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?
Hi friends! It’s been a hot week, so we’ve been indoors with the a/c on for most of it – plus staying home means saving money. Hard to do though when kids gets bored but we did have to get some school shopping done since kids got back the second week of August which is sadly…SOON. My kids have also been working on videos or shorts for their youtube channels and I supervise them or give some advice 😅. Their videos are gaming related videos. I feel like it just helps them open up their creativity because creating videos and using editing apps are not always an easy thing. My daughter is 7 years old and very artistic so watching her edit videos is interesting to me because she has a vision of what she wants her video to look like! I help her of course, but I’m always amazed at the tools they have at their disposal. My son even uses her procreate drawings to create creatures on his Spore game. 😅 I love the collaborative effort! Here is one of his videos if you are interested – they both love Pikmin which is a Nintendo Game, they are obsessed with the characters so my son’s channel is everything Pikmin related. Anyway I’m just proud that they are learning to work together this summer rather than annoy each other all day. 😂
What are you currently reading?
Shadows of Perl by. J. Elle – 2% just started this one, trying to get my bearings and remember what happened in book one.
The Mist Thief by. L.J. Andrews – 3% this is such a bingeable series but I think I have to slow down so I don’t overload myself so I’ll be trying to finish some arcs first.
Categories: Adult, Time Travel, Magical Realism, Mystery, Romance
A woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old curse, solve her mother’s disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Spells for Forgetting.
In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.
It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.
After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.
With The Unmaking of June Farrow, Adrienne Young delivers a brilliant novel of romance, mystery, and a touch of the impossible—a story you will never forget.
Content Warning: death, murder, violence
This story was mind-boggling and honestly I don’t know if I followed the timelines presented to me in it. I need a white-board filled with explanations for this one but not in a bad way! Time travel stories always leave me a bit lost.
The Farrow women have an illness that has to do with the mind, or they also call it a curse. But what these Farrow women know is that they can time travel and it’s explained pretty well in the story but like I said, I’m a visual person so at times I just went with it even though I didn’t quite follow the time jumping.
All I know is the writing is immersive, I was so invested in June’s story. And when she jumps back to a time where she has to basically figure out her bearings and face the consequences of a past decision, it pulled my heart strings. I only wanted the best for June and her family. I’m just glad it worked out in the end. This story is filled with mystery and so much emotion packed into a very quick read. There are also very tense moments when June starts piecing together everything that happened in one fatal night that changed all their lives forever. But overall what a unique story!
My Final Thoughts:
I love this author’s books and so far only read fantasy from her. This one was different but I enjoyed the mystery and putting all the pieces together. I may not have followed how all the time jump works but what made me love this book was the emotions it made me feel. I’m glad I finally read this one!
Quotes From This Book:
“You may have ruined my life, June. But first, you gave me one.”
The Unmaking of June Farrow by. Adrienne Young
“I’d never felt fear like that. Not ever. And I didn’t think there was any way to ever come back from that explosion of light that had birthed a universe inside of me when she said that word. Mama.”
When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!
Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway. Crucial to this plan is to bring back her high school’s spring musical, but when Riley takes her mom’s car without permission, she’s grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad’s game shop.
Riley can’t waste her time working when she has a musical to save, so she convinces Nathan—a nerdy teen employee—to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she’ll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous.
But Riley didn’t realize that meant joining Nathan’s Dungeons & Dragons game…or that role playing would be so fun. Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn’t require as much acting as she would’ve thought…
Content Warning:
Riley is a theater kid who loves musicals and for punishment she is forced to work at her dad’s game shop. A boy from her high school who she’s never talked to named, Nathan also works at the store and she goes from a girl singing musicals to learning how to play Dungeons and Dragons with him and his friends. Riley working at the shop is not quite the punishment after awhile as she forges a growing bond with her dad and make a lot of new friends.
This is a fun young adult story, perfect for teen readers. I adored Riley and her best friend, Hoshiko and also Riley’s relationship with her mother. I enjoyed seeing her open her world and learn more about her dad’s love for gaming! I have minimal knowledge of D&D but I know enough from my husband and son about the game and it was cool to see how Riley learns and joins the game.
The fake dating was super cute!
My Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this one! I feel like the book cover captures this book so correctly. It’s sweet, funny and heart-warming. It’s filled with theater kids and gaming kids and when the two worlds combine it’s so much fun!
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?
Hi everyone! I actually got some reading done earlier this week which was nice! It’s been a relaxing week so far and I hope it stays that way for the rest of the week.
What are you currently reading?
Shadows of Perl by. J. Elle – 2% just started this one, trying to get my bearings and remember what happened in book one.
This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won’t give into temptation. This summer will be different.
Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.
It’s easier said than done.
Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.
If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it.
When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.
Content Warning: death of a loved one
I’ve been meaning to read a book from this author and now that I finally did I can knock that off my list.
This is a romance between Lucy and her best friend’s brother, Felix. It has flashbacks through the years from the moment they met to where they are now in the present and how it was always a secret, casual thing between them but the sparks are undeniable. Life happens between the times they are together, they date different people, Lucy gets close to their family and she loses someone she loves very much. Through it all are memories of the times they are together where everything feels right between them but what does that mean for a future between them?
I liked the setting of Prince Edward Island and Toronto since I don’t read much books about those places. It did give lots of summery vibes especially when it flash-backed to times spent on PEI.
I thought this one was okay. Maybe I went in with high expectations but I felt like everything was so predictable and I didn’t love the ending where they decide to be together and then few days later they go back to taking it slow? No, I wanted it to be happy ever after by then but nope, had to have the dose of reality at the end where they have to find themselves first. I also didn’t feel connected to the characters. I felt like I was just coasting through the story. And I was also getting frustrated with Bridget’s (her best friend) secret taking so long to be revealed.
My Final Thoughts:
I think I wanted more depth to this story. It was just okay for me but I think I will try her most popular book to see if she’s an author I’ll continue to read because I did like some elements of the story. Maybe I just went in with high expectations.
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?
Happy Juneteenth! Summer is finally starting for us I feel. We watched Inside Out 2, on Sunday. I finished Bridgerton season 3 and am now in the middle of watching House of Dragon Season 2. We don’t have much plans except to go to the library and maybe the pool and my son’s piano lessons on Saturdays. So I should have more time to read, right? I hope so!
House of Thorns by. Isabel Strychacz – 9% this one is fascinating so far, a sentient haunted house? A missing sister? Another sister on drugs and hearing the house calling her back? We’ll see where the story takes me…
This Summer Will Be Different by. Carley Fortune – 15% into the book. I’ve been meaning to read a book from this author and glad it showed up for me to borrow just in time for some summer reading!
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?
Ok my daughter and I are almost recovered from our cold. I’m almost at 100% and she’s at about 80% recovered – thank goodness. Why is being sick so exhausting? lol…anyway I did get some reading done and now I’m REALLY trying to push through some summer arcs. I’ve been pushing them aside because I was so busy then got sick but can I finally have my “relaxing” summer or is there no such thing because I’m already trying to make my back to school shopping list. 😅
House of Thorns by. Isabel Strychacz – 9% this one is fascinating so far, a sentient haunted house? A missing sister? Another sister on drugs and hearing the house calling her back? We’ll see where the story takes me…
A Magic Fierce & Bright by. Hemant Nayak – 10% in and I’m pushing through this one since publication is on July 8th. Interesting Indian based sci-fi fantasy so far…
Their name? The objectors. Their job? To break off weddings as hired. Their dilemma? They might just be in love with each other.
When Sophie Steinbeck finds out just before her nuptials that her fiancé has cheated yet again, she desperately wants to call it off. But because her future father-in-law is her dad’s cutthroat boss, she doesn’t want to be the one to do it. Her savior comes in the form of a professional objector, whose purpose is to show up at weddings and proclaim the words no couple (usually) wants to hear at their ceremony: “I object!”
During anti-wedding festivities that night, Sophie learns more about Max the Objector’s job. It makes perfect sense to her: he saves people from wasting their lives, from hurting each other. He’s a modern-day hero. And Sophie wants in.
The two love cynics start working together, going from wedding to wedding, and Sophie’s having more fun than she’s had in ages. She looks forward to every nerve-racking ceremony saving the lovesick souls of the betrothed masses. As Sophie and Max spend more time together, however, they realize that their physical chemistry is off the charts, leading them to dabble in a little hookup session or two—but it’s totally fine, because they definitely do not have feelings for each other. Love doesn’t exist, after all.
And then everything changes. A groom-to-be hires Sophie to object, but his fiancée is the woman who broke Max’s heart. As Max wrestles with whether he can be a party to his ex’s getting hurt, Sophie grapples with the sudden realization that she may have fallen hard for her partner in crime.
Content Warning: profanity
This one was cute! Max takes on side gigs at an “objector” at weddings which is something I’ve never heard of before but it’s pretty clever if people actually pay someone to do something like that. He objects at Sophie’s wedding and then they become friends. They have great banter and growing chemistry but I really love how they just start off as friends.
Both Max and Sophie have issues about love but I think it’s fun watching them get to the point where they both realize falling for each other might not be a bad thing after all. Especially with all the amazing sex they have together!
I thought Sophie’s roommates were the cutest! Larry really had quite a personality. I did think it was interesting that Asha was her best friend but was barely in the book at all. Larry was more of a best friend to her it seems, which was fine since he was my favorite character probably!
I did think the reason for the fake dating or fake situationship was kind of weak I mean – Max’s dad wanted him to keep Sophie in his life so that he could buy a boat? (He needed the approval from his wife who would be happy that their son Max is dating kinda thing). Also, the third-act break-up was not it. I don’t know that they had to fight over something to do with his ex when she is barely mentioned. It wasn’t the biggest conflict since they were “just friends with benefits”, but the fact that Max had to really evaluate how he felt about his ex kind of bugged me. And there were some things with the writing that made me cringe, like his nickname being Maxxie 😅. Also they use a lot of profanity if you’re not into that.
My Final Thoughts:
I thought this one had a fun premise and two characters that really got into the “objector” role. It never gets deep I think which works for Sophie and Max since they weren’t looking to fall in love but with all the time they spent together getting to know one another it seems inevitable, they just have to stop fighting it. The banter between them was fun and easy. I had my issues here and there but it’s a super quick read and Sophie’s roommates were such fun characters! Overall, it was good – I can see this as a rom-com movie.
Categories: Romance, Series, Sports Romance, New Adult, Hockey
Diana Dixon has a lot going on this summer. She’s rehearsing for a ballroom dance competition, juggling two jobs, and dealing with an ex-boyfriend who can’t take the hint it’s over. Yet despite all that, she still has plenty of time and energy to tell Shane Lindley to screw off.
Shane just moved into her apartment building and seems dedicated to sleeping his way through her entire cheerleading squad. Sure, he’s a tall, gorgeous hockey player, but he’s messing with her turf. This calls for some ground rules: no parties in her apartment, leave her teammates alone, and—most importantly—leave her alone.
What Diana doesn’t realize is that Shane’s sick of hookups and tired of being on the rebound after his long-term girlfriend called it quits. He wants a relationship. And when his ex comes back into the picture, he pretends he has one to make her jealous…and who better to play the girlfriend role than his sassy new neighbor?
Despite Diana’s reluctance to break her rule, a fake relationship is the perfect solution for her own ex issues, and soon she can’t deny something is sizzling between her and Shane. Something hot and completely unexpected.
And it might just be getting a little too real.
Content Warning: stalking, physical abuse, death of a parent, grief
This is book two in the Campus Diaries series and I think I like this one more than the first one minus the kinky sex scene which works for some people but for me was an ick.
I like Diana Dixon a lot and I liked her when she was in the first book also. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, she’s independent, hard working, sassy with the guys and a good friend. As for Shane, he’s one of the hockey guys but I like how he’s a girlfriend kinda guy. He’s been trying to get over his ex and has a bad reputation for hooking up with the cheer team, which Diana’s is on. He misses being in a relationship which is opposite of his friends who are so big into hooking up constantly.
The two of them together with their different personalities really appealed to me. There was fun banter between them and lots of chemistry. I thought their interactions with one another at their apartment complex was so funny especially with the HOA meetings and their little community! As for the spice – there is some kink in this book and I’m not judging but that was a scene I could have done without. They are definitely a friend group that is not shy with each other but it’s a no for me! I wanted to close my eyes lol…and I don’t usually feel like that when reading a book.
The conflict comes with both their exes. Diana is dealing with Percy who is becoming a stalker. Her story takes a darker turn with Percy being physical and I didn’t expect that at all. Whereas Shane deals with his ex coming back into his life and wondering how he feels about her. There’s a dark turn to his story also when it comes to his family, which was also unexpected.
I like the Campus Diaries stories so far but I feel like there is a common theme with them. Despite their cartoonish book cover designs that make you think it will be a spicy new adult romance – they actually have some heavy themes and usually it’s thrown in at the end of the book. I don’t know if I like that format, because I feel like things get rushed at the end. Also, the two books I’ve read are 500+ pages long and I don’t think it needs to be. But at least this one was a quicker read because I love Diana and Shane and there was less hockey in this one compared to the first book.
My Final Thoughts:
I liked this one better than The Graham Effect except for that one scene that I wish I could have closed my eyes on lol. For the readers who like kinky sex, you’ll love this one. I usually like angst between two people but Diana and Shane didn’t need it. I love how they are enemies or maybe more frenenemies turned into lovers. Their romance progression was fun and they were both funny together. Like I really believe they are the most solid couple after everything they went through together and know they’ll be together forever. I just wish the books weren’t so long and things get thrown in at the end making some things feel rushed. I’m afraid to read Beckett or Will’s book because it’s definitely going to be kinkier and I can’t with the friends watching one another having sex.😅 So we will see if I read the next book in the series, depends who it will be about!
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?
I didn’t get to read much this week because it was packed with events! And then I think I caught a little cold or maybe it’s my allergies acting up since it’s been so windy here. But it’s making me feel a bit tad under the weather. Here are some books I’m looking forward to finishing up in the next 2 weeks.
What are you currently reading?
The Mirror of Beasts by. Alexandra Bracken – 2% in – I haven’t really worked on this one since it’s publishing in July, so I have time but I’ll be jumping back into it soon.
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 