Tilly in Technicolor by. Mazey Eddings | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Tilly in Technicolor

Author: Mazey Eddings

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 8/15/23

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance, Coming of Age, Neurodiverse, LGBT+, Autism, ADHD

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Tilly in Technicolor is Mazey Eddings’s sparkling YA debut about two neurodivergent teens who form a connection over the course of a summer.

Tilly Twomley is desperate for change. White-knuckling her way through high school with flawed executive functioning has left her burnt out and ready to start fresh. Working as an intern for her perfect older sister’s start up isn’t exactly how Tilly wants to spend her summer, but the required travel around Europe promises a much-needed change of scenery as she plans for her future. The problem is, Tilly has no idea what she wants.

Oliver Clark knows exactly what he wants. His autism has often made it hard for him to form relationships with others, but his love of color theory and design allows him to feel deeply connected to the world around him. Plus, he has everything he needs: a best friend that gets him, placement into a prestigious design program, and a summer internship to build his resume. Everything is going as planned. That is, of course, until he suffers through the most disastrous international flight of his life, all turmoil stemming from lively and exasperating Tilly. Oliver is forced to spend the summer with a girl that couldn’t be more his opposite—feeling things for her he can’t quite name—and starts to wonder if maybe he doesn’t have everything figured out after all.

As the duo’s neurodiverse connection grows, they learn that some of the best parts of life can’t be planned, and are forced to figure out what that means as their disastrously wonderful summer comes to an end.

Content Warning: challenging relationship between mother/daughter

I was gifted this arc to read by the publisher and honestly I’m so happy they brought this book to my attention! Here is what I thought:

+ Tilly has ADHD and Oliver is Autistic, and the two of them together is chaos and peace at the same time. Their romance is the sweetest thing ever especially because they got off on the wrong foot. There is so much miscommunication between them but Tilly is a ray of colors and Oliver is obsessed with colors which make them the perfect match. I just really fell in love with the two of them.

+ I like how Tilly is lost but even though she’s scared at times, she’s also still not afraid to live and try. Oliver has his moments but he has an amazing support system with his two moms, his twin sisters and a best friend. Tilly has a family who aren’t as close, who’s ADHD diagnoses has come between her and her mom. There is so much pressure from Tilly’s family and not enough understanding and support that I felt for Tilly. I loved how Tilly expressed and explained herself and how brave she was each time even though it scared her to say or do something. I was absolutely rooting for her. And I love Oliver who despite having this whirlwind of a girl come into his life, he cannot help but fall for her. It’s a wonderful coming of age book and they travel throughout Europe which is a fun aspect of the book also.

+ I love that this story was in the POV’s of both Tilly and Oliver. We see how the both of them experience things differently and the way they also understand each other when it comes to hyperfocus or sensory overload in certain situations. Tilly’s voice is so strong and it was wonderful to see her use that voice through a blog. This story is so eye opening and beautiful.

~ Tilly’s relationship with her mother was not a positive one but I’m glad it showed the struggles of someone who is neurodivergent and some of the challenging relationships they have with people in their own families. It turns out okay in the end, but Tilly went through a lot emotionally just to make her mom listen and see her. It made me emotional when they finally got in a good talk about everything.

Why you should read it:

this is a heartfelt coming of age story
there is traveling through Europe
I love Tilly and Oliver and they are now added to my favorite couples list

Why you might not want to read it:

there is a sexual situation but it’s sweet and fades to black anyway, also some curse words here and there

My Thoughts:

I didn’t know what to expect with this book but I read it so quick and fell in love with Tilly and Oliver. Tilly is a wonderful character who has ADHD but wants to really try and make her parents proud but most of all, be happy with herself, her life and her choices. I loved watching her grow on this whirlwind European trip. I adored the romance between Tilly and Oliver, it made my heart melt and overall this story just made me smile. This would be a great book for teens and young adults. I loved it!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Beach Read by. Emily Henry| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Beach Read

Author: Emily Henry

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 386

Publication Date: 5/19/20

Categories: Women’s Fiction, Adult Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They’re polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they’re living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer’s block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no-one will fall in love. Really.

Content Warning: grief, cheating

I’ve read two Emily Henry books and this one is my third and maybe my favorite of the three! It’s summer and I wanted a summer time book and what better book than one named Beach Read and it’s set in summer? This is the perfect summertime beach read and aptly titled.

Gus and January are both authors and in the middle of writing their next books. They both have houses next to one another, but January is there only to pack up and sell the house while trying to get some reading done. She’s dealing with a lot of emotional baggage concerning the passing of her dad and the secret life she never knew he led. She is trying her hardest to figure who her dad was and dealing with his betrayal but also missing him and loving him just the same. Gus has his own issues he’s dealing with too. He didn’t grow up in a happy, stable home like January and that makes him see life differently than January. They are opposites that attract and spending the whole summer together makes them break down boundaries, build trust and love and so much more.

I loved the characters in this book, even Gus who is so tortured. January really is miss sunshine despite everything she is going through and her best friend Shadi is already a true love story. I love their friendship. Gus’ aunt Pete was also a fun side character.

I didn’t feel like this was a rom-com. There were funny moments yes, especially with the way Gus and January interacted but there are heavy issues taking place in this story like grief and parental abuse. This is definitely more women’s fiction than a rom-com. But I loved it. I love that January and Gus both grow from being with one another and letting down their guards. I could relate to her heartbreak and search for the truth about the person she loved.

Quotes from the book:

“…when the world felt dark and scary, love could which you off to go dancing; laughter could take some of the pain away; beauty could punch holes in your fear.”

“He fit so perfectly into the love story I’d imagined for myself that I mistook him for the love of my life.”

“I wanted to know whether you could ever fully know someone.”

“Happy endings don’t happen to everyone. There’s nothing you can do to make someone keep loving you.”

“No matter how much shit, there will always be wildflowers.”

“Unless the world freezes over in a second ice age. And in that case, there will at least be snowflakes, until th ebitter end.”

“The beautiful lies were all gone. Destroyed. And I was still upright.”

Tropes: opposites attract, writer romance

Why you should read it:

characters are complex and there is lots of growth
Gus and January’s relationship, they have fun together and them both being authors challenged the other which was great
themes about marriage, love, friendship, life

Why you might not want to read it:

not a typical rom-com, it deals with some tough topics like grief and infidelity

My Thoughts:

I’m so happy I got to read this one! It was exactly the kind of romance I was in the mood for, something with depth that challenged the characters to grow while they fell in love. January’s journey to making sense of her father’s life also made me tear up. It’s the kind of summer read I was looking for and I’m glad to knock this one off my TBR list. Great book!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

People We Meet on Vacation by. Emily Henry | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Lovers by. Emily Henry | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Summer of Broken Rules by. K.L. Walther | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Summer of Broken Rules

Author: K.L Walther

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 386

Publication Date: 5/4/21

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Summer Vibes, Grief, Contemporary, Coming of Age

Meredith Fox has been going to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer as long as she can remember. But this summer is the first one back since the death of Meredith’s sister. It will all be overwhelming, but even more since since the entire extended family will be together for her cousin’s big wedding.

Unfortunately, Meredith’s longtime boyfriend unexpectedly dumped her two weeks before the wedding, leaving her dateless. Luckily, she has the perfect distraction. Her family has a tradition of playing the ultimate game of Assassin every summer, and this year it will take place during the week of wedding festivities.

But her target just happens to be a very cute groomsman. She’s determined to not let herself get distracted, not let herself be lost in another doomed relationship. But as the week progresses, she can’t help falling for him, which may cost her not only the game, but also her heart.

Meredith’s family’s annual game of assassin at Martha’s Vineyard during a summer wedding is the perfect chance to honor her sister’s legacy, and finally join the world again. But when she forms an alliance with a cute groomsman, she’s at risk of losing both the game… and her heart.

Content Warning: grief

This book has summer vibes and Taylor Swift written all over it. The author also proudly claims she is a Swiftie so it explains all the Taylor references but I didn’t mind it and I think Swifties will love it.

My favorite part of the book is the summer at Martha’s Vineyard with Meredith and her family who are there annually but this time, her cousin Sarah is getting married there. So during all the wedding preparations there is a family game, Assassins, commencing in honor of Claire, Meredith’s sister who passed in an awful accident. All of this taking place in one week makes for a really action packed story, which is fun.

Meredith is still dealing with grief though and this is the first time she’s seen everyone since Claire passed, so she has some relationships to mend, but for the most part this family and extended family is so close knit. You can feel the love flowing between them. She also just went through a break up with her ex-boyfriend she was with for four years. And during this week, which felt longer, Meredith meets a boy, her future cousin-in-law’s step-brother, Wit. This boy takes her mind off of Ben and helps with her with some of the grieving she’s doing about Claire, but most of all, they are just having so much fun playing Assassins and hanging out with the family and making out.

Is it a bit of insta-love? I think it’s more of an insta-attraction and grows into something more by the epilogue. I mean, I’m all for a summer romance, and there’s happens in one week and after a 4 year relationship! I guess when you know, you know? lol… I’m not mad she was ready for a rebound. I thought Meredith and Wit were cute together. They had an easy way about them and clicked right away. It’s a sweet summer hook-up that turns into something much more! (Listen to Hey Stephen by Taylor Swift)

Meredith learns to have fun again, and let go so I liked seeing her grow. I did relate to Meredith’s anxieties about being in a fast car, after losing someone in a vehicle accident. I still get that too, so I thought it was very realistic. But it really was nice to see her loving life and being with family again.

Tropes: summer romance

Why you should read it:

it’s got summer romance and Taylor Swift references
family bonding, a wedding, a game of Assasins
fun, heart-warming

Why you might not want to read it:

insta-love
Taylor Swift references (if you aren’t a fan)

My Thoughts:

I’ve had this book on my TBR for two years and I have finally read it! Thank you Kindle Unlimited! It was everything I was expecting, the summer vibes, and the sweet romance. I especially enjoyed the family bonding parts and Meredith dealing with her grief of losing her sister. I thought this was a fun and heart warming read.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The True Love Experiment by. Christina Lauren | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The True Love Experiment

Author: Christina Lauren

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 5/16/23

Categories: Adult, Romance, Chick Lit, Women’s Fiction

Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script.

Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is lost. Sure, she’s got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she’s asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached.

Fizzy hasn’t ever really been in love. Lust? Definitely. But that swoon-worthy, can’t-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. Nothing. What happens when the optimism she’s spent her career encouraging in readers starts to feel like a lie?

Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves his work in large part because it allows him to live near his daughter. But when his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line, Connor is out of his element. Desperate to find his romantic lead, a chance run-in with an exasperated Fizzy offers Connor the perfect solution. What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Fizzy gives him a hard pass—unless he agrees to her list of demands. When he says yes, and production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him, too.

The True Love Experiment is the book fans have been waiting for ever since Fizzy’s debut in The Soulmate Equation. But when the lights come on and all eyes are on her, it turns out the happily ever after Fizzy had all but given up on might lie just behind the camera.

Content Warning:

I didn’t know this book was about Fizzy until I read someone’s review about it and then I had to get it. If you read The Soulmate Equation then you are familiar with Jess’s best friend, Fizzy. And I loved Fizzy and wished she was going to have her own book and now she does!

This whole story does Fizzy justice! We get more of her humor and wit. She’s so much fun and she loves her family, her friends and their kids. I love how she jumped off the pages full of life and she’s a romance writer, what’s not to love? And we even get to dig beneath Fizzy’s armor and see her vulnerable side when she starts falling in love with Connor, the producer of the dating show she’s signed up to be on. Their romance is everything. I love that they both have had relationship issues but they eventually work through it, like adults, to get their happily ever after. The romance is full of chemistry and sparks and sweetness too. I love them together. And not only is she and Connor amazing together but the friendship between Jess and Fizzy is top-tier. I love them together too, they are soul sisters.

I also appreciate that we get such a well-rounded Fizzy. I loved the moments with her family and her mentioning even though they love her, she didn’t think her mom thought her job as a romance writer had any merit. And then they have that moment at the end…I don’t know why it made me emotional. I related a lot to the parental expectations.

I thought the story was heart warming and emotional and everything I wanted in a romance.

Favorite Quotes from the Book:

“I tell them that if they put in the work, if they allow that there will be blind curves and ups and downs, if they allow themselves to be vulnerable and loved and honest with the people who mean something to them, things really will turn out okay.”

“Tall, British, and dimpled? Never trust a cliché.“

“Truth is, you’ll never meet a book lover who hates the quiet.”

“People think romances are just about sex-and some are, which is fine-but they’re also about social change and challenging the status quo, such as who the world thinks deserves a happily ever after.”

“Book people are just better, I swear by it.”

“No one loves you in this exact, perfect, consuming way.”

Tropes: single parent, grand gesture

Why you should read it:

you loved Fizzy in The Soulmate Equation – you’ll love her more here
Connor and Fizzy gave me all the feels
this book is fun and funny! I love when Jess and Fizzy talk and River is there at the wrong time and tries to leave the room LOL, love them

Why you might not want to read it:

My Thoughts:

This might be my new favorite Christina Lauren book because of Fizzy. I’m so happy she got her own book because she’s a side character that totally deserves to be in the spotlight and have a happily after. And she gets it. ❤️

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Something Wilder by. Christina Lauren | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Soulmate Equation | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In A Holidaze | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | The Unhoneymooners ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC Review | The Honey-Don’t List ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bring Me Your Midnight by. Rachel Griffin | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Bring Me Your Midnight

Author: Rachel Griffin

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 8/2/23

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Contemporary Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Witches

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Tana Fairchild’s fate has never been in question. Her life has been planned out since the moment she was born: she is to marry the governor’s son, Landon, and secure an unprecedented alliance between the witches of her island home and the mainlanders who see her very existence as a threat.

Tana’s coven has appeased those who fear their power for years by releasing most of their magic into the ocean during the full moon. But when Tana misses the midnight ritual—a fatal mistake—there is no one she can turn to for help…until she meets Wolfe.

Wolfe claims he is from a coven that practices dark magic, making him one of the only people who can help her. But he refuses to let Tana’s power rush into the sea, and instead teaches her his forbidden magic. A magic that makes her feel powerful. Alive.

As the sea grows more violent, her coven loses control of the currents, a danger that could destroy the alliance as well as her island. Tana will have to choose between love and duty, between loyalty to her people and loyalty to her heart. Marrying Landon would secure peace for her coven but losing Wolfe and his wild magic could cost her everything else.

Content Warning:

I love stories about witches and this author seems to be writing about only witches. I read The Nature of Witches but haven’t read Wild is the Witch yet. I decided to give this one a chance because I thought The Nature of Witches had so much potential but I just didn’t totally love it.

I like the concept of Bring Me Your Midnight. The story is full of magic, romance, and a difficult choice that Mortana (Tana) has to make. I thought the world building was very interesting and I liked how the townspeople had their own magic that they used for their trade of business. Mortana’s family made perfumes and her best friend Ivy made tea infused with magic. I like how their magic was useful.

Mortana is the chosen witch who is supposed to unite the mainlanders and witches into a unified front by an arranged marriage. Landon seems nice enough but through this book we really don’t get to know him at all. Mortana is a nice girl, a good girl, who falls for a mysterious, handsome boy. It’s a forbidden love she has to give up if she wants to be a dutiful daughter to her parents and her community.

I usually love a good witchy romance story, but I found this one just okay. I wanted more from the characters and I didn’t feel like I connected to anyone except maybe for Tana’s best-friend Ivy who had a really strong voice. There was a lot of angst and longing between Tana and Wolfe but I just felt like something was missing intensity and I just couldn’t get invested in them.

Tropes: forbidden love, duty or love, enemies to lovers

Why you should read it:

you like witches and forbidden love

Why you might not want to read it:

I wanted more from the characters, felt like it was missing something

My Thoughts:

I was excited to read this one because the cover is beautiful and I love stories about witches but this one was just okay for me. I like the concept of the story but I wanted more from the characters. I found it hard to get invested in their story. I did like how Tana had to face a hard choice between duty and love because we get to see her struggle and grow. She also stands strong in trying to get the truth from her mother about their magic, powers and history. So I thought it was nice to see her grow and be able to choose love in the end. This may have fallen a little flat to me but I think a lot of other people will love this story.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Nature of Witches by. Rachel Griffin | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Seven Percent of Ro Devereux by. Ellen O’Clover | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Seven Percent of Ro Devereux

Author: Ellen O’Clover

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 1/17/23

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Grief

A clever, charming, and poignant debut novel about a girl who must decide whether to pursue her dreams or preserve her relationships, including a budding romance with her ex-best friend, when an app she created goes viral.

Ro Devereux can predict your future. Or, at least, the app she built for her senior project can.

Working with her neighbor, a retired behavioral scientist, Ro created an app called MASH, designed around the classic game Mansion Apartment Shack House, that can predict a person’s future with 93% accuracy. The app will even match users with their soul mates. Though it was only supposed to be a class project, MASH quickly takes off and gains the attention of tech investors.

Ro’s dream is to work in Silicon Valley, and she’ll do anything to prove to her new backing company—and the world—that the app works. So it’s a huge shock when the app says her soul mate is Miller, her childhood best friend with whom she had a friendship-destroying fight three years ago. Now thrust into a fake dating scenario, Ro and Miller must address the years of pain between them if either of them will have any chance of achieving their dreams.

Fans of Emma Lord and Alex Light will love this stand-alone contemporary novel with a masterful slow-burn romance at its core.

Content Warning: parental abandonment

I saw really good reviews of this book earlier this year when it first came out. I saw it on sale on Book Outlet so I got it and decided to read it by the pool and I was hooked!

I love the childhood best-friends to lovers trope in this one especially because Ro and Miller knew each other so well before something came between them. I love the fake-dating trope that brings them together. I had all the teenage romance feels with this book.

And this isn’t only a romance because Ro is dealing with a few things like her grandmother dying from cancer, her mom who left and never bothered to build a relationship with her, and the biggest thing – making an app that goes viral and trying to capitalize on it. Ro has lots of emotions to deal and tries to bury it all by keeping busy but she eventually realizes she can’t do things alone. Miller is there, her best friend Maven is there, her dad and Vera are there – she is not alone and when she realizes that, she grows.

Speaking of her app, I love how this story explores the role of choice and free will during a person’s life. Ro’s app finds your match but not only in love but also in life overall like your future career and how many kids you will have. But are we supposed to let an app decide our lives? The story reminds us that just because we think we love something or will be one thing or see one path forward, it is never absolute.

This book even made me shed a tear. I wasn’t expecting this book to take me on an emotional ride, but it did.

Favorite quotes from the book:

“I hope you’ll remember that the brain is malleable. That your answers to the survey questions will change, because what you love, and what you want, and who your are will change, too. These unpredictable shifts are supposed to happen. They are the good kind of scary.”

“Usually, when we think no one sees us, we’re still looking at each other…”

“The not knowing is the pain and the joy and the whole damn thing of it. We were never, ever supposed to know.”

Tropes: friends to lovers

Why you should read it:

this one tugged at my heart strings
Ro and Miller ❤️
great coming of age story and questions about our future/paths in life

Why you might not want to read it:

My Thoughts:

I loved this one and I’m glad I went in without knowing what to expect. It’s kind of got everything I want in a young adult contemporary book: a thoughtful and meaningful coming of age story that has emotion, depth and romance. I’m definitely going to be looking forward to reading more books from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

All That’s Left to Say by. Emery | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: All That’s Left to Say

Author: Emery Lord

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 7/18/23

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Categories: Young Adult, Grief, Drug Addiction, Romance, Mystery, Contemporary

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A poignant and powerful story of a grieving girl willing to risk everything, perfect for fans of Robin Benway and Jandy Nelson.

On prom night, Hannah MacLaren sits in the headmaster’s office in her fanciest dress, soaked to the bone. She is in huge trouble after pulling the fire alarm right as the prom was about to be crowned. But Hannah had her reasons . . .

One year ago, her cousin Sophie, who was also her best friend and the person she loved most in the world, died of an overdose. Drowning in grief, Hannah became obsessed with one Who gave Sophie those pills? Who is refusing to give her family the closure they deserve?

Then she concocted a enroll at her cousin’s fancy private school with a new look and a mouthful of lies, and finally uncover the truth.

But Hannah didn’t expect all the lines to blur. She didn’t expect Sophie’s friends to be so complicated. She didn’t expect to fall for her longtime enemy. Now, she must choose to either let herself really mourn Sophie and move on, or see her search through to its explosive end–even if it means destroying herself.

Content Warning: grief, drug use

I read this book in one sitting even though I thought at times it moved slowly. It’s about a girl, Hannah, and her cousin who is like a sister to her, Sophie. Sophie dies tragically in a drug overdose and everyone is blindsided by it. Hannah’s purpose is to get to the bottom of who gave Sophie those pills but along the way she learns more about Sophie’s secrets and needing to let go of her pain and embrace life and love again.

Hannah is grieving along with her family and Sophie’s best friend, Gabi. When Gabi and Hannah team up to investigate who could have given Sophie the pills at the party they have to confront a few truths about Sophie as well. I really appreciated how the author considered all sides of the situation. Sophie’s access to the drugs, Sophie purposefully seeking out drugs, the consequences that is appropriate for the one who gave her the drugs, and some solutions a community can offer for people struggling with drug addiction. Hannah’s own father is a recovering alcoholic and he gives her some insight into addiction – some insights that Hannah had a difficult time comprehending. But I like that there was a discussion in this book about grief, secrets, drug addiction, and resources.

There is even romance in this story and it was so unsuspecting! I didn’t expect Hannah and Christian’s interactions to have so much chemistry and spark. The two of them are rivals. Debate team rivals so the arguments between them are epic and so sweet when they both cave in to the attraction between them. I love how he’s there for her because he’s gone through grief as well.

Now Hannah is a flawed character. She loves to argue, she likes things to go her way and she can be stubborn. I was bummed when she let things get so bad between her and her best friend Lincoln but I understand she was going through a rough time with Sophie’s death. She does grow as a character though.

Also the story is told in two timelines, past and present with the past just being one year ago. So there were times I had to backtrack because I lost my place on which timeline I was in – but that might be how the ebook arc is formatted.

The story was too slow to be a thriller, even when they figure out who it was that gave Sophie the pills. There wasn’t anything sinister about finding who did it, because as it’s stated, Sophie was at fault also. And the person who did it was having their own struggles. Overall it’s a tragic story, and an important one about how the opioid epidemic affects family, friends and a community.

Tropes: rivals to lovers

Why you should read it:

a complex story about grief, love, and drug addiction – it kept me intrigued

Why you might not want to read it:

topics about opioid use and grief

My Thoughts:

I’ve read a few Emery Lord books but I think this is her darkest one with heavy themes. But I love how she wrote the story, making the reader question all the aspects of the situation that has taken place. I love that it sheds a light on the opioid epidemic and how shame and judgment is a big part of how someone might not seek treatment. Overall, I thought it was a good read, if a little slow at parts but I still read it in one sitting.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

ARC Review | The Map From Here to There ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Those Summer Nights by. Laura Silverman | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Those Summer Nights

Author: Laura Silverman

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 373

Publication Date: 8/23/22

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Coming of Age

After recovering from a life-changing injury, a teen girl must navigate a new summer job, an ex-best friend, and two surprisingly attractive coworkers in this romp of a rom-com for fans of Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.

Hannah used to be all about focus, back before she shattered her ankle and her Olympic dreams in one bad soccer play. These days, she’s all about distraction—anything to keep the painful memories of her recent past at bay, including the string of bad decisions that landed her at boarding school for a year.

Enter Bonanza, the local entertainment multiplex and site of Hanna’s summer employment. With its mini golf course, bowling alley, and arcade—not to mention her hot, flirty coworker Patrick—Bonanza seems like the perfect way to stay distracted. Until her boss announces the annual Bonanza tournament, a staff competition that brings her past Olympic nightmares crashing back into her present.

On top of that, the Bonanza staff includes Brie, the ex-best friend she cut off last year, and Ethan, her brother’s best friend who became unreasonably attractive in her year away and who accepts her, even knowing her worst secrets. Under the neon lights of Bonanza, Hannah must decide whether she can find a way to discover a new self in the midst of her old life.

Content Warning: alcohol abuse

I wanted to read something with a summer theme and saw Those Summer Nights at the library so I checked it out.

This story follows Hannah and is told in the present with flashbacks of her last year when she lost her grandmother and also got an ankle injury that killed her soccer dreams. She’s competitive, she’s grieving, she’s not someone I connected to or liked but she does have growth. Hannah made some bad choices while she grieved her grandma and her soccer dreams and now she’s facing the consequences. She’s pushed away her friends, especially her best friend Brie and she turned to alcohol, partying and hooking up with boys.

Now she has to follow a recovery plan which includes staying away from partying, finding a job and finding a new passion. She finds a job at the local arcade where it seems everyone goes to work for the summer including her younger Joey, his best friend Ethan and even her ex-best friend Brie. Hannah makes some new friends, repairs her relationship with Brie and even falls in love.

I didn’t think the story would be so heavy with the grief aspect and Hannah spiraling but I could tell she loved her grandmother very much. As far as the romance goes, she falls for her brother’s best friend – which is a friends to lovers romance. It’s cute and they have lots of chemistry but as a personal preference I didn’t like that he was younger, especially her younger brother’s bestie lol…but that’s just ME.

Tropes: found family, friends to lovers

Why you should read it:

it’s a good teen story about making bad choices and learning how to fix mistakes
there is a fun found family story with Hannah and her new coworkers
cute romance

Why you might not want to read it:

Hannah isn’t the most likable MC

My Thoughts:

Sixteen year old me would have devoured this book. As an adult I was a little annoyed with how Hannah chose to deal with grief over her competition dreams and the loss of her grandmother. Obviously she was turning to other coping mechanisms like hooking up with boys but I think she’s relatable and she has had a lot of growth. I was expecting something more light-hearted but overall a solid read.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Carrie Soto is Back by. Taylor Jenkins Reid | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Carrie Soto is Back

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Narrators: Stacey Gonzalez

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 8/30/2022

Categories: Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Historical Fiction, Sports, Tennis

Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.

By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning, British player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked the ‘Battle-Axe’ anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells a story about the cost of greatness and a legendary athlete attempting a comeback.

Content Warning:

This book is about Carrie Soto’s life and how she becomes a tennis star, to lose her top spot and come back and take it again. The audiobook narrator did an amazing job capturing the passion of pro tennis and Carrie strong voice.

I found Carrie fascinating when she was briefly introduced in Malibu Rising. But you don’t need to read that book to read this one. And I’m glad she got her own story. This one is all about Carrie though and her determination, struggles, wins, losses and the part that really touched me – the relationship she has with her father.

I’m not the biggest tennis fan but I’ve had my share of watching it back in the 90’s when I was young. It’s got an appeal to it especially because it’s a battle against one person, but the biggest opponent at times is yourself. There is a little bit of romance, but it isn’t the focus of the book, which was nice. This book is very entertaining as we follow Carrie’s highs and lows and the lessons she learns through it all.

Why you should read it:

well written story – the audiobook is very good
the exciting world of Tennis championships, a come back story
a story about overcoming challenges, a father/daughter story, and the glory of winning

Why you might not want to read it:

not into tennis

My Thoughts:

I didn’t love Malibu Rising because there were too many characters coming and going. But I love that Carrie Soto got her own book because she was one of the characters in Malibu Rising that was intriguing. I’m glad I listened to this one!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Malibu Rising by. Taylor Jenkins Reid | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Starlings by. Amanda Linsmeier | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Starlings

Author: Amanda Linsmeier

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 6/27/23

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Contemporary Fantasy, LGBT, Young Adult, Horror, Mystery

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Delacorte for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A dark YA fantasy debut perfect for fans of House of Hollow and Small Favors. In the wake of her father’s death, a teen girl discovers a side of her family she didn’t know existed, and is pulled into a dark–and ancient–bargain she is next in line to fulfill.

Kit’s father had always told her he had no family, but four months ago his sudden death revealed the truth. Now she has a grandmother she never knew she had–Agatha Starling–and an invitation to visit her father’s hometown, Rosemont.

And Rosemont . . . it’s picture perfect: the famed eternal roses bloom year-round, downtown is straight out of the 1950s . . . there’s even a cute guy to show Kit around.

The longer Kit’s there, though, the stranger it all feels. The Starling family is revered, but there’s something off about how the Starling women seem to be at the center of the all the town’s important history. And as welcoming as the locals are, Kit can’t shake the feeling that everyone seems to be hiding something from her.

Agatha is so happy to finally meet her only granddaughter, and the town is truly charming, but Kit can’t help wondering, if everything is so great in Rosemont, why did her father ever leave? And why does it seem like he never wanted her to find it?

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse

Right away this gorgeous book cover caught my eye and as much as it is beautiful, there is something sinister to it, just like the story. Here is what I thought:

+ I was sucked into this story right away. Kit and her mother travels to Rosemont, to meet Kit’s grandmother and her father’s old hometown. – place he never told Kit about. She’s grieving her dad, she’s trying to piece who he is in Rosemont but everything feels off. Right away it’s established that things are not what they seem.

+ Rosemont is a mysterious setting, surrounded by woods and a river where people have died. I got the eerie vibes right away when Kit described the place as Stepford-y. When Kit starts learning more about her family and the Starling legacy she realizes she’s walked into a nightmare.

+ There are a few twists in this story and the monster being the biggest creep of all. He is a true monster, true villain, charming when he wants to be, but evil to his core. I was rooting for Kit to destroy him!

~ I felt like the romance wasn’t needed. Kit’s only there for a week I feel like it was unnecessary for her to fall for someone since there was barely time to know one another.

~ It wasn’t scary, more creepy because of the history of the town and yuck with the way the bargain is set up.

Tropes: small town, family curse, town secret

Why you should read it:

you like young adult horror that isn’t super scary, mostly creepy
it’s a quick read and engaged me – I read it in one sitting

Why you might not want to read it:

not into YA horror

My Thoughts:

I thought this was pretty good in that I was engaged with the story and finished it in one setting. I like the creepy factor, the lore about the town, the family secret and the curse. The villain is written well – he’s a pretty evil monster. I don’t think the romance was necessary and I thought the situation was resolved pretty quickly but other than that I did find it entertaining. I look forward to reading more from this author.