Weekly Wrap Up | 8/14/22

Aloha friends!

I don’t know how I feel more tired with my kids in school?! I think because drop off and pick up is me leaving the house early in the morning and then waiting awhile in the car in the afternoon – why is school pick up always chaos?! My daughter loves school so much! So her sunburn on her nose is peeling – I’m curious to see how school pictures look – they were taken on Tuesday and I tried my hardest to cover it up with concealer and powder lol. Oh well, it is what it is! At least we’ll look at the picture and remember the weekend before picture taking and her skin is peeling now so it’s healing at least.

Our dog Atlas, has been getting more cuddle times with me and walks too. But he misses the kids, at night he plops right on top of my daughter’s legs to go to sleep.

Today we have another birthday party at an outdoor location – and I’m making her wear a hat! It is just too hot to be outside right now, and I need her skin to heal. Other than that, I’m just trying my best to keep chugging along. 😩 Our fridge stopped cooling down so I had to buy a mini fridge and I turned it off to defrost the whole thing (you know a restart lol) so let’s hope that works because it’s hard trying to find a repairman lately. Other things happened but I’m tired of the negative, so I’ll end it here.

Hope you all had a good week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:


Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies I Watched:

Never Have I Ever (Season 3/Netflix) – I wish the episodes weren’t so short!!! 😭 I love this show and it made me laugh a lot – I needed laughs this week. And Devi has another hot boy to crush on? I don’t blame her, Des is a cutie!😍 I found myself saying omg…why is he so handsome?! lol…but okay how about that cliffhanger?!!!

Games I Played:

  • My Singing Monsters
  • Cooking Dash – still grinding!

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!

Hook, Line and Sinker by. Tessa Bailey | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Hook, Line and Sinker (Bellinger Sisters, #2)

Author: Tessa Bailey

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 385

Publication Date: 3/1/22

Publisher: Avon

Categories: Romance, Friends to Lovers, Rom Com

King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he’s a guaranteed good time–in bed and out–and that’s exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She’s immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his… personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is.

Now, Hannah’s in town for work, crashing in Fox’s spare bedroom. She knows he’s a notorious ladies’ man, but they’re definitely just friends. In fact, she’s nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport’s resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker’s eye… yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can’t deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost.

Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she’s walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and… and… man overboard! He’s fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he’s all in, she’ll choose him instead?

Content Warning:

Life has been so busy for me the past few weeks that this book was exactly what I needed to sweep me away for a little bit, fall in love with the characters falling in love and not think about my problems 😅. Let’s get to what I did and didn’t like:

+ I love that we are back in Westport, where the ocean is near, and the Bellinger sisters are together again but this one is all about Hannah, the supporting actress, the one in Piper’s shadow, the sweet sister who has her head all up into music. I loved Hannah from book one because she seems down to earth, she’s more practical about things and even has a normal job. She’s trying to work on being the “leading lady” in certain aspects of her life, like with her job and with Fox.

+ The best part of this whole book was Hannah and Fox’s relationship. They go from friends…and yes I think I can say they are friends even though it’s been only a few months of really texting each other. But it continues when she comes back except the physical attraction is now an issue – they want each other…but the challenge is trying to decide if it’s worth ruining the friendship for and I love that they make it work. I’m more of a lover of the “enemies to lovers” trope…but maybe I’m emotional because of PMS, but this one had me in my feels. I love that they were trying to understand one another, be honest even if it was scary – they listened to one another. Love that because relationships are a long haul and knowing how to get through the bumps are so important. And they have their own way which works for them.

+ Speaking of physical attraction 🔥 – these two were definitely hot for one another. But I like how they tried to talk about things before actually getting to the point of acting on it.

~ I felt like book one had more of an emotional connection between Piper and her dad’s memory, the town and the bar. Sadly Hannah doesn’t have that connection because she doesn’t remember him and that is realistic but she was hardly at her grandma’s place, or connecting to anyone really in the book except for with Fox. BUT…I totally get it, some people just need their space and she even said she liked the idea of moving from Westport to be able to work, and have space so they could figure out their relationship with Fox without people always giving their two cents. So I respected that about her. I just felt like there wasn’t much of Piper in the book or anyone else, this really focused on Hannah and Fox relationship.

~ I think some parts about Fox’s commitment issues got a bit repetitive in the middle of the story. I get it that he had to work through these issues though and actually I think it’s relatable (I grew up with a few guys like this.) There are those guys out there and it’s sad that they think their only worth is their looks and being a F-buddy, which is why I thought it was sweet how he connected with Hannah and how Hannah saw who he really was and was patient enough with him.

Tropes: friends to lovers, forced proximity, afraid to commit, small town

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Why you should read it:

  • Hannah and Fox are perfect for one another, she’s trying to be more confident in her job and he has major insecurities, especially when it comes to his feelings about Hannah – but what I love about them is they try to listen and understand one another. They are each other’s safe space. They grew together which melts my heart!
  • sweet, steamy, and funny

Why you might not want to read it:

  • you didn’t like the first book…OR if you did like the first one, just know this one is different because Piper isn’t Hannah and vice versa. Hannah has a lesser connection to the town and her dad’s memory. Hannah is her own person but it would have been nice to have her reconnect more with her sister too – but that’s just me. I like when Hannah and Piper are together because they are the most loving sisters.

My Thoughts:

Overall, this was the perfect book for my current mood – I just wanted to escape and read a book with a happily ever after. I definitely felt all the emotions while reading Hannah and Fox’s love story. They are the cutest together with their shared love of music and wanting to take care of each other. This one gave me all the feels!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

It Happened One Summer by. Tessa Bailey | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I just kind of stand around waiting for things to happen, while other people seem to make them happen so easily. I can help others—I like doing that—but I’m a supporting actress, not a leading lady.

Tessa Bailey, Hook, Line and Sinker

Back to School ~ Books with School Uniforms on the Cover

Did you go to private school and wear a uniform? I went to public school so we could wear anything we wanted – well not anything, but you know what I mean. My kids go to public school and they have to wear a t-shirt uniform. I kind of like the idea, since you always know what you will be wearing and cuts down the chances of a wardrobe meltdown lol. Here are book covers with school uniforms on the cover.

Books with School Uniforms on the Cover

I do love a cover with a school uniform on it. I don’t know why, maybe because I never went to private school and it makes me curious what it was like? Not sure, but I keep reading the stories!

BLOG TOUR} Mr. Perfect on Paper by. Jean Meltzer | ARC Review

Welcome to the blog tour for Mr. Perfect on Paper by. Jean Meltzer!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Mr. Perfect on Paper

Author: Jean Meltzer

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 8/9/22

Publisher: MIRA

BUY HERE: BookShop.org | Harlequin | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Books-A-Million | Powell’s

Categories: Romance, Inter-faith Romance, Women’s Fiction, Single Dad, 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 MIRA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From the author of the buzzy THE MATZAH BALL, a pitch-perfect romcom about a matchmaker who finds her own search for love thrust into the spotlight after her bubbe outs her list for “The Perfect Jewish Husband” on live television.

Dara Rabinowitz knows a lot about love. As a third-generation schadchan, or matchmaker, she’s funneled her grandmother’s wisdom into the world’s most successful Jewish dating app, J-Mate. Yet, despite being the catalyst for countless Jewish marriages, Dara has never been successful at finding love. Oh, she’s got plenty of excuses—like running a three-hundred person technology company and visiting her beloved bubbe every day. But the real reason Dara hasn’t been on a date in three years is much simpler. Though she desperately wants to meet her bashert, and stand beneath the huppah, she is frozen by social anxiety.

All that single dad Chris Steadfast wants to do is give his daughter stability. But with the ratings for the TV news show he anchors in the gutter, and the network threatening cancellation, Chris’s career – like his life with Lacey in Manhattan — is on the chopping block.

When her bubbe outs Dara’s list for “The Perfect Jewish Husband” when they’re guests on Chris’s live show, Chris sees an opportunity to both find Dara her perfect match, and boost the ratings of his show. But finding Mr. Perfect on Paper may mean giving up on the charming—and totally not Jewish—reporter following Dara’s nationwide hunt…

Content Warning: grief

I read The Matzah Ball from this author last year and I thought to give this new book of hers a try. I’m glad I did! Here’s what did and didn’t work for me:

+ I learned more about what being kosher means. My husband is Jewish but he is definitely not kosher. He follows Reform Judaism and is raising our kids this way. We are also in an inter-faith marriage, something Dara, in the book is totally against at first. I like how she explains why being Jewish and wanting to find a man who is Jewish is important to her. I learned a lot! I also liked how they introduced important Jewish holidays throughout the story.

+ I love the relationships depicted in the story, one between Dara and her Bubbe (grandmother) and the other between Chris and his daughter Lacey. There were very sweet moments between them.

+ Dara has GAD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder and I like that she talked about it and wasn’t afraid to share with people what she felt and went through with GAD. I also like that she is a very successful woman with her dating app J-Mate.

~ I wish there was a little more chemistry between Chris and Dara – there was some, but I wanted more. Obviously Chris was not going to be someone who was perfect for her and she had to work those thoughts out in her head, but she is so steadfast in her faith I almost thought she should pick Daniel because of it.

~ I wanted more scenes with Bubbe in it. She was there in the beginning and the end but no so much in the middle of the book. It would have been nice for Dara to get some insight of her other dates from her Bubbe since she is the most important person in her life.

Tropes: single dad, slow burn

Why you should read it:

  • a light hearted, rom-com with lots of Jewish representation
  • Bubbe and her friends are fun ladies and I like how Dara spends lots of time with them
  • learn about Jewish holidays and faith

Why you might not want to read it:

  • for me it needed more chemistry between Chris and Dara

My Thoughts:

This is a light-hearted romance story about a Jewish woman Dara, who give us a lot of insight into being Jewish and what she believes it means to her. Dara knows what she wants in a guy so it’s interesting when in the end she chooses the guy who has none of the qualities she wrote down on her list. This story has some funny moments, and touching moments too.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

BLOG TOUR} The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer | ARC Review – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

About the Author:

Author Bio: 

Author Jean Meltzer studied dramatic writing at NYU Tisch, and served as creative director at Tapestry International, garnering numerous awards for her work in television, including a daytime Emmy. Like her protagonist, Jean is also a chronically-ill and disabled Jewish woman. She is an outspoken advocate for ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), has attended visibility actions in Washington DC, meeting with members of Senate and Congress to raise funds for ME/CFS. She inspires 9,000 followers on WW Connect to live their best life, come out of the chronic illness closet, and embrace the hashtag #chronicallyfabulous. Also, while she was raised in what would be considered a secular home, she grew up kosher and attended Hebrew School. She spent five years in Rabbinical School. She is the author of The Matzah Ball and Mr. Perfect on Paper.

Author’s Socials: Author Website | Facebook: @JeanMeltzerAuthor | Instagram: @JeanMeltzer | Goodreads

The Wedding Crasher by. Mia Sosa | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Wedding Crasher

Author: Mia Sosa

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 385

Publication Date: 4/5/22

Publisher: Avon

Categories: Romance, Fake Dating, One Bed

Just weeks away from ditching DC for greener pastures, Solange Pereira is roped into helping her wedding planner cousin on a random couple’s big day. It’s an easy gig… until she stumbles upon a situation that convinces her the pair isn’t meant to be. What’s a true-blue romantic to do? Crash the wedding, of course. And ensure the unsuspecting groom doesn’t make the biggest mistake of his life.

Dean Chapman had his future all mapped out. He was about to check off “start a family” and on track to “make partner” when his modern day marriage of convenience went up in smoke. Then he learns he might not land an assignment that could be his ticket to a promotion unless he has a significant other and, in a moment of panic, Dean claims to be in love with the woman who crashed his wedding. Oops.

Now Dean has a whole new item on his to-do list: beg Solange to be his pretend girlfriend. Solange feels a tiny bit bad about ruining Dean’s wedding, so she agrees to play along. Yet as they fake-date their way around town, what started as a performance for Dean’s colleagues turns into a connection that neither he nor Solange can deny. Their entire romance is a sham… there’s no way these polar opposites could fall in love for real, right?

Content Warning: left at the altar

I’ve seen this book all over Amazon but never picked it up until now. Here’s what I liked and didn’t like:

+ I love that pretty pink cover and how this story starts off at a wedding…except things go wrong. The humor for this book is present throughout but you can tell from the first chapter that it was gonna be funny because of Solange.

+ Solange is Brazilian-American and she comes with a big Brazilian family which I love. Her personality is fun and easy-going. She’s smart, and very confident in herself. She’s always telling jokes and I’m glad because Dean is the opposite (unless he is drunk lol). We were treated to Brazilian foods and Portuguese words and I love it!

+ A lot actually happens in this book while Solange and Dean are fake dating. Some very surprising events but again, it made the story very entertaining because it was unexpected! I like how the story keeps moving whether it’s Solange and Dean going on fake dates, or hanging out with Solange and all her family members.

+ I thought the romance was cute. Right away there is physical attraction and it builds up nicely. They both have relationship issues so it was about being on the same page for them and how to get there. But it’s a steamy book, lot of spice! Also, there was a side F/F couple in the story.

~ Dean is handsome and smart, he’s a lawyer and ambitious but he didn’t quite cut it for me. He was a little too stiff for me, until that karaoke bar scene lol (which made me laugh!). I mean he danced to Pony! Of course Solange loosens him up a bit but still I guess I wanted a bit more from him in the beginning.

+~ I read that there is a first book in this series called Worst Best Man where Dean makes his debut. So I don’t know if you need to read that book. I didn’t read it and still was engaged in the story.

~ A little bit of a lull after their fake-dating agreement comes to an end, but it’s also when they finally act on their attraction (so that keeps in interesting)…but their interactions aren’t as funny as when they were fake-dating.

Tropes: fake dating, one bed, opposites attract

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Why you should read it:

  • it’s got some fun tropes like fake dating and one bed
  • Solange is fun and her family is amazing
  • funny and steamy

Why you might not want to read it:

  • you didn’t read Worst Best Man, but you don’t have to…I didn’t get lost in this one
  • too steamy?

My Thoughts:

This one was cute and fun, the spice and steam just added to it. I love Solange and her vibrant Brazilian family – we were treated to some of the culture and that was lovely. I think Dean was a little too stiff for me, but that was the point since Solange is who loosens him up. Overall, I liked this one a lot!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

One thing’s clear: Not being in a relationship is better than being in a bad one. Because one bad relationship can change your life forever.”

Mia Sosa, The Wedding Crasher

“Here’s the thing about detours, though: Sometimes they become the destination.”

Mia Sosa, The Wedding Crasher

WWW Wednesday | 8/10/22

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?

What are you reading right now?

Happy Reading!!

Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 8/9/22

Happy book birthday to these new releases!

As the creator and CEO of the popular Jewish dating app J-Mate, matchmaker Dara Rabinowitz knows the formula for lasting love—at least, for everyone else. When it comes to her own love life, she’s been idling indefinitely. Until her beloved bubbe shares Dara’s checklist for “The Perfect Jewish Husband” on national television and charming news anchor Chris Steadfast proposes they turn Dara’s search into must-see TV.

As a non-Jewish single dad, Chris doesn’t check any of Dara’s boxes. But her hunt for Mr. Perfect is the ratings boost his show desperately needs. If only Chris could ignore his own pesky attraction to Dara—a task much easier said than done when Dara starts questioning if “perfect on paper” can compete with how hard she’s falling for Chris… 


Anna Xu moving out of her parent’s home and into the dorms across town as she starts freshman year at the local, prestigious Brookings University. But her parents and their struggling Chinese bakery, Sweetea, aren’t far from campus or from mind, either.

At Brookings, Anna wants to keep up her stellar academic performance and to investigate the unsolved campus murder of her childhood babysitter. While there she also finds a familiar face – her middle-school rival, Chris Lu. The Lus also happen to be the Xu family’s business rivals since they opened Sunny’s, a trendy new bakery on Sweetea’s block. Chris is cute but still someone to be wary of – until a vandal hits Sunny’s and Anna matches the racist tag with a clue from her investigation.

Anna grew up in this town, but more and more she feels like maybe she isn’t fully at home here — or maybe it’s that there are people here who think she doesn’t belong. When a very specific threat is made to Anna, she seeks out help from the only person she can. Anna and Chris team up to find out who is stalking her and take on a dangerous search into the hate crimes happening around campus. Can they root out the ugly history and take on the current threat?

The Lies We Tell is a social activism/we all belong here anthem crossed with a thriller and with a rivals-to-romance relationship set on a college campus. 


Death was everywhere. They all stared at me, bumping into one another and slowly coming forward.

Sixteen-year-old Zharie Young is absolutely certain her mother morphed into a zombie before her untimely death, but she can’t seem to figure out why. Why her mother died, why her aunt doesn’t want her around, why all her dreams seem suddenly, hopelessly out of reach. And why, ever since that day, she’s been seeing zombies everywhere.

Then Bo moves into her apartment building―tall, skateboard in hand, freckles like stars, and an undeniable charm. Z wants nothing to do with him, but when he transforms into a half zombie right before her eyes, something feels different. He contradicts everything she thought she knew about monsters, and she can’t help but wonder if getting to know him might unlock the answers to her mother’s death.

As Zharie sifts through what’s real and what’s magic, she discovers a new truth about the world: Love can literally change you―for good or for dead.

In this surrealist journey of grief, fear, and hope, Britney S. Lewis’s debut novel explores love, zombies, and everything in between in an intoxicating amalgam of the real and the fantastic. 


Voya fights to save her witch community from a terrible future.

Voya Thomas may have passed her Calling to become a full-fledged witch, but the cost was higher than she’d ever imagined.

Her grandmother is gone.
Her cousin hates her.
And her family doesn’t believe that she has what it takes to lead them.

What’s more, Voya can’t let go of her feelings for Luc, sponsor son of the genius billionaire Justin Tremblay—the man that Luc believes Voya killed. Consequently, Luc wants nothing to do with her. Even her own ancestors seem to have lost faith in her. Every day Voya begs for their guidance, but her calls go unanswered.

As Voya struggles to convince everyone—herself included—that she can be a good Matriarch, she has a vision of a terrifying, deadly future. A vision that would spell the end of the Toronto witches. With a newfound sense of purpose, Voya must do whatever it takes to bring her shattered community together and stop what’s coming for them before it’s too late.

Even if it means taking down the boy she loves—who might be the mastermind behind the coming devastation.


An emotionally riveting novel for fans of Ibi Zoboi and Erika L. Sánchez about two sisters in Nigeria and their journey to break free of an oppressive home.
 
Sisters Cheta and Zam couldn’t be more different. Cheta, sharp-tongued and stubborn, never shies away from conflict—either at school or at home, where her mother fires abuse at her. Timid Zam escapes most of her mother’s anger, skating under the radar and avoiding her sister whenever possible. In a turn of good fortune, Zam is invited to live with her aunt’s family in the lap of luxury. Jealous, Cheta also leaves home, but finds a harder existence that will drive her to terrible decisions. When the sisters are reunited, Zam alone will recognize just how far Cheta has fallen—and Cheta’s fate will rest in Zam’s hands.
 
Debut author Rimma Onoseta deftly explores classism, colorism, cycles of abuse, how loyalty doesn’t always come attached to love, and the messy truths that sometimes family is not a source of comfort and that morality is all shades of gray.


In this explosive conclusion to the epic trilogy that began with Fireborne, Annie and Lee are fighting for their lives—and for each other—as invading dragonfire threatens to burn their home to the ground.

A new revolution is underway, and nobody will emerge unscathed.

In New Pythos, Griff is facing an execution by the dragonborn, who are furious at his betrayal. He has allies on both sides seeking to defy his fate, but the price of his freedom might come at a dear cost. And Delo will have to make a choice: follow his family, or finally surrender to his conscience.

Meanwhile, Annie must race home to hatch a plan to save her Guardians and their dragons. With Callipolis on the brink of collapse and the triarchy set to be reinstated, she may be the one person who can save the city—if she can overcome her own doubts about her future.

Lee is a revolutionary at heart, but now he’ll have to find a way to fight with diplomacy. Going up against the dragonborn court and a foreign princess, he faces a test of loyalty that sets his head against his heart.

As the fate of Callipolis darkens, Annie and Lee must determine what they are willing to sacrifice in order to save each other, defeat their enemies, and reclaim their home.

Are you getting any new books this week? Happy Reading!

Hilarious Book Titles | Top Ten Tuesday | 8/9/22

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is:

Hilarious Book Titles



There are some funky titles on this list but I can really relate to “I Just Want to Pee Alone” 😅

What’s on your TTT?

On the Subject of Unmentionable Things by. Julia Walton | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: On the Subject of Unmentionable Things

Author: Julia Walton

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 8/23/22

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Teen Reader, Romance, Contemporary, Sex Education, Politics

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

Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A girl rewrites sex education, one viral post at a time, in this fiercely honest and delightfully awkward novel by the award-winning author of Words on Bathroom Walls.

Phoebe Townsend is a rule follower . . . or so everyone thinks. She’s an A student who writes for her small-town school newspaper. But what no one knows is that Phoebe is also Pom—the anonymous teen who’s rewriting sex education on her blog and social media.

Phoebe is not a pervert. No, really. Her unconventional hobby is just a research obsession. And sex should not be a secret. As long as Phoebe stays undercover, she’s sure she’ll fly through junior year unnoticed. . . .

That is, until Pom goes viral, courtesy of mayoral candidate Lydia Brookhurst. The former beauty queen labels Phoebe’s work an “assault on morality,” riling up her supporters and calling on Pom to reveal her identity. But Phoebe is not backing down. With her anonymity on the line, is it all worth the fight?

Julia Walton delivers a brutally honest novel about sex, social media, and the courage to pursue truth when misinformation is rife. Who knew truth could be so scandalous?

Content Warning: vandalism, cyberbullying

This book comes at the right time when current events in the USA are heightened because of the overturning of abortion rights. So reading this feels very relevant!

+ sex positivity. Phoebe is a high school student and a great writer. She writes for her school newspaper and she also has a blog that gives out information about sex. No one knows it’s her behind the blog but it’s a space where she can help others who need help finding answers to such a taboo topic. I wish I had all this information when I was young. We did have sex education class in the 5th grade, 7th grade, and even in the 9th grade because there was a high rate of teenage pregnancy going on in those days – but kids didn’t ask any questions because it really was a taboo topic.

+ I liked seeing all these high school kids with such different passions – Phoebe with journalism and science, Jorge with botany or planting crops, and others with their involvement in school and even politics.

+ Phoebe’s voice was great because she didn’t have all the answers but she tried to do her research and she really did reply respectfully to all the people making comments on her blog. Her blog really caused an uproar because people in on the internet believed her blog encouraged teens to have more sex. I know this can be a hot topic in politics with one side thinking no one should have sex until marriage but in my life experiences, reality doesn’t happen that way. People have sex. Teens have sex. Why is it bad for them to be informed on how to stay safe? So I understood Phoebe’s stance. What was horrible was the backlash that came when they revealed her identity. People really can be atrocious to one another.

+ The romance was sweet and I liked that when Phoebe finally had her own experiences with kissing and more, she was informed and took her time. The scene is a fade to black moment and perfect for this story. I like that the romance wasn’t the main focus of this story but a nice way to show Phoebe’s new experiences with boys.

~ Phoebe gave information about sex on the blog but when it finally came to a gay person asking a question and she had no clue how tot respond, she acknowledged that about herself – and realized she didn’t have information on that. She went and did research and I applauded her for that. It would have been nice to have some LGBTQ+ characters in this story because EVERYONE has questions about sex.

~ The election events in this book gave me minor ptsd – it’s so stressful these days but like I said, stays current to the times we are living in, sadly.

Why you should read it:

  • this is a sex positive, smart, eye-opening story
  • Phoebe has a great voice – she’s mature, coming of age and dealing with emotions and standing up for things she believes in
  • coincides with the political atmosphere going on in America today

Why you might not want to read it:

  • doesn’t have much LGBT+ rep – even with the sex information

My Thoughts:

This is really a fantastic book and one perfect for teens and young adults to read. I felt like it was open, positive (except for the negative reactions to Phoebe and her blog), hopeful and eye-opening. With so much happening to women’s rights in America right now, I feel like this book is timely and makes us realize nothing is wrong with trying to learn more and be safe. I wish I had a blog like this when I was young and dating. I do wish there was more LGBT+ rep in the story but I can understand that Phoebe was still learning and growing. Overall I think this story is very relevant and Phoebe is a brave character for standing up for what she believes in.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Weekly Wrap Up | 8/7/22

Aloha friends!

What a week…it was bonkers. I did manage to complete a few books, which is good since I do have arcs to get through and library books too. This week was all about back to school for my kids and dealing with mornings, packing lunches, and busy school pick-up traffic 😣 (oh the usual!!). My daughter did get her kindergarten orientation and half day, I’m so proud of her! She’s officially in Kindergarten and I now have both kids in school. I hope they have an amazing year!

My family and I also had a pool party for a cousin who is here visiting from Ohio. I thought we were having blessed summer weather here in Hawaii, it’s been perfect and then August hit…and the wind has stopped, the humidity has kicked up. Yesterday at the pool my weather app said it was 87 degrees but felt like 95 degrees. And my daughter, who takes my husband’s side and has fair skin spent 4 hours in the pool because she didn’t want to leave her cousins. The max I usually stay at the pool with her is 1 hour. So yes her face today is sunburned! She even had a fever last night. And then…as if I had any energy to spare after the pool party, I had a concert to go to! 😣 I almost backed out but my friend offer to pick me up (which is out of her way). The humidity didn’t disappear and we walked from the venue to look for food…so by the time we were in the show my feet were killing me and I felt sticky. I This may show my age, but I went to the New Kids on the Block concert. Oh yes…I am a child of the 80’s and this was THE boy band that was popular. 😅 I loved New Edition too, another boy band from Boston. Boston was hot in the 80’s huh? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Obviously they don’t look like this anymore! LOL…and I don’t look I’m 10 years old so that’s fair! 🤣 I cannot believe this song came out in 1988. They are much older and Joey doesn’t have the high pitched boy voice anymore. You can tell it was a strain to perform lol, like Donnie Wahlberg was out of breath but hey…it was fun and they even played some 80’s and 90’s music to pump of the crowd. All their slow ballads reminded me of elementary school dances and crushing on boys!🥰

Now the opening act was TLC!!! And I was such a big fan because I was starting high school and these 3 ladies were all about woman empowerment, talking truthfully about sex, beauty standards, and even AIDS. Their music really made an impression on me and it was so sad Left-Eye is gone (she died in a plane crash years ago). Their songs really got me through high school. ❤️

Got home late because the traffic getting out of the venue so mid you I was exhausted and my daughter’s sunburn gave her a fever. My hubby said she was crying for me while I was at the concert 😭 so I gave her Tylenol and knocked out next to her. I woke up all achy so TODAY I get to rest and catch up on things.

So many things happened last week, I hope this week will be much more chill.

**I barely got this post ready for today lol…** so busy.😅

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:


Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies I Watched:

Nothing this week! Too busy…

Games I Played:

  • My Singing Monsters
  • Cooking Dash – still grinding!

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!