Tag: books

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/23/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Daughter had math camp – which was only 90 minutes a day for 3 days. Kids had an eye dr. apt, and my daughter needs glasses. Just for a little far-sightedness.

+ Hubby went on his work trip to D.C. – I definitely feel for him, he had to fly across the Pacific Ocean and the USA just for a 2 day conference. The jet lag sucks but not as bad as when he was flying back and forth from Japan.

+ It’s been a chill spring break which is fine, we saved money. We did go to the pool last Sunday, it’s been in the high 70’s-low 80’s here and the day was beautiful – no volcanic vog in the air, it was gorgeous. I love when the sky is so blue blue. 💙

+ My parents wanted to try out this new Japanese restaurant near our house so we went and we enjoyed the food. A little pricey but what isn’t pricey these days?😒

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

These Summer Storms by. Sarah MacLean

Currently Reading:

Love Dark and Deep by. Elisa A. Bonnin

Their Monstrous Hearts by. Yiğit Turhan

The Rivaled Crown by. Holly Renee

Four Ruined Realms by. Mai Corland (audiobook)

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Mayhem – Lady Gaga – such a good album!
  • I Said I Love You First -Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – I actually love how mellow this one is.

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!

One in a Million by. Beverley Kendall | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: One in a Million

Author: Beverley Kendall

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 3/18/25

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing / Canary Street Press

Categories: Interracial Romance, Contemporary, Co-parenting

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

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing / Canary Street Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!


She’s got everything planned–including when she’ll have kids. Until something completely unplanned turns her world upside down.

World-famous Whitney “Sahara” Richardson is at the top of her game. With four Grammys, an Oscar nod, and a billion-dollar clothing line, her career is skyrocketing. Even her headline-grabbing dating life is looking up. And if everything goes as planned, marriage and children are just a few years away–and they will come in that order.

That is…until a mix-up at the fertility clinic where her eggs are stored puts the cart before the horse. Oops. Whitney suddenly has a daughter…whose biological father is reluctant to share her.

One in a Million is a fun celebrity rom-com with the poignancy of Abby Jimenez and a modern twist on “surprise baby” for fans of Jasmine Guillory.

+ The premise of this book sounded so intriguing that I had to see how it played out in the story! Myles and his wife have a new daughter, but it’s clear there is a problem. During their IVF procedure, someone else’s eggs were used! Yeah, that’s messy!

+ Whitney is a celebrity – she’s a singer, actor, CEO, billionaire but I liked how she was so down to earth even though she was also strong. The moment she meets her daughter, I felt for her – what a situation to be brought into! But watching her fall in love with her and learn to coparent with Myles was really sweet.

+ The romance is sweet and spicy! Myles’ divorce is almost final when Whitney stepped into his and his daughter’s life. I could definitely see why he would be defensive and not trusting Whitney when she came around to see their daughter. But I love seeing them buttheads, then back down for the sake of their daughter and of course the attraction between these two hot people is undeniable. Once they start their situationship – they can’t keep their hands off one another!

~ The timeline is quick between Haylee being born, Whitney meeting her 6 months later, Myles getting divorced and then Whitney and Myles starting up something between them. I think Whitney was level-headed but I was worried Myles was getting into something way too quick after his divorce and becoming a single father! I mean this was his second divorce. But everything worked out fine and the epilogue was cute.

Final Thoughts:

While I was reading this, I was thinking I can see this made into a rom-com movie. I loved seeing how this messy situation gets fixed when Whitney and Myles decide they will do what’s best for their daughter. It was fun seeing them fall into lust and then love with one another after butting heads in the beginning. Overall, I enjoyed this one and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

I also did a blog tour for this book – here’s the link>> Blog Tour} One in a Million by. Beverley Kendall

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

To Shatter the Night by. Katherine Quinn | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: To Shatter the Night (Mistlands, #2)

Author: Katherine Quinn

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 12/3/24

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Series


Welcome back into the Mist…in the astonishing sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller To Kill a Shadow…

Some fear the darkness. It’s the place where horror hides, concealing its rank, sharp teeth and insatiable hunger. But there is no darkness more feared than that of the mist that’s overtaken the kingdom…and its brave—and ultimately doomed— soldiers.

Except for Kiara Frey.

She has nothing to fear from the night. Not anymore.

Driven by the fury of her splintered heart, Kiara knows that the answers—and the only possible way to a future with Jude Maddox—begin with the realm’s most notorious thief, the Fox. Together, they hunt down the path to breaking Asidia’s dark curse, but in the shadows, something more horrifying than the mist lies in wait. Watching. Willing Kiara to find the game pieces set in place long ago.

As Jude and Kiara are lured to a sacred temple—a shrine that is the home to both exquisite dreams and chilling nightmares—Kiara’s newfound powers flourish but her shadows threaten to consume her.

Because here in these cursed lands, it’s not the darkness that destroys the soul…it’s love.


Content Warning: violence

This is the conclusion to the Mistlands duology and it picks up where it left off in book one. Kiara and Jude are separated but they find their way back together.

I always thought the concept for the book was interesting, there is no daylight in this world of the Mistlands but there is a prophecy and now they know Kiara and Jude is a part of it. Jude goes through some tough moments in this book but Kiara does her best to go find him and that’s an adventure in itself. I liked Kiara’s relationship with her best friend Jake. I thought their friendship was fun. There is a lot of action in the second half of this book because Kiara, Jude and their group need to complete a dangerous quest.

The romance is nice, they finally admit what they want from each other but it was always insta-love from book one. They even have a bit of a little spicy moment.

Final Thoughts:

I found this story to move quickly with lots of action, and adventure. Plus it has the romance even though it was kind of insta-lovey in book one and the found family was nice. I think this was a great conclusion to the duology.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

To Kill a Shadow by. Katherine Quinn | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

WWW Wednesday | 3/19/25

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?

How is your week going? It’s spring break for my kiddos and my hubby just went to Washington D.C. on a work trip – it’s been a chill week and I’m getting a lot of reading done!

What are you currently reading?

Four Ruined Realms by. Mai Corland – 30% – audiobook – this is on pause because I still have it for a few days

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by. Sarah Adams – 2% just started this one!

Pride or Die by. CL Montblanc (arc) – 1% just started this one.

What have you just finished reading?

Their Vicious Games by. Joelle Wellington (audiobook) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Frost Bound by. Frost Kay ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Holy Terrors by. Margaret L. Owen (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

To Shatter the Night by. Katherine Quinn ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

These Summer Storms by. Sarah MacLean (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What are you going to read next?

I really want to buy Sunrise on the Reaping by. Suzanne Collins but why is the EBOOK $18.99 on Amazon?! And the hardcover is $19.59 😳. That is just not right smh….price gouging much?!

What are YOU reading right now?

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/16/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ My daughter’s Market Day happened and she sold 3 bookmarks. She was kinda bummed but I had to point out that’s what happens with a small business plus the “market” was flooded with bookmark sellers. I think 5 of them in her class made bookmarks! And that was only HER class, there are 80+ second graders so who knows how many made bookmarks. She was able to buy some really interesting crafts like air dry clay keychains, air dry clay coasters, and there were services too – she got her shoe “shined” lol – I thought that was cute. And another kid was doing removable tattoos. Cool right? Also she bought 3 bookmarks from her other friends. I was very proud of her!

+ My daughter also had her school’s annual Songfest and I loved their performance. The theme this year was Cultural Diversity – and I love it especially with what is happening in our government that their school is not afraid to embrace diversity and inclusion. Hard to not embrace it here in Hawaii where we are a very diverse population here. It was a fun show and it kicked off Spring Break!

+ We are not doing anything special for Spring Break. My daughter has math camp for 3 days, just 90 minutes a day at school but yeah…we are just hanging out. Also my hubby does have to fly into DC this week for a 2 day conference.

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Mayhem – Lady Gaga – I’m obsessed!

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!

Hangry Hearts by. Jennifer Chen | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Hangry Hearts

Author: Jennifer Chen

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 3/18/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT+, Trans, Romance, Family, Foodie 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 Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!


Love, family, and food collide in this sparkling Romeo and Juliet-inspired romance.

Julie Wu and Randall Hur used to be best friends. Now they only see each other on Saturdays at the Pasadena Farmers Market where their once close families are long-standing rivals.

When Julie and Randall are paired with ultra-rich London Kim for a community-service school project, they are forced to work together for the first time in years. It quickly becomes obvious that London has a major crush on Julie. But Julie can’t stop thinking about Randall. And Randall can’t stop thinking about how London is thinking about Julie. Soon, prompted by a little jealousy and years of missing each other, school project meetings turn into pseudo dates at their favorite Taiwanese breakfast shop and then secret kisses at the beach—far from the watchful eyes of their families.

Just as they’re finally feeling brave enough to tell their grandmas, the two matriarchs rehash their old fight and Julie and Randall get caught in the middle and Julie’s brother finds out they are dating. Their families are heartbroken.

But it’s the Year of the Dragon, an auspicious time to resolve disagreements and start anew, and Randall isn’t going down without fighting for what—and who—they love. Could the Lunar New Year provide not only a second chance for Randall and Julie, but for their families as well?

Jennifer Chen’s Hangry Hearts is a funny, big-hearted romance about friendship, family, and first love—and being brave enough to have it all.

+ I love that this is a foodie romance and it features Asian foods like Korean and Taiwanese foods. It definitely made me hungry! Two families, one Korean and the other Taiwanese, are enemies at the food market, but they weren’t always this way. These two families used to be super close.

+ Randall is trans, and I thought it was a nice representation. I love how his grandmother accepted him when he told her how he felt. The support he has, even from Julie who is his “ex-friend”, is sweet.

+ Family is a main theme in this story and yes it’s very Romeo and Juliet – Julie and Randall are forbidden to be together because both families have bad blood. But I love how they resolve things at the end.

+~ The love story between Randall and Julie is an ex-friends to lovers romance. I thought it was a cute love story, especially because they used to be best friends. For the most part I thought they were cute together but this reads very young adult, there was the teen angst, longing and drama between them. This is definitely for younger YA readers.

~ Some of the family drama was ridiculous especially when it came to Julie and Randall hiding their relationship. I was surprised Julie didn’t rebel when she got caught and basically submitted to her brother watching her like a hawk just so she stays away from Randall. I understand that family came first but I also wanted Randall to fight for their relationship instead of ghosting her sometimes.

~ There were some pacing issues – it switched quickly between Julie and Randall’s POVs which made the story move quick but also made it feel choppy at times.

Final Thoughts:

I love the Asian food representations in this story, it definitely made me hungry! I found the theme of family really enjoyable also even though I do think it went too far at times when they tried to keep Julie and Randall apart (I’m looking at you Tyler). I mean, let these young ones fall in love! Randall as a trans rep was nice and watching him fall for Julie was sweet. There were some pacing issues for me and I do feel like this will appeal to younger YA readers, but for the most part, I enjoyed it and it’s a quick read.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Artifacts of an Ex by. Jennifer Chen | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

WWW Wednesday | 3/12/25

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?

Next week is Spring Break for my kids – can’t believe it. But maybe I’ll have time to read more books!

What are you currently reading?

Four Ruined Realms by. Mai Corland – 30% – audiobook

Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn – 11% – finally!

Holy Terrors by. Margaret L. Owen (arc) – 4% just started this one.

Pride or Die by. CL Montblanc (arc) – 1% just started this one.

What have you just finished reading?

All the Stars Align by. Gretchen Schreiber (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Beautiful Maddening by. Shea Ernshaw (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Five Broken Blades by. Mai Corland (borrowed audiobook) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Filthy Rich Vampire by. Geneva Lee (KU) ⭐️⭐️💫

What are you going to read next?

What are YOU reading right now?

Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, #2)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 504

Publication Date: 1/19/18

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


Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has been striking out against corrupt scythes—not only in MidMerica, but across the entire continent. He is a dark folk hero now—“Scythe Lucifer”—a vigilante taking down corrupt scythes in flames.

Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order” scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish” so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline?


Content Warning: violence

I finally finished Thunderhead! And I would have been finished earlier if I was reading it as an ebook but that was my fault for letting that expire. Thank goodness I actually have the hardcover books on my shelf huh?😅

There are a lot of things happening in Thunderhead and it follows a bunch of different characters throughout. Rowan’s character goes through a lot whereas Citra is doing well with Scythe Curie at her side. Another character, Greyson, has a big role in the events that transpire in this story.

I found Thunderhead’s thoughts really fascinating especially because in our real world we are on the verge of AI being everywhere. I also found what was going on in the Scythedom really interesting because of the power plays taking place and how I feel like it represents the Vatican. It really is amazing to imagine the world becoming the way it is portrayed in this book. The medical science and convenience of some things – like not needing to work – sound amazing. But the story explores the other side to this conversation too. The story is complex and the world-building is great.

The book is long and I was bummed Rowan and Citra was apart for almost all of it! But overall I was entertained.

The ending was unexpected and crazy. I’ll be jumping into book three hopefully next month.

Quotes from the book:

“I have pondered the records of the mortal age and long ago determined the two sides of the coin. While freedom gives rise to growth and enlightenment, permission allows evil to flourish in a light of dat that would otherwise destroy it.”

Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman

Final Thoughts:

What a sequel to Scythe! I love reading the Thunderhead’s thoughts and I really wasn’t expecting the story to take the turn it did. It was great to be in Rowan and Citra’s world again but it’s one that is collapsing under the strain of what’s happening in the Scythedom. I can’t want to see how this story ends.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Book Review | Scythe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/9/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Nothing exciting happened this week – I did get my flu shot finally and so I was dealing with feeling a bit feverish afterwards but it coincided with my PMS/hot flashes lol…so I was used to that.

+ Just did the usual cleaning, laundry, blogging, reading and dropping off the kids and picking up the kids. I feel like I’m doing less spending now that the economy is shaky and uncertain. I mean that’s good for me I guess! I did buy an ebook though – Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn. I couldn’t help myself lol.

+ This week my daughter has Market Day at school. The second graders made their own products, my daughter decided to do bookmarks – I helped her cut the cardstock and put the tassels but she’s doing all the artwork for the bookmarks. They get tickets from their teacher to buy stuff from the market also so we’ll see how that goes! I think it’s a fun idea.

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Running Point (Netflix) – I love Kate Hudson and this was so funny and also heartwarming.
  • Mayhem – Lady Gaga – What an album! I love it – it makes me want to dance!

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!

Queen of Shadows and Ruin by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Queen of Shadows and Ruin ( The Nightfire Quartet, #4)

Author: Nisha J. Tuli

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 491

Publication Date: 3/6/25

Publisher: Second Sky

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series

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

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


Zarya must become the darkness…

Soaring through the sky to the frozen mountains of Andhera, Zarya knows that only she can save her home from annihilation. Ruthless armies hunt her friends and toxic dark magic spreads through the land, consuming all it touches. To fight back, she and Rabin must find dangerous new allies.

In a palace of black marble, Zarya finally meets her father—the mysterious Raja Abishek. She approaches warily. For years she was told to fear this man, that he seeks to steal her power. But Abishek welcomes her with open arms, with gifts and lavish celebrations.

Rabin is sure the king can help them, turning the tide of war and decay. And when the magic binding Zarya’s heart to Rabin begins to fail, only Abishek can offer a cure. Zarya dreads the thought of placing their lives in his hands… But can she hesitate, when Rabin might be torn from her forever?

As Zarya makes her choice, ancient magic breaks loose, and her world shatters. In a ruined and long forgotten city, her love for Rabin will be tested to its limits. An army of shadows marches against her, destroying all in its path, and everything Zarya loves will be lost, unless she can face the darkness inside her—and release its devastating power.

An absolutely gripping fantasy romance that’s perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, and Carissa Broadbent, Queen of Shadows and Ruin is the epic final volume in the Nightfire Quartet.

Content Warning: violence

+ Zarya and Rabin are together but they are visiting with her her father, Abishek, and her suspicions about him are spot on but she’s also trying to keep an open mind. They both have to navigate being in his kingdom, but Rabin is trying to convince himself that Abishek means them no harm. His instincts are very wrong. I do feel like this was the biggest challenge to befell Zarya and Rabin and they come through it all in the end. There are some spicy scenes between them.

+ Yasen, Zarya’s bestie, is with her in the beginning but they do split apart in the book because they he and Miraan have to return to Ishaan because of what’s happening there. So I think it’s nice that Yasen has his own big role in this story.

+ A lot of loose ends get tied up and there is even a few twists in the story.

~ I thought the story was a bit too long and dragged in the middle, especially because Abishek is trying to keep Zarya and Rabin in Andhera, and that was repetitive. Clearly, he was lying to them but Zarya gave him the benefit of the doubt. But I felt like that part could have moved faster.

Final Thoughts:

I think this books was a bit long and the middle slowed down but it does finish off with more action. But I do think this is a good conclusion to the Nightfire Quartet because it tied up all the loose ends. Zarya and Rabin’s love is as strong as ever as they rise to all the challenges against them. Overall, this was a solid addition to the series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Heart of Night and Fire by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (Nightfire Quartet, #1)

Dance of Stars and Ashes by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Nightfire Quartet, #2)

Storm of Ink and Blood by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (Nightfire Quartet, #3)

*****

Trial of the Sun Queen by. Nisha J. Tuli | Book Review (Artefacts or Ouranos, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rule of the Aurora King by. Nisha J. Tuli | Book Review (Artefacts or Ouranos, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fate of the Sun King by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review(Artefacts or Ouranos, #3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️