bridgerton series. I enjoyed reading about Anthony and him falling in love with a girl he didn't think he would fall in love with. I mean it's very obvious that if the main character says "I will never let myself fall in love" he will 100% absolutely fall in love with the exact person he said he wouldn't. Dumby. Overall I really liked this and thought it was super sweet and spicy and scandalous.

13 likes1 stack add
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Jody3
Being Perfect | Anna Quindlen
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Quindlen extolls the wisdom of avoiding perfectionism, or the perfection trap. She moves ahead of the pack by asking the reader to consider what makes YOU happy, not your friends or family, YOU. The underlying message in the book...set goals and objectives in life that create happiness for you. We all have a tendency, at times, do what it takes to make those around us pleased or happy. These acts are not necessarily what makes us happy.

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Jody3
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I enjoyed the originality of the plot and the gripping story about literature and family secrets buried in the past. Although not always happy with the main character, I really did enjoy the story that gives the reader some pleasant, entertaining reading hours.

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Jody3
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I began reading this book when I discovered Carrie‘s Fit52 app. I love how her workout rotation is based on a deck of playing cards. It‘s a lot of fun and definitely doable. I also love how she describes fitness as a journey and not an end destination.

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Jody3
Plot | Jean Hanff Korelitz
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Overall, The Plot was a good read, albeit a little predictable. You got drama, suspense, a little bit of romance, and a peek into the author/publishing world. I think you can see the ending coming a mile away, but I enjoyed the road to get there. Bonner‘s book-within-a-book is pretty good, too.

16 likes1 stack add
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Jody3
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By challenging you to explore what matters, Michal offers solutions to your everyday struggles. She will empower you as well as teach you how to adopt her self-development tools to discover who you really are and what you were born to do with your life. Her uplifting belief that you already have all the ingredients within you to lead a joyous life. This unique book will help you to find your courage, and move forward freely, with no fear at all!

7 likes1 stack add
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Jody3
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A classic memoir of wrongful imprisonment and freedom won, Hinton‘s memoir tells his dramatic thirty-year journey and shows how you can take away a man‘s freedom, but you can‘t take away his imagination, humor, or joy.

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Jody3
Mr. Popper's Penguins | Richard Atwater Atwater
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Mr. Popper‘s Penguins is fun-filled, creative, and allows the reader to imagine what life would be like caring for a penguin. I would love to hang out with Mr. Popper. He seems like a pretty cool dude. Penguins in the fridge = awesome!

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Jody3
Dear Wife (Original) | Kimberly Belle
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This is a page turner, and I couldn‘t stop reading! Kimberly Belle has written a very edgy and intense, thought-provoking novel that I highly recommend.

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Jody3
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With it's captivating blend of magical realism, romance, small-town charm and true-to-life characters, this story is nothing short of enchanting, endearing, and compelling, and one which captured me from the very moment I began reading.

Author, Heather Webber has created a memorable narrative that will bring you joy and tears. You will fall in love with the town, its characters, and all that is... Wicklow. A must read!

13 likes2 stack adds
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Jody3
Mom, You're Fired! | Nancy K. Robinson
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Just finished reading this book with my pre-teen. This book shows girls that their friends don't often share their belief of "your Mom is so cool!" and how your friend with the "cool Mom" often wishes she had your "uncool Mom." I could relate because I thought my Mom was very embarrassing at that age and I wished she was "cool" like other Moms. And then, the older I got, I learned that some of my friends wished their mother was more like mine!

8 likes1 stack add
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Jody3
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In all honesty, I could understand why. Laura Ingalls Wilder is without a doubt one of the best children's writers who ever lived. Although there are wonderful little snippets of family life, and a few hints of the conflicts between the feisty Laura and her more reserved and perfect sister Mary, the truth is in the first book there isn't much of a plot & Mrs. Wilder goes on for page after page describing how bullets were made, or butter churned.

8 likes1 stack add
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Jody3
Projekt 1065 | Alan Gratz
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This is an incredibly taut thriller, made even more engrossing and gut-wrenching due to the fact that so many of the events are real. Michael is a young boy in Germany, the son of Irish spies trying to do all that he possibly can to help defeat the Nazis and end the war. While a number of instances in the book are very convenient , the novel as a whole is really strong and will be incredibly popular with young fans of the spy thriller genre.

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Jody3
The Guest List | Lucy Foley
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I had about a million predictions which kept changing as I was reading as to how everything was going to play out in the end. For the most part, all of my predictions were completely wrong. I was able to guess one major twist pretty early on but other than that, I was completely shocked by all of the twists and turns! So, so good! The only thing that bothered me was how conveniently the characters were connected to the groom.

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Jody3
The Nickel Boys: A Novel | Colson Whitehead
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A fictional work based on the state-run Dozier School for Boys in Florida where boys were tortured and even murdered while the school remained open for more than 100 years. Brilliantly written and completely devastating. The novel ends with a nice twist.

Andrew65 A personal favourite and that ending! 😢 2y
18 likes1 comment
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Jody3
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Mehso-so

It lacked the story telling and connection to characters that usually pulls me into a book and just wasn‘t for me. For being such an interesting and important topic, it moved very slowly for me. The story itself was captivating, however I would have preferred if it was told more concisely. The main reason I did not care for the book was because of the fantastical elements woven throughout.

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Jody3
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Panpan

This book was long and tedious. I thought at least the recipes would be good, but they were just like the author a “food snob.” Nothing was down to Earth! Her sophisticated palette can not compete with my plebeian tastebuds.

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Jody3
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This is just a lovely read and will leave you warm and cosy, and wanting to buy candles and throws!

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Jody3
The Help | Kathryn Stockett
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I just completely and absolutely loved this. Lovely characters, nailbiting story and a beautiful message. It was just great. And it dealt with its subject matter with appropriate sympathy and sensitivity. The Help is an emotional rollercoaster with a touching message and a strong undercurrent of hope.

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Jody3
The Paris Library: A Novel | Janet Skeslien Charles
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This is an unforgettable story of how the power of literature brings us together. How friendship, family, forgiveness, the bond of books, and betrayal are all blended together in this really stellar novel. The author was asked what she wished a reader would take away from this novel and she said “books are bridges and they bring us together” and I couldn‘t agree more.

Suet624 Lovely review. 2y
8 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Jody3
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This is a comedy show focused at a family audience. It is often corny, but packed with genuine fun. I listened to it with my 10 year-old and she made it funnier when she kept saying “this isn‘t funny” or “I don‘t get it, why are you laughing?” Overall, I enjoyed it! It‘s quick and full of laughs!

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Jody3
The Heart Principle | Helen Hoang
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Oh man, the wait for this third book from Helen Hoang was worth every minute! I loved this story! Full of depth, truth, and the beauty of loving yourself for exactly who you are, The Heart Principle shines! I loved every minute of Quan & Anna‘s story and the beauty of how they not only fell in love with each other, but also with themselves. I‘m so grateful to have had a chance to read this beautiful story!

9 likes1 comment
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Jody3
Island | Victoria Hislop
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The book really does make you think about how you cannot change your past and you have no choice but to move forward in life and forgive as everybody makes mistakes.

This is a beautifully imagined and evocatively told story that weaves actual facts into fiction. Readers who love historical fiction, especially based in Greece will adore reading this book. I look forward to reading the sequel; One August Night very soon.

11 likes1 stack add
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Jody3
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This is a perfect summer read. It will pull you in, hold you tight, and set you free, but leave you thinking about the characters and their world for some time to come.

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Jody3
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If you love books with wit (the writing can be really, really funny), romance, happy endings, and a good bit of characterization, then Miss Pettigrew Lives for A Day should be at the top of your list.

6 likes1 stack add
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Jody3
Someone Knows My Name | Lawrence Hill
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Mehso-so

It was extremely slow and far reaching in spots. He used several potential experiences during that time but realistically 1 person couldn't have endured all of these story lines. I loved the first part of this book up until she was sold to the Jewish Lindo. Pretty much everything after that totally lost me because the story was too incredible to be believable.

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Jody3
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It‘s hard to give your teens the freedom to find their way and at the same time to endure some of their actions, but the 1-2-3 Magic Teen program shows why that approach gives them the life skills they will need as adults.

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Jody3
We Were Liars | E. Lockhart
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We Were Liars is well written, suspenseful story that focuses on the privileged Sinclair family. It is told from the point of view of Candence Sinclair Easton. It had three other characters, Johnny, Gat and Mirren and these four formed the Liars. All the characters are quite layered and complex. They appear to be one thing but as the story progresses, we find there is another side to them that we hadn't seen before.

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Jody3
Fly Away | Kristin Hannah
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I enjoyed this sequel to Firefly Lane more than I enjoyed the first book. When I started this book, I felt that it was depressing and that Hannah should have stopped the story with the first book. But I ended up loving the characters, the details of their lives and the storyline so much more than I did in the first novel.

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Jody3
A Man Called Ove: A Novel | Fredrik Backman
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A Man Called Ove was a book I found unexpectedly delightful. The author has a wonderful way of capturing the reader‘s interest with wonderful characters that find themselves in hilarious situations. The book A Man Called Ove does indeed start with Ove trying to take his life and continuously being interrupted by his new neighbors. But, this story is so much more than that. Ove ends up having a profound impact on the life of everyone he meets.

Elizabeth2 One of my favorite reads! I ❤️ Ove! 3y
Tattooedteacher I read this a while ago and it‘s one of those books that sticks with me still. 3y
16 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Jody3
The Duke And I | Julia Quinn
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I‘m one of those people that has to read the book before I watch the show. After reading this book, I‘m so excited to watch the show because this book was remarkable. The story was easy to follow and the storyline was like reading a soap opera. I was pleasantly surprised by the writing and really enjoyed the witty banter between the characters.

19 likes1 stack add
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Jody3
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Wow! This book emotionally wrecked me. I was warned that I was going to need tissues, but I did not anticipate sobbing for a straight hour as I finished the book. I love watching books on the big screen and was excited to read this before I could binge watch the Netflix series. I just could not put this book down. I wanted more of “TullyandKate”. There was something so natural about the way their lives progressed and I adored reading about them.

15 likes1 stack add