Book Review Archives - Page 17 of 28

Book Review:: Exes & O’s | Amy Lea

What if your next great love was one you already had? What a question. Timing is everything, after all. Then again, maybe fixating on your past can leave you blinded to what is right in front of you.

Tara needs a date for the Valentine’s Day event she’s attending, and her grandmother has convinced her to look to her past to find one. Explore the ghosts of romance past and reconnect with her exes to see if there is any lingering spark there. Her very own second chance romance. She launches a whole project on her bookish social media, typecasting her exes into tropes and reaching out to them to see if there is any lingering potential there. Her new roommate Trevor is as invested in the project as anyone, helping to coach her through the dates, giving her tips to avoid scaring them off too early (given that she’s often called “crazy” or “too much”).

It’s a high concept novel, in a way. The project is a gimmick, exposing all of Tara’s sometimes still-tender wounds and insecurities. This of course is perfect territory for real feelings to catch between her and Trevor, the one who’s always there for support when she’s continually disappointed.

It’s a successful trope for a reason, the trusty forced proximity roommate romance. They’re there to see all the high-highs and low-lows. The vulnerabilities and the celebrations. Real life. If they’re still interested after all that? They’re a keeper for sure.

The concept of a woman being ‘too much’ or ‘crazy’ I think is well placed here. It’s clear that it isn’t a her problem, it’s a them problem, and though she does learn some lessons along the way (confidence in herself being the big one), she is ultimately accepted by those she cares about for being her own dang self.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, lighthearted, Valentine’s-Day-season winner. If you’re looking for something fun to cheer you up this time of year, or to just get you in the mood for good ol’ V-Day, this one is a great choice.

Details

Title:: Exes & O’s (The Influencer #2)
Author:: Amy Lea
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 37m
Audiobook Narrator:: Natalie Naudus
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: January 10th, 2023
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 2.5

If you liked this book, check out…

Funny Story | Emily Henry
Is She Really Going Out With Him? | Sophie Cousens
The Right Move | Liz Tomforde

Book Review:: Yin Yang Love Song | Lauren Kung Jessen

Love. Why is it so many are in pursuit of a thing that can cause so much pain? Heartache is a real thing, with real, physical, symptoms. Is it ever worth it?

Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen Book Cover

Chryssy has dedicated her life to healing with an eastern, Chinese medicine, approach. She and her auntie’s run a retreat center to help the lovesick heal their broken hearts. She has plenty of experience with them. Her whole family does, in fact, because the women of her family are cursed. Not a one of them has had a successful long-term relationship because one of their ancestors cursed them. She’s come to accept it. So when a celebrity cellist comes along asking to strike up a deal for a publicity-relationship, she doesn’t see any reason not to. When she starts catching feelings though…she’s convinced they’re doomed for heartache all over again.

This book has a lot of really cozy elements. Chryssy essentially makes people cups of custom tea for a living, after all. She listens well to people, hears between the lines what they may need, and prepares for them something to help. Reading about that process was very calming.

The structure was quite good as well: having Vin’s brother be in need of Chryssy’s family’s services was an organic in for the fake dating element. For me, that trope is over-tired, but for this book it didn’t make me roll my eyes, at least. There was enough meat in the plot to keep things interesting.

That being said, I was hoping for a little more steam in the romance. I liked both Vin and Chryssy, and while there were some sweet moments, I was left wanting a little bit more. I was missing the fireworks. The pop and sizzle of real, deep chemistry.

Luckily there was more to this book than just the romance. I really enjoyed learning about Chryssy’s business and her knowledge of Chinese medicine. Her auntie’s added some layered interest to the story. The B-Plot of the family curse didn’t do a lot for me outside of it being the vehicle for Chryssy to do some soul-searching and self-examination of her own beliefs brought on by the curse-myth upheld by her family. I found this novel to be just as much about personal growth as it was about finding love.

I was granted an early listening copy of the title from netgalley and the publisher, and I really enjoyed the audio narration. I recommend it if you’re able to get your hands on it.

Details

Title:: Yin Yang Love Song
Author:: Lauren Kung Jessen
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Forever
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 3m
Audiobook Narrator:: Eunice Wong & Eric Yang
Audiobook Publisher:: Forever
Published:: January 28th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

DNA Duology | Christina Lauren
Sunshine & Spice | Aurora Palit
Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour | Nora Nguyen

Book Review:: Finlay Donovan Knocks ’em Dead | Elle Cosimano

Fanning the flames immediately from the bombshell revelation at the conclusion of book one, Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is another whirlwind of accidental shenanigans and intertwining mysteries that is hard to not get swept up in.

If you haven’t read book one yet, start there. You’ll want to read this series in order, and the most basic plot elements of this book might be considered spoiler-y. You’ve been warned! 🙂

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead Elle Cosimano Book Cover

The online women’s forum post about Steven has a reply, and it wasn’t from Finlay. Someone is out to get him, and though Finlay isn’t his biggest fan after everything they’ve been through, he is the father of her children, and she can’t just sit idly by while someone is out trying to off him. She and Vero are on the case, researching who is behind the post, and who this other assassin is who responded that they’ve accepted the job. Things are complicated as usual as she explores her unsustainable relationship with the law student, and meanwhile Nick the detective reliably turns up to rachet up the stakes every time.

This series is so much fun, and this one continues the raucous, complicated, and somehow never dull party. Any one of the antics Finlay gets herself tied up in would give me an actual heart attack, but somehow she manages everything by the skin of her teeth. (Maybe her eventual tell-all autobiography should be called Somehow I Manage instead of Michael Scott, lol).

Some of my favorite characters of the series start blooming in this book. The kid-hacker, Cam, in all his nerdy-flavored rizz, and especially Nick. That man is wonderful and Finlay doesn’t deserve him, but I’ll keep reading every damn word because I’m convinced the two of them are going to happen for realskies one day.

The little capsule universe Cosimano creates with this series is so endearing. This is my second read through (in preparation for the new release in 2025) and the characters feel so familiar in the best way. It’s like watching a bingeable contemporary crime series on Netflix (Santa Clarita Diet), Hulu (Only Murders in the Building), or Peacock (Based on a True Story) – easy to read, and constantly entertaining. It has all the ingredients for mass appeal, and from the looks of things, it’s absolutely succeeding that way.

Angela Dawe, the narrator of this series on audiobook is phenomenal at capturing the tone of Finlay’s story. I absolutely recommend!

Details

Title:: Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead (Finlay Donovan #2)
Author:: Elle Cosimano
Genre:: Contemporary Murder Mystery
Publisher:: Minotaur Books
Length:: 357 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 20m
Audiobook Narrator:: Angela Dawe
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: February 1st, 2022
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Finlay Donovan is Killing It | Elle Cosimano (Book One in Series)
How to Solve Your Own Murder | Kristen Perrin
The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins

Book Review:: Unloved | Peyton Corinne

If you were a big fan of Icebreaker, Unloved is another college hockey romance with spice, heart, and finding your place you that will scratch that same itch.

Matt Fedderic is a hockey star with learning disorders that make it difficult for him to stay eligible for the team. Ro is his new tutor. She has a toxic ex who builds himself up by bringing her down, and though he doesn’t want to date her, he doesn’t want to be rid of her either, since she’s an easy punching bag. Matt has a reputation for getting around, fueled by the gaping hole left by his piece of crap father and his mother’s passing. As Matt and Ro spend more time together, a friendship forms between them, and maybe even something deeper.

For me, this was an enjoyable read, but there were some problems. The fact that most of their early tension and attraction was caused by two different nights they had together that the other couldn’t remember and was formative to the other…that just seemed problematic to me. Especially the prologue – since there is another scene based on that plot device a little later on, I kind of wish it hadn’t been included.

There is some pretty dark stuff insinuated in this book. Matt’s sexual past is…not great. It mentions some action with a high school teacher at one point. …um, what? And then his most recent ex is nothing but bad news as well. And Ro’s ex had zero redeeming qualities or background to back up his actions toward her.

I don’t know. A lot of it was a little too much for me. If there were a volume dial on the drama scale I might have turned it down like two notches.

The relationship between Ro & Matt was sweet though. Having them prioritize friendship between them for so long was absolutely necessary for these two and absolutely refreshing. It was clear they weren’t just horny for one another, but that they really cared about the other in much deeper ways. They are both going through some rough stuff, and they show up for each other every time it counts. That’s the kind of stuff I love in a romance.

Unloved is really what I’m finding to be a ‘typical’ college sports romance novel. It’s long, there are lots of plotlines, family traumas, lessons to be learned, steamy scenes, and a nice happy ending at the end. For me, it felt like I’d read it before honestly. There wasn’t enough there to stand out, but I read A LOT of romance. But this is exactly what you might be looking for if you were a big fan of Icebreaker by Hannah Grace.

Details

Title:: Unloved (The Undone #2)
Author:: Peyton Corinne
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 464 pages
Audio Length:: 14h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Audiobook Publisher:: Simon & Schuster Audio
Published:: February 4th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3

If you liked this book, check out…

The Graham Effect | Elle Kennedy
The Cheat Sheet/The Rule Book | Sarah Adams
Catch & Keep | Erin Hahn

Book Review:: The House in the Pines | Ana Reyes

One summer can alter the course of everything. One new friend. One lost story. One betrayal. One house in the pines.

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes Book Cover

Maya is convinced the strange boy keeping her company over her last summer before college killed her best friend Aubrey during a disagreement. The only problem is, he never touched her. Maya knows this because she watched it happen. He and Aubrey were talking, then she fell over. Dead.

Seven years later, she sees a viral video online of the same boy in the very same scenario. Another girl, dead. Not a finger laid upon her.

It can’t be a coincidence.

But ever since that summer, with her insistent conviction of his guilt, she’s been repeatedly told she is mentally ill. Delusional. Crazy. She’s even been medicated. And now, having quit her medication cold turkey, she travels back to find out the truth and get justice for Aubrey and all the other women he might have hurt.

I was surprised to see the Goodreads rating so low on this book. At the time, it was 3.10, which is one of the lowest I’ve seen on a book I’ve actually read. There were no major dealbreaker type flaws in my view. In fact, I was quite captivated.

This checked all the boxes of a psychological thriller. The possibly untrustworthy narrator, a strange and compelling mystery to solve, a setting that toes the incredibly thin line of being either idyllic or incredibly creepy, a suspect that could as easily be a murderer or completely innocent and misunderstood…

The narrative is sprinkled with flashbacks from that pivotal past summer where everything ended up so wrong. I thought the flashbacks were handled very well and felt as compelling as the current events. It is in the past that we get to know our suspect, after all.

It all just felt very well crafted to me. The details kept me doubting my own theories, and while there were plenty of clues to the truth that was ultimately revealed, I was never sure until quite late into the story.

I wasn’t as interested in the part of the story that didn’t have to do with the mystery – her current boyfriend and the conflict she felt with spending time with his parents – but it didn’t take up much time and ultimately didn’t bother me.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. If you’re looking for a compelling psychological thriller to add an extra chill to your dark winter evenings, consider this one!

Details

Title:: The House in the Pines
Author:: Ana Reyes
Genre:: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher:: Dutton
Length:: 321 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 34m
Audiobook Narrator:: Marisol Ramirez
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: January 3rd, 2023
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Reappearance of Rachel Price | Holly Jackson
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline
The Haunting of Maddy Clare | Simone St. James

The Books That Built Me | Twig, Elizabeth Orton Jones

Welcome to a new series on the blog I’m calling The Books that Built Me. I will be featuring books I’ve found formative in my life as a reader. Each post will explore one book that changed my life. I’ll share my personal history with each book and why I chose it for this series.

It’s actually a really nice exercise to think back to all the books you’ve loved before (heh, that’s not a hint, I’ve never read that series). What are the books that stand out? Which books really had a profound influence on your thinking, for however long it might have been? What was the very first book you remember loving? For me it was Twig, by Elizabeth Orton Jones.

My First Children’s Chapter Book: Twig

Twig by Elizabeth Orton Jones Book Cover

The first thing I loved about this book was the cover. Our original copy of Twig, which I still have somewhere, has a brown packaging tape spine, and a binding tape corner. It might even be from the original printing. It’s a rusty red color, and has a small illustration of the protagonist. I can see it so clearly in my mind’s eye, and it brings me such a warm feeling to recall it.

I remember laying in bed with my mom, turning to the table of contents, and seeing all the chapter names. Because all we’d read before this were story books, I erroneously thought I could pick any chapter to start with. It blew my little child’s mind that we’d have to read them in order! What if we don’t want to read some of them? What if they sound boring!

It’s a chapter book, as I mentioned, but it is also illustrated, and with the cutest little drawings! The story is about a little girl living in an apartment building. They didn’t have much, so her whole little world was her family, their neighbors, and their little yard. It was written in 1942 so there is an ice-wagon horse in the alley behind the house, and an old cat who sits on the trash can, and a family of sparrows who’ve made the apartment building their home too.

Illustration of the apartment building setting

One day, Twig finds a brightly printed empty tomato can in the yard, and she decides to build a house out of it to attract a fairy next to a robust little dandelion in the yard! She finds other things, too. A thimble, a soda bottle cap, a gum wrapper. These things turn into the furnishings. And it works! Soon a fairy comes along who is learning magic! And it grants her wish to become a fairy, too!

The illustrations are just magic. The story was so clear and bright in my mind’s eye. Twig and her fairy friend became friends with Mrs. Sparrow and even helped to hatch her eggs while she went out searching for that naughty Mr. Sparrow.

Twig sitting beside the fairy house she built, and the tiny fairy who showed up to live there!

I’ll never forget that book. I bought a second hand copy in a panic when I couldn’t find the original (they also have an ebook version you can get here), and I read it to my own children last summer. They loved it too. It’s just a perfect example to me of how books can just be magic. Sometimes they find us at the right time and implant themselves into the fabric of who we’re becoming. Twig was that for me. If it weren’t for her, who knows where I’d be?

What is the very first book you can still remember?
Share with us in the comments…

Stick around…

Here are some of my favorite books from 2024::

Book Review:: I’ll Come To You | Rebecca Kauffman

This book is my cup of tea. Like drinking a strong cup of tea at the exact right temperature, really. It warmed me up from the inside and put a contented smile on my face while I sat back in pure comfort to read. Bliss.

I'll Come to You by Rebecca Kauffman Book Cover

I’ll Come to You is a true family saga, though perhaps a little short for such a label. This novel encapsulates the space of a year for one extended family, beginning with the news of a new baby near Christmas in the mid-nineties. We hear from the mother, the father, grandparents, and siblings as they come at the recent events through their own lenses. Each of them has a history and their own troubles.

The vignettes that make up the book were each a captivating and intriguing piece of the story. Most are only a snapshot in time, perhaps lasting a few hours, but with thoughts and implications that are outside of time, existing mostly within the character’s personal history and reflections upon their own wisdom.

It is one deeply human moment after another, and I’m sad it wasn’t longer. I hope you’ll read it. I know this won’t be the last time I do.

Note:: I received an audiobook copy of this book through the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Details

Title:: I’ll Come to You
Author:: Rebecca Kauffman
Genre:: Literary Fiction
Publisher:: Counterpoint LLC
Length:: 224 pages
Audio Length:: 6h 12m
Audiobook Narrator:: Elisabeth Rodgers
Audiobook Publisher:: Recorded Books
Published:: January 7th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Most Fun We Ever Had | Claire Lombardo
Whale Fall | Elizabeth O’Connor

Book Review:: Only in Your Dreams | Ellie K. Wilde

As you may know, timing is everything from love to war, and Melody and Zac never had theirs right.

Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde Book Cover

They met in high school, growing close as Zac and Melody’s twin brother Parker were on the same football team. They both held secret crushes on one another, but in one night all hope of potential between the two of them was dashed. Now years later Melody is back in town after a breakup she’s only now realizing was a terrible and manipulative relationship in the first place, and she and Zac face each other for the first time since that night.

He never forgot about her.

This book is what I like to call candy. It’s not hyper realistic, but it is full bodied and compelling. There’s just this layer of escapism required to really sink into. It’s like some kind of bubble gum alter reality that encapsulates the story. That’s not to say there is lots of drama, just that it’s hallmark drama. If there’s an issue, it’s a big ass issue, and he’s not just longing for her, he’s framed his whole life around her. Everything is bigger, so you can’t mistake the message.

Poor Melody was in a relationship with a real douchbag. He slowly but surely tricked her into getting the ‘right’ kind of job and having only the ‘right’ type of friends, dressing in the ‘right’ kind of clothes and eating the ‘right’ kind of foods. And then he dropped her like a hot potato when he wanted to sleep with other ladies on a boys trip.

This is what lands her back in her hometown. Her brother thinks it’s a good idea to throw her directly to the wolves when he sends her on a camping trip with a handful of friends, one of them being Zac, who she hasn’t spoken to since his broken promise all those years ago.

She’s struggling to figure out what she wants to do with her life, and Zac has been pushed into a job he wasn’t ready for as a head coach for a flailing football team. She was always his good luck charm in high school, and now she’s back.

What she finds in Oakwood is a support network surrounding her, helping her to heal from the shitty things she put up with for too long from the ex-boyfriend Cooper. Only then is she able to picture her future.

I really enjoyed this book. It pulls on the romance heartstrings we love. The boys are really protective, the feelings stretch back for years, and the reconnection is fire. It wasn’t perfect for me though. The camping trip rubbed me a bit of the wrong way and it turns out it was the basis for most of the plot in the first half of the book. I couldn’t quite give it five stars for that.

Also, this book is very spicy. Not erotica territory, but I thought I’d mention it. If you’re sensitive to spice, I’d pass on this one.

Note: I received an audiobook copy of this book from the publisher though netgalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

Details

Title:: Only in Your Dreams (Oakwood Bay #1)
Author:: Ellie K. Wilde
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 432 pages
Audio Length:: 14h
Audiobook Narrator:: Teddy Hamilton & Carly Robins
Audiobook Publisher:: Simon & Schuster Audio
Published:: January 21st, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 4.5

If you liked this book, check out…

The Graham Effect | Elle Kennedy
Play Along | Liz Tomforde
Business Casual | BK Borison

Book Review:: Still Beating | Jennifer Hartmann

This is the kind of book trigger warnings are meant for. This one has some brutal stuff in it, and if you can get through the first 40-ish %, you’ll find a love story that sinks into your soul. This is dark romance. Real dark. Kidnapped, locked in a basement and perpetually violated dark. Please know what you’re getting into if you decide to read it.

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann Book Cover

Cora couldn’t stand Dean, her sister’s fiancé, who grew up with them. Constant badgering, teasing – a decade of resentment. But he still came to pick her up when she drank too much and lost her wallet. And when they were both abducted together by a psychotic madman, none of it mattered anymore. They were all each other had.

Common trauma forges strong bonds. Bonds that are sometimes hard for other people to comprehend. Bonds that cannot be erased. It changes you, fundamentally, forever.

Surviving a trauma like that derails everything – even the things you thought were the most unchangeable. Having someone who was there, who understands everything you’re processing because they are too is (maybe the worst kind of) luxury. But simply understanding isn’t enough. Healing isn’t something someone can do for you. It’s hard, it takes a long time, and no, nothing will ever be the same again, but that doesn’t mean we don’t keep on living.

This is a hard book to read. It’s horrifying, repulsive, and grotesque, at times. But it’s also a story I’ll probably never forget. The impression it leaves is a deep one, and it didn’t leave me feeling discouraged or morose, but hopeful. It’s a story of human resilience and courage. About lifting yourself up when all you feel like doing is drowning in your own grief and sorrow. It feels important. Beautiful, in its way, and I’m glad I read it.

Details

Title:: Still Beating
Author:: Jennifer Hartmann
Genre:: Dark Romance
Publisher:: Bloom Books
Length:: 448 pages
Audio Length:: 12h 7m
Audiobook Narrator:: Laurie West & Christina Black
Audiobook Publisher:: Tantor Audio
Published:: December 30th, 2020
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3

If you liked this book, check out…

Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
I Think I Was Murdered | Coleen Coble & Rick Acker
Butcher and Blackbird | Brynne Weaver

Book Review:: Where the Black Line Ends | Meagan Williamson

Where do I start with this one? I went through most of this book expecting it to fall firmly into three-star territory. But then I finished it. The last 15% had me debating five. So let’s begin with basics: is this an indie romance worth your time? Absolutely.

Where the Black Line Ends by Meagan Williamson Book Cover

Reed and Hailey are two people with complicated relationships with their parents. They meet on a plane and don’t realize they’re both going to the same place – literally. They’re both starting new jobs on the Iron Summit Fire crew, Reed as a fireman, Hailey as an EMT. It’s where her father works, and by a strange twist of fate, he’s a man Reed knows from a formative childhood camping trip. Some might say fate has brought them together 🙂

The strength of this book is in the complex character relationships. First, great characters: Reed is a golden retriever puppy, the kind who is always looking for the next exciting thing and shies away from getting scolded. He always means well, but he’s gotten very good at running away when things get hard. Hailey’s past is full of grief and rejection. She’s coming back home as a last-ditch effort to connect to the father who never knew how when she was a kid after her mother died when she was born. It’s a big web of intersecting lives weaving in and amongst one another in a very organic and skillful way. Everyone, by the end, is meaningfully connected on par with one of my favorite romances of all time, The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker. The emotional impact is undeniable.

The biggest issue for me in this book was the pacing. The beginning felt like it was stretched out far too long and further in the book there are weeks upon weeks that are glossed over. I wanted to sit in more of the conflict, I wanted longer intimate (not spicy, but intimate) scenes between characters. Without giving spoilers, I wanted to see the most emotional scenes, not just the aftermath of them. I wanted to see all the down and dirty details so I could feel it the same way as the characters. I wanted the hurts to hurt more at the time, not sinking in slowly afterwards. Skipping around like that can take a reader out of the story as they try to piece together what they missed, and that was the case for me multiple times with this book. I literally flipped back a few times to see if I missed a chapter.

Despite those flaws, it still made me cry. There were two moments that really got me, and one of them had real tears streaming down my face. The resolution really felt well executed (apart from the time jumping). The characters got the well-justified resolutions they deserved, so much so that in my heart I feel like it should be a five-star book. I just can’t go all the way there with the pacing being such a flaw for me.

Note…

Reading this book in the midst of the L.A. fires (2025) gave the story extra weight. I live in a state that struggles with wildfires anyway, but literally seeing the flames in the news every day as I read enhanced the impact of those scenes in the book. These firefighters are superheroes, and that’s not an exaggeration. They are doing God’s work.

Thank you to all who put their lives on the line every time they go out there to fight such a dangerous element so others of us can stay safe. You are loved and appreciated. Thank you, thank you.

Details

Title:: Where the Black Line Ends (Remember Me)
Author:: Meagan Williamson
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: Indie
Length:: 332 pages
Published:: October 29th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 2