Monday’s Not Coming by. Tiffany D. Jackson | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Monday’s Not Coming

Author: Tiffany D. Jackson

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 5/22/18

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Categories: Coming of Age, Young Adult, Teen, Abuse, Mental Health, Dyslexia, Mystery

Monday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable—more sisters than friends. So when Monday doesn’t turn up for the first day of school, Claudia’s worried. When she doesn’t show for the second day, or second week, Claudia knows that something is wrong. Monday wouldn’t just leave her to endure tests and bullies alone. Not after last year’s rumors and not with her grades on the line. Now Claudia needs her best—and only—friend more than ever. But Monday’s mother refuses to give Claudia a straight answer, and Monday’s sister April is even less help.

As Claudia digs deeper into her friend’s disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she’s gone?

Content Warning: Sexual Harassment, Abuse, Bullying, Homophobia

I love Tiffany D. Jackson’s writing. This is the third book I’ve read from her and I just love how her writing flows and how her stories are mysterious, thrillers with some horror, and yet infused with stories about friendship, community, abuse, growing up/coming of age, and family. The setting of the story is in the city of Washington D.C., and we get a good sense of the community and the difference of where Claudia lives in her own home and where Monday lives in a public housing. The girls both go to a charter school to get a better education.

Claudia is only in the 8th grade and on the verge of going to high school. As the new school year starts her best friend Monday has not shown up to school at all and she is worried. She doesn’t know why anyone else isn’t worried but she knows something is wrong. We see through Claudia’s memories how close she and Monday is, like sisters! Then we really see how important Monday is to Claudia as the story goes on. Claudia is going through so many changes, like dealing with boys, being bullied at school, pressure to do good in school – but without Monday that’s difficult. All she wants is to know what happened to Monday.

Claudia and Monday are as close as sisters, or so Claudia thinks from all their time spent together. You could really feel their bond in the story just through Claudia’s memories. Monday is vibrant, smart, talented and beautiful. Claudia also has another friend in the story, Michael, who is someone she knows from church and I liked how he stayed by her side through it all.

The mystery about Monday intensifies when Claudia doesn’t let up her search for her best friends and we find out some pretty horrific things about what went down in Monday’s house. It’s chilling because we know these things do happen, and heartbreaking because I wish children in these situations had a better chance at life.

The one thing that didn’t work for me in this story was the chapter titles which made some parts confusing. There is a major twist to the story and I think that’s why the chapter titles are worded the way it is but it was confusing. The confusing timelines are in line with Claudia’s mental state when she finds out what happens to Monday and I can sympathize with her mental breakdown.

Also Claudia and Monday are meeting boys in this story even though they are only 8th grade – now this seems young, but to me it’s realistic.

Why you should read it:

the story is inspired by real events – important read
Claudia and Monday’s friendship
Claudia’s journey without Monday

Why you might not want to read it:

the chapter titles are so confusing because the timeline jumps around

My Thoughts:

Despite the confusing chapter titles, I love this author’s work! This was a heartbreaking read because you do get an idea of what happened to Monday – but just how and why it happens is just so sad. It’s an important read not just because we find out what happens to Monday but Claudia’s personal journey also is rife with challenges that she overcomes. In a tragic story there is hope through Claudia who never stops to find her friend Monday. I look forward to reading more from this author!

📚 ~ Yolanda

By Any Other Name by. Lauren Kate | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: By Any Other Name

Author: Lauren Kate

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 3/01/22

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Categories: Adult Fiction, Romance, Editor/Author Romance, Mistaken Identity

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

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

What she doesn’t know about love could fill a book.

With a successful career as a romance editor, and an engagement to a man who checks off all ninety-nine boxes on her carefully curated list, Lanie’s more than good. She’s killing it. Then she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to work with world-renowned author and her biggest inspiration in love and life—the Noa Callaway. All Lanie has to do is cure Noa’s writer’s block and she’ll get the promotion she’s always dreamed of. Simple, right?

But there’s a reason no one has ever seen or spoken to the mysterious Noa Calloway. And that reason will rock Lanie’s world. It will call into question everything she thought she knew. When she finally tosses her ninety-nine expectations to the wind, Lanie may just discover that love By Any Other Name can still be as sweet.

Content Warning: Death of Parent

There is so much I loved about this book and I kind of went into reading this one forgetting about the synopsis.

Lanie is a great character and we see her in her element as an editor at a publishing house. She’s given a chance to be promoted but there are conditions that involve getting her favorite author, Noa Calloway, to submit her next book. But Lanie finds out Noa isn’t who she and all Noa’s fans, thinks she is. It is a case of mistaken identity. Noa is Noah. I found Lanie well-rounded and fleshed out. She’s smart, clumsy, ambitious, has the perfect boyfriend and loves her job. We even get to know some of her family history and we get to know her coworkers, some of which are her best friends.

Speaking of friends and family, I love Meg and Rufus, who are there for Lanie when she hits a rough patch in her love life. And Lanie’s grandmother, BD, is the best! She is so funny.

The romance that builds between Lanie and Noah is a slow-burn that starts off on the wrong foot but I wouldn’t call it enemies to lovers. They get along very well once they start to spend time with one another. I loved how the romanced progressed until the very end, and honestly I never wanted the story to come to an end! The whole thing tied into beautifully with the story Noah was writing and I loved how Lanie and Noah actually corresponded for years before meeting.

Some issues I had with it – Lanie is engaged for a good 30% of the book! And it’s not that I hated her fiance or anything, I actually liked seeing that Lanie had everything yet not even that made her happy. I thought it was important to the story, but I wanted more time with Lanie and Noah together. As I kept reading, I kept checking how far in I was into the book because their time in the book was way too short for me. I didn’t want the story to end even if it was such a good ending. And we only get one kiss, that’s it – it’s a perfect kiss though.

Why you should read it:

an editor and author falling for one another, publishing house drama
Meg, Rufus and BD are so much fun
Lanie and Noah’s romance is so heartfelt and came full circle – I didn’t want it to end

Why you might not want to read it:

book is too short, I wanted more of Lanie and Noah
I didn’t realize it was pegged as an enemies to lovers romance, there is a small hint of it and maybe it could have been dragged out (if the book was longer!)

My Thoughts:

I needed this wonderful story to be longer. I can see this as a movie because it’s set in NYC and Lanie and Noah go around to certain places to get his inspiration revved up for his book. I can already imagine it and it would be magical. This one gave me lots of feels, especially the ending and I never wanted it to end.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Donut Trap by. Julie Tieu | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Donut Trap

Author: Julie Tieu

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 11/9/21

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

Julie Tieu sparkles in this debut romantic comedy, which is charmingly reminiscent of the TV show Kim’s Convenience and Frankly in Love by David Yoon, about a young woman who feels caught in the life her parents have made for her until she falls in love and finds a way out of the donut trap.

Jasmine Tran has landed herself behind bars—maple bars that is. With no boyfriend or job prospects, Jasmine returns home to work at her parents’ donut shop. Jasmine quickly loses herself in a cyclical routine of donuts, Netflix, and sleep. She wants to break free from her daily grind, but when a hike in rent threatens the survival of their shop, her parents rely on her more than ever.

Help comes in the form of an old college crush, Alex Lai. Not only is he successful and easy on the eyes, to her parents’ delight, he’s also Chinese. He’s everything she should wish for, until a disastrous dinner reveals Alex isn’t as perfect as she thinks. Worse, he doesn’t think she’s perfect either.

With both sets of parents against their relationship, a family legacy about to shut down, and the reappearance of an old high school flame, Jasmine must scheme to find a solution that satisfies her family’s expectations and can get her out of the donut trap once and for all.

Content Warning: Anxiety, Family Pressures, Drug Use

Many of the books by Asian authors that I’ve been picking up lately has featured a main character whose parents/family are immigrants to the USA. It’s very relatable. What I love about the books I’ve read is that I’m learning about different Asian cultures and in this story Jasmine Tran’s parents journey to the USA is fascinating. They fled Cambodia because of the Khmer Rouge, ended up in Vietnam and changing their name to fit in and then fled Vietnam as refugees and made it to California. But at their family root, they are Chinese. In that essence, Jasmine isn’t fluent in Khmer, Chinese Mandarin or Vietnamese, all the languages her parents can speak. She also knows about their history but never lived through the trauma and doesn’t know why she feels so punished for it. There is the ever present feeling of not living up to her parents expectations.

I like how we see Jasmine go from feeling stuck in her situation working at their family owned donut shop to finding some self-confidence and taking a step out on her own. She grows a lot and I like the moment when she tries and communications everything she feels to her parents. It’s not easy but at least by then they made an effort to try and understand her.

The romance between Alex and Jas is really cute and realistic. I could relate to being hounded by my mom about when I was going to get married when I was in my early twenties. I had to constantly point out how they forbade me from dating in high school (and yes I had the whole secret boyfriend that Jasmine had LOL)…I’m telling you this book was so relatable. I like how it progressed naturally and the drama between was slight, yet still realistic. I did wish there was more chemistry between them – it seemed a bit lackluster but still, sweet.

My issue with the story is about Jasmine’s past, which we get no hint about until she remembers and reflects about that moment in time. It comes near the end of the book and was such a surprise but then it made sense why Jasmine was so stuck and afraid to make a move in her life. But it would have been nice to get glimpses of her past throughout the beginning of the book, then I would have understand why she was so hesitant in making certain decisions in her life.

Why you should read it:

relatable immigrant family issues
Cambodian, Chinese, Vietnamese rep
sweet romance

Why you might not want to read it:

needs more chemistry between Alex and Jas

My Thoughts:

The strongest parts of this book was how we get to see Jasmine’s struggles with living up to her parents expectations. I found Jasmine totally relatable when it came to dealing with pressures from her family and not really knowing where she fits in, or how to please them. As for the romance, it was sweet but lacking chemistry – this was more a coming of age story than a romance but still overall an enjoyable read as we see Jasmine grow.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

“My parents weren’t heartless, but the trauma they had endured hardened them in ways I didn’t fully understand.”
The Donut Trap by. Julie Tieu

“If the measure of success was that I was living a more comfortable, easier life than they had, then why was I simultaneously penalized for it?”
The Donut Trap by. Julie Tieu

“My parents had rarely told us that they love us verbally. It wasn’t like we didn’t know. They showed us love in many ways, but hearing the actual words was a new feeling I had to break into.”
The Donut Trap by. Julie Tieu

BLOG TOUR} A Lullaby for Witches by. Hester Fox | ARC Review

Welcome to the the blog tour for A Lullaby for Witches by. Hester Fox!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Lullaby for Witches

Author: Hester Fox

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 2/01/22

Publisher: Graydon House

Categories: Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magic, Romance, Paranormal

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

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

Augusta Podos has just landed her dream job, working in collections at a local museum, Harlowe House, located in the charming seaside town of Tynemouth, Massachussetts. Determined to tell the stories of the local community, she throws herself into her work–and finds an oblique mention of a mysterious woman, Margaret, who may have been part of the Harlowe family, but is reduced to a footnote. Fascinated by this strange omission, Augusta becomes obsessed with discovering who Margaret was, what happened to her, and why her family scrubbed her from historical records. But as she does, strange incidents begin plaguing Harlowe House and Augusta herself. Are they connected with Margaret, and what do they mean?

Tynemouth, 1872. Margaret Harlowe is the beautiful daughter of a wealthy shipping family, and she should have many prospects–but her fascination with herbs and spellwork has made her a pariah, with whispers of “witch” dogging her steps. Increasingly drawn to the darker, forbidden practices of her craft, Margaret finds herself caught up with a local man, Jack Pryce, and the temptation of these darker ways threatens to pull her under completely.

As the incidents in the present day escalate, Augusta finds herself drawn more and more deeply into Margaret’s world, and a shocking revelation sheds further light on Margaret and Augusta’s shared past. And as Margaret’s sinister purpose becomes clear, Augusta must uncover the secret of Margaret’s fate–before the woman who calls to her across the centuries claims Augusta’s own life.

Content Warning: Violence, Death, Implied Eating Disorder

This story is told between two perspectives: Augusta – in present day and Margaret – who lives in 18th century, Massachusettes. I did like the dual story perspective as it eventually culminated later in the story to when Augusta and Margaret merge.

I found Augusta’s job fascinating as a curator of Harlowe House, a historic home in Tynemouth, Massachusettes. She goes on a quest to find out about a girl, Margaret, who seems to be lacking any record of living in Harlowe House. I did like the mystery and learning about Margaret. Augusta is dealing with some issues like with her boyfriend, the lack of knowledge of her father and what looks like an eating disorder. As a character, I didn’t feel like I connected to Augusta very much although I liked her passion for her work.

Margaret is labeled a witch because people in the community come to her for help. She meets a local boy in town and has a wild affair with him but he has a secret that breaks her heart. There are other secrets to uncover about Margaret but I thought it was interesting how she is tied to the Salem Witches.

The romance was okay, I wasn’t that invested in it. Now the paranormal aspect of the story was interesting. Margaret’s ghost has an ulterior motive for trying to contact Augusta and it did keep me reading the story even though I lacked connection to the characters. Also I wanted more witchcraft, not just the mention of spells found in a book.

Why you should read it:

historical/contemporary paranormal story – a little bit of everything
Margaret’s history was compelling

Why you might not want to read it:

romance fell flat- even though this isn’t a romance novel, there is some romance, but it was okay
lack connection to the characters
I wanted more witchcraft

My Thoughts:

This was an interesting read and not what I expected. I found Margaret’s story very fascinating but Augusta’s was just flat, including her romance story. For a story about witches, it didn’t have that much witchcraft in the story at all, but I did enjoy the historical fiction parts of the story. This one was just an okay read for me.

📚 ~ Yolanda

About the Author:

Hester Fox is a full-time writer and mother, with a background in museum work and historical archaeology. A native New-Englander, she now lives in rural Virginia with her husband and their son.

Author Website

Twitter: @HesterBFox | Instagram: @hesterbfox | Goodreads

Counting Down with You by. Tashie Bhuiyan | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Counting Down with You

Author: Tashie Bhuiyan

Format: eBook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 5/4/21

Categories: Romance, Family, Contemporary, Young Adult, Coming of Age, Fake Dating

A reserved Bangladeshi teenager has twenty-eight days to make the biggest decision of her life after agreeing to fake date her school’s resident bad boy.
How do you make one month last a lifetime?

Karina Ahmed has a plan. Keep her head down, get through high school without a fuss, and follow her parents’ rules—even if it means sacrificing her dreams. When her parents go abroad to Bangladesh for four weeks, Karina expects some peace and quiet. Instead, one simple lie unravels everything.

Karina is my girlfriend.

Tutoring the school’s resident bad boy was already crossing a line. Pretending to date him? Out of the question. But Ace Clyde does everything right—he brings her coffee in the mornings, impresses her friends without trying, and even promises to buy her a dozen books (a week) if she goes along with his fake-dating facade. Though Karina agrees, she can’t help but start counting down the days until her parents come back.

T-minus twenty-eight days until everything returns to normal—but what if Karina no longer wants it to?

Content Warning: Anxiety, Family Pressures

All immigrant families want is a better life for their children and Karina knows this with all her heart. Her parents want her to be a doctor but she wants to major in English after high school and she is trying her best to make them happy. Karina gets a breather when her parents go to Bangladesh for a month.

First off, this story is relatable to a lot of immigrant or first generation American children. Parents uproot their whole lives in their motherland country to give their children a better life somewhere else. My parents were very strict as well, so I related to Karina a lot in that aspect. I love that she had her dadu for support and telling her she’s a good kid and loved – that’s so important because it’s so easy for teens to fear disappointing their parents and think they are loved less because they don’t stand up to their standards. Being a perfect child is so hard and such an unreasonable expectation. I loved that this story was about a Bangladeshi and Muslim girl and we got to see her family dynamics. Also Karina has major anxiety because of these family pressures and it was good to see how she suffers and deals with it. **I can’t comment much on the Muslim representation, I see a lot of reviews on Goodreads marking this book a low rating because of it. **

Karina had her dadu for support and her girlfriends. They are a tightly knit group of three girls just surviving high school and everything that comes with it.

She also has support from her new fake boyfriend and guy she’s tutoring for English, Ace. He’s popular, white and rich. Ace being white though wouldn’t fly with her parents but the heart wants what it wants. For a romance story I thought it was teen appropriate and so emo. Cheesy emo at times but this is definitely the kind of book I would have eaten up as a teenager! The whole fake-dating aspect was the main focus of this book, it was cute but nothing serious.

My favorite parts of this story was when Karina and her dadu were together. When Karina finally tells her parents that she doesn’t want to study medicine her dadu’s support made me want to cry because grandparents are just so amazing that way. I love how dadu stood up for Karina and made her parents listen to her.

Why you should read it:

teens can totally relate about dealing with family pressures
Bangladeshi and Muslim representation, anxiety rep
it’s a very teen romance, has fake dating but that’s not the focus of the story

Why you might not want to read it:

might appeal more to teenagers

My Thoughts:

The beginning of the book reads like a teen romance with the whole fake-dating trope thrown in but the real story for me was Karina dealing with the pressures from her family and trying to please them and yet want a little happiness for herself too. I love her dadu and the unconditional love and support she gets from her, it makes me wish I had someone backing me up that hard when I was Karina’s age. My grandparents were amazing but pretty much stayed out of my family dramas – they had enough drama I suppose with their own grown children! This story is relatable and perfect for teens who can relate trying to deal with family pressure.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

“I’m expected to be this perfect daughter that I don’t know how to be.”
Counting Down with You by. Tashie Bhuiyan

“I am not Atlas, born to carry the weight of the world I am Icarus, wanting and wanting and wanting at the risk of exploding when I fly too close to the sun…”
Counting Down with You by. Tashie Bhuiyan

“Nothing I ever do is enough.”
Counting Down with You by. Tashie Bhuiyan

““The older I am, the more I realize it’s not worth it to prioritize things that make you miserable…”
Counting Down with You by. Tashie Bhuiyan

Reminders of Him by. Colleen Hoover | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Reminders of Him

Author: Colleen Hoover

Format: eBook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 335

Publication Date: 1/18/22

Categories: Women’s Fiction, Adult Fiction, Romance, Family, Contemporary, Grief, Drunk Driving

A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Timesbestselling author Colleen Hoover.

After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.

The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.

The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.

Content Warning: Suicide Ideation, Death, Grief, Drunk Driving

I don’t read a lot of Colleen Hoover books, only because I have read enough that I know I have to be in the right headspace for her stories…it’s usually heavy reading and I need a tissue box near me. Reminders of Him brought out the tears for sure – it gutted me.

Kenna was in an accident with her boyfriend Scotty. Thing is, she was driving the car under the influence of alcohol and edibles. They both were under the influence. They get into an accident, he dies, she doesn’t and gets jail time for involuntary manslaughter. To top it all off, she is pregnant in prison, gives birth and never gets to hold her daughter. Her daughter Diem is being raised by Scotty’s parents, as she should be. Now Kenna is out of prison and she wants to see her daughter.

Kenna is a broken young woman. She made a mistake and served her time. She was so in love with Scotty and it really was an accident, but she made a poor choice, and was punished for it. But now what? Does she have a right to see her daughter? Does she have a right to be forgiven? I empathized with her because I’m a mom. I want her to have a chance to see Diem. Add Kenna’s backstory and honestly I was just heartbroken for her as a person. She’s been alone for so long, until Scotty had come along. But I empathized with the other mom in this story, Scotty’s mom, Grace. I could so understand their anger and fears about Kenna being out of prison.

Ledger is Scotty’s best friend and when he meets this female stranger in his bar, he is instantly attracted. Of course when he finds out who she is, it gets so damn complicated. Ledger is a good guy, he’s had a good life, like Scotty did, they are well-adjusted guys who come from loving homes. He is solid and he has loved Diem as if she was his own. I can see why Kenna falls for him. Ledger has to figure out if he hates Kenna still or is he ready to forgive her. He knows that Scotty was absolutely in love with her and in the end Ledger himself falls for her too.

It’s messy isn’t it? If I was Kenna, I would have put Ledger in the friend zone after finding out who he is…but that’s just me. So I can’t say this was only a romance story about Kenna and Ledger. I could feel the love Kenna has for Diem, that made me cry my eyes out. I could even feel Kenna’s love for Scotty in her letters to him and her memories about him, heartbreaking. I also could see how Kenna and Ledger’s love for Scotty and Diem brought them close together, a common ground. So this was a complex story about love but mostly about forgiveness.

I was kind of waiting for some crazy plot twist that the author usually has at the end of her books, but this one didn’t have that. There was just this feeling of impending doom as you read Kenna’s story play out. I think I related a lot to Ledger…because he knew shit was about to hit the fan and I, like Ledger wanted to stop it for Kenna, Scotty’s parents and everyone else’s sake!

Why you should read it:

a story about forgiveness
emotionally gripping
it’s more than a romance

Why you might not want to read it:

it may make you cry
this is not a rom-com

My Thoughts:

Somedays I just crave a good, complex story that has a little romance in it and punches you in the gut. This is not a romance book that makes you feel light and fluffy in the end, it’s a CoHo book! 😅 Go into it knowing it will carve you up you emotionally and that you may need a tissue box nearby. I don’t read many of her books for this reason, but once in awhile I need a good cry.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

“I want to be good at life. I want to make it look effortless, but up until this point, I’ve made every aspect of life appear entirely too difficult to navigate.”
reminders of Him by. Colleen Hoover

“…happiness isn’t some permanent thing we’re all trying to achieve in life, it’s merely a thing that shows up every now and then, sometimes in tiny doses that are just substantial enough to keep us going.”
Reminders of Him By. Colleen Hoover

“Maybe it doesn’t matter whether something is a coincidence or a sign. Maybe the best way to cope with the loss of the people we love is to find them in as many places and things as we possibly can. And in the off chance that the people we lose are still somehow able to hear us, maybe we should never stop talking to them.”
Reminders of Him by. Colleen Hoover

The Heart Principle by. Helen Hoang | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Heart Principle (The Kiss Quotient, #3)

Author: Helen Hoang

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 339

Publication Date: 8/31/21

Categories: Romance, Women’s Fiction, Adult Fiction, Mental Health, Family, Contemporary

A woman struggling with burnout learns to embrace the unexpected—and the man she enlists to help her—in this new New York Times bestselling romance by Helen Hoang.

When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself incapacitated and burned out from her attempts to replicate that moment. And when her longtime boyfriend announces he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment, a hurt and angry Anna decides that if he wants an open relationship, then she does, too. Translation: She’s going to embark on a string of one-night stands. The more unacceptable the men, the better.

That’s where tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep comes in. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second, and their third, because being with Quan is more than sex—he accepts Anna on an unconditional level that she herself has just started to understand. However, when tragedy strikes Anna’s family she takes on a role that she is ill-suited for, until the burden of expectations threatens to destroy her. Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that, they also have to fight for themselves.

Content Warning: Toxic Family, Suicide Ideation, Toxic Relationships, Cancer, Death, Grief

I went into this book not reading many reviews of this book and wow, it was more than I got more than what I was expecting. There is romance, yes, but there is soooo much more than that. This story is about personal growth and acceptance, overcoming challenges, dealing with family who supposedly loves you but hurt you instead, opening up in a new relationship, being a caregiver, and just so many things. And for me it all worked beautifully.

Let’s talk about what I was here for – the romance. I fell in love with Quan when I read The Bride Test (because I read the books out of order) and I think I’m not alone in saying that everyone was waiting for Quan’s story. We get his story for sure, but we also get Anna’s. And this solidifies that I have finally found my book boyfriend and his name is Quan lol. I love his patience, his ambition, his love for his family, and of course his love for Anna. They meet and try to do a meaningless one night stand, but it doesn’t go so easy and they keep trying haha. They continue trying until they have a breakthrough, which I love about them. I knew they were meant to be when they both didn’t give up on one another even though it was scary – for both of them.

And now let’s talk about Anna. This is about Anna and if you read the author’s note, this is the most autobiographically book out of the three and this one hurt. This one is raw, painful, triggering, and yet the journey with Quan by Anna’s side was so absolutely gorgeous. It didn’t make me cry, maybe because some of the issues she goes through – like the family tough love – I’ve learn to deal and make peace with my own family’s tough love…but whew – it is so spot on. Even when she becomes a caregiver, I could relate so hard. There are times I wanted to shake Anna but honestly I felt like she was asking me as a reader to understand and please be patient with her, she was not going to get things right because that’s not her. Anna isn’t like everyone, she is on the autism spectrum but she only finds that out now. I love that she goes to therapy, I love that things make sense eventually. I hated that her family didn’t accept the truth but I grew up in a family like that so once again, I relate HARD. Anna goes on such a journey in this story…but Quan is there. He’s there. 😭❤️ They worked through their challenges and it made me love them as a couple.

This wasn’t some light-hearted romantic comedy, but to me it is an epic journey of self and love. Life is freaking hard, and we fight on like Anna and Quan.

This was more Anna than Quan but I felt like it was enough for me. The one thing that felt rushed was Quan’s journey after Anna hurts him. I felt like it jumps so fast from him running on a treadmill to him hiking the Grand Canyon. I understand what the author was trying to say and do for Quan but, it was such a leap from one moment to the other, I kind of wish that part wasn’t so rushed.

Why you should read it:

complex characters
Quan – he is amazing
Anna and Quan’s relationship: giving each other space when needed, being patient with one another and opening up when it’s hard
more than just a love story

Why you might not want to read it:

very triggering, dealing with hard topics, especially if you have a toxic family or working through some issues this might not be the romance book you are looking for
this is not a rom-com, not even light-hearted reading, it’s complex

My Thoughts:

Beautifully complex, this story takes you on an emotional journey and I was definitely rooting for Anna and Quan’s happily ever after. Like the book though, it doesn’t come easy – these two tough it out in their relationship and outside of it too.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

“I don’t question why people do things. I just observe and copy. That’s how to get along in this world.”
The Heart Principle by. Helen Hoang

“Family is not safe. Not for me. Tough love is brutally honest and hurts you to help you. Tough love cuts you when you’re already bruised and berates you when you don’t heal faster.”
The Heart Principle By. Helen Hoang

“I’ll draw a line around you, and I’ll protect you and stand up for you and speak up for you when it’s right. I’ll keep you safe. And I’ll do the same for me. Because I matter, too.”
The Heart Principle by. Helen Hoang

“Instead, I must focus on giving what I have, not what people want, because that is all I can give. I don’t mask anymore if I can help it.”
The Heart Principle By. Helen Hoang

Lease on Love by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Lease on Love

Author: Falon Ballard

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 2/01/22

Publisher: GP Putnam

Categories: Adult Fiction, Romance, Roommates

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

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

After getting passed over for an overdue—and much needed—promotion, Sadie Green is in desperate need of three things: a stiff drink, a new place to live, and a one-night-stand. When one drink turns into one too many, Sadie mixes up a long-ignored dating app for a roommate-finding app and finds herself on the doorstep of Jack Thomas’s gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone. Too bad she’s more attracted to his impressive real estate than she is to the man himself.

Jack, still grieving the unexpected death of his parents, has learned to find comfort in video games and movie marathons instead of friends. So while he doesn’t know just what to make of the vivaciously verbose Sadie, he’s willing to offer her his spare bedroom while she gets back on her feet. And with the rent unbeatably low, Sadie can finally pursue her floristry side hustle full-time. The two are polar opposites, but as Sadie’s presence begins to turn the brownstone into a home, they both start to realize they may have just made the deal of a lifetime.

Content Warning: Death of Parents, Parental Abuse

Sadie Green is that snarky friend who is tough, confident, beautiful and the life of the party but she doesn’t have it all together. Things fall apart at her job and she has to figure out her next move in life. She ends up being a rooming with Jack Thomas, a quiet, introverted guy who lives in a nice house. Jack is mysterious, keeps to himself mostly but is attentive and so considerate. He has this comforting quality about him and I like how they balanced each other out. The slow burn between these two characters is so good, the tension between them builds quietly and honestly Sadie needed that because she is a flight risk due to her past. I was rooting for them hard until the end!

The romance starts off as roommates, then friends, into something much more and I love how it progressed. Sadie is the social butterfly and she brings Jack out of his shell. She doesn’t change him at all, but just draws out the part of him that’s been hiding. The both of them have had some trauma in their past and that’s where they connect. His parents died in a car accident and he is basically all alone. Sadie’s father was abusive so her past haunts her often – in fact when things are going good in her life, his words invades her thoughts to the point of self-loathing. Her defense mechanism is never allowing a guy to get close so she couldn’t get hurt and I love that this story touches on therapy.

Sadie’s group of friends, her found family, is so fantastic. There is Harley, Gemma and Nick, friends she made in college – who know her inside and outside, bad and good and love her anyway. They welcome Jack into their safe space and I love that for him. Also we get to see into their lives as well – they are this group of millennials trying to advance in their jobs, or change their careers, paying off loans, falling in love and taking the next steps in life. They are relatable because they are struggling in some type of way, well except for Nick of course because he’s wealthy. I’d say Jack isn’t struggling financially but he is definitely struggling internally.

I only have minor issues with the book – Sadie has low self-esteem despite the front she puts on and it really affects when she starts getting close . The conflict was resolved rather quickly and it felt a little rushed or maybe I wanted them to have a bigger discussion on it? Maybe I’m just so used to dramatic conflicts in stories or gravitate towards that? But in a way, it fits how I think Jack would handle that moment. I did like how they put space between them so both could cool down and think. It was so mature of them and that was refreshing.

Why you should read it:

roommates to lovers, Sadie and Jack are so good together
Sadie’s found family, great group of friends
light-hearted and fun at times and yet emotional as well

Why you might not want to read it:

ending conflict is a bit rushed and doesn’t seem like a major conflict

My Thoughts:

Lease on Love has it all. A snarky, ambitious, hardworking main character who wants to open a flower shop. A love interest who is mysterious, introverted and sweet. Two characters who are dealing with some emotional trauma from their past and learning to move on. A group of friends who are supportive and all of them going through the late-twenties issues: dating, career decisions, and trying to live their best lives. And a romance that is a slow burn that gave me all the feels. I totally enjoyed this one and read it in one night.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Edgewood by. Kristen Ciccarelli | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Edgewood

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 3/01/22

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary Fantasy, 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!

No matter how far she runs, the forest of Edgewood always comes for Emeline Lark. The scent of damp earth curls into her nose when she sings and moss creeps across the stage. It’s as if the woods of her childhood, shrouded in folklore and tall tales, are trying to reclaim her. But Emeline has no patience for silly superstitions.

When her grandfather disappears, leaving only a mysterious orb in his wake, the stories Emeline has always scoffed at suddenly seem less foolish. She enters the forest she has spent years trying to escape, only to have Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, try to dissuade her from searching.

Refusing to be deterred, Emeline finds herself drawn to the court of the fabled Wood King himself. She makes a deal—her voice for her grandfather’s freedom. Little does she know, she’s stumbled into the middle of a curse much bigger than herself, one that threatens the existence of this eerie world she’s trapped in, along with the devastating boy who feels so familiar.

With the help of Hawthorne—an enemy turned reluctant ally who she grows closer to each day—Emeline sets out to not only save her grandfather’s life, but to right past wrongs, and in the process, discover her true voice.

Haunting and romantic, Kristen Ciccarelli’s Edgewood is an exciting novel from a bold, unforgettable voice in fantasy.

Content Warning: Dementia, Alzheimer’s

This was an interesting story and at first I wasn’t sure it was working for me. It’s about a girl who’s a musician but she comes from a place called Edgewood where everyone knows the woods are enchanted – she grew up with stories about the forest, even neighbors had visited the court of the Wood King so this is very much contemporary fantasy.

As a character, Emeline is a musician and independent. She is on her own trying to make a big splash in the music world. She seems to have issues with guys, always having a new boyfriend to push away whatever memories or feelings she feels like she is running from. Her grandfather is her only living family and he has Alzheimer’s. When he is tithed to the Wood King, Emeline goes to rescue him but bargains with the Wood King herself.

My favorite part of this story though was how it unraveled and the romance between her and Hawthorne Fell. It at first starts off as an enemies to lovers romance but then we dig deeper and find out the truth of what happened and it comes full circle. The reveal at the end was magical and unexpected.

World-building wise I thought it was pretty good but lacking on details of the faerie court, which I generally look forward to because I love the Fae. But it’s a standalone book so I can understand why it wasn’t so detailed.

The beginning was slow as we get to know Emeline and her musical ambitions but it definitely picks up when she returns to Edgewood to rescue her grandfather.

Why you should read it:

contemporary fantasy with a forest that takes you into the world of the Wood King
Emeline and Hawthorne’s love story
love how music and memory was entwined with the story

Why you might not want to read it:

slow beginning

My Thoughts:

This story grew on me and I couldn’t put it down even though I was doubting how I felt about it at the start of the book. But by the end I was captured by the romance story of Emeline and Hawthorne and how it was revealed.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The New Girl by. Jesse Q. Sutanto | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The New Girl

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 288

Publication Date: 2/01/22

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Prep School, Thriller, Mystery, 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 Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lia Setiawan has never really fit in. When she wins a full ride to the prestigious Draycott Academy on a track scholarship, she’s determined to make it work even though she’s never felt more out of place. But on her first day there she witnesses a girl being forcefully carried away by campus security. Her new schoolmates and teachers seem unfazed, but it leaves her unsure of what she’s gotten herself into. As she uncovers the secrets of Draycott, complete with a corrupt teacher, a golden boy who isn’t what he seems, and a blackmailer determined to get her thrown out, she’s not sure if she can trust anyone–especially when the threats against her take a deadly turn.

Content Warning: Murder, Drug Use, Bullying

This is my second Jesse Q. Sutanto book and I can definitely see a theme with her stories. Murder! The New Girl is a thriller mystery filled with prep school drama filled with beautiful people, brand names, bullies, wealth and drug use.

I love that the main character is half Indonesian and half Chinese-Indonesian. We get to learn some Indonesiand and Chinese-Indo culture. She attends Draycott Academy where the rich kids drive very fancy cars, wear designer clothes, pay for good grades, use drugs and basically do whatever they want. But when Lia gets a mean girl mad by taking her spot on the track team, she has to do everything she can to fight back and keep her spot at the school. And this is when things go haywire.

Lia is not scared, I gotta give her credit for that. She stands up to Mandy, the girl on her track team but that gets Lia into deeper trouble. The story is full of teen drama, scandals and even murder. I’m usually into teenage drama, but there was something about this one that was turning me off at times and I think it’s all the teen speak going on – it just wasn’t working for me.

Pacing was a little off for me also. It started off slow with her meeting a cute boy and falling for him and then it really picks up as the drama between her and a certain teacher begins. Then it gets wild but I felt that way about her other book, Dial A for Aunties. There are some twists and turns, so with a story like this you just have to hang on and enjoy the ride.

Why you should read it:

you like ya mystery thrillers that take you on a wild ride
Lia’s experience being Indonesian and Chinese-Indo
twists and turns keep you on your toes

Why you might not want to read it:

slow beginning, fast ending
lots of rich teen drama
teen speak wasn’t working for me

My Thoughts:

It took me awhile to get into this book but the twist and turns did keep me intrigued. Also I like the Indonesian and Chinese-Indonesian representation. The book overall wasn’t a book for me because I’m not the right audience for it but I think teen readers would enjoy this one.

📚 ~ Yolanda