Modern Love Series Review

After Hannah raved about this audiobook from Hoopla and seeing it everywhere on Instagram, I was SO excited to read it! A woman who creates a dating app and the foibles of online dating? Sign me up! From the start, I was enchanted. I fell right into the story and loved Rhiannon's thoughts and way of thinking. I thought Sampson was charming and definitely a diamond in the rough in regards to single men in this world, fictional or non. Their banter and snark had me laughing out loud while listening.

Review: Marry in Scarlet

I have read and adored all of Anne Gracie's series and I was ecstatic to receive George's book MARRY IN SCARLET--the latest in the Marriage in Convenience series--for review! I’ve loved all of Anne Gracie’s books and thinks she is Historical Romance’s most underrated author. Everyone who loves HR should be reading Anne Gracie!

BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES

As a diehard fan of THE HUNGER GAMES I was both excited and apprehensive about another book in this world, especially a book through the eyes of our resident monster, Coriolanus Snow. As I reread THG in anticipation, I got more hyped about it and while I don't mind, and even enjoy, a villain origin story, that's not really what this book is. I went  into this book wanting to like it because of my deep love for the other books. This book focused on the 10th Hunger Games, what the Games were like then, the aftermath of war, and foreshadowed how we get to The Hunger Games as we know them in Katniss and Peeta's story.

Quick and Dirty Mini-Reviews {7}

I know it's been quiet on the blog recently but I'm trying to get some motivation to cross post my mini-reviews from Instagram and write longer reviews for the books I have more to say about. I've got a few reviews and ideas in the wings so stay tuned if you're still here! I've been reading so many incredible books lately so here's a roundup of mini-reviews of the books I've been reading and loving lately!

DEAR MRS BIRD by AJ Pearce | A few weeks ago I read DEAR MRS BIRD because Hannah had read and loved. She definitely nailed it with a historical Bridget Jones vibe and I had such a great time reading this book. A woman with goals to be a Female War Correspondent accidentally finds herself instead being an assistant to a crotchety, set-in-her-archaic-views advice columnist. I loved this book! It was so fun to read, I loved the heroine Emmy and her ambitions and her relationship with her best friend. While there are many moments of humor, there also was a surprising level of emotional depth that I wasn’t expecting. War time does not come without its costs and how Emmy navigated her own choices and the advice she gave was fantastic to read about. READ THIS IF...you love historical fiction, WWII London, and females with Ambition.

Mad for Marchetta

My Thoughts
I am well aware that I may be the last person in the bookish world to read Melina Marchetta. I am self-aware enough to realize this but I am not above proclaiming her as an instant favorite author. After my binge of Finnikin I knew I had to try her other books and I knew from Hannah that she write a variety of genres which I was SO EXCITED about! I was not disappointed with any of them! It was SUCH an incredible treat to find an author who writes so many different kinds of stories. I was obsessed with each and every one for different reasons. Here are those reasons.

True Love Starts With You

My Thoughts

The Belle
I have read and loved every Kristan Higgins book I have read before this and Good Luck With That is no exception. This book as part of the pseudo series that takes place in Cambry-on-Hudson has a different feel from her other romance books. They are definitely more women's fiction that romance, although romance does play a part, they are also much deeper and more emotional in my opinion. And wow, was this particular book emotional and hard to read at times. I know there’s been a lot of criticism of this book and it’s topic, I have to say in my opinion and POV it’s unfounded. But this is my opinion. Not to say it won't be hurtful for some readers but it's also not a story that shouldn't be told.

Who Dunnit?

With minimal encouragement from Hannah while I was looking for books to pad my TBR with, she suggested a change of pace with the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling. I have always been hesitant to pick up her pseudonym books because Harry Potter has a Horcrux on my soul and I didn't want anything to taint my love for this author in case it didn't jive with me. Fortunately for me, I had nothing to worry about. 

An Open Love Letter to My Best Friends

While taking to Hannah one day, okay one of the several times that day, and she told me about a book called TEXT ME WHEN YOU GET HOME by Kayleen Schaefer that she heard was about female friendships and how important they are and I knew right then I had to read it. Let me start with the book review. 

Quick and Dirty Mini-Reviews {6}

Back for another edition of Quick and Dirty Mini-Reviews! I fell into a huge blogging slump with less than zero motivation so here's a few highlights of some of my favorite reads over the past few months...and longer...Enjoy!

The Opposite of Love is one of Hannah's all-time favorite books and I knew at one point I had to give it a try...and I was SO happy I did! I loved this book. There are so many quiet elements to this book that had me thinking about it long after I shut the final page. At it's core, it truly is the making of a family. I loved reading about Emily's journey to the family she's always wanted and felt like she'd been missing. I adored her relationship with her grandfather. I loved that she was imperfect and had flaws and struggled to figure out what she wanted in life. I loved that it was about family. This book was a slow delve in Emily's life and being in her head and living her story was a fantastic journey. It's one of those beautiful books that doesn't shout at you to listen, it sits back and lets you absorb it's message slowly and long after the final page is turned. I was thinking about this book and certain moments from it for days after reading it. If you're looking for a story about family that takes a roundabout way to get there but is beautiful in its quiet moments...this book is for you. 

Not Your Typical Rockstar

I'm not gonna lie. For the longest time I really had no interest in this series. I am very anti-celebrity, royalty, anything having to do with being famous. I don't like reading about. I don't care. I don't like the theme of 'he's a prince or he's a famous actor what's he doing with me' because it's all bullshit to me. Nobody is better than anybody else and because of my opinion on that, I stay away from royalty and celebrity-based romances. HOWEVER. If something comes highly recommended enough by a very trusted friend, I'll usually at least give it a college try. When I saw these on my library's Overdrive for audio, I thought I'd give it a try...and I am so glad I did!

Mug Life {6}

While I've got my blog motivation going, might as well do an updated yet throwback Mug Life! I took this picture in Seattle and ironically it has all--mostly--of the elements I needed for it so why not! Let's do a travel version of Mug Life, switch it up a bit AND combine it with a review of the book pictured...you can kind of see it...sorry *shrugs*

My Current Read // Not the best picture but what I WAS reading IN BED WITH THE BEAST by Tara Sivec and LOVING IT!! It's the second book in the Naughty Princess Club series. I was so excited for this book because--duh--Beauty and the Beast, pease note my book sleeve. I thought this book was clever and smart and I loved Belle and the 'beast.' I loved that she was shy and unsure of herself and really came into her own. Beast was patient and kind and so thoughtful. I loved the twists and nods to the original fairy tale in the first book and this book also was SO clever in it's delivery. Her bad dates and parallels to the inanimate objects from the story were just too, too good. The friendship between Belle, Cindy, and Ariel was incredible. They are so honest and real yet supportive of each other in the perfect balance. I CANNOT WAIT for Ariel's book because she is so crass and in your face, I cannot wait to see her vulnerable and fall in love *sigh*.

Underneath the Mug // I took this in the moment while at a cafe recommended by Wendy! So it's not a mug per say but I was really enjoying my morning coffee at an adorable cafe in Seattle!

Get Nailed // Essie's Mint Apple Candy was perfect for Spring! I'm not a huge fan of spring colors but I've been definitely vibe'ing with some pastels lately!

Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere // Travel By Page to the West End

"I wouldn't have to lose my temper if people weren't such morons."
--Lucy Parker, Act Like It

My Thoughts
The Belle
When Hannah started telling me about a book she read on the plane home and how great it was, I was intrigued. Then she mentioned it 1. takes place in London 2. is low on drama and high on hilarity and 3. focuses on people in the West End theater scene, I was sold! And I am so incredibly happy with my decision to impulse buy these books and read them immediately. They were the perfect balm to my soul after leaving the UK (and battling a bout of the stomach flu).

5 Reasons You Should Read Pillars of the Earth

A few weeks ago, I found myself in a state that no book person ever expects to find themselves...my TBR was 0. I had a few 'keep in the back of your head' books I could have picked up but one book had been haunting my Kindle for the last 3 or so years...Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Why has it been haunting my Kindle, you ask? Because its approximately a thousand pages and quite the undertaking. But...I had no other books to read and was in the mood to commit to a thousand page tome of historical fiction. The results? Better than I could have ever imagined.

Keeping It Interesting

My Thoughts

The Belle
Sophie Kinsella has slowly but surely become one of my go-to authors for fun and light-hearted but not superficial read. Her stories have lovely themes, fantastic heroines, and more than enough humor to go around. Her newest book Surprise Me fit this bill.

Rising Above

My Thoughts
The Belle
While I haven't reviewed every Kristan Higgins book I've read, I have a good reason. I binge read her entire backlist of SIXTEEN BOOKS within about 5 weeks...closer to 4 if I'm being honest with an outlier or two as I was waiting to read them because towards the end I needed to cherish them. When I saw her newest book was coming out soon, I requested it and was blessed with it's presence on my doorstep a few weeks later. Spoiler Alert: It did not disappoint.

What a Gal!

"Hey, how about me?"

--Susan Isaacs, Shining Through

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Publisher: Harper & Row

Pages: 402

Publication Date: July 1st, 1988

Source: Borrowed from Library

Find on: Goodreads 

My Thoughts

The Belle After reading and loving The Alice Network, there is a 'For Further Reading' section at the end. Of course, I looked up each book and Shining Through stuck out to me immediately. An American Jewish woman in love with her boss in 1940 finds herself traversing through a series of dramatic life events that eventually brings her to 1942 Berlin...as a spy. How does she get there? Well, you'll definitely have to read the book to find out.

Love Gives You Wings

"Easy answer...You."

--Tiffany Reisz, Michael's Wings

My Thoughts

The Belle
It's no secret that Michael has a huge place in my heart since meeting him in The Angel. His vulnerability and sensitive soul won me over immediately. In this new novella, we get to see so much more of Michael and the man he has become.

The Past is Never Forgotten

"I'm stronger by myself. I'm stronger than you know."

--Victoria Fox, The Silent Foutain

Genre: Adult Contemporary and Historical Ficiton

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Pages: 400

Publication Date: October 31st, 2017

Source: ARC provided by publisher

Find on: Goodreads | Amazon

My Thoughts

The Silent Fountain was pitched to me because of my love for Susanna Kearsley, so of course I was all over it. Dual timeline. Mystery. Foreign setting. I was sold.

Welcome to Gideon's Cove

You might have seen on my Mug Life recently that I fell into a Kristan Higgins rabbit hole and it was everything I didn't know I needed and more. I decided to do a fun and different kind of series review. What I loved about this series--and there was a lot--was that each book felt distinctly different. A lot of times when I read a series in a binge the details become blurry or I confuse the heroines or heroes because they're so similar but this is not the case with Gideon's Cove--or Blue Heron but stay tuned for that. SO. Here's a fun breakdown on which book to start with if you're feeling sassy and don't want to start with the first or if you're just looking for a quick breakdown of what makes each book unique.

Rich With the Spoils of Time

Something Dangerous // Into Temptation

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 736 // 675

Source: Gifted by Hannah--thanks, love!
Publisher : Overlook Press

Goodreads