I waffled about giving this a so-so or pick. I did enjoy it. I listened to it in a couple days on audiobook (while dying sola wood flowers for my wedding!), & I was interested in where it would all lead. It was an adventure, mystery, and romance in one. With that said, the ultimate direction felt unrealistic and a bit toxic. I didn‘t like the games of the main characters so SPOILER ALERT

I didn‘t want them to end up together. It felt childish.

My second Alice Feeney read! I really enjoyed it and was shocked by the big twist. I didn‘t love the ending, but I loved the journey that got us there. I‘ll definitely read more of her stories. #bookspin #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks this was also my first read of the year and first book for book spin!

Starting #bookspin and #doublespin a bit late, but excited to participate for 2023 and hoping to cross more off the list this year! Thanks as always for hosting @TheAromaofBooks

Sadly the lowest number of books I‘ve read in a year since 2014. I have just fallen into the trap of doom scrolling and bingeing shows this year. But I did love what I made time for!
Favorites this year included Finlay Donovan is Killing It, The Midnight Library, and Daisy Darker.
Happy New Year Littens!

This was my first Alice Feeney book, and it definitely won‘t be my last. The mystery unravels methodically with the perfect balance of suspense and drama. There are a lot of characters in the Darker family story, but each one has their own development that aids the plot. I loved the way it all ties up in the end, but I didn‘t expect it at all!

Perhaps because I listened to this one on audio, but it was a bit hard to follow and the ending came out of nowhere and felt rushed. However, I did enjoy learning about deaf culture and thought the book brought up some really important issues. I also appreciated how the audiobook changed the sounds when character‘s were listening through their implants to make it more immersive.

Feels similar to The Kiss Quotient but stands apart as it‘s own unique rom-rom. A psych student trying to calculate the β€œSizzle Paradox” (aka the chemistry in relationships) by dating various men and rating them on the scale. But if she can‘t figure it out, how does she have any right to have a thesis on the topic? Very steamy!!

This is a really weird and odd graphic novel. I‘m sure kids would love it though, but I‘m definitely not the target audience here.

I loved this graphic novel! There is so much fun word play for both kids and adult readers. The illustrations are bright and colorful, and I love the overarching message that being yourself is the best path to happiness and success.

Super cute rom-com with a bit of magic β€” perfect October read! (I‘m a bit behind updating my reviews!) It has a hate to love trope, which I always enjoy!

Better than book two, but the show is still so much better. As is the To All The Boys I‘ve Loved Before series. I did not expect the direction of this final book, but I was happy with the very end and how it was tied together.

The second book in Jenny Han‘s The Summer I Turned Pretty series, and it was very sad. It felt like a transitional book that will set up the third in the series and didn‘t have a strong plot on its own besides Belly still being unsure of her purpose without the summer house and Beck‘s boys. I‘ll still read the third, but this series overall isn‘t as strong as To All the Boys I‘ve Loved Before.

Definitely a cute enemies to lovers rom-com with some HGTV vibes. I enjoyed it but nothing too original.

I watched The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime last week and it was everything I could ask for in a YA show adaptation. It was so sweet and you fall in love with the boys just like Belly does. You fall in love with Cousins Beach and the friendship between the moms. To continue that joy I bought the full series today. Read book 1 in a sitting. Very cute and an easy read, but Han‘s writing has improved since this first series. 3.75/5

I woke up super early this morning (5 am) feeling stressed about work and am upcoming move, so I took that restless energy and used it to finish this book. This was so sweet and a really fun rom-com. The premise was unique, and I liked that the characters had dimension and development outside of their relationship. This was my first Emily Henry and I‘ll definitely read more!

I studied psych in college and have always been fascinated by various disorders so I was excited to learn more about the mind behind the psychopath. This had interesting sections here and there but it didn‘t dive as deep as I was hoping. It was less about the mental disorder and instead about some case studies for people the author didn‘t think deserved to be labeled as psychopaths.

Another domestic suspense thriller from these authors! I love that Hendricks‘ and Pekkanen‘s plots are unique and take seemingly mundane characters and situations and make them sinister. Dr. Shields was an interesting psychological study as was the relationship with her husband.

McManus‘ second book delivered! I really enjoyed the first one but it hinted at the twist a bit too early on. I did not expect the direction of this second one and thought it was much stronger. I liked that it followed a new cast of characters but the old ones made appearances and brought the stories together. I‘m excited to read the next one!

This was between a pick and a so-so for me. The last third picked up pace and it became more interesting as time went on, but I‘m not a big fan of regency era lit. However, the romance was sweet and I loved how tough and brave Georgiana was. A great feminist rom-com that touches on deeper issues at its core.

I‘ve been on a Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen kick and am loving their thrillers. I was enthralled waiting to find out the secrets of the Moore sisters while also questioning Shay‘s terrible choices. This one kept me guessing even though it seemed straightforward at first. Despite it being very unrealistic, I didn‘t want to stop reading!

Thanks for the tag @The.Great.Catsby !
#WondrousWednesday
I‘m enjoying Beach Read so far! Only a few chapters in, but around 4 stars.
The Midnight Library is my favorite read so far in 2022!
I‘m grateful for beach days with new friends!

@swishandflick

On Saturday I got my first beach visit of the season! Not sure if I‘ll have the chance to go much more, but it was perfect. Loved reading the beach read, Beach Read, on the beach!!

Another book this week that kept me up reading! I was skeptical about how gripping a story could be about a couple and their unconventional therapist, but I did not expect the number of twists and turns and where it all led. This was my first book by these authors although I own a few, and I‘m so excited to read more. It had my heart racing, and I loved the audiobook narrator as she had the perfect tone that had me leaning in for more.

As I‘m engaged and getting married next year, I was excited to read a fun wedding themed rom-com! This was mostly enjoyable, but the main character, Zoey, really annoyed me. She has a perfect man (Greenberg truly didn‘t give him any flaws), but she doesn‘t want to marry him because she has commitment issues thanks to none of her friends tying the knot at weddings where she was a bridesmaid. A fun idea, but I did not love the final direction.

This YA gets right to the action in chapter 1, and I was hooked and stayed up until 2am to finish it. (Something I haven‘t done with a book in over a year). There was a clue that revealed the twist only about halfway through the book. I was hoping it was a red herring and would change course and completely surprise me, but that wasn‘t the case. Despite predicting the end, I still was excited for the journey and how it all tied together. 4/5 ⭐️

This was a well-written women‘s fiction and romance with a slight speculative fiction twist. Would you pay $50k ($45k as a woman to account for the wage gap), to be guaranteed to find your perfect soulmate that will lead to a forever love? Ursula and Rafael are matched by The Arc after paying this fee and everything is perfect…until it‘s not. The plot drives forward while offering plenty of character development for Ursula (less for Rafael). 4 ⭐️

This is one of the rare books that makes you think, imagine, and dig into your innermost thoughts, all while being beautifully written and engrossing. I loved The Midnight Library so much. I often think about parallel universes and how one decision could have completely altered the direction of your life. What if you didn‘t accept that job offer, or said yes to a date, or simply said β€œhi” to a stranger. Haig let‘s you explore it all with Nora Seed

So boring…literally nothing happens. I liked Normal People (maybe because I related to it more), so I was optimistic for this read, but the characters weren‘t relatable or interesting. I don‘t think Rooney‘s writing style is for me.

A cute rom-com with characters in dental school. Loved the environment for the story, but the main characters were a bit annoying in their insecurities and anxieties and didn‘t actually seem to have any chemistry.

A lot happened in this book, so it was a bit harder to follow on audio. Also likely because I wasn‘t fully engaged in it. The twist at the end was dramatic and unexpected, but it‘s essentially of book of lying, deceit, cheating, and unreliable narrators. I think I would have liked this more in print, but overall wasn‘t for me.

I‘ve always loved JP‘s ability to take a controversial topic & erase the hard moral lines so that all is left is a messy palette of gray. I miss those books & this isn‘t one. JP was still too close to the pandemic writing this as her emotions & views leak into the narrative, separate from her characters‘ development. But her writing is captivating & lyrical, & listening to the audiobook I was connected to the narrative. More on my Goodreads ⬇️

This was my most anticipated read this month and it was so worth the wait. I had a blast listening to Angela Dawe read this funny, unexpected novel. Finlay is just as charming in book 2 and I love all the trouble she gets herself into alongside Vero.
I

Meh, just okay. A bit boring and it felt like a series of vignettes as opposed to a story. They didn't really connect and then it just sort of ends. In the audiobook there is an interview with the author and it seems like these were just taken straight from the column she had written for a magazine. I haven't watched many Sex and the City episodes so I felt like I was missing key background to appreciate this.

This was a fun read! I always enjoy reading about a book within a book and the publishing industry. The plot of the story in the story (Crib) was built up so much that it was a bit of a disappointing twist in the big picture, but still a good one if this was a traditional thriller. I was still surprised. I was a but bored during the Crib parts and tuned out a bit while listening. But it was a fun, literary mystery overall.

Super cute picture book audiobook by Channing Tatum all about being your true self! Love hearing this side of the actor and seeing him as a dad.

I loved this funny, light, mysterious read! Finlay Donovan is a single mom and author who is in danger of losing her book deal as she's months behind on her deadlines. She meets with her agent at Panera to talk it through and a desperate woman at the next table misinterprets the conversation and hires her as a hit woman! Finlay finds herself in the world of crime & mobsters, all while trying to hold onto her kids and love life. Excited for book 2!

I loved Tweet Cute so was excited to read another Emma Lord book. This one was still cute, but it didn't hold my attention the same way. There were too many storylines going on, and I wish it skipped the romance and just focused on Abby's and Savvy's sister relationship instead of adding Leo into it. The parent drama was also over the top. I liked in Tweet Cute that the parents were more immature than the kids, but it didn't feel appropriate here.

Adorable! As I become closer to a parent's age rather than a teen, I'm finding some YA novels harder to read as characters are immature & create their own problems. But this book didn't make me feel that way. If anything, the parents were acting more immature and making infuriating decisions, and I liked how that gave the book a more interesting dynamic.
All my recent rom-com reads have had some sort of baking element, and I'm here for it!

Just listened to this entire audiobook while decorating sugar cookies! It came off hold from the library today and felt like the perfect time to listen to it. It was cute and easy to listen to. It wasn't my favorite romance as the storyline and characters weren't anything surprising, and it was less humorous than some of my other recent reads. But a sweet, festive story nonetheless.

This book requires you to suspend your disbelief as it's all a bit ridiculous and unrealistic. And the plot moves forward because a college girl makes the world's stupidest decisions, which I hope no one in real life would make. With that said, Sager once again keeps you on the edge of your seat & desperate to know more. However, the "why" the MC, Charlie, is in this situation in the first place is not strong and undermines the overall plot.

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks thank you SO much for my surprise package!!! It was the best surprise to come home to last night. I unwrapped the silver packaging and the Santa list pad is adorable! I'm going to use that at work for some to-do lists this week to make it more cheerful. The book is so beautifully wrapped and I can't decide if I should open it now or put it under my mini tree and open it on Christmas. Thank you!! I'm truly so excited xox

I bought this ebook many years ago when I first started watching Dexter, and I just started rewatching it and introducing it to my fiancé 😍 a couple months ago, so I decided to give the book a chance. It's pretty identical to the show for the first 75%, but with less character development & the ending was completely different. I prefer how the show wrote it as the book wrapped up too quickly without fully explaining what happened. 3.5 stars

I've been in a cheesy, romantic mood lately with all of my rom-com reading, & it's gotten me out of my almost two year (thanks Covid) reading slump. I got so much reading done on my trip to the Bahamas with my SO, but it was a rom-com come to life as he proposed!! We've been together 6.5 years, and I couldn't be more excited to continue my life with him. Just like every rom-com there were a few obstacles along the way, but I'm ready for our HEA! ❀

A super cute holiday beach read that was the perfect companion for my trip to the Bahamas. However, if you care about your rom-coms being semi-realistic, this one is not for you. It's completely outlandish but fun all the same. 28-year-old twins swap places & it gets messy as they both start dating someone who thinks they're their sister. Conflict could have been prevented by telling the truth, but then there wouldn't have been a book. 3.5 stars

Another enjoyable rom-com! If you're a fan of The Great British Bake Off, you'll love this. It felt a bit long to me and I thought the competition took up a bit too much time, but I loved the variety of characters with different personalities. Rosaline's daughter was my favorite character, both precocious and childish in equal measure. Without giving too much away, I hated the audiobook voice for one character, but perhaps that was intentional.

This was my third Abby Jimenez book in about a week as she quickly became my must-read, favorite author of 2021. All of her books have been sweet, but I really appreciate how she is able to expand her stories past the vapidness often found in chick-lit, and give substance to her characters while they experience difficult emotions and life struggles. At the same time, these reads aren't too heavy--it's truly the perfect balance.

I love my new journal from @outofprint and have been using it to take important notes at my new publishing job. And while cleaning out my desk, I found this vintage key and just loved how it looks with the notebook. I think I'm going to get a long necklace chain so I can wear it.

So flipping cute! I've been watching lots of holiday rom-coms the last week, and this fits right in with them with plenty of adorable scenes and characters. I just felt happy listening to this, and I loved getting to see Sloan's story play out after the first book. It works as a standalone, but I do recommend reading Friend Zone first to fully appreciate Sloan's story and growth.

This was another super sweet and sexy romance, but it also has dimension. The characters have real flaws and go through real-life hardships, and it makes the love story all the sweeter. I cried with both sadness and happiness throughout most of the last quarter of the book. I'm excited to read Jimenez's other books, and I've already downloaded one!

Some #LitsyLove surprises on their way today! Thanks to @TheAromaofBooks for the great idea!!