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!!

This book is adorable, witty, sexy, and so much fun! If you want a rom-com that will make you smile and believe in true love, read this book. The audio was fantastic, and this was the first book in a while where I found spare moments to listen whenever I could. I will definitely make Farah Heron's next book an automatic TBR add.

I loved the first chapter, and I read the rest of the book hoping to experience more of that without luck. There's a lot going on between all the characters and time hops, and it ultimately didn't engage me.

Book mail is the best mail! Thank you SO much @TheAromaofBooks for this surprise book! I've been really wanting to read it, and then it just showed up at my door! You're the best and I'm so grateful! 🥰🥰 #litsylove

Perfect for anyone facing a career change. I decided to pick it up after our company was bought out, and it helped me feel grounded and more in control. The exercises were especially helpful in that and worth pausing the audiobook to do them.

This was an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a cult-like club intended to strengthen marriages and keep them whole, but with some sinister and questionable methods. There's oddly some good relationship tips in here, and I loved the chapters about Jake's therapy patients. Definitely darker than I expected, but a fun read! It's one of Audible's premium free options.

All of my wonderful and thoughtful #LitsyLove birthday cards! Thank you all so much for making my day (and month!!) so very special. It means more than I can express xoxo

I've been in a continuous reading slump, so I decided to continue on with my Harry Potter reread. I'm loving experiencing these as audiobooks for the first time as it helps me appreciate these books in a new way. I think book 6 may be my favorite. The perfect blend of humor and seriousness. Love seeing the characters discover love and dating in a more meaningful way, too.

I'm still super behind, but finally catching up a bit on #litsylove letters!

TJR writes another incredible book that pulls me out of my reading slump. It starts shifting between two timelines in 1956 and 1983, but the past eventually catches up with the present. I originally was enjoying the present timeline more, but as I read more, I was excited for both moments. It's not as emotionally devastating as her previous works, just elicited a few silent tears, but I loved how Malibu comes alive.

I've been meaning to read this one forever, but I'm so glad I had a last minute impulse to download the audiobook before a drive. The narrator, Christina Moore, was phenomenal. She nailed every voice, and I especially loved how Xan and Fyrian came across. Any middle schooler will love it, and learn a lot about love, sacrifice, and forgiveness.

Feeling incredibly overwhelmed today by this news. It has been my home and family of 4+ years, and none of us truly know what will happen next. It was such a shock this morning and we are all still processing. The good news is all of us are guaranteed a job for at least 3 years which I know is unheard of in an acquisition. I'm hopeful this means there will be opportunities and growth, but could use some extra love today from my Litsy friends. 💜📖

As someone who works in the publishing industry, I really appreciated the details of the workplace drama and the real examination of whiteness in the industry. I was so intrigued to find out the secret and mystery driving the plot forward, but was ultimately disappointed in the reveal. It was all so real up until that moment so I was surprised and disappointed by the "truth".

I'm a big fan of the Friendshipping podcast as Jenn & Trin are funny, casual, & have great advice. This audiobook was great as it's read by the authors & essentially feels like a longer podcast. It covers everything from breaking up with toxic friends, to making new friends. My only critique is that it felt repetitive & the authors seemed to be pushing a political agenda. I even agree with much of it, but it felt out of place in a friendship book.

I was so hyped for this book as I was obsessed with the first two in the series, but this didn't hit the same. I listened to the audiobook and I slowly listened over a couple months. Joe didn't seem to fit his characterization from the previous books, and the beginning of this book felt like a far jump from where the last ended. The ending was also abrupt. I still enjoyed aspects, but it didn't live up to my expectations.

About to enjoy a little reading in the bath after an exhausting first day commuting back to the office.
So excited for this Heavenly Aroma bath bomb, @Endowarrior21 ! Such a peaceful looking blue!

I picked this one up at my last bookstore trip and the description and quote from TJR on the cover sold me. I always enjoy epistolary novels, and this was a spin on that with the MC, Dan, writing lists about everything from his worries to stupid things his bookstore customers say. It was sweet and quick to read. The last handful of pages even succeeded in getting me choked up as it revealed the title list about 21 truths about love.

Oh my gosh!! @Endowarrior21 you completely spoiled me! I love everything so much from both books, to the art prints, lots of bath bombs, candy, lemonade, the windchime kit, notebook, sticky notes,, and necklace! You truly went above and beyond and I'm so blown away and grateful. No need to send me more lemonade as you already gave me so much! I love it!!! Thank YOU!
#sliceofsummerswap @Catsandbooks

I had high hopes for this book because I love all the movies and find them sweet and hysterical, but I was disappointed with the novel. It's super short yet took me a couple months to get through. Since it was written in the 90s there are definitely some themes that didn't age well, like an unhealthy obsession with body image. And Bridget Jones is a character that doesn't have dimension without a man by her side which was so disappointing to me.

This YA anthology is like none I've read before in that it spans genres from contemporary romance, to fantasy, thriller, and horror. They're all tied together by their characters pulling all-nighters. It was the perfect combination of nostalgia for high school friends, parties, and prom nights, and of surprising drama and jaw-dropping discoveries. All the stories are fantastic! McManus' story kicks it off strong and LaCour's was another favorite!

My #sliceofsummerswap box arrived, and I'm so excited! Thank you @Endowarrior21 !!
@Catsandbooks

#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

Front matter: "The world runs on pride."
Chapter 1: "Fift was almost five, and it wasn't like zir to be asleep in all of zir bodies."

Perfect for #pridemonth

Was just sent this marketing email and it got me! Just pre-ordered The Woman They Could Not Silence on Audible! Comes out tomorrow!

Based on the book's description, I was surprised to find out this reads more like speculative fiction than anything else, but it also has plenty of drama like any reality show/social media scandal. The women's fiction angle drew me in and got me invested in the characters, but the social and political commentary on privacy made this the unique, engrossing story it is. The story will definitely spark plenty of conversation at book club!

Ahh, so excited that my pre-order arrived today! I have said many times how TJR is my new favorite author as so many of her books connect with me and hit me so deeply in the feels. Can't wait to read Malibu Rising, but also want to savor it! And also worried it won't live up to the her others and I'll be disappointed. But hearing good things so far already from others, so fingers crossed!

Just packed up the #sliceofsummerswap package for @Endowarrior21 and will ship it out this week! Excited for you to open it!! 😍📖📚
Thanks for coordinating @Catsandbooks
#swap

Just got home from our beach vacation, and these are the two books I bought on sale at Browseabout Books! So excited to read these. The cover of Twenty-One Truths About Love made me pick it up, and the quote from my favorite author (TJR) got me to buy it!

What made you purchase your last book that wasn't already on your TBR? (How I missed in store shopping as you find so many unexpected gems that way!)

The perfect beach read for our beach vacation! Love the conceit of masculine men reading romance novels to figure out how to save their marriages. A lot of character growth from Gavin, Thea, and Liv (the sister). Each were annoying in their own way early on, but it made the ending that much more satisfying!

Found this amazing Indie while walking towards the beach. It's so cute and has a really large selection of books, gifts, toys, and puzzles! I bought two books and a notebook. And even better, Delaware doesn't have sales tax!

First full day of vacation and so happy to be sitting on the hotel balcony this beautiful morning with a new book!

So excited for today's #bookhaul that arrived in the mail! One from a swap, one from my company's stipend for #AAPI education, and two from Indepedent Bookstore day when I used my Bookshop gift card I won in my work's TikTok contest. I have so many books to read first though, ahhh. So hard to decide what's next.

Super excited that I found this brand-new 2021 read at a Flea Market today for just $5! I've been wanting to read it and it immediately jumped out to me on a table filled with mass markets and other older paperbacks.

Cute story that brought many of the adorable feelings of Simon vs the Homosapiens, but beyond meet-cutes, it's also a story of sisterhood, growing up, growing apart, and accepting yourself.

@AmyG our first book trade is shipping your way tomorrow! Thanks #litsylove and @tanya1512 for the idea and @Tattooedteacher for setting it up!

Just signed up for the #sliceofsummerswap #soss that @Catsandbooks is putting together. Thank you for hosting! I'm very excited to get my match and start shopping for the perfect books and goodies for them! About to update my Litsy wishlist, too!!