Goodreads Monday: Unfortunately Yours

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: Unfortunately Yours (A Vine Mess, #2)

Author: Tessa Bailey

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 6/6/23

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with the hilarious follow-up to Secretly Yours, in which a down-on-her-luck Napa heiress suggests a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience to a man she can’t stand… only to discover there’s a fine line between love and hate.

After losing her job and her fiancé in one fell swoop, Natalie Vos returned home to lick her wounds. A few months later, she’s sufficiently drowned her sorrows in cabernet and she’s ready to get back on her feet. She just needs her trust fund to finance her new business venture. Unfortunately, the terms require she marry before she can have the money. And well, dumped, remember? But Natalie is desperate enough to propose to a man who makes her want to kill him–and kiss him, in equal measure.

August Cates may own a vineyard, but he doesn’t know jack about making wine. He’s determined to do his late best friend proud, no matter what it takes. Except his tasting room is empty, his wine is disgusting (seriously, he once saw someone gag), and his buddy’s legacy is circling the drain. No bank will give him the loan he needs to turn the business around… and then the gorgeous, feisty heiress knocks on his door. Natalie has haunted his dreams since the moment they met, but their sizzling chemistry immediately morphed into simmering insults.

Now, a quickie marriage could help them both. A sham wedding, a few weeks living under the same roof, and then they can go their separate ways–assuming they make it out alive. How hard could it be? There’s just one thing they didn’t account for: their unfortunate, unbearable, undeniable attraction.

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Weekly Wrap Up | 4/24/23

Aloha friends!

I was so tired on Saturday – my kids had ballet and piano and then another ballet fundraising event for my daughter – plus my parents were at my house. And the weather has been HOT so I was just super tired and forgot to even check my blog and write up my weekly wrap-up.

Anyway hope you all have a good week!

Blog Posts:

Goodreads Monday: The True Love Experiment
The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by. Carissa Broadbent | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 4/18/23
My Favorite Things | TTT | 4/18/23
WWW Wednesday | 4/19/23
Something Wilder by. Christina Lauren | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Last One to Fall by. Gabriella Lepore | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mexican Gothic by. Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag
Earth Day Book Covers
Earth Day Books for Kids
The Song of Achilles by. Madeline Miller | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies I Watched:

Coachella Weekend 2: Black Pink, Blink 182, Skrillex

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

The Song of Achilles by. Madeline Miller | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Song of Achilles

Author: Madeline Miller

Narrator: Frazer Douglas

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 378

Publication Date: 9/20/2011

Categories: Greek Mythology, Romance, Adventure, LGBT+, Historical Fiction

Achilles, “the best of all the Greeks,” son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods’ wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

Content Warning: violence, death, war, war wounds

I’ve finally read this book that apparently was published in 2011 (how did I not know this?) and yet was getting all the hype only a few years ago! I don’t know if I’m sad I didn’t read it as a book, to have the words of this story ingrained in my heart, soul and brain. Or I’m happy that I completed it as an audiobook because wow was the storytelling wonderful. It lived up to all the hype. It is such an epic, well told story…the audiobook was absolutely fantastic and this is coming from someone who struggles with audiobooks. I listened to this in 2 days and the narrator did this story justice – his narrating is perfection!

I am also someone who has been struggling reading stories based on Greek Mythology so let me tell you how happy I was to hear this story. It had everything I wanted in a Greek mythology retelling – the gods and goddesses interfering with mortal lives, the prophecies, the war and the battles for glory and honor, and a beautiful and heartbreaking love story in the middle of it all. Oh my heart…😭. I grew to care for Achilles and Patroclus from their moment as boys, to men who are fighting a war that basically meant nothing to them. Damn that Helen and her beautiful face that caused men to fight for 10 stupid long years, damn men and their prides and desire for glory and worship.

The author did such a beautiful job at showing both sides to these characters, especially Achilles and his struggle with always being told he would be a hero, but he will die if he does this one act. His mother tries to pave a path for him were he will not die…but the fates will not be denied. Achilles wants to be a hero, he wants the praise but he also loves Patroclus. And Patroclus, his lover and best friend – the boy who was awkward and never in the spotlight like Achilles. He was never as athletic, not a leader of men, never one to be heroic…oh what an ending to the story. By the way most of the action comes at the end, the beginning of the book moves a bit more slowly since it’s laying the foundation of Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship.

Mind you the only Achilles story I know is from the Brad Pitt movie, Troy which I loved (ugh…I mean sure Brad Pitt was a hot Achilles but it was Hector who had my heart!). That’s a whole different story they told in the movie and I think Patroclus was Achilles cousin in the movie? lol…I did not read the Iliad and I won’t – so I can’t nitpick about details. I just know that this story touched my heart and then broke it.

Why you should read it:

beautiful, heartbreaking love story
epic story-telling, greek mythology

Why you might not want to read it:

not into greek mythology

My Thoughts:

I was warned this book would break my heart and let me tell you, it did. It lived up to the hype – I can see why people love it so much and now I love it too. I did get annoyed with how long this damn war kept going on – 10 years of senseless killing? It was so pointless! But hey…it was for, Helen, glory and riches. 🤷🏻‍♀️ And all Patroclus wanted was Achilles by his side forever 😭 even knowing he it wasn’t going to happen. Okay…off to mend my broken heart.💔

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Review | Circe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Earth Day Books for Kids

My kids have had many books about the Earth over the years. A few on this list are some that we already own and the rest are books I’d love to get for them.

Books That We Own:

Learn all about our planet’s geology, geography, atmosphere, weather, and more: Magma erupts from a volcano, turbines harness the power of wind… Best of all, lots of flaps, popups, pull-tabs, and rotating wheels bring mountain ranges, continents, and oceans to life. Readers will see all the layers of the earth, learn how water flows from mountains to rivers to oceans, and understand our climate and weather patterns. Any child who has interested in nature and science will adore this extraordinary look at the world around us.

• Supersized spreads feature marvelously detailed illustrations that just beg to be pored over again and again
• More than 45 interactive flaps, tabs, and more to keep kids engaged
• A captivating adventure that brings our planet and the magic of books to life in young minds

Fans of How Things Work will also enjoy the stunning details and interactive fun of The Ultimate Book of Planet Earth .
• Great family read-aloud book
• Books for kids ages 5–8
• Science books for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school children.

My 6 year old daughter loves this book. It’s a pop up book (which I love) and it’s colorful and full of little facts and details. She likes to sit on the floor, going through the flaps and then she’ll have me read it. She’s had it for about 2 years now and she still won’t donate it so it still holds her interest!

“Unless someone like you… cares a whole awful lot… nothing is going to get better… It’s not.”

Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth’s natural beauty.

His classic cautionary tale is now available in an irresistible mini-edition, perfect for backpack or briefcase, for Arbor Day, Earth Day, and every day.

My son was a big fan of Dr. Seuss when he was younger and I remember reading this book to him for awhile. Now my daughter has inherited the book and though she doesn’t read it as often as he did – she loves the story as well. It was always a great way for me to talk to my son about environmental topics and how we can help our Earth. We love The Lorax!

Books My Kids Would Love

What can crayons do to save the planet?

Something is happening to our big green and blue Earth! Pollution is making it hard for plants to grow, for animals to play, and for oceans to stay clean. But what can anyone do about it? On a yucky, smoggy day, a box of seven special crayons steps up to help! These peppy crayons are on another adventure to bring friendship, teamwork, and thoughtfulness to the world—but this time, it’s the world that needs help. With their unique personalities, quirky attitudes, and stick-to-itiveness, this rainbow of friends puts their heads and hearts together to find a way to save the Earth.

How the Crayons Saved the Earth is a colorful book about the environment from the plucky crayons who brought you the How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow series . How the Crayons Saved the Earth reminds kids about the importance of taking care of the Earth and that teamwork and determination can make a real difference.

My daughter loves the other crayons books by Drew Daywalt (The Day the Crayons Quit), so I think she would love this book. We love a fun, colorful book!

Water, air, light.

Patterns, curves, shapes, colors.

Things that crawl, fly, float, run, bloom, ripen.

Think of everything Earth gives us.

What are you most thankful for?

I’m always teaching my kids to tell trees or plants “thank you” if they happen to take a leaf from them. I feel like it makes them realize that our Earth provides us things like our food (crops).

Todos vivimos en un punto azul y en el gran universo giramos. Aquí estamos juntos, somos una raza bella de humanos.
Nuestros corazones llevan amor, esperanza y sueños. Somos más fuertes juntos que al estar separados.

reminds us that it is up to all of us to care for each other and the earth.
When we celebrate differences, stand up for each other and work together, the world is a better place.

is a beautiful addition to your home or school library social-emotional library.

I love the cover of this book and how many ethnicities are represented as they touch the Earth! I think my kids and I would definitely enjoy this book.

Earth Day Book Covers

Happy Earth Day! To celebrate here are some green and blue book covers!

The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag

I’ve seen this book tag going around and I think it would be a good one to do just to take a look back at what I’ve read so far. This was originally created by Roisin @Roisin’s Reading on YouTube. I can’t even believe we are almost to May and summer…say it isn’t so. I’m not read for the holidays again lol.😅 But the faster the year goes means the faster my husband will be home soon!

Anyway let’s get to the questions:

How Many Books Have You Read So Far?

According to Goodreads, I’ve read 49 books so far! But some of that are books my daughter reads lol…so it’s actually 40 books. I think I’m pacing myself pretty good this year. I’m not reading as much but it’s because I don’t have as much time this year.

Have you already found a book you think might be a 2023 favorite? If not, what was your favorite book you read that wasn’t quite five stars?

These are two of my favorites of 2023! I hope there will be more 5 star reads for me but so far these two top my list.

Any 1-star books / least favorite book of the year?

I don’t usually rate any books a 1 star but I actually did DNF a few books this year already. This one is the most surprising that I DNF’ed. It’s not awful but it’s definitely a book I need to be in a mood to read. Maybe one day I’ll pick it up when I’m in the mood to read it – I’m thinking in the fall would be perfect.

Most Read Genres So Far

Fantasy of course! To be specific, fantasy with romance in it.

A Book That Surprised You

I thought this one surprised me. I was thinking it was going to be a light-hearted read and it was not!

A book that’s come out in 2023 already that you want to read but haven’t yet?

I’m trying to get a copy of this for my bookshelf or as an ebook but I’m holding out until it goes on sale.

One Goal You’re Succeeding At

I am actually succeeding in getting through audiobooks! I mean I still get impatient by the last few chapters but I’m getting better at pushing through lol. I’m really proud of myself since I thought audiobooks were a lost cause for me.

One Goal You Need to Focus On

Just to focus on not over-requesting or borrowing too many books. I think I’m doing pretty good on NetGalley but I’m going a bit over board on my online library and I end up not even getting to read the book before it’s expired! 😅

New to you Bloggers/Booktubers/ Bookstagrammers/Booktokers for 2023 you recommend?

Budget Tales Book Blog

Books are the New Black

I’m Tagging…

Everyone! Feel free to do this tag, or not…😁

Mexican Gothic by. Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Mexican Gothic

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Narrator: Frankie Corzo

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 6/30/20

Categories: Horror, Audiobook, Adult, Fiction, Gothic, Mystery, Thriller

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemí’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

Content Warning: violence, death, attempted sexual assault, inbreeding, disgusting body afflictions, cannibalism

I’ve been wanting to read this book for awhile now and I decided to do it as an audiobook and I’m glad! The story went fast and the narrator has a great voice and kept me engaged.

I don’t think I knew what I was getting into with this book but I was lured into the mystery of High Place. Plus, I love Noemi as a character. I love how she is carefree, out-going, charming and a ray of sunshine in High Place. The contrast between her and everyone else at High Place really put into perspective how isolated and creepy the house is.

And this book goes beyond creepy but the story builds up to it. At first I was just wondering, like Noemi, if the house was haunted – especially when the history of the house was told. There was a murder at the house and there were also many people that died in the community when they worked in the mines. I did not expect the turn the story took when everything is revealed. Ugh..and can I say that’s when it goes from creepy to disgusting! And I literally looked like this 😱😫 while listening to the second half of this book. The secrets really are horrifying.

Tropes: creepy house, family secret

Why you should read it:

you like gothic horror
Noemi’s character was a light in the darkness of this story

Why you might not want to read it:

not into horror, some gross scenes and it’s a very dark story

My Thoughts:

I don’t know why I decided to read more horror this year but I’m mostly enjoying it! I enjoyed the audiobook for this story – the narrator had a great voice and the author did a great job with building up the story to it’s horrifying end. I really enjoyed Noemi’s character and how she was a bright light, fighting for her cousin Catalina in this creepy, dark home called High Place. I love the mixture of paranormal, gothic, horror, and history that I got a taste of in this book. For me this was a strange and intriguing tale that had a slow start but finished with a bang.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by. Silvia Moreno-Garcia | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Beautiful Ones | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Last One to Fall by. Gabriella Lepore | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Last One to Fall

Author: Gabriella Lepore

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 5/9/23

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Young Adult, 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 Inkyard Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Six friends. Five suspects. One murder.

Savana Caruso and Jesse Melo have known each other since they were kids, so when Jesse texts Savana in the middle of the night and asks her to meet him at Cray’s Warehouse, she doesn’t hesitate. But before Savana can find Jesse, she bears witness to a horrifying murder, standing helpless on the ground as a mysterious figure is pushed out of the fourth floor of the warehouse.

Six teens were there that night, and five of them are now potential suspects. With the police circling, Savana knows what will happen if the wrong person is charged, particularly once she starts getting threatening anonymous text messages.

As she attempts to uncover the truth, Savana learns that everyone is keeping secrets—and someone is willing to do whatever it takes to keep those secrets from coming to light.

Content Warning: attempted sexual assault, bullying, toxic relationship, alcoholism

Five teens are a suspect in a murder of one of the most popular boys in school, Raf. He was the ring leader in his friend group but he wasn’t the nicest guy. I like how the story starts off with the incident of Raf’s fall and Savana gets called to the area it happens. Right away we start getting into how these teens are involved by going back to the “start” so to speak. The timeline worked pretty well and I liked that it was told between Savana and Jesse’s perspectives. We are introduced to the five friends, Raf, Jesse, Tara, Freddie and Owen – the coolest kids in school. Savana is not part of the group but she’s close to Jesse who is the boy next door.

I easily read this book in one sitting and I felt like the story moved quickly. I thought Savana was a really good friend to Jesse and even Tara later. There is a mild friends to lovers romance going on between Savana and Jesse – though it takes a back seat with all the drama going on with Raf.

There are some tough topics discussed in this story like alcoholism, divorce, cheating, abusive relationships, bullying, and sexual assault but the story doesn’t go deep into the topics but it does give some suspects a motive for killing Raf.

As for the mystery of who committed the act – it was definitely someone I didn’t expect, but after hearing why the person did it, it made sense. But it would have been nice to have more hints about it throughout the book! Also Savana was supposed to be observing this popular group for a research project she was doing but it didn’t seem that important since we never see her doing any research whatsoever expect for observing the group of friends.

Why you should read it:

it’s a quick read
you like young adult murder mysteries

Why you might not want to read it:

it’s an easy read – it has hard topics but doesn’t go deep into them

My Thoughts:

I like that this was a quick and easy read because sometimes mysteries can get too slow and boring for me. I finished this in one sitting. I thought Savana was a great character as she and Jesse try and figure out what happened the night Raf died. There are a lot of tough topics in the story but it doesn’t get too deep into them. It showed how each character was going through something behind closed doors and even though the five friends were supposedly close – they still kept secrets from one another. Overall, this was an enjoyable young adult mystery.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

BLOG TOUR} This is Why We Lie by. Gabriella Lepore | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Something Wilder by. Christina Lauren | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Something Wilder

Author: Christina Lauren

Narrator: Patti Murin, Jon Root

Format: audoiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 5/17/22

Categories: Romance, Audiobook, Adult, Fiction, Second Chance Romance

Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession… or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there.

Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen.

But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.

Content Warning: violence, death

This book was different from the Christina Lauren books I’ve read so far. It’s a treasure hunting, suspenseful, second-chance romance and it was definitely not what I was expecting!

I liked the setting of Utah which is perfect for treasure hunting since it’s environment can be vast, remote and daunting. Lily Wilder runs an outdoor adventures company but what she really wants is to have her ranch back. Her dad was an infamous treasure hunter named Duke Wilder but she didn’t have the best relationship with him. Lily is in dire straits when one of their retreats go wrong.

There is violence, back-stabbing, death and lots of harrowing adventure in this one. There are also puzzles and codes to figure out. As for the romance, Leo and Lily used to be a couple until some things happened in his life and he left. So here they are together again and the sparks are still there but there is a lot in their lives they have to figure out also. Leo is a good guy – he is the only level headed one in this group when things get a bit crazy. Lily is the type of woman who can rough it in the outdoors so I thought the two of them together made a good team.

I thought the narrators did a great job with telling the story!

Tropes: second chance romance, opposites attract

Why you should read it:

you like a treasure hunting adventure kind of story
second chance romance between Leo and Lily
there is lots of suspense and the story takes a dark turn

Why you might not want to read it:

not into treasure hunting

My Thoughts:

This one wasn’t what I expected from these authors but I love that they tried something new. I found the story entertaining and Leo and Lily a great couple once they worked things out. If you are interested in reading a romance book with a treasure hunting adventure set in the wild west of Utah, then you will enjoy this one.