Never Coming Home by. Kate Williams | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Never Coming Home

Author: Kate Williams

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 6/21/22

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Horror

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


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

The beach read you have been dying for! When ten of America’s hottest teenage influencers are invited to an exclusive island resort, things are sure to get wild. But murder isn’t what anyone expected. Will anyone survive?

Everyone knows Unknown Island—it’s the world’s most exclusive destination. Think white sand beaches, turquoise seas, and luxury accommodations. Plus, it’s invite only, no one over twenty-one allowed, and it’s absolutely free. Who wouldn’t want to go?

After launching with a showstopping viral marketing campaign, the whole world is watching as the mysterious resort opens its doors to the First Ten, the ten elite influencers specifically chosen to be the first to experience everything Unknown Island has to offer. You know them. There’s the gamer, the beauty blogger, the rich girl, the superstar, the junior politician, the environmentalist, the DJ, the CEO, the chef, and the athlete.

What they don’t know is that they weren’t invited to Unknown Island for their following—they were invited for their secrets. Everyone is hiding a deadly one, and it looks like someone’s decided it’s payback time. Unknown Island isn’t a vacation, it’s a trap. And it’s beginning to look like the First Ten—no matter how influential—are never coming home.

Content Warning: Murder, Death, Drug Use, Suicide

This was an interesting story that kept me on my toes even though I had an inkling of who the murderer was after the first murder.

I did like the premise of the story. A bunch of social media influencers get invited to an exclusive, mysterious island – they assume it will boost their following but when they arrive there, they figure out real fast that something is off. Did it make me think of the Fyre Festival debacle? For sure. One by one the influencers start dying. It seems like someone wants revenge because each of these influencers have a past. Each one of them is tied to a death and now they are being killed off one by one on this island.

The murders happen fairly quick and this is the type of story that takes place in 24 hours, except in this case it is 48 hours I believe – though it felt like a week at least. How can all that killing happen in one day? A mastermind must be behind it all. I had my suspicions who it was which turned out right but didn’t know exactly how the person was pulling it off. We get an explanation in the end though.

As for the characters, I think the only one who I thought was interesting was Manny, but maybe because we had more time in his head than the other characters. And Emma Jane was interesting also. I did like learning about each character’s back story especially with how they were tied to a death.

The ending was interesting, we get an explanation of how things happened by way of social media commenters – it reminded me of how people on TikTok like to try and figure it out murder cases as a community. But I don’t think that it totally worked for me, I was left a little unsatisfied with it.

Why you should read it:

  • take the Fyre Festival incident and add murder to it and you have a story that could be a reality show type slasher movie
  • to see who the murderer is and why
  • you like thrillers and mysteries

Why you might not want to read it:

  • not into gruesome murder

My Thoughts:

This was a quick read and it kept me on my toes even though my suspicions about who the killer was correct. It was interesting to see how the person pulled it off. I think the story did a good job of exploring the issue of who gets to decide who deserves death. Each person on this island has a story to tell, but were they deserving death because of the mistakes they made in their life? Though it was a quick read I did feel somewhat unsatisfied at the end of it. But this one could definitely be made into a slasher movie, and I’d definitely watch it, but close my eyes during a few parts.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Weekly Wrap Up | 6/5/22

Aloha friends!

Today I was supposed to be in Philadelphia and attending my husband’s friend’s wedding. I am not there. We are not there because I got covid from my Vegas trip last weekend.

But speaking of Vegas…

We stayed at the Park MGM which was nice because it’s smoke-free, I have enough allergies to deal with already. I felt like such a newb everywhere because so many things are digital and I thought I was pretty up to par on my tech skills. But here is my friend using her apple wallet for everything lol…and I don’t even trust putting my cards on a phone.

The hotel rooms were nice, but I wished it had a mini-fridge because we were drinking so much water. It’s so important to hydrate when traveling. Eataly fronts the hotel which is nice, we got some dessert there. Usually it was so packed though so I never really got a meal there. We ate at a few places near the hotel. We tried to go further than our hotel but it was so hot in the day and honestly we were just tired from walking so much in the hotel itself. Plus, even though I loved the bed and pillows, I could not sleep – maybe because I was in a new place? Or jet lag?

The Silk Sonic concert was amazing! The crowd was grooving to everything and Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak are such hams on stage! They crack me up with being so extra – I used to think Andy’s wig was not it, but it puts him into his Silk Sonic persona and now I love it. They vibe so well together and sing….SING?! They can SING. The harmonies, the dance movies, the remixes to the songs…they are just on another level. I wish the whole world could see it – like make it a tv special like Bruno did for the 24K album at the Apollo Theater? I want to see it again. There was a moment in the concert when they sang Love’s Train and I swear every person in the crowd was grooving – that music just makes you move. The whole stage set was a 70’s vibe, the lights, costumes, just everything was so well put.

I had the best time and I had the mental break I needed. I love my family but wow was it nice not to wash dishes or do laundry and just have fun! Now if only covid would stop hindering my plans so I can do more traveling. Yes on the flight home my nose started to run and my throat started to itch. Got home and tested right away but after 15 minutes the result was negative! Woke up coughing a lot – took another test and that one was totally positive. So my week was sleep, sleep, sleep – texting everyone, drink lots of water, and chamomile tea with honey, watch my kids stay 6 feet away from me. My dog cuddled me everyday- he knows something is wrong with me. Bless his heart. 🥺 My hubby’s birthday was on Monday and all I did was sleep and he bought himself a birthday cake. We were supposed to fly to Philly and New York for 2 weeks but we had to reschedule which means he misses his friend’s wedding. SIGH. I feel awful. He did reschedule the trip for November though so we shall try again and at least the kids will see the changing leaves – they have never experienced Autumn.

My covid week was filled with LOTS of sleeping, a runny nose, a slight headache due to sinus congestion, and coughing – not a lot of coughing but enough to get some phlegm out. I also managed to binge Stranger Things 4 – but I did sleep a lot. Now my hubby has covid and I’m taking care of the kids and got to cleaning the house, which made me feel lots better.

Blog Posts:


Books I Read:


Currently Reading:


Shows/Movies I Watched:

  • Stranger Things 4 (Netflix) – so spooky, gruesome, nostalgic but fun lol it reminds me of so many 80’s movies combined like The Goonies and so many more.

Games I Played:

  • I played slot machines in the Casinos!! lol does that count? My friend liked the electric roulette machine. I liked the Quick Hit slots machines. My parents gave me money to gamble and I pretty much made it all back so I broke even. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Music I Listened To:

  • Silk Sonic – the show was AMAZING. Wish I could see it again!

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!

💖 ~ Yolanda

Monthly Wrap Up | May 2022

May was a busy month for me and I ended it with Covid – boo! But reading wise I think I did pretty good.

What I Posted in May: 9 Books

5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:

4.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:

2.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️💫

2 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️

ARCS I READ IN DECEMBER FOR FUTURE POST: 3

Wow, I didn’t read a lot in May! But it was a busy month trying to get ready for my trips. I’m bummed we had to cancel the family trip because of Covid. But while I’m recovering I guess I’ll do some reading, if I can stay awake. I hope you had a better reading month than I did! Take care and stay safe out there.

~ Yolanda

Thank You, Next by. Andie J. Christopher | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Thank You, Next

Author: Andie J. Christopher

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 6/14/22

Publisher: Berkeley Books

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Enemies to Lovers

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


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

Alex Turner is never The One–but always the last one an ex dates before finding love–and now she’s determined to find out why in this hilarious new rom-com.

Single divorce attorney Alex Turner is watching reality TV when she sees her latest ex’s new fiancé picking out her wedding dress. Yet again, the guy she dumped went on to marry (or at least seriously commit to) the next person he dates after her. Fed up with being the precursor to happily ever after, she decides to interview all her exes to find out why.

Up-and-coming chef Will Harkness mixes with Alex like oil and vinegar, but forced proximity growing up means their lives are forever entwined. When Will learns Alex and her friends are going on a wild romp through Los Angeles to reconnect with her ex-boyfriends, he decides to tag along. If he can discover what her exes did wrong, he can make sure he doesn’t make the same mistake with Alex.

On this nonstop journey through the streets of LA, Alex realizes the answer to her question might be the man riding shotgun…

Content Warning: Parental Neglect

This has so much potential but it fell short for me.

One thing I loved about the story was Alex is a very successful young woman. She knows what she wants in every aspect of her life but even though she’s successful in most aspects of her life, the one place she keeps failing at are relationships. It’s totally understandable though because she never had the best childhood and her parents were hardly there for her emotionally and physically. So Alex has some things to work through. She tries to contact a few of her ex’s to ask them what was it about her that made them find someone so soon (and settle down) after dating her.

Will is Alex’s grandmother’s, step-son…yeah so it kind of weirdly makes him her step-uncle but they are NOT related by blood at all. For me, that’s still family and I wouldn’t even think about it haha, but in this story Will and Alex are pretty much the same age and very attracted to one another. They’ve kept their hands off one another for awhile – Will got married and divorced, and Alex has been dating. Will has now sworn off marrying again and concentrating on opening his own restaurant.

I love the diversity in this book. Alex is African American, her best friend Jane is pansexual, Charlee – who is Will’s friend is transgendered. I loved the scenes when Alex was with her friends, they are a fun group. I like the sparks between Will and Alex.

My issues with the story came with the writing but I had to remind myself this is an arc. There were lots of technical mistakes, like names changing: Lexi and Alex were interchanged which was awkward because Lexi is Alex’s grandmother, and Lana’s husband name changed as well. Hopefully those are fixed. Also we are in Alex and Will’s head a lot, mostly Alex’s and sometimes it slowed down the story. The story felt clunky at times, it didn’t have an easy flow to it.

Why you should read it:

  • great diversity of characters, fun friend group
  • enemies to lovers
  • Alex character growth

Why you might not want to read it:

  • lots of typos that hopefully will be corrected before publication
  • story didn’t flow easily, slow in the middle of the story

My Thoughts:

Overall I thought this one has so much potential. I like that Alex is a very successful female but she’s having problems in her love life. It’s an eye-opening journey for her and she has to find some of her relationship attachment issues. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope and thought she and Will had lots of sparks. I mostly enjoyed Alex’s friends who were a fun group when they were together. There were a bunch of typos that need to be fixed and the middle of the story dragged a bit but I still was rooting for an Alex and Will happy ending. I look forward to reading more from this author.

📚 ~ Yolanda

WWW Wednesday | 6/1/22

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? Have a good week!

Happy Reading!!

~ Yolanda

My East Coast Vacation Was Supposed to Start Today | 6/1/22

I’m so sad.

So I went to Las Vegas this past weekend to see the Silk Sonic show which was the best show ever. Bruno Mars, Anderson Paak and the Hooligans (Bruno’s band) are phenomenal. My friend and I ate good food, we got massages, we gambled a little and then flew back home. But on the flight home, I felt a tickle in my throat. I thought it was just my allergies because I was dealing with that all weekend in Vegas. I went from humid Hawaii air to very dry Nevada air and my body was dealing with it but way better than my friend who was congested all weekend in the dry air.

Anyway, an hour prior to landing my nose started running. Again, I thought it was just the dry airplane air. There were lots of people coughing and sneezing but I wore my mask on both flights, and in Vegas (my friend and I were the rare ones that wore masks lol) – of course we removed it to eat and that was it, covid got me! I came home Sunday night, took a test real quick and it said it was negative 15 minutes later. So I thought it was okay to hug my daughter and she wanted me to sleep next to her so I did. I woke up at 3am coughing and went to the bathroom and the test that said I was negative had a strange crooked line 2nd line. I was like oh no….so I quickly took another test and that showed up positive right away. I felt horrible for exposing my daughter.

And I feel even WORSE because it was my husband’s birthday yesterday and he had to take care of me. I can’t hug my kids and my daughter was acting up because she wanted to be next to me. And to top if off…we were supposed to fly to NYC today and drive down to Philadelphia. But I can’t fly and I’ve exposed my family. I know my hubby is upset – he was supposed to be in his friend’s wedding on Sunday, he had plans to go to a Phillies baseball game, we had so many plans. He was so looking forward to this trip, the kids too. 🥺 They haven’t been showing symptoms yet and I hope they never do. But I feel like this is all my fault. Of course we could have flown to NYC and caught covid and spent the time in Philadelphia recovering also…but still, I feel SO bad. 😭

As for me – I slept the whole day on Monday. I was exhausted from flying and my symptoms and just couldn’t do much. I had no fever, but I had chills and some body ache (I couldn’t tell because I was already achy from flying!). Tuesday my head felt clearer and now I’m just coughing up stuff but I have more energy. Many people told me their worse day was day 3 and yesterday was day 3 for me so I hope this means I’ll be good soon. 🙏🏼 I think I caught it on the plane ride from Hawaii to Vegas. Hawaii has a covid surge right now and half the people on the plane wasn’t wearing masks. My symptoms showed up 2 days later.

I think my hubby said he will be rescheduling the trip – I just don’t know when. But I wish Covid would just go away already. I managed not to catch it for 2 years. I’m glad my symptoms are mild though. So that’s my update – I’m bummed, but I had such a good time in Vegas…it was the mental break I needed!! It just came at the cost of catching covid and ruining the big family trip though. SIGH.

~ Yolanda

Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 5/31/22

Happy book birthday to these new releases!

Fans of The Gilded Ones and Children of Blood and Bone will love the second book in an epic fantasy series about a girl who is the key to saving the empire–or its greatest threat.

It’s been six months since Deka has freed the goddesses and discovered who she really is. There are now wars waging across the kingdom. Otereans now think jatu are traitors to the nation. Deka is called a monster.

But the real battle has only just begun and Deka must lead the charge. Deka is tasked with freeing the rest of the goddesses. Only as she begins to free them, she begins to see a strange symbol everywhere in places of worship and worn on armor. There’s something unnatural about that symbol; just looking at it makes Deka lose her senses. Even worse, it seems to repel her powers. She can’t command or communicate with the new deathshrieks. In fact, she can’t even understand them when they speak.

Deka knows freeing the goddesses is just the beginning. She can tell whatever dark force out is powerful and there is something sinister out there threatening the kingdom connected to that symbol–something merciless–that her army will need to stop before humanity crumbles. But Deka’s powers are only getting stronger…and her strongest weapon could be herself.


Beatrice is queen, and for the American royal family, everything is about to change.

Relationships will be tested.
Princess Samantha is in love with Lord Marshall Davis—but the more serious they get, the more complicated things become. Is Sam destined to repeat her string of broken relationships…and this time will the broken heart be her own? 

Strangers will become friends.
Beatrice is representing America at the greatest convocation of kings and queens in the world. When she meets a glamorous foreign princess, she gets drawn into the inner circle…but at what cost?

And rivals will become allies.
Nina and Daphne have spent years competing for Prince Jefferson. Now they have something in common: they both want to take down manipulative Lady Gabriella Madison. Can these enemies join forces, or will old rivalries stand in the way?


The first rule of watching K-dramas: Never fall in love with the second lead.

As an avid watcher of K-dramas, Hana knows all the tropes to avoid when she finally lands a starring role in a buzzy new drama. And she can totally handle her fake co-star boyfriend who might be falling in love with her. After all, she promised the producers a contract romance, and that’s all they’re going to get from her. 

But when showrunners bring on a new girl to challenge Hana’s role as main love interest—and worse, it’s someone Hana knows all too well—can  Hana fight for her position on the show while falling for her on-screen rival in real life?

-K-drama lovers will fall for all the fan-favorite tropes that make for a hit show.
-Romance is everywhere in this swoony, joy-filled novel, with fake dating, a secret relationship, and a classic love triangle!
-Visit South Korea as Hana takes readers through popular spots and hidden gems.


The Notebook meets Love & Gelato in this heart-wrenching novel about a teen girl who travels to her late mother’s majestic summertime home to learn of the romance—and the tragedy—that changed her life forever.

Seventeen-year-old Lexi has always wanted to know more about the mother who passed away when she was only a child. But her dad will barely talk about her. He says he’d rather live in the present with Lexi, her stepmom, and her half-brother. Lexi loves her family, too, but is it so wrong to want to learn about the mom she never got to know?

When Lexi’s grandma dies and secretly leaves her a worn blue chest that belonged to Lexi’s mother, Lexi is ecstatic to find a treasure trove of keepsakes. Her mom held onto letters, pamphlets, flyers, and news articles all from the same beautiful summertime getaway: Mackinac Island—plus a cryptic postcard that hints at a forbidden romance. If Lexi wants answers, this island is where she needs to go.

Without telling her dad, Lexi goes to the gorgeous Mackinac Island in Lake Superior, reachable only by ferry. Cars are forbidden and bikes are the number one mode of transportation along the quaint cobblestone streets, and the bright white hotel that looms like a high castle over charming cafés and bookshops. While following her mother’s footsteps, Lexi befriends an elderly former Broadway star and a charming young hotel worker while quickly falling in love with her surroundings.

But though the island may be beautiful, it’s hiding unfortunate secrets—some with her mother at the center. Could some questions be best left buried beneath the blue waters? 


A sweet and swoony contemporary Young Adult novel about a cross-country family road trip that puts one girl and her childhood best friend on an unexpected road to romance!

Norah hasn’t seen her childhood best friend, Skyler, in years. When he first moved away, they’d talk all the time, but lately their relationship has been reduced to liking each other’s Instagram posts. That’s why Norah can’t wait for the joint RV road trip their families have planned for the summer.

But when Skyler finally arrives, he seems…like he’d rather be anywhere else. Hurt and confused, Norah reacts in kind. Suddenly, her oldest friendship is on the rocks.

An unexpected summer spent driving across the country leads both Norah and Skyler down new roads and to new discoveries. Before long, they are, once again, seeing each other in a different light. Can their friendship-turned-rivalry turn into something more?


New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang delivers a heartfelt and powerful YA romance about a Chinese American girl who gets help from the new boy in town to search for her dad after her successful fashion designer mother is diagnosed with cancer.

Serene dreams of making couture dresses even more stunning than her mom’s, but for now she’s an intern at her mom’s fashion label. When her mom receives a sudden diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, all that changes. Serene has to take over her mother’s business overnight, dealing with ruthless investors who do not think a seventeen-year-old can run a fashion empire, while trying to figure out what happened with her dad in Beijing. He left before she was born, and Serene wants to find him, even if it means going against her mom’s one request—never look back.

Lian Chen moved from China to Serene’s mostly white Southern California beach town a year ago. He doesn’t fit in at school, where kids mispronounce his name. His parents don’t care about what he wants to do—comedy—and push him toward going to MIT engineering early. Lian thinks there’s nothing to stick around for, until one day, he starts Chinese Club after school . . . and Serene walks in.

Worlds apart in the high school hierarchy, Serene and Lian soon find refuge in each other, falling in love as they navigate life-changing storms.


A contemporary young adult romance about moving on, finding your place, and recovering after life falls apart.

Gymnast Caroline Kepler has three state balance beam titles, a new trick even most elites can’t do, and chronic, undeniable back pain. While she might never be an Olympian, she has dreams of leveling up to elite, making Nationals, and competing in college. But when one epic face-plant changes all that and Caroline’s back pain goes from chronic to career-ending, her dreams are shattered and her life is flipped upside down.

Enter Alex Zavala, a three-sport athlete who’s both incredibly cute and incredibly off-limits. He offers to give Caroline a crash course in all the sports she’s missed, and she has an offer for him in return: For every sport Alex teaches her, she’ll play matchmaker for him. Deal done, Caroline “dates” new sports with Alex for the rest of the summer, which is loads more fun than wallowing in despair. Just as Caroline starts to see herself as more than her past athletic successes, she picks up something she didn’t bargain for: a big fat crush on Alex. Turns out life was way easier when it was just layout-fulls and beam burns…. 


A fresh and vital new voice in romance. —Entertainment Weekly

Paris, 1889 

The Exposition Universelle is underway, drawing merchants from every corner of the globe. Luz Alana Heith-Benzan set sail from Santo Domingo armed with three hundred casks of rum, her two best friends and one simple rule: under no circumstances is she to fall in love.

The City of Light is where Luz Alana will expand Caña Brava, the rum business her family built over three generations. It’s a mission that’s taken on new urgency after her father’s untimely death and the news that her trust fund won’t be released until she marries. But buyers and shippers alike are rude and dismissive; they can’t imagine doing business with a woman…never mind a woman of color.

From her first tempestuous meeting with James Evanston Sinclair, Earl of Darnick, Luz Alana is conflicted. Why is this man—this titled Scottish man—so determined to help her? And why, honestly, is he so infuriatingly charming?

All Evan Sinclair ever wanted was to find a purpose away from his father’s dirty money and dirtier politics. Ignoring his title, he’s built a whiskey brand that’s his biggest—and only—passion. That is, until he’s confronted with a Spanish-speaking force of nature who turns his life upside down.

Evan quickly suspects he’ll want Luz Alana with him forever. Every day with her makes the earl wish for more than her magnificent kisses or the marriage of convenience that might save them both. But Luz Alana sailed for Paris with her eyes on liquor, money and new beginnings. She wasn’t prepared for love to find her.


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

10 Comfort Reads | Top Ten Tuesday | 5/31/22

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: (freebie topic)

10 Comfort Reads

(Share which books or kinds of books you turn to when you need to escape. You can either share specific titles if you love to re-read, or you could share qualities of books you look for in a comfort read.)

This series – the books and the movies are just pure comfort. It’s got a loving family, fun friendships, a childhood crush that turns into something so much more.


In no way is this a snuggly-comfort kind of series…unless you like bad princes and a human who is not afraid to kick ass. 😅 But Holly Black’s writing always comforts me.


Books with food in them – especially if it’s a dessert definitely falls into the comfort read category for me!


I think Sarah J. Maas books are a sort of comfort to me because I know what she writes – it never really strays off the path. I’m just so familiar with her work and I know reading one of her books will have romantasy and lots of action and fae. All things I love.


Christmas romance stories! I didn’t exactly read this one but it was on my TBR list! Maybe I’ll read it this year. But holiday romances always give me the cozy, comfort feels!



Of course a good romance book always comforts me! Romance was the genre that got me into reading so it will always be my first love!


I love an inspirational story! It brings me great comfort and satisfaction when a character overcomes so much adversity and has succeeds.


Books that are a blast from the past for me are comfort reads. I read this series so many times back when it first came out! A lot of book series fall in this category for me, this is just one of them.


A good enemies-to-lovers trope will always be a comfort read to me! I can’t get enough of it.


Is this a surprise? Anything Jane Austen is a comfort read but I haven’t re-read the books in a long time since I don’t have to re-read anything these days. I watch the movies or tv series at least once a year though! So anything Jane Austen is a comfort to me – her books, the movie and show adaptations, the retellings…etc…give it all to me, just make it good!


What’s on your TTT?

~ Yolanda

Postcards From Summer by. Cynthia Platt | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Postcards From Summer

Author: Cynthia Platt

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 5/31/22

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

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

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


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

Seventeen-year-old Lexi has always wanted to know more about the mother who passed away when she was only a child. But her dad will barely talk about her. He says he’d rather live in the present with Lexi, her stepmom, and her half-brother. Lexi loves her family, too, but is it so wrong to want to learn about the mom she never got to know?

When Lexi’s grandma dies and secretly leaves her a worn blue chest that belonged to Lexi’s mother, Lexi is ecstatic to find a treasure trove of keepsakes. Her mom held onto letters, pamphlets, flyers, and news articles all from the same beautiful summertime getaway: Mackinac Island—plus a cryptic postcard that hints at a forbidden romance. If Lexi wants answers, this island is where she needs to go.

Without telling her dad, Lexi goes to the gorgeous Mackinac Island in Lake Superior, reachable only by ferry. Cars are forbidden and bikes are the number one mode of transportation along the quaint cobblestone streets, and the bright white hotel that looms like a high castle over charming cafés and bookshops. While following her mother’s footsteps, Lexi befriends an elderly former Broadway star and a charming young hotel worker while quickly falling in love with her surroundings.

But though the island may be beautiful, it’s hiding unfortunate secrets—some with her mother at the center. Could some questions be best left buried beneath the blue waters?

Content Warning: Death of Parent

I really love the cover of this book and that’s the main reason I requested it.

Lexi doesn’t know much about her mom but when her estranged grandmother dies and leaves her a box of her mom’s things she wants to find out more. With encouragement from her step-sister Chloe, they concoct a plan for her to find out more about her mom and visiting Mackinac Island in Michigan. It requires lying to her dad and step-mom, but Lexi feels like she has no choice.

The story starts off fine and we have two timelines going on – Emma (Lexi’s mom), is telling her story in the past, and Lexi continues in the present. Emma is a sunshine girl, who’s life has been easy so far. Her parents own a lovely hotel resort on Mackinac Island. She’s friendly with the employees, especially one guy named JR who she’s known from when they were little kids. But this summer is different – Emma has befriended brother and sisters, Linda and Ryan. They become a foursome all summer long until things start to change.

Emma is a sweet girl who loves art, she’s always late to things, she loves her summer dresses and being carefree. Her parents want her to learn more responsibility though because they hope she will take over the hotel business but Emma doesn’t want the hotel to be her future. She’s not sure what she wants. Even when it comes to guys. JR is her best friend, and he’s known her forever but Ryan has an amazing smile and a charming personality like her.

I was invested in finding out Emma’s history for Lexi’s sake. Lexi just needs to know more about her mom, and I sympathized with her. But I had a few issues with the story. Lexi’s character wasn’t someone I could connect to. I felt like a lot of the characters weren’t very developed outside of Emma, JR, Ryan and Linda. Lexi is a very indecisive character and needs encouragement from her step-sister Chloe who we only get to know over the phone. Chloe is there in the beginning of the story but barely there, anywhere else in the story. For someone who is investigating her mother’s history, Lexi was strangely reluctant to follow the plan she has, even ignoring advice from people on the island – which was so strange to me. Instead she tries to force some random worker to help her and clearly he doesn’t want to. It was bizarre.

I was drawn to Emma’s upbringing in the beginning, mostly because the setting of Mackinac Island sounded wonderful, but she is as indecisive as Lexi. She gets herself into a love triangle and it’s super frustrating. I usually don’t mind love triangles but Emma comes off as innocent yet has two guys in love with her and she can’t seem to choose which one she wants to be with. It ruins the friendship between all of them, including Linda. It was just sad. Everything revolved around Emma even beyond her death.

Another thing that wasn’t vibing with me was the whole mystery of Emma’s life and Lexi’s investigation of it. It was slow, add the love triangle to it and I felt unsatisfied with the story. I guess I thought from the cover this would be a more light-hearted story.

Why you should read it:

  • Mackinac Island setting
  • summer of friendship

Why you might not want to read it:

  • love triangle with a girl who couldn’t really make a choice and stick with it (until it had ruined relationships)
  • slow developing story, Lexi’s investigation went nowhere at times
  • indecisive characters: Emma and Lexi

My Thoughts:

I love the cover and the concept of the story. The setting was wonderful and I even had to Google it to see if it was real! It is. The setting was my favorite part. The execution of the story fell short for me. I didn’t connect to Emma or Lexi, they were both way too indecisive for me. The story moved a bit too slowly and I didn’t enjoy the love triangle. Unfortunately this story wasn’t for me.

📚 ~ Yolanda

All My Rage by. Sabaa Tahir | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: All My Rage

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Format: ebooks (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 3/1/22

Publisher: Razorbill

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

Lahore, Pakistan. Then. 
Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.

Juniper, California. Now. 
Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding. 

Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah’s health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle’s liquor store while hiding the fact that she’s applying to college so she can escape him—and Juniper—forever.

When Sal’s attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth—and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst. 

From one of today’s most cherished and bestselling young adult authors comes a breathtaking novel of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness—one that’s both tragic and poignant in its tender ferocity.

Content Warning: Grief, Death of Loved One, Abuse, Addiction, Overdose, Trauma, Prison, Racism, Islamophobia

I am a fan of Sabaa Tahir because of her fantasy series but her venture into contemporary young adult is powerful. This is not a happy story. It is filled with trauma, hurt, despair and the characters in it just seems so desolate and lost – add to that the setting of a motel in a town near Death Valley in California and I felt as trapped as Noor and Sal does in the book.

Noor is an immigrant, her parents are dead and her uncle brought her to California from Pakistan. She is grateful to him for saving her but her dream is to leave Juniper, California after high school. I cannot imagine what Noor’s been through and then to come to a new country and try to fit in, learn the language and lifestyle? It’s a lot for anyone to deal with – on top of dealing with an uncle who resents her presence. I love that she had good moments though, especially with Salahudin’s mother, Misbah, before she dies. And I adore her love of music. I know she used it to escape the bad things happening in her life but every time she mentioned a song I could totally relate to her mood.

Salahudin’s parents immigrated to California and bought a motel they named the Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel. It was his mother’s dream – she loved running the motel but Sal’s dad is an alcoholic and when his mother gets very ill and dies, it’s up to him to keep things going but he doesn’t know how. He’s a high school student just barely surviving the loss of his mother and his drunk and grieving father. Sal is also dealing with some of his own issues – he hates being touched and doesn’t know why and not sure if he wants to know why.

I love all the characters and how the story unfolds. The characters are solid and I felt I got to know them so well, well enough to care about them. Usually flashbacks in a story can be jarring but having this story told through Noor, Salahudin and Misbah (her tales of the past), were seamless and it flowed so well. As I read the story, I felt rage also – for Noor and Sal. Here are these two high school kids just trying to make the best of their lives. They are strong, they will do what it takes to either get out or keep their family afloat but it seems so lonesome for both of them. I felt like there was hardly anyone in their corner. I also love that this story wasn’t preachy on faith and the message here was that religion is there for comfort, for people to have when they need guidance through life because life is tough. There are so many hard times.

As mentioned above, this story is not light and fluffy. It’s full of despair, it’s raw and real and deals with tough things like drug dealing, drug addiction, racism, discrimination, abuse, death. I wanted to reach into the book and help Noor and Sal because they are just kids! Bless Misbah’s heart – she tried, that dear woman tried her best. They all did the best they could under all the circumstances.

Why you should read it:

  • a powerful story and wonderful Pakistanis and Muslim representation
  • it will break your heart and fill you with despair but the writing is so good and the characters are so real
  • getvto know Noor, Sal and Misbah’s story

Why you might not want to read it:

  • triggers everywhere so be in the right mood to read this one – a mood to have your heart broken and to rage at the world!

My Thoughts:

This story is a real look at the Pakistani immigrant experience and gives us a peek at the beautiful culture of the people, and the religion of Islam, especially through Misbah’s words, memories and actions. It’s a story about love – love of family, and falling in love with your best friend. It’s a story about many scary things that happen to good people also – drugs, death, abuse, making desperate choices and facing consequences. And also, it’s a story about hope and how to keep going when life doesn’t go as expected. This book is heartbreaking, captivating, and so powerful and definitely a must read.

📚 ~ Yolanda


Quote from the Book:

I’ll survive this. I’ll live. But there’s a hole in me, never to be filled. Maybe that’s why people die of old age. Maybe we could live forever if we didn’t love so completely. But we do. And by the time old age comes, we’re filled with holes, so many that it’s too hard to breathe. So many that our insides aren’t even ours anymore. We’re just one big empty space, waiting to be filled by the darkness. Waiting to be free.|

-Sabaa Tahir, All My Rage

Shock has faded into numbness. But grief is an animal I know. It’s retreated for now. But it’ll be back.

-Sabaa Tahir, All My Rage

Because what religion—many religions, really—offers is comfort when it’s all too much. A reason for the pain. A hand in the darkness if we reach for it.”

-Sabaa Tahir, All My Rage

Sometimes we hold on to things we shouldn’t. People. Places. Emotions. We try to control all of it, when what we should be doing is trusting in something bigger.”

-Sabaa Tahir, All My Rage

Rage can fuel you. But grief gnaws at you slow, a termite nibbling at your soul until you’re a whisper of what you used to be.”

-Sabaa Tahir, All My Rage