All the Stars Align by. Gretchen Schreiber | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: All the Stars Align

Author: Gretchen Schreiber

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 4/1/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Disability Rep, Romance, Family, LGBT+, Semi-Magical

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

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

All the Stars Align is the magical love story that is Taylor Swift’s Enchanted meets Cyrano, from the author of Ellie Haycock is Totally Normal.

All the women in Piper’s family know their true love at first sight, complete with butterflies, heart eyes, and a gut instinct. The kind of fated love that lasts forever. Piper grew up with her ancestors’ epic love stories repeated like fairy tales, and yearns for the day she’ll start her own. Already singled out in her family due to her physical disability, Piper collects a second strike against her when her parents announce their divorce, which convinces her family that she’s doomed.

When she finally finds her true love at a party, she’s more determined than ever to attain her love story and earn a spot in her family. But after completely botching their first meeting, she realizes that she’ll need help from her best friend Leo, who is sort of a love expert. The catch—he and Piper haven’t talked in six months, since he needed a “break” from their friendship.

To win over the love of her life and a place in her family, Piper must convince Leo to teach her his ways. And it’s all going as planned…until Leo confesses his own love for Piper. Now, she must decide which fate to follow.

Content Warning: divorced parents

+ This story is about a girl, who wants to fulfill receiving her Blessing. A Blessing is basically a soulmate – but in Piper’s family, all the women have had, even her mom, until the divorce happened. So what does that mean? I like how the story questions different types of love, relationships and fate versus choice. Piper’s parents loved one another, or still do, but they aren’t compatible and that wasn’t okay with Piper until she had to face some truths. Other types of love displayed are the love of parents with their child, the strained love of family, and the tumultuous love of the teenage years.

+ Piper is disabled and she blames herself for her parents’ divorce, which is sad. I did like the talk her mom had to have with her. Piper is so hell-bent on her plan to find her Blessing, be with that boy forever, and run her family’s business. She has a need to feel wanted by them instead of always feeling different from them. Piper has an amazing support system though – her parents and her best friends Leo and Diana really keep her protected.

+ Because Piper is trying her best to find this Blessing, she’s confused about how she feels about her best friend Leo, who she did have feelings for but they never said anything about it. And then she meets Forest, who supposedly is her Blessing – so things end up perfect right? Not really.

~ I had a bunch of issues with this story. The Blessings hint that something magical is tied to this family but it is so vague. Is it something truly magical or something they made up in their own family? It’s not clear. Piper’s focus on the Blessing did get tiresome. I understand why she clung to the hope of it, but it got repetitive. Hearing ‘the Blessing’ got tiresome too. Also, what kind of family pushes their own sister out because she got divorced? That was ridiculous! I’m glad Piper finally stood up for her mom.

~ Another thing that wasn’t clear – Piper’s disability. She mentions she’s disabled but it’s later in the book where Leo talks about her surgery. Eventually, she talks more about her arm but from the beginning it’s just not clear.

~ The back and forth with Leo was also not something I liked. Clearly they have feelings for each other but Piper’s belief in the Blessing and it not being Leo was frustrating. She does grow by the end and makes the right decision for her which is great, but the back and forth made me impatient. I guess it’s relatable because young love and all is so confusing, but I was frustrated for Leo.

Final Thoughts:

There are a lot of vague parts to this story especially when it came to the magic and Piper’s disability but I understand what the book is trying to do. I did like the themes about love and family in the story. Readers will find it relatable and it’s nice to have a disability rep as the main character. I think Piper’s relationship with her parents or how she feels about their divorce and what that meant about ‘the Blessing’ was my favorite part of this book. I like how Piper had to question fate versus choice. Overall, I got the message but the story itself fell a but flat for me.

Book Links:

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The Girl Most Like To by. Julie Tieu | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Girl Most Likely To

Author: Julie Tieu

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 2/18/25

Publisher: Avon

Categories: Romance, 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 Avon for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A frenemies-to-lovers contemporary romance by Julie Tieu which takes place over the course of one make-or-break evening, almost entirely at a high school reunion….

“For the rom-com fans, you can never go wrong with a Julie Tieu book.”— Buzzfeed

Rachel Dang, once voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in high school, is funemployed for the first time. After years of doing everything her boss asked, it’s time to say yes to new opportunities. So when she gets invited to her twentieth high school reunion by none other than her former frenemy, Danny Phan, Rachel agrees despite their unresolved past.

As a teenager, Danny was seen as smart, but unfocused. Teachers often paired him with Rachel, hoping her work ethic would rub off on him. Though Danny and Rachel weren’t exactly friends, she had seen a different side of him, one that only existed online over intimate late-night AIM chats that never translated into real life. When they meet again, Rachel discovers their roles have reversed. Danny is thriving in his career while she’s the one flailing.

The reunion takes an unexpected turn when a simple errand takes them into town for a night of mishaps and misadventure where they run into a colorful cast of characters from their childhood. Rachel and Danny soon rediscover the feelings they once shared and must decide if this is only a quick trip down memory lane or a second chance for their happily ever after.

The dreaded high school reunion. Rachel Dang was that girl in high school, over achiever with ambition and goals. At thirty-eight though she’s laid off from her job that she’s been with for more than 10 years and she feels lost. Why does she go to this 20 year high school reunion? It’s to see Danny her friend from high school and maybe to reconnect with him.

I did like Rachel and her best friend Natalie (who is an upcoming movie star) – their friendship felt genuine and funny and I wish there were more scenes were fun. I thought the nostalgia factor of the book was really fun too – the chatrooms of the 90’s? Boy did that bring me back to a time! The mentions of certain pop culture things from that time was great like the music and burning cds.

The way Natalie and Danny meet is cute and a friendship begins but talk about all the miscommunication between the two. The story is told with flashbacks to Natalie and Danny in high school and they seemed like they had a solid friendship until they crossed a line. When they meet up again at the reunion, I just felt lost as to why they had a falling out. As the story unravels we see how the miscommunication between them and how it really ruined their friendship. The conflict isn’t huge it’s mainly the miscommunication.

By the way, a lot of this story happens in a span of days. The bulk of this story happens the day of the reunion.

Final Thoughts:

I did enjoy the flashbacks, the nostalgia and the reunion where crazy antics happen. I kind of wanted more from the romance but it does have a happy ending.

Book Links:

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Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Donut Trap by. Julie Tieu | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Grandest Game by. Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Grandest Game (The Grandest Game, #1)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Format: hardcover (library)

Pages: 371

Publication Date: 7/30/24

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Series

Get caught up in the puzzles, games, danger, romance, and riches of this lush new chapter in the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games saga—set a year after we last saw Avery and the Hawthornes.

Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime.

Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.

Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally—it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Lynn Barnes delivers a new series in the world of The Inheritance Games, where fan-favorite and new characters collide in a game you’ll never forget.

Do you have what it takes to play?

Okay I loved the Inheritance Games series and honestly…all I wanted was a book about Grayson finding a happy ever after and now I’d also love a book about Rohan. But The Grandest Game was about so many characters, all in one game and I don’t think it really worked for me.

The riddles, the puzzles, all of that and the suspense of piecing clues together is all there, so if you love all the riddles and puzzles you will continue to love it in this book.

I loved Rohan and Savannah’s interactions, Gigi and her group, and then Grayson and Lyra. But I’d rather have it all be separate books I think, so I can get to know these characters more.

Final Thoughts:

If you are still invested in The Inheritance Games world then you will definitely like this one, but I think my interest in this series has waned. I just wanted a Grayson book. Maybe I’ll wait? Maybe I won’t. But I don’t think I’m going to continue The Grandest Game series.

Book Links:

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Love & Lattes by. Beth Reekles | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Love & Lattes

Author: Beth Reekles

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/22/24

Publisher: Delacorte Romance

Categories: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Workplace 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 Delacorte Romance for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From the author of the bestselling phenomenon, the Kissing Booth, comes another sizzling story about an overachieving girl who unknowingly kisses the one guy she shouldn’t the night before her new internship begins.

One summer internship. Two complete opposites. And a connection neither expected…

Annalise Sherwood has worked herself to the bone to get a place on a prestigious internship program and nothing is going to stop her now. Work hard, play later, that’s her motto. She figures one night letting her guard down won’t hurt, though – especially when it ends with the best kiss of her life.

But to Anna’s horror, she discovers that the mystery guy she kissed that night is none other than Lloyd, the company CEO’s son. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he’s everyone’s favorite guy and a total charmer, swanning around like he owns the place. And from the moment they meet again, he rubs Anna up the wrong way.

As the summer and the internship wane on, Lloyd seems to be finding any excuse to annoy Anna, and she’s not afraid to give it right back to him. But when a lot of late night working brings them unexpectedly closer, she begins to wonder if there’s more to him than she originally thought..

Content Warning: strained parental relationships

Likes:

+ Annalise is an intern and she’s making new friends, learning the ropes and also trying to avoid a workplace romance with the guy she met before she realized with is the CEO’s son. I like how we see her journey trying to succeed on her own. Also she has some mom-issues that eventually get worked out by the end of the story

+ The romance interested me more in the second half of the book. For the first half, Annalise and Lloyd are trying to figure out how to remain being coworkers and fighting an attraction. But it really develops more in the second half when they can’t fight it anymore. But even from there it’s not easy for them.

Dislikes:

~ I didn’t really love either character. Lloyd seems like a good character in the beginning but I thought he came off as a jerk in some situations, especially when more things about Anna are revealed. As for Anna, I think there was too much back and forth, debating on her feelings about Lloyd. I can see how both of them got frustrated but I didn’t like Lloyd.

~ The romance is too slow, like I said, too much back and forth between them.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this story more in the second half than the first and I didn’t quite warm up to Lloyd so overall I thought it was an okay book.

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It’s Not Me, It’s you by. Alex Light | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: It’s Not Me, It’s You

Author: Alex Light

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 11/5/24

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult

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

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

The snark and instant chemistry of Better Than the Movies meets the indulgent summer fun and family hijinks of The Summer of Broken Rules in this compulsively readable rom-com from Alex Light, author of The Upside of Falling.

Jackie Myers is a fraud. Or she might be a genius—the jury’s still out.

The thing is, she secretly runs pleasebreakmyheart, a gone-viral account aimed at breaking hearts and ending relationships…. And she just used it to break up her insufferable eternal nemesis’s picture-perfect relationship.

Wilson is the buttoned-up, type A assistant manager of her nightmares—but it turns out he’s also, apparently, a really great boyfriend.

So with her conscience (and paycheck) on the line, Jackie decides there’s only one thing to do: She’s going to help Wilson win his ex-girlfriend back. Which should be easy, considering Jackie hates him…right?

I needed a light contemporary romance book to balance out all my fantasy reads and so I read this one. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ This one is a quick read and it’s light on the romance. It’s a coming of age story about a girl named Jackie who doesn’t know what her next steps are after high school but that doesn’t mean she’s not doing anything about that. She runs a romance advice blog that has been going viral, and for her day job, she dresses up in a frog costume and deals with the kids. Not only that, her older sister got her a job at her workplace. So it’s not like Jackie is not trying, she’s definitely trying to find her way and that’s relatable.

+ There is an enemies to lovers romance between Jackie and her manager, Wilson. I thought their banter was really funny. He’s uptight and Jackie is the opposite. They would have stayed enemies is Jackie didn’t offer to help him get his ex-girlfriend back. I thought it was a cute romance.

+ Jackie’s relationship with her older twin sisters, Jillian and Julie, is a big part of this story. They are already almost set in their careers so it makes Jackie feel like she’s a person with no direction. The sisters definitely have a close bond and a lot of the conflict in the story deals with mostly that relationship. There is another relationship that is important to her, which is the one she has with her best friend who is leaving for college, so Jackie is juggling a lot of things at one time.

Dislikes:

~ I felt like Wilson came off older than Jackie – and he is – but he just seemed way older than her even though they were only like a year or two apart in age. He is set with a lot of responsibility though, so I can see that but there were times I just couldn’t picture him as a 19 year old.

Final Thoughts:

I read this book fairly quick and I think for teens and young adults, they would relate a lot with Jackie. I was looking for a light, young adult, contemporary romance and this one is pretty entertaining.

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Book Links:

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Other Books I’ve Read By This Author:

The Upside of Falling by. Alex Light | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reckless by. Lauren Roberts | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Reckless (The Powerless Trilogy, #2)

Author: Lauren Roberts

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 396

Publication Date: 7/2/24

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s UK

Categories: Romance, Fantasy, Series, Enemies to Lovers, Kiss or Kill, Young Adult

The kingdom of Ilya is in turmoil…

After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King, and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.

Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.

Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts – and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.

Be swept away by this kiss-or-kill romantasy trilogy taking the world by storm.

Content Warning: violence

Here is book two of The Powerless Trilogy and I didn’t love book one, I thought it was okay. But I did love the novella that was published before Reckless. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Paedyn and Kai get a lot of time together in this sequel. With the way things ended in book one, they are back to threatening to kill each other but of course that’s never happening since they want one another so bad. If you loved them in book one, you will love them in this book also.

+ Kitt is turning into a villain after Paedyn killed his dad and it sucks to see it but also, this story kind of needs the villainy, otherwise there is nothing happening with the story.

+ It’s fast paced even though the story barely went anywhere.

Dislikes:

~ The story barely went anywhere! It was Paedyn and Kai traveling, since his mission is to capture her and bring her back to Kitt. And in between the traveling and getting injured, we have Kitt losing his mind as he waits for news about them.

~ I still don’t love the writing. And Kai and Paedyn do nothing for me. I actually enjoyed Adena’s story in the novella better than this book, which is very surprising.

Final Thoughts:

I think this one was okay. It started off interesting but I got bored with the travel and even skimmed the last 20% of the book. I don’t really love Paedyn and Kai as characters but I’m glad they got their romance moment in this book. I don’t think I could have read it if there was more slow burn romance between them. I think the strength of this story is when things get super messy between the characters, because I’m here for the drama. So I’ll definitely read the next book just to see how it ends after that cliffhanger.

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Book Links:

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Other Books I’ve Read By This Author:

Powerless (#1) by. Lauren Roberts | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Powerful (#1.5) by. Lauren Roberts | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Zodiac Rising by. Katie Zhao | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Zodiac Rising (Descendants of the Zodiac, #1)

Author: Katie Zhao

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 10/8/24

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Chinese Mythology, Heist

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 ARC in exchange for an honest review!

At a secret Manhattan boarding school, the Descendants of the Chinese zodiac have hidden away since the source of their magic—the twelve zodiac statues—was vandalized and lost to time. Thus, a curse befell the Descendants, and they’ve lived as creatures of darkness . . . until now.

When the lost statues suddenly resurface and a powerful classmate is found dead, all signs point to foul play from the fae. The Descendants finally have the chance to take back what’s rightfully theirs and break the curse. To pull this deadly heist off, though, they must assemble an elite crew:

THE VAMPIRE: After a century of burning hunger, Evangeline is out for blood.

THE SHAPESHIFTER: Nicholas yearns to restore justice to his people—and make peace with his past.

THE MORTAL: Alice seeks the truth of her mysterious heritage, and this mission may be the key.

THE WEREWOLF: Tristan will do anything to break free from the monstrous wolf inside.

Only these four have the power to save the Descendants, but the wrath of the fae waits at every turn. One wrong move and the fate of their kind will come crashing down. . . .

Content Warning: violence

The synopsis of this book intrigued me: Chinese Zodiac, a heist, and paranormal characters – well here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ I like a book with boarding school setting and with this story and 12 zodiac signs, everyone is in their own zodiac groups. But not only that, we get more paranormal elements were some characters are vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters or mortal.

+ The heist kept the storyline moving for sure. Evangeline creates a crew to help her break this curse that was put on these zodiac descendants. It’s full of action and we get to know the characters of this main crew. The twist at the end was good also.

+ There isn’t really romance in this one but Evangeline (vampire) and Tristan (werewolf) had a forbidden love in the past. Descendants can’t intermarry, so I thought that was interesting. But these characters got the most time in the the story and I thought their bickering definitely showed that there were still feelings for one another but the heist took precedent over anything.

Dislikes:

~ I think the story had a bit too much going on with the descendants storyline and lots of characters to follow. The enemy of the descendants are Fae which I find to be very interesting but not sure how it all fits. I wanted more world-building, and definitely more character development.

My Thoughts:

I think this story has a lot of potential and I like how it was fast-paced, filled with action and had a heist. I do think it needs more character development but I thought the descendants of the zodiacs having Fae as the enemy was very interesting.

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Book Links:

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Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

How We Fall Apart by. Katie Zhao | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fledgling: The Keeper’s Records of Revolution by. S. K. Ali | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Fledgling: The Keeper’s Records of Revolution (#1)

Author: S. K. Ali

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 10/8/24

Publisher: Kokila

Categories: Dystopia, Young Adult, Sci-fi/Fantasy

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

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

The first book in a gripping duology from acclaimed author S.K. Ali introduces a fractured world on the brink of either enlightenment or war.

Would you trade love for peace?

Raisa of Upper Earth has only lived a life of privilege and acquiescence. Ever dutiful, she accepts her father’s arrangement of her marriage to Lein, Crown Prince of the corrupt, volatile lands of Lower Earth. Though Lein is a stranger, Raisa knows the wedding will unite their vastly different worlds in a pact of peace: an infusion of Upper Earth technology into Lower Earth will usher in the final age of enlightenment, ending war between humans forever.

Or is justice more urgent?

Newly released from imprisonment, Nada of Lower Earth has found her own calling: disrupting the royal wedding. Convinced her cousin Lein’s alliance with Upper Earth will launch an invasive, terrifying form of tyranny, Nada sets out undercover to light the spark of revolution.

When Raisa goes missing a week before the wedding, all eyes turn to the rebels, including Nayf, Nada’s twin brother—a fugitive on the run. And when Nayf and Raisa meet, the long-simmering animosity they feel toward each other’s worlds slowly burns away into something unexpected.

But the Crown Prince wants his bride—and future—back. And he will go to the ends of the Earths to reclaim them.

Content Warning: violence, acid attack, death, torture

This is a story about a revolution and here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ There is very good world-building in this story. I got the dystopian/sci-fi feel for it right away with Earth being split into Upper and Lower Earth and characters using high tech items like a scalplink. I thought some of the settings were unique like the hive that housed the rebels.

+ The story of the revolution is very felt through the record or entries of different Keepers. A marriage of peace between both Upper and Lower Earth is supposed to take place but the groom has other plans. Raisa’s journey is frightening because she goes from someone who is protected and pampered and thrown into the midst of a revolution. There are some really violent scenes in this book – one involving an acid attack on women. Nada, the groom’s cousin, who is actually trying to help Raisa, is also tortured. There is a lot of history, politics, attacks and just so many things going on in this book.

+ I liked Nada and Raisa characters. They are strong women in their own way and had to go through some challenging things in the book. Raisa I think had the most growth because she came from such a sheltered upbringing.

Dislikes:

~ Due to the detailed world-building I found this book to have a very slow beginning. It took me awhile to read this one because I would find the story moving nicely and then hit a block where my interest waned so pacing was an issue.

~ There are a lot of POVs which include POVs from record keepers of the past. I just felt like there were too many people to keep track of so I mostly looked forward to Raisa’s and Nada’s POVs.

My Thoughts:

I haven’t read a dystopian book in awhile and wanted to try this one and I don’t think this one was for me because it was too slow and maybe I wasn’t in the right reading mood for it. But if you like dystopian books I think you would enjoy this because of the world-building, action, politics, and some really cool characters like Nada and Raisa.

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Deja Brew by. Celestine Martin | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Deja Brew (Elemental Love, #3)

Author: Celestine Martin

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 356

Publication Date: 10/1/24

Publisher: Forever

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Cozy, Paranomal Romance, Witches

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

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

In this spellbinding rom-com about a wish gone wrong, two opposites might just get a second chance at love, perfect for fans of New York Times bestsellers Payback’s a Witch and The Ex Hex.

Ex-celebrity chef Sirena Caraway has had the wackiest October ever. Her cooking powers are on the fritz, she failed to land a career-saving job, and she embarrassed herself at the town’s Halloween party. Just before midnight, she makes a desperate wish for a second chance to fix her life. The next morning Sirena wakes up and realizes that she’s repeating the entire pumpkin spice-flavored month. Even sweeter, she runs into Gus Dearworth, whose magic leaves her spellbound.

A former reality star, Gus moved to Freya Grove to rebuild his reputation and heal his broken heart, but his restless magic is tempting him to return to the spotlight. And his secret crush on Sirena is making him want to try something dangerous like fall in love again. When Sirena realizes he can help her fix her powers, Gus makes her a deal. If she’ll help decipher a mysterious cookbook in his collection, he’ll help get her magical groove back.

Every encounter offers a new adventure—from tasting menus, harvest mazes, and a growing attraction that’s taking on an irresistible enchantment of its own. But as the month winds down and the wish grows stronger, Sirena and Gus have a decision to make. Will their second chance be their happy-ever-after ending or a bittersweet memory?

Let me begin by saying I did not read the two other books in this series but I loved the cover so much and I wanted to read a Fall romance book. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ This is such a cute Fall romance book! Look at the cover and it totally represents everything about the story. It’s cozy, it has witches, a magician, food, romance, magic and pumpkins! I also like the feel of community in this book.

+ The romance is sweet. Gus and Sirena are friends first and then grow steadily into lovers. It’s a slow burn but I thought their relationship was really cute because he’s a nice guy and she’s a sweet lady and there wasn’t any huge problems between them. The spice is mild but I think it goes well with how the story is told.

+ This can be read as a standalone but it made me curious about the first two books.

Dislikes:

+ I think the romance was cute but I didn’t feel very connected to the characters.

Final Thoughts:

This story is full of FALL vibes and I think it’s definitely something you should add to your reading list if you are looking for something witchy, magical and cozy.

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Nothing Like the Movies by. Lynn Painter | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Nothing Like the Movies (Better Than the Movies, #2)

Author: Lynn Painter

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 9/24/24

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Sequel

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

In this highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling Better than the Movies, Wes and Liz struggle to balance their feelings for each other with the growing pains of being a college student.

For a few beautiful months, Wes had his dream girl: strong-willed girl-next-door Liz. But right as the two were about to set off to UCLA to start their freshman year together, tragedy struck. Wes was left dealing with the fallout, which ultimately meant losing Liz in the process.

Flash forward months and months later and Wes and Liz find themselves in college, together. In a healthier place now, Wes knows he broke Liz’s heart when he ended things, but he is determined to make her fall back in love with him.

Wes knows Liz better than anyone, and he has a foolproof plan to win her back with the rom-com worthy big gestures she loves. Only…Liz will have none of it. Wes has to scheme like a rom-com hero to figure out how to see her. Even worse, Liz has a new friend…a guy friend.

Still, Wes won’t give up, adapting his clever plans and going hard to get Liz’s attention and win back her affection. But after his best efforts get him nowhere, Wes is left wondering if their relationship is really over for good.

Content Warning: death of parent, grief

I loved Better Than the Movies so when I saw that this was a sequel to it I was hesitant to read it because I loved the first one so much! Also it was so good I didn’t think it needed a sequel.

Wes and Liz left me so happy in the first book, but in this one it’s about them growing, struggling, being broken up, and trying to get back to what they were but with so many changes that have happened in to them – it’s kind of impossible to get that magic back.

I thought it was interesting to see how both Wes and Liz navigate college in a different state. Liz is doing really good for herself and embracing everything in college. But wow, I really felt for Wes. He went through so much and he did the hard work to try and get his life back on track. And it really made me sad that they weren’t together, after everything that happened in BTTM. It was too much reality for me! As for the second chance romance? I get the yearning for one another, of what it used to be, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Which makes me wish I didn’t pick up this sequel so I can keep the Wes and Liz from BTTM in my mind. I mean it’s evident Wes is always going to love Liz. But this is one where Liz has to take her time with finding her way back to him.

There is a lot of pop culture reference in this one, which I thought was fine in the previous book because it was movies. But this one used music to tie Wes and Liz together and I think it’s fun but at times maybe a little too much?

My Thoughts:

I think this one will be one of those books you either love or don’t think was necessary and I’m in definitely in the team that found this sequel unnecessary. Overall, it was interesting to see the characters grow and deal with life, but it was also sad, especially for Wes! I just miss the magic, fun and giddiness that the first book made me feel.