A Cursed Heart by. Jenny Hickman | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Cursed Heart (Myths of Airren, #2)

Author: Jenny Hickman

Format: ebook (KU)

Pages: 429

Publication Date: 5/10/22

Publisher: Midnight Tide Publishing

Categories: Fantasy, Mythology, Romance, Series

Living on an island plagued by magic and mythical monsters isn’t a fairy tale . . . it’s a nightmare.

Aveen is the perfect lady, placid and well-mannered, concealing her discontentment beneath false smiles and gentle nods. As the eldest, her duty has always been to her family legacy and her sister’s happiness. But when she finds herself forced into betrothal to a man she loathes, she swears she’ll do anything to escape. Even if it means bargaining with a wicked fae prince.

Rían is a devious half-fae with a dark secret, concealing his true nature beneath glamours and lies. When a fascinating human accidentally catches his eye, it’s clear he’ll do anything to take her for himself. Including making promises he can’t-or won’t-keep.

Confronting hidden dangers and haunting pasts, the two reluctantly come to rely on each other to survive a world where nothing is what it seems and darkness encroaches from all sides.

Will their tangled web of lies bring freedom they crave . . . or will it unravel them both?

A Cursed Heart is the second book in the Myths of Airren, a series of inter-connected standalone fantasy romances set on the magical island of Airren.

Content Warning: violence, sexual assault

Here is book two in the Myths of Airren series and it’s about Aveen and Rian. I didn’t think anyone could have more chemistry than Tadhg and Keelyn but I was wrong, because here is Aveen and Rian who have a love/hate relationship going on. Here’s what I thought:

+ Aveen took the role of Keelynn’s big sister but also her mother since their own died. She is the oldest and has the responsibility of making a good marriage. Keelynn is her whole world but all Aveen wants is a life where no one tells her what to do, especially where men are concerned. Rian is Tadhg’s brother which means he has the same arrogance and sex appeal as his brother – these boys are such rascals! When Aveen and Rian meet, it’s fireworks…not so much a love at first sight, but oh so much bickering. Their relationship made me laugh!

+ This was an interesting story because it gives a backstory – so it starts before Keelynn and Tadhg story, but also becomes parallel it for some time. So basically this is Aveen’s perspective of what was going on. I found her story fascinating because we barely met her in book one. Here we realize how much earlier she and Rian met.

+ I feel like Aveen and Rian got more time to be friends, compared to Keelynn and Tadhg. I love both romances but Aveen and Rian definitely had more ups and downs and time together. Aveen is supposed to be the more proper of the sisters, the responsible one, so maybe it makes she gets the wilder one of the brothers! She does not fall for his beauty, Aveen is pretty much over men and their demands when she meets Rian, which was fun to see Rian and her fall for one another. And Aveen and Rian had hotter scenes too!

~ I think because we got the story in full from before Keelynn’s story starts…the ending when Aveen and Rian deals with his curse feels rushed. And I wish they had more time to expand on his curse, but the story had to cover so much.

Tropes: falling in love with a monster, breaking curses, sacrifice

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶

Why you should read it:

  • Aveen and Rian have so much spark between them, I love how they hate one another haha…makes them falling in love much sweeter
  • Ruairi is back and I love him!
  • we get a very full story from beginning to end

Why you might not want to read it:

  • Finding out about Rian’s curse and fixing it feels rushed at the end because we had the full story of Aveen and Keelynn’s timeline in this one.

My Thoughts:

I’m going to say I love this one as equally as the first book, just in different ways. I still love Tadhg more because he’s softer than Rian, which is surprising because I like the bad bad boys. Aveen and Rian are perfect for one another – she isn’t scared off by him and he needs that. I’m looking forward to reading book three!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 8/23/22

Happy book birthday to these new releases!

The enthralling conclusion to Judy I. Lin’s Book of Tea duology—A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet—is sure to enchant fans of Adrienne Young and Leigh Bardugo.

A great evil has come to the kingdom of Dàxi. The Banished Prince has returned to seize power, his rise to the dragon throne aided by the mass poisonings that have kept the people bound in fear and distrust.

Ning, a young but powerful shénnóng-shi—a wielder of magic using the ancient and delicate art of tea-making—has escorted Princess Zhen into exile. Joining them is the princess’ loyal bodyguard, Ruyi, and Ning’s newly healed sister, Shu. Together the four young women travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help oust the invaders and take back Zhen’s rightful throne.

But the golden serpent still haunts Ning’s nightmares with visions of war and bloodshed. An evil far more ancient than the petty conflicts of men has awoken, and all the magic in the land may not be enough to stop it from consuming the world… 


Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal. 

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation — also known as Babel. 

Babel is the world’s center of translation and, more importantly, of silver-working: the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation through enchanted silver bars, to magical effect. Silver-working has made the British Empire unparalleled in power, and Babel’s research in foreign languages serves the Empire’s quest to colonize everything it encounters.

Oxford, the city of dreaming spires, is a fairytale for Robin; a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge serves power, and for Robin, a Chinese boy raised in Britain, serving Babel inevitably means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to sabotaging the silver-working that supports imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide: Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? What is he willing to sacrifice to bring Babel down? 

Babel — a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal response to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell — grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of translation as a tool of empire.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A dark and enthralling story about a young woman who makes a deal with a spirit to try and gain her independence—and the twisted price she has to pay for it

Ella is a 17-year-old weaver whose entire livelihood depends on her loom. She dreams of opening her own shop, but when her father died in debtor’s prison, she had to support herself by taking whatever clients she could get. In order to buy her supplies she goes into debt of her own, and when her loom breaks, Ella realizes she needs more help than a repairperson can give her. She, like everyone, has heard about the old washerwoman spirit called the Bean-Nighe who will grant any one wish—for a price.

But Ella is desperate, so she asks the Bean-Nighe to fix her loom. And it works. The loom is fixed, and she’s creating beautiful pieces she could have never imagined before. All she has to do is feed the loom a drop of blood each time she weaves—a small price to pay for such magnificent silks. And when she brings two bolts to a rich client, she meets a mysterious young man named Callum and bargains for an invitation to his exclusive party. At that party, he’s so mesmerized by her talent, he offers Ella a place to live and patronage for her art. It seems like Ella’s fortune is finally turning for the better . . . until she begins to notice the loom taking more from her than she offered.

As she becomes entangled in the lives of the city’s rich, swept into Callum’s allure, and trapped by the Bean-Nighe’s magic, Ella must figure out a way to secure her future while she still has a future at all.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Welcome to the Centennial.

Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons—a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die.

Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling—a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial.

To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray…even as love complicates everything.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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? 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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

Standalone Books That I Love | 8/23/22

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:

Completed Series I Wish Had More Books but I’m changing it around a bit because I’m the type that wants a story to come to an end. Some series that decided to continue years later…didn’t work out for me, I wish they kept it as a trilogy. So there are no books I can think of where I wish more would be written in the series. Instead I am going with…

Standalone Books That I Love

I just went through my 5 star reads in Goodreads and this is what I came up with. Have you read any of these?

What’s on your TTT?

Vampire Academy TV Show Coming Soon to Peacock

You don’t understand how obsessed I was over this series back in the day. It got me through my 20’s and we’ve seen it as a movie and it flopped (but I loved the movie). And now it’s a tv series on Peacock starting September 15th! I don’t even have Peacock which kind of sucks because how many streamings services do I need to pay for? 😩

I know book to tv adaptations alway have changes but I just hope the series is GOOD. Will you be watching it? Here’s the trailer:

Monsters Born and Made by. Tanvi Berwah | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Monsters Born and Made

Author: Tanvi Berwah

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 9/6/22

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Dystopian, Fantasy, Race, Family, Politics, Romance

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!

Sixteen-year-old Koral and her older brother Emrik risk their lives each day to capture the monstrous maristags that live in the black seas around their island. They have to, or else their family will starve.

In an oceanic world swarming with vicious beasts, the Landers―the ruling elite, have indentured Koral’s family to provide the maristags for the Glory Race, a deadly chariot tournament reserved for the upper class. The winning contender receives gold and glory. The others―if they’re lucky―survive.

When the last maristag of the year escapes and Koral has no new maristag to sell, her family’s financial situation takes a turn for the worse and they can’t afford medicine for her chronically ill little sister. Koral’s only choice is to do what no one in the world has ever dared: cheat her way into the Glory Race.

But every step of the way is unpredictable as Koral races against contenders―including her ex-boyfriend―who have trained for this their whole lives and who have no intention of letting a low-caste girl steal their glory. When a rebellion rises and rogues attack Koral to try and force her to drop out, she must choose―her life or her sister’s―before the whole island burns.

Content Warning: violence, illness, abuse

Well, I didn’t expect this to be like the Scorpio Races and Hunger Games combined! This is what worked and didn’t work for me:

+ I thought the world-building was interesting, there are very cool aspects to it. The story takes place on an island and the rich people, Landers, live below ground. Renters are the hardworking people in Sollonia and there is a divide. There are sea monsters in this story also. They have aquabats, capricorns, maristags (which are like monster horses that they race), and so much more.

+ I liked how hard Koral is. She is a survivor and won’t give up. There is a lot of anger in her, her brother Emrik, most of the Renters in Sollonia, in the rebels, so much anger in this book that I could relate because of the world we live in today. Koral is relatable. All she wants is a good life, to care for her family, she wants a chance, she fights daily for this chance and she wants glory but always comes out on the losing end. I definitely sympathized with her anger and frustrations.

+ The ending is kind of bonkers – but the final race is high adrenaline. I was cheering on Koral, but it’s a brutal race. But it doesn’t end after the race…

+~ There is a friends to rivals to maybe lovers thing going on with Koral and one of the wealthiest boys in Sollonia, Dorian. They have history that we know a little about. Presently they are rivals but there is an undercurrent of something like hate and desire. Would have liked more interaction between them. There is barely any romance between them just lots of hard feelings.

~ Though the world-building is fascinating it was confusing as well. I don’t think I have a clear picture of what a maristag looks like in my head. I’m just going off of the book cover and maybe like a horse body? There were just some things about the world-building I couldn’t quite pin down and flesh out in my mind despite the author’s descriptions.

~ The ending is so abrupt – is there a sequel? Because how could it end like that?!

~ I wasn’t sure what parts of the books represented South Asia because the races felt like a Roman inspired race? It had chariots and a dome called a Drome. I’m going to say it was the caste system between the Landers, Renters and Rebels but I wish it was clearer to me.

Why you should read it:

  • fascinating world-building, an island surrounded by a sea of monsters
  • Koral is a survivor and a fighter, this girl won’t back down
  • the final race is pure action

Why you might not want to read it:

  • some parts of the world-building while fascinating was also confusing at times – I couldn’t get a good feel of how things looked like a maristag for instance…
  • very abrupt ending – is there a sequel?

My Thoughts:

This one has so much potential and I did love the aspect of the Glory Races and people racing these violent creatures called maristags. The races were a pure rush to read! I did wish I could visualize more of the world-building because it’s so fascinating but I needed more details. I thought Koral was the perfect character for a story such as this because she’s a fighter and the feelings of the Renters and rebels were all encapsulated in her character The ending was so climatic and then ended abruptly so I hope there is a sequel. For the most part I had fun reading this book and hope to read more from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Weekly Wrap Up | 8/21/22

Aloha friends!

It was a COVID week for me. My son tested positive last Sunday and had to stay home all week from school. He is doing much better today, thank goodness – he had a fever the first 2 days and then the coughing. He’s coughing less now. It was a 4 day weekend for the kiddos anyway. My daughter also had to stay home from school because she’s a close contact – so she was bored and missed school a lot. I had to put on my nursing hat this week, one of many that moms wear lol…😅. It was a long week.

My son’s birthday is this Saturday so we’ll have a small celebration here at home with just our immediate family. I didn’t plan anything just in case my daughter caught Covid and had to quarantine for longer but so far she’s been negative. We’ll do something more fun for him labor day weekend probably.

Hope you all had a good week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies I Watched:

Nothing this week, but you know I’m about to watch House of Dragons!!

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!

A Cursed Kiss by. Jenny Hickman | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Cursed Kiss (Myths of Airren, #1)

Author: Jenny Hickman

Format: ebook (KU)

Pages: 411

Publication Date: 11/23/21

Publisher: Midnight Tide Publishing

Categories: Fantasy, Mythology, Romance, Series

Living on an island plagued by magic and mythical monsters isn’t a fairy tale… it’s a nightmare.

After Keelynn witnesses her sister’s murder at the hands of the legendary Gancanagh, an immortal creature who seduces women and kills them with a cursed kiss, she realizes there’s nothing she wouldn’t do to get her back. With the help of a vengeful witch, she’s given everything she needs to resurrect the person she loves most.

But first, she must slay the Gancanagh.

Tadhg, a devilishly handsome half-fae who has no patience for high society—or propriety—would rather spend his time in the company of loose women and dark creatures than help a human kill one of his own.

That is until Keelynn makes him an offer he can’t refuse.

Together, they embark on a cross-country curse-breaking mission that promises life but ends in death.

Content Warning: violence, sexual assault

I was in the mood for a faerie book and chose this one from Kindle Unlimited and it really did satisfy my craving! Here’s what I thought:

+ My favorite part of this book is Keelynn and Tadhg (how do you say his name?!) and their constant bickering. He is quite the charmer though with his kohl lined eyes, and ready smile. These two clashed but in the best ways – plus their attraction to each other was undeniable. Plus their love story is sweet!

+ Keelynn is going to kill the Gancanagh so she can revive her beloved sister, and bring her back to life. But there are a few twists and turns in this story. I like that it’s a quick read and kept moving!

+ In this world, humans and monsters live among one another but clearly, there is tension between them. Keelynn has been brought up to fear the monsters but when she meets Tadhg and is immersed in his world of Pookas and faeries – she realizes she never really knew anything about monsters.

~ At times Keelynn could be frustrating. I definitely loved Tadhg more between the two of them. It really took her time for her to open her eyes to some things…like Robert!

Tropes: falling in love with a monster, breaking curses

Spice Level: 🌶🌶 (scenes do fade to black though)

Why you should read it:

  • you like stories about the Fae – there are creatures from mythology in the story and they live among humans, though they deal with racism and prejudice
  • Keelynn and Tadgh are fun, hot and sweet together
  • lots of fun twists in the story

Why you might not want to read it:

  • Keelynn isn’t the most likable – she loves her sister clearly, but sometimes she came off a bit cold – Tadgh is good for her

My Thoughts:

This one is a fun quick read and I wanted it a Fae story with a little bit of spice, tension and humor and it delivered! I think I’m in love with Tadgh. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m already going to read the second book which is about Keelynn’s sister and Tadgh’s brother – that should be an interesting story!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Last Legacy by. Adrienne Young | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Last Legacy

Author: Adrienne Young

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 322

Publication Date: 9/6/21

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Fantasy, Spin Off/Standalone, Romance, Family

When a letter from her uncle Henrik arrives on Bryn Roth’s eighteenth birthday, summoning her back to Bastian, Bryn is eager to prove herself and finally take her place in her long-lost family.

Henrik has plans for Bryn, but she must win everyone’s trust if she wants to hold any power in the delicate architecture of the family. It doesn’t take long for her to see that the Roths are entangled in shadows. Despite their growing influence in upscale Bastian, their hands are still in the kind of dirty business that got Bryn’s parents killed years ago. With a forbidden romance to contend with and dangerous work ahead, the cost of being accepted into the Roths may be more than Bryn can pay.

New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with The Last Legacy, a captivating standalone about family and blood ties, reinventing yourself, and controlling your own destiny.

Content Warning: violence, abuse

This book is set in the world of the Fable series – which I loved and honestly I feel like this could have been a new duology or trilogy but it is a standalone. Not gonna lie – I love this world of merchants, pirates, traders – it’s so intense and gritty. Let’s take a look at what I thought of the book:

+ I love that this is set in the same world as the last series, Fable. It has the same intensity – the feeling that everyone is playing a dangerous game and it’s not clear who to trust. Since this is a standalone spin-off I felt like it was more high stakes because the story was going to have an ending.

+ Bryn Roth – she’s on the outside looking in and she wants to belong. She’s been waiting all her life to be worthy of the Roth name, but when she finally gets her chance it isn’t as easy as it seems. And she has to make a hard choice at the end…

+ Ezra and Bryn are electric. It’s an attraction that becomes a forbidden love scenario. I wish we had more time for their relationship to grow but it’s a standalone. I just wanted more of them together on the page.

~ I really liked how Bryn is so determined to belong and become a Roth but she isn’t going to take the way how the kids are treated and trained in this family. Her uncle is their leader, and he rules the family with an iron first – and yet the family bond is strong but all around its toxic. Bryn knows she can’t change it though she tries but I’m glad she stands up for herself and others.

Tropes: forbidden love

Spice Level: 🌶

Why you should read it:

  • You liked the Fable series – this is set in the same world but instead of pirates we learn more about the merchants, trades and guilds.
  • it’s intense, a quick read with a strong female lead

Why you might not want to read it:

  • it’s a standalone and I wish there was maybe one more book so that we get more of Bryn and Ezra.

My Thoughts:

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book but I loved the Fable duology so much that it felt great being back in this world with a new family and new characters to root for. Definitely read it if you are a fan of this author’s works. I look forward to reading more from her!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Here are other books by this author that I have reviewed on this blog and books I have read but never reviewed:

Back to School ~ Dark Academia Books

Since Back to School is the theme for me this month, why not showcase some dark academia books? Dark academia is a genre I’ve only started reading since it was getting popular the past few years. I haven’t read a lot of it but I am always trying to expand my reading list. I’m definitely looking forward to reading Babel when it releases this month! Do you like dark academia books?

Back to School ~ Dark Academia Books

I’ve only read two from this list: A Lesson in Vengeance and A Deadly Education! Everything else is on my TBR but I did honestly try to read Ninth House and just wasn’t in the mood for some reason. Will eventually pick it up again, I think. Anyway let me know any dark academia books that you would recommend in the comments below.

It’s Not Summer Without You by. Jenny Han | Book Review | Re-Read

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: It’s Not Summer Without You (#2)

Author: Jenny Han

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 275

Publication Date: 4/26/10

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

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

Belly finds out what comes after falling in love in this follow-up to The Summer I Turned Pretty from the New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (soon to be a major motion picture!), Jenny Han.

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.

But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started—at Cousins Beach.

Content Warning: death of parent, underage drinking

I read this series long ago but decided to do a re-read because it’s now on screen! It’s been interesting re-reading this series as an older person for sure. Here’s what I thought:

+ {spoiler} The boy’s mom was ill in book one and passes but they have no scenes of the actual moment it happens. This sequel is told in memories, whether it’s about Belly and Conrad memories, or one that included Susannah. We see everyone handling their grief in very different ways but for sure they are broken and trying to hang on to one another.

+ No matter the romance drama between Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah – I do love that they have the bond because of how close their families are and the memories they made at the beach house.

+ Belly’s mom is awesome and is handling so much – but Belly being a teenager, doesn’t know how much she is handling. But she really is awesome and loves these kids, hers and Susannah’s.

~ Even though I know this book is about a love triangle, I just cannot believe how Belly goes back and forth between the brothers. I’m just sad they all have to go through this drama while grieving Susannah. It’s messy and it’s the worst kind of love triangle because it’s between brothers.

~ This is all teen drama so Belly comes off as a brat at times.

Tropes: love triangle

Spice Level: 🌶 (there is kissing)

Why you should read it:

  • You love the first book and want to know what happens next.
  • you like stories about first loves, first crushes, a love triangle

Why you might not want to read it:

  • you’re not into teenage romance love triangles
  • Belly can get annoying

My Thoughts:

The books in this series are really quick reads! It’s mainly about Belly and the two brothers she loves in different ways but it’s definitely not a book for someone who hates love triangles. I don’t mind love triangles but I hate when it’s between two brothers. It’s messy and even more so because it’s young love with so many feelings involved, feelings that hurt easy, intertwined with grief. In my opinion, Belly should lay off dating these guys until she’s older and has a clear head haha…but that’s just me! It’s just full on romance, back and forth drama.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Summer I Turned Pretty by. Jenny Han | Book Review | Re-read ⭐️⭐️⭐️

How do you regret one of the best nights of your entire life? You don’t. You remember every word, every look. Even when it hurts, you still remember.

Jenny Han, It’s Not Summer Without You