PhD candidate Phoebe returns to her childhood home to clean it up a bit while working on her thesis. Phoebe is obsessed with true crime and 3 stars
PhD candidate Phoebe returns to her childhood home to clean it up a bit while working on her thesis. Phoebe is obsessed with true crime and is analyzing it for her dissertation. There’s just one problem, she is convinced her next door neighbor Sam is a serial killer. As time goes by Phoebe gets to know Sam more and finds out he’s much worse, a genuinely nice guy who is interested in her.
Maybe it’s just me, maybe it’s the release of Dahmer on Netflix, but the whole obsession with the true crime genre thing is not the cute and quirky personality trait that people think it is. If you have a genuine interest that’s great. But I am a bit over it at this point. Once I got through the beginning of this book, it got much better in terms of the story. I much more enjoyed it when Phoebe was getting to know Sam, when she was reconnecting with old friends and her brother, etc, than when she thought Sam was a serial killer.
Second half of the book was way better than the first and I liked this book but I think ultimately this book isn’t memorable and was just okay for me....more
Needing a fresh start and to get away from the Boston cold and her ex-husband, Annabelle takes a job working for her best friend in Phoenix, 4 stars
Needing a fresh start and to get away from the Boston cold and her ex-husband, Annabelle takes a job working for her best friend in Phoenix, Arizona. Upon arrival her bestie found Annabelle a place to live through her husband in a pool house attached to a mansion with a grumpy landlord. Based on all the cranky notes she receives from her landlord, she assumes he’s a curmudgeonly old man. But she soon finds out Nick is a young man who suffered a strong at 35 and is afraid to leave his home.
I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. The beginning was pretty slow with a lot of exposition about Annabelle’s job and Nick not wanting to leave his home. But it made sense for where the story ended up going the pacing was just off a little bit. I really liked Annabelle as a quirky heroine, except her problem with being late it wasn’t cute but more rude to me. But her love of art, how she handled things at her job and her hijinks were all fun. Nick was a great brooding hero but I honestly think he needed way more therapy than what we saw in the book (and not PT which he had enough of).
Throughout reading I was very invested in what happened to the characters and wanted to know what happened next.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley ...more
Single mother Jess Davis has been struggling to make ends meet. While on her usual morning coffee and work session with her best friend at th 4 stars
Single mother Jess Davis has been struggling to make ends meet. While on her usual morning coffee and work session with her best friend at their local coffee shop, they find out about a new dating app called GeneticAlly. GeneticAlly promises to find your match based on your genes, some matches better than others on a scale. Then Jess finds out she’s a diamond match… with one of the creators. And it’s someone she already knows she despises: River Peña.
This romance was a lot of fun to read and an interesting idea. I’m not sure I personally would trust a dating app with my DNA/genetic information to find my soulmate, but it was a fun concept to explore in a fictional world. The chemistry between Jess and River was excellent, and the story was very well paced (until the epilogue). Add in a dash of angst and this was the perfect escape from real life and another reminder of why I adore Christina Lauren novels. ...more
Kee Ildez wants to do research to find a group of traitors trying to start an intergalactic war that have also been causing trouble for he 3.75 stars
Kee Ildez wants to do research to find a group of traitors trying to start an intergalactic war that have also been causing trouble for her and her entire crew. She decides to separate from her ship and stay in a station to get her research done. Varro, a Valovian solider also on the ship, decides to be Kee’s protector on the station. When something goes terribly wrong they must work together to find out who is behind the wrongdoing, and try not to get blamed for it themselves.
If there’s one thing I can’t stand in a romance novel, it’s when there’s so much indecisiveness between the main couple throughout the book. And by that I mean one or both parties acts like they want in and then they back out, it’s a huge pet peeve of mine. And this book was rife with that. I loved the first book in the series, it was a five star read for me. This book was excellent but because Varro kept hedging it took away from my enjoyment of the book overall hence a 3.75 rating (and I am being nice).
While the romance was lacking the rest of the plot was great. One of my favorite aspects of these books is the scifi world building and the political intrigue it’s all so well done. I love going on adventures with these characters and when I read them I feel like I am completely immersed in their world and stories. I love all the side characters and I want all of their stories. Kee I really liked as a heroine, she was strong but emotional, driven but needed to set her own work boundaries. This book could technically be a grumpy sunshine trope, Varro was just more reserved than grumpy. ...more
Florence is the ghost writer for one of the most famous romance authors to present, but since a bad break up she’s been suffering from write 5 stars!
Florence is the ghost writer for one of the most famous romance authors to present, but since a bad break up she’s been suffering from writer’s block. When she gets word that a family member has passed away, she travels home to be with family. Florence and her dad share a similar ability: they can see and speak with the dead. After having been shunned by her community for it, she’s hesitant to return home. Once she is home, she encounters a ghost she wasn’t expecting: her book editor, who wasn’t dead when she left NYC…
I absolutely loved this book. Where some plot points predictable? Yes, but also it worked with the story really well so I am happy to overlook. I love books where the characters feel real (all of them, main and side) and this was one of those. I loved following along with Florence, her past and present and how everything meshed together. This book gave me Six Feet Under/The Sixth Sense vibes and a book from the 90’s called If Only It Were True (that I read when I was a teen). And also massive bonus points to the author for the Meet Joe Black reference in the book because it made me way too happy to hear.
A little bit cheesy, but in a way that works. I loved this love story with a hint of the supernatural, it was exactly what I needed to read during “spooky” season this year....more
This book starts in Paris in 1889 at the Exposition Universelle and Luz Alana Heith-Benzan has traveled from Santo Domingo to Europe to sell 3 stars
This book starts in Paris in 1889 at the Exposition Universelle and Luz Alana Heith-Benzan has traveled from Santo Domingo to Europe to sell her rum. There she meets Evan Sinclair and the two have chemistry right away. It turns out they both can help each other in their endeavors, but they both cannot afford to fall in love.
I want to start with what I liked about this book. I loved the concept of it and I enjoyed the author’s note talking about how the idea of this book came to be and the true historical events that inspired it. I love that this book is a historical romance with bipoc characters. The story of Apollo and how all of that played out was really interesting to me and I was very satisfied with the results.
What didn’t work for me was I didn’t like either one of the main characters (therefore they deserve each other) and their banter fell flat. Maybe because I was listening to the audio? I’m not sure but it just didn’t work. I also felt the pacing with the book was off with some parts stretching too long and most of it seeming really rushed. But I am glad I read this book and would be willing to read this author again....more
In the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, Beatriz finds herself the daughter of a disgraced general and relying on the charity of 4 stars!
In the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, Beatriz finds herself the daughter of a disgraced general and relying on the charity of her relatives to survive. When Don Rodolfo offers to marry her, she takes it right away even with the rumors surrounding the death of his first wife. But when Beatriz arrives at Hacienda San Isidro she can tell right away there is something rotten inside the house. And that dark something in the house, doesn’t want her in it.
I really enjoyed this book which is funny because I almost quit when I began listening. But after an hour or two of the audiobook it took a turn for the better and I became enthralled by the story. It’s marketed as Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca and that’s pretty accurate, it’s less gory than Mexican Gothic (thank god because I am a wimp) and it’s similar to Rebecca but with more supernatural involved. The story was the perfect amount of creepy to listen to at the start of spooky season and I could still sleep at night so there’s a bonus.
I really liked the main character Beatriz, even though I think she made some stupid decisions (I understand why, but horror genre is filled with people making dumb choices) and I really loved the character of Andres, the priest who helps her. Both characters had great chemistry and motivations to drive the story and it all came together really well.
This is a book worth reading and I will be recommending it a lot....more
On September 5th, two teen boys get a call from Death-Cast to tell them the bad news: they’re both going to die that day. Mateo and Rufus are 4 stars
On September 5th, two teen boys get a call from Death-Cast to tell them the bad news: they’re both going to die that day. Mateo and Rufus are strangers but meet on an app to make a last friend for their final day. And the two of them have one goal in mind, live a lifetime of adventure in one single day.
This is one of those viral sensation books I’ve been meaning to read and just hadn’t gotten to yet. I read another book by Silvera and it was so deeply depressing and sad I was hesitant to read another by him but also wanted to give this one a chance. This one really snuck up on me with the gut punch because I thought I wasn’t emotionally attached to the characters until the end and then I was crying, so Silvera did a wonderful job with that.
This book in concept is wonderful and it’s very thought provoking. What if you knew you were going to die? Does that affect how you live for a final day? Should we know we are going to die or does that set off its own chain of events. And while it’s a tough subject I love that this book explores this and gets the reader thinking more outside the box, and about facing fears knowing what’s eventually going to happen to all of us one day....more
Kat Finn is a teen vampire living with her single mother, struggling to make ends meet. All vampires drink Hema, a blood substitute, to sur 3.5 stars
Kat Finn is a teen vampire living with her single mother, struggling to make ends meet. All vampires drink Hema, a blood substitute, to survive ever since humanity has become infected with a virus that kills vampires. When Kat is accepted into a private vampire high school on financial aid, her mother isn’t happy about it, but doesn’t stop her from going. There Kat runs into an ex-friend from her childhood, Taylor, and they find they are new roommates.
I listened to the audiobook version of this and enjoyed it, mostly. I do think it was a tad bit longer than it needed to be and near the end I kind of wanted the author to get to the point. I will say the worldbuilding was excellent, there’s something about a vampire boarding school for young vampire teens that is just so cool in concept, I want to see it on tv or in a movie. I really liked the character of Kat and her journey, Taylor wasn’t really my favorite but she grew on me after a while. Mostly I am glad we are able to get a fun lesbian vampire boarding school teen novel and I can’t wait to recommend it to readers who I think would enjoy it....more
When Laura moves to Los Angeles for grad school (and to escape her overbearing family) her first week there and her apartment burns down. T 2.5 stars
When Laura moves to Los Angeles for grad school (and to escape her overbearing family) her first week there and her apartment burns down. Taken in my a stranger, Laura finds herself in a boarding house with several other interesting young people. But most notably is Impossibly Handsome Bob who is way out of Laura’s league. Through her time at this house Laura begins to heal from trauma in her past.
I think…. I think Abbi Waxman just isn’t the author for me. I wasn’t super impressed with her Nina Hill book and then this one was just an underwhelming dud. One of the most forgettable books I’ve read in a long time, I forgot many of the characters names while I was reading the book. I listened to the audio from my public library and it was mostly enjoyable, except it was easy to tune out and I found myself wanting to listen to music on my commute instead. I normally give authors three chances but I think I am tapping out on this author after this one. ...more
I have something to admit: I didn’t know who Jennette McCurdy was until this book came out. And when people look at me dumbfounded when I say 4 stars
I have something to admit: I didn’t know who Jennette McCurdy was until this book came out. And when people look at me dumbfounded when I say that, I always get back, “iCarly!”. No hate to the show, I just never watched it. But with a book title as salacious as this one, I had to read it.
The book is mainly about McCurdy’s rise to stardom, her experiences as a child actor, her relationship with her mother, and the abuse she suffered from those things. If you have an ED or it’s something that can trigger you, I would warn you to take caution and care of yourself before and when reading this book because a lot of the abuse in this book is linked to eating disorders and how her mom taught and coached her to be anorexic.
I thought this book was haunting, insightful, and eloquent. At times it felt a little bit disjointed with the stories, but I understand it was snippets from her life compiled together. Growing up in Los Angeles, I myself have strong feelings about child actors and this just solidified a lot of those feelings. We wouldn’t ask a six year old to work in a factory, so why are they working in the film industry to support their family? Doesn’t make sense to me.
I’m really glad I read this book and I’m looking forward to what McCurdy does next in her career. Whatever it is I hope it brings her peace and happiness....more
In post-World War II England, a bookshop that’s been in business for one hundred years faces some changes, mostly from the three women who ha 3 stars
In post-World War II England, a bookshop that’s been in business for one hundred years faces some changes, mostly from the three women who have been hired to work there. Vivien, Grace, and Evie: all with different backgrounds and yet all three have the goal to be taken seriously by the men in their professions. When big changes hit the bookstore, all three women take the opportunity to try and make some changes for a better future.
I read this book based on a raving review from a bookseller I like, despite it not being my usual genre. And it was cute and everything, but I found the book overall to be a bit tedious and slow paced. I’ve noticed lately we are getting these feminist slice of life fictional books that take place in the 1950’s (like Lessons in Chemistry) and while I love the idea of these books, I don’t think they’re my preferred section of historical fiction. Also the women in this book are all ranging in age from 20s to 40s so I don’t like that they are referred to as girls in the title. Not sure why that irked me so much but it did. It reminds me of men who refer to employees as ladies instead of staff....more
I cannot say much about the plot in this one because it will give all the things away, but what I can say is Nick and his boyfriend and fr 3.75 stars
I cannot say much about the plot in this one because it will give all the things away, but what I can say is Nick and his boyfriend and friends have all teamed up together to keep the people of Nova City safe. They will face some familiar villains and some new faces along the way.
The first 30-40% of this book was really difficult to get through for me, it was a bit muddled in the writing style and it makes sense once you get to the reveal, but I was not enjoying it as much as I could have. Once you get to certain point the story flows again and it was a fun ride. I love Klune’s trademark humor that he brings to every book and I adore Nick as a main character. I’m sad to be leaving this fictional world but I know Klune has a huge backlist and more to come in the future....more
Thorough her career as a professional tennis player, Carrie Soto shattered every record set by those before her. Deemed the "Battle-Axe" by c 4 stars
Thorough her career as a professional tennis player, Carrie Soto shattered every record set by those before her. Deemed the "Battle-Axe" by commentators, Carrie was ruthless and made no friends along the path to greatness. Now, six years after her retirement, Carrie watches new player Nicki Chan become close to taking away all of her accomplishments. So, working with her father and coach, Carrie makes a plan to come out of retirement and reclaim her titles.
First of all, reading a book about tennis is not usually something I would choose to do, sports and me? Not a good mix. But this is Taylor Jenkins Reid, so of course I am going to read it. And the way TJR writes, even though I don't know much about tennis I was able to follow along and enjoy the story easily.
I really loved Carrie as a main character, I've always been a sucker for an "unlikeable" heroine. I felt that was TJR's intention with this character was to show how women who aren't nice or kind yet successful are treated with derision or scorn and it was a focal point in this book. To me there's nothing wrong with a confident woman knowing what she's capable of and not being afraid to use it/show it.
There's a smidge of romance in this book and I really enjoyed those parts and Carrie's love interest, I think they were perfect for each other. The real love story of this book is the love between a father and daughter and how strong that bond could be. My favorite parts of this book were the moments between Carrie and her father, sweet or not. There was a lot of emotion packed into small moments between them and I feel their relationship was the true heart of this book.
I have lots of thoughts and feelings about this being a book about a Latina woman written by a white woman, I definitely feel like this should not be checking the diversity box for anyone reading it. I don't really feel it's a white woman's place to be writing the stories of marginalized people and I did wonder why she chose to do this when she even said herself in an article that we need to be boosting minority writers. I think her intention is to use her power and spotlight to highlight minority voices, but I'm not sure if it's the right path. I'll be very curious to read opinions by non-white reviewers who read this book and see how they feel.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I also received an ALC through the libro fm librarian program. Neither of these affected my thoughts or opinions on this book or my review ...more
After the war, Octavia Zarola (Tavi) and her fellow soldiers banded together to run a bounty hunting business. And times can be rough, until 5 stars!
After the war, Octavia Zarola (Tavi) and her fellow soldiers banded together to run a bounty hunting business. And times can be rough, until a job from General Torran Fletcher of the former enemy offers Tavi a job that can keep her crew comfortable, more so than they’ve ever been. Tavi accepts the job and what comes with it is Torran and his crew on her ship, mixing with her own crew. While it’s awkward for everyone, the two crews start to blend together into an agreeable group. Until they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the peace between their two races.
I was not expecting to love this much as much as I did, space opera is not my usual genre choice. But I would describe this as a mix between the tv series Firefly and the Grace Draven romance novel Radiance and it was wonderful. I listened to the audiobook and was riveted while listening, I was hooked on the story, the characters, the world building. All of it was so beautifully written and I loved getting lost in this world.
And the romantic tension between Tavi and Torran. It was *chefs kiss* perfection! The whole book was a delicious enemies to friends to lovers story and I ate up every single bit of it. All the character dynamics in general between the two crews, I loved all of them and would gladly read more books just to spend more time with them all. Luckily the second book is already out but I need to wait for my library hold to come in. But I am really excited for it and cannot wait to spend more time in this universe.
If you love romance I highly recommend this book. Take it from someone who was skeptical about reading it, it was excellent. ...more
She Said is the story of the two reporters who investigated Harvey Weinstein and the search for victims of his abuse to state on the record what happeShe Said is the story of the two reporters who investigated Harvey Weinstein and the search for victims of his abuse to state on the record what happened to them. Once their article was published, it launched a movement for women all over the world to come forward with their own stories of abuse. And following all of this was the testimony of allegations during the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
I had already read the book Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow and meant to read this book but then the covid19 pandemic hit and I couldn’t read anything not light and fluffy. Now that the movie is being released I wanted to hear from the two women who broke the story on Weinstein and how they uncovered it all.
It’s really horrifying when reading the details of how everything happened how Weinstein was able to get away with this horrid behavior for years just because of his money and power. So many people suffered and were afraid because of one man. I appreciate the detail this book had and followed along riveted as these two journalists told this story.
At first I didn’t connect why there was so much about Cavanaugh in this book near the end, but looking at how the article about Weinstein launched a movement it made sense to see how this would affect kind of the first test of the movement in action. It was interesting to see the decisions Ford made leading up to her testimony....more
It’s New York City in 1989 and this story revolves around three teens: Reza, Judy, and Art. Reza recently moved to NYC from Canada and before 4 stars
It’s New York City in 1989 and this story revolves around three teens: Reza, Judy, and Art. Reza recently moved to NYC from Canada and before that, Iran. He’s known for a long time that he is gay, but is too scared from the HIV/AIDS crisis to admit it. Then there’s Judy, a plus size aspiring fashion designer whose uncle is dying of AIDS. And Art, Judy’s best friend and the only out of the closet teen at school who is documenting the AIDS crisis with his camera.
I really enjoyed this book, I think it’s a great story for teens and young adult readers to experience. A lot of us weren’t around when the events in this book take place and it paints a clear picture of what it was like for people growing up in the AIDS crisis. Now, having HIV is not a death sentence, but for many people it was and it was a very scary reality that people were living with. I loved all three main characters and their individual stories, Reza was my favorite of the three.
One critical note of the audiobook, parts of Art’s POV were barely audible because the narrator spoke so softly, so I did miss a portion of what was said from him which was a tad bit irritating....more
For eight years Cooper has lived with his daughter in a cabin in the middle of the woods with little to no contact with the outside world. On 4 stars
For eight years Cooper has lived with his daughter in a cabin in the middle of the woods with little to no contact with the outside world. Once a year their friend brings them supplies to get them through the winter, but this year he doesn’t and it sets off a chain of events that throws Coopers world into a spiral. Cooper has a secret, and now all these years later it may be exposed.
I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, I went in mostly blind with no expectations. But this was definitely more of an atmospheric thriller that relied on tone and suspicion to drive the story more than plot. We got a lot of flashbacks and slice of life descriptions, the thriller part didn’t come until much later. I enjoyed listening to this book and was pleasantly surprised by the ending, I didn’t really see it coming and it was better than I anticipated. ...more
Viola Caroll was presumed dead at the battle of Waterloo and took the opportunity to restart her life and live as her truest self. When she 3.5 stars
Viola Caroll was presumed dead at the battle of Waterloo and took the opportunity to restart her life and live as her truest self. When she gets word that her closest friend, the Duke of Gracewood, has retreated into grief years after the death of his best friend. Viola works hard to bring life back to her best friend, but feelings she never had before surface for the Duke but she can’t help but feel nothing can ever come of it.
I was really excited to read this book, I’ve never read a historical romance with a trans main character. And while the concept and the characters in the book were wonderful, the actual plot and pacing of the book was a total snoozefest. I listened to the audiobook and while I normally love reading in that format, I was choosing to listen to music on my commute instead of the book because it was so boring. I’m actually genuinely upset that you can have a premise so interesting with the friends to lovers trope and just make it uninteresting.
Like I said before I loved the characters, main and side, but this book struggled to hold my interest for long periods of time. And I think it could have been a lot shorter than it was.
I received an ALC from libro.fm as a part of their librarian ALC program ...more
One day the Carls just appeared, no one knows how, no one saw it happen. But suddenly around the world there were stationary giant robot look 4 stars
One day the Carls just appeared, no one knows how, no one saw it happen. But suddenly around the world there were stationary giant robot looking Carls all over the world. April May stumbles across one in New York and makes an impulsive video about it with her friend Andy that goes viral. Suddenly, April is whisked into a world of fame and notoriety as she was one of the first people to discover the Carls and she searches to find an answer: why are they here?
I was apprehensive going into this book because when it was first published, all I really knew was John Green’s brother published a book. With Hank Green being a Tik Tok personality now, I decided I should move this one up the to be read list and I really, thoroughly, enjoyed it. I actually liked April as a main character, yes she made mistakes and could be annoying sometimes, but she was human.
I enjoyed the evolution of the story as it took us through discovery and all the steps after that. I think this book could make a really great tv miniseries if done well (I’m actually hoping for it). I listened to the audio version and didn’t want to stop listening at certain points because I needed to know what happened next.
It might be a while before I get to the second book (library holds lists on e-audio) but I will definitely be reading it and I’m even more of a fan of Hank Green now that I’ve read this book. ...more
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