There are a lot of lessons we learn the hard way in our youth. but what if we got a second chance to change things?
Seventeen-year-old Amber rides home on her bicycle one day, but when her family sees her, they’re terrified. Amber was killed in a hit and run seven years before. But somehow, she’s there. Alive?
Between the mystery of her spontaneous reappearance is a story about losing faith, finding faith, forgiveness, family, and priorities. It’s about enduring love. It’s about making mistakes and learning from them.
Death has a way of instantly reprioritizing your life – especially, as it happens in this book, when it is your own. Families break apart. Other relationships strengthen. Our lives are constantly evolving, and it isn’t always until we’re not part of something anymore that we realize how much.
I really enjoyed this poignant young adult story that demonstrates that mistakes don’t make or break our lives. It’s a good message.
I was lucky to receive a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts are mine.
Details
Title:: After Life Author:: Gayle Forman Genre:: YA Contemporary Publisher:: Quill Tree Books Length::272 pages Audio Length::6h 36m Audiobook Narrator:: Gail Shalan, Jade Wheeler, & Andrew J. Andersen Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio Published:: January 7th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
You like reading about life post-apocalypse? How about a double apocalypse?
Nonie is born after the end of the world as we know it. Weather patterns have changed, and the water levels have risen. Which has led, apparently, to the downfall of civilization. Her parents decided to stay in New York City (somehow there were flood gates installed…all around Manhattan, to keep it mostly unflooded?), and they lived and worked at the American Museum of Natural History (what they would come to call the Amen) to preserve human knowledge during this time of reckoning. But then a hypercane comes and destroys what very little was left of the museum, and the survivors must try to get out of the city to (relative) safety.
This one takes a big suspension of disbelief, and to be honest, I wasn’t quite there. Hypercanes are a theoretical caliber of storm – you can look them up – and from what I’ve read, it doesn’t really seem to fit into the narrative the author weaves here. The fallout of a storm like that would be far more widespread than she seemed to account for. Already I was stretched thin being asked to believe rising sea levels would have destroyed all civil and federal order (I guess the spread of disease was also a big factor, but still), and this theoretical storm was a little too much for me. I literally don’t believe a world like this is possible the way it is implied (but I get it is fun to imagine). There would obviously be issues around the modern coastline but…um, there’s a lot more world out there than that (seriously though, there are more museums in the world, why didn’t they just move inland)? Not to mention it’s essentially impossible for ALL the ice to melt. I feel like readers have a high probability of misunderstanding the real world because of this book, and I don’t like that.
However, it is full of little philosophical snapshots and provokes deeper thinking about human concepts, which I could appreciate. Nonie’s parents were intellectuals and had dedicated their entire lives to preserving as much history and human knowledge as they could. They sacrificed the chance at an easier life to this end and were raising their girls to carry forward as much knowledge as possible, too. Once they leave the Amen, there are the studies of base human nature in the encounters they have with others, which, really, is why we love reading post-apocalyptic fiction, right? We see humanity in its rawest form. On the positive end of the spectrum, our ability to bond to one another and cooperate, and on the other, what a thin line stands between civilization and becoming wild again.
In many ways it reminded me of Margaret Atwood’s MaddAdam trilogy (which is wonderful), I just wish it had stronger legs to stand on so I could better immerse myself.
I was provided an advanced copy of this audiobook through the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Details
Title:: All the Water in the World Author:: Eiren Caffall Genre:: Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Publisher:: St. Martin’s Press Length::304 pages Audio Length::8h 42m Audiobook Narrator:: Eunice Wong Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio Published:: January 7th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars
The Lodge by Kayla Olson is a romantic wintertime escape. Set in a Vermont ski resort, it hits the spot for your cozy romance itch in the dark days of winter.
Alix Morgan is an entertainment writer who just landed the gig of a lifetime: ghostwriting the memoir of Sebastian Green, one of the front men of the boy band called True North. The band was once the most popular in the world, but ultimately broke up after one of the members disappeared. Needing some space from her roommate to focus on her tight deadline, the publisher (via Sebastian himself) puts Alix up at a posh Vermont resort. She’s having trouble communicating with Sebastian, and her next-door neighbor offers her ski lessons, so in between days of intense work, Alix strikes up an unlikely friendship with him. It doesn’t take long for it to turn into more, but both of them have secrets, and it’s only a matter of time before they come to light and change everything.
The best part of this book was the falling. Ooo, the sparks between Alix and Tyler (the ski instructor) were red hot and plentiful. I felt like their connection was authentic and romantic and all the things you want from a romance novel.
I struggled a little bit with the cheesiness of the plot. I think it’s inherent a lot of times in a celebrity romance. It was well crafted as far as character backstories and everything fitting together well in a puzzle sense for an impactful climax, but for me it’s hard to escape the fan fiction vibe in this genre. I think I’ve only read one celebrity romance that didn’t give me that aftertaste (When in Rome by Sarah Adams), but if celebrity romance is your thing, I think you’ll love this one.
Note:: I received this title from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Details
Title:: The Lodge Author:: Kayla Olson Genre:: Romance Publisher:: Atria Books Length::352 pages Audio Length::9h Audiobook Narrator:: Andi Arndt, Graham Halstead & Gilli Messer Audiobook Publisher:: Simon & Schuster Audio Published:: January 7th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars
Do you believe in life after love? Specifically, once your (ex)husband of more than a decade turns out to be sleeping with someone who pretended to be your friend…the whole time? Or maybe after the woman you’ve been seeing more than two years dumps you after your first couple’s counseling session and starts dating your brother three months later? Meet the two heroes of Yours Truly, the second installment of the Part of Your World series by Abby Jimenez.
Jacob is starting a new job at the hospital as an ER doctor where Briana Ortiz is the frontrunner for the director position. He has high anxiety, especially social anxiety, and he’s not the best with making friends. No one at the new hospital likes him. He’s the odd man out, and Briana is convinced that he’s come for the job she wants. When he stumbles into the supply closet where Briana is sobbing after another ER visit from her brother (who has failing kidneys), something changes between them. In order to apologize for the incident that got them off on the wrong foot, Jacob decides to write her a letter, knowing it will be much easier to communicate clearly that way for him. A new friendship is born. Letters turn into texting which turn into phone calls which turn into a friendship which quickly morphs into a fake dating situation Jacob accidentally created trying to reassure his family he’s fine about his ex and his brother now announcing their engagement!
I have to say, Abby Jimenez is great at crafting characters that fundamentally fit together. It’s no question that Briana and Jacob belong together and will be very happy together forevermore. In this case, Jacob’s family has direct experience not only with medical issues like her brother’s, but specifically a kidney transplant, so he knows intimately how she must be feeling at this difficult time of her life. And her brother grew up with a lot of anxiety, so she knows how much of an effect it has on Jacob’s every.single.day life. He is quiet, but his family is loud and extroverted, like Briana. Vice versa, Briana is extroverted and overtly friendly (if not vengeful), and her brother is more reserved. They’re both doctors. They’re both pet owners and outdoorsy. It doesn’t get more synchronous than that!
Their love story is sweet and convincing and swoon-worthy.
However…
I didn’t like that Jacob was involved with Briana’s brother’s kidney donation. It really gave me the ick early because it felt like this was something that was going to taint whatever chance at a genuine relationship they might develop. There’s no way around how much complication that adds to the situation. It really caused me a lot of stress as I read, thinking it would ruin the book for me if it was used as a point of drama later in the book. (SPOILER:: All said and done, it ended up fine, mostly because she found out immediately what was happening.)
I also started to feel by the end of this book that the author was telling us far too much about how the characters were feeling. She does a great job already of crafting situations that exhibit and justify the complexity and depth of their feelings, so I felt like the constant “I loved this”‘s were unnecessary as often as they were used. Sometimes, supporting character voice? Okay. Constantly? Please give me some credit as a reader that I can figure out what’s going on here.
Also the final complications between the two of them before the H(appliy)E(ver)A(fter) soured things a little bit. All 100% understandable, but still.
Sigh.
All in all, I couldn’t quite give it five stars.
I’m looking forward to reading the third book in this series finally. I’ve heard nothing but great things about Just for the Summer. I’m hoping for a Part of Your World level romance epic, but gosh, that’ll be hard to beat!
Details
Title:: Yours Truly (Part of Your World #2) Author:: Abby Jimenez Genre:: Contemporary Romance Publisher:: Forever Length::416 pages Audio Length::11h 23m Audiobook Narrator:: Kyla Garcia, Zachary Webber Audiobook Publisher:: Forever Published:: April 11th, 2023 The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars Spice Rating:: 2
So, like, romantic suspense is a thing?! If this book is good representation of that, this might be my new favorite genre! Oh my gosh, the mystery, the danger, the intrigue! I was hooked in early on and I was happy to let it reel me all the way in.
When Ridley’s sister disappeared, she started living double. She had to experience the world twice as much, in honor of the life her sister didn’t get to live. She lives life out of the back of her van, traveling the country recording true crime podcasts. She’s good at her job because she can empathize with the grieving family’s and has a bone-deep interest in finding sickos and getting justice for their crimes.
Of course she has been researching the disappearance of her own sister, and she believes it wasn’t just an isolated incident. Her next project is investigating the failed kidnapping of a woman Ridley believes was her sister’s killer’s first victim. When she rolls into town, she finds the victim’s brother is a sheriff, and overprotective at that, which won’t make things easy for her.
First of all, the construction. When an author crafts her characters to fundamentally fit, and then throws in a dramatic question that not only justifies but also inherently creates conflict for story between them, it’s like friggin magic, and Cowles has done it in All the Missing Pieces.
Come on! A crime podcaster and a cop? Both with family members who were victims of the same type of crime? Their goals don’t only align, they’re exactly the same, but there’s so much room for tension and conflict and that’s👏🏼what👏🏼we👏🏼live👏🏼for👏🏼
It’s spicy too, did I mention? *blushes*
We’ve got an active investigation, plenty of suspects, old secrets resurfacing, hot bods, sexual tension, and sparks a-flying. There is real danger, protective instincts, and cute animal sidekicks with quirks that make you go aww. Seriously, I loved every word, and I can’t wait to read more exactly like this. Everyone drop me some recs!
I am so grateful I got to listen to an advanced copy of this title through the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.
Details
Title:: All the Missing Pieces (Shady Cove #1) Author:: Catherine Cowles Genre:: Romantic Suspense Publisher:: Sourcebooks Casablanca Length::384 pages Audio Length::10h 50m Audiobook Narrator:: Andi Arndt, Sebastian York Audiobook Publisher:: Dreamscape Media Published:: January 7th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars Spice Rating:: 3
We all have secrets. This is the story of a twin trying to discover the secrets her brother was keeping, which may have led to his unexpected and untimely death. But all she has is what was left behind, and it tells a broken story.
Johnny was an odd duck – dark and mysterious, even to his twin sister, James. Between them was some kind of supernatural connection twins tend to have. But James felt something even more than that in times of great distress. Like she was in both bodies at once, somehow. It is how she explains the crystal clear sensation she got of the bullet that killed him hitting her own chest. And she still has that preternatural feeling. It won’t go away, even though he’s gone, and James is certain he’s trying to tell her something from beyond the grave.
As a mystery, this works really well. There’s a clear objective, there are lots of compelling clues, and a cast that supports the story well. I was hooked. But the little *sparkle* I love about every Adrienne Young book I’ve read so far are her complicated romance plotlines, and this one did not disappoint.
Now, in no way is this a romance novel – this is firmly mystery territory. But there’s this guy, right? And despite their messy history, he’s there and ready to help her figure out what the hell happened to Johnny.
It’s a simple story really, but the writing is skillful and compelling. Another mark of an Adrienne Young story is some kind of magical realism element. With June Farrow it was a foundation of the story and integral to the plotline the whole way through, with Spells for Forgetting it was a little more understated, but still foundational, but with Unspoken, it’s in the little details. The twin feeling. Their pet Smoke. Maybe even the forest itself.
I really enjoyed this book, and I’m honored I was chosen by the publisher and netgalley to receive a free download of the story in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’m sure this isn’t the only time I’ll be visiting this one!
Details
Title:: A Sea of Unspoken Things Author:: Adrienne Young Genre:: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Publisher:: Delacorte Press | Random House Ballantine Length::288 pages Audio Length::9h 16m Audiobook Narrator:: Christine Lakin Audiobook Publisher:: Random House Audio Published:: January 7th, 2024 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Oh, this is a good one. You want a yummy, rivals-to-lovers modern romance that’ll take your breath away? Grab Not in My Book, a phenomenal debut by Katie Holt, and thank me later.
Rosie and Aiden have been in the same NYU writing workshop for the past two years. He writes lit fic, she writes romance. And they got off on the wrong foot. They both take enormous pleasure in critiquing each other’s work to within an inch of its life, until it comes to a breaking point and they’re forced to write something together or get kicked out of the class.
They’re marketing this book with a comp for Beach Read, my favorite Emily Henry book, and I have to say…I see that. It’s Gus and January: the college years. The romance, once it gets popping, is electric, and it gets spicy as hell. It isn’t a fast thing though. I wouldn’t exactly call it a slow burn, but she makes us wait for the good stuff, and I loved every minute of it!
This book has a story within a story, with excerpts of the book the two characters are tasked with writing between all the chapters. At first I didn’t think it added much to the experience, but by the middle I was eating those up too.
Both Rosie and Aiden are great characters. They have depth and history and goals and desires…I really found myself caring about them early on, and I love how their story ended *swoon*. Rosie had quite a big group of friends, and I wonder if this will turn into a stand-alone style series.
I am so thankful to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to review this one. It was a pleasure!
Details
Title:: Not in My Book Author:: Katie Holt Genre:: Contemporary Romance Publisher:: Alcove Press Length::320 pages Audio Length::11h 30m Audiobook Narrator:: Frankie Corzo Audiobook Publisher:: Recorded Books Published:: December 10th, 2024 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars Spice Rating:: 4
There are good contemporary romance novels, and then there are novels like this one that blow the rest of them out of the water. This is the only Abby Jimenez title I’ve read so far, but it is clear that she is on a level with Emily Henry and Katherine Center (the two queens, as far as I’m concerned).
This book finds Alexis stranded in a tiny town on her way home from a family funeral. There she meets a helpful (and handsome) stranger who helps her, and they spend an unexpected night of bliss together. She’s in the middle of the fallout of a messy breakup at home, and she’s not in a good place to start anything new, especially not with the small town bumpkin she has fireworks with. She is a Montgomery, and an heir to their ultra-posh reputation of medical patrons in her big city hospital. She can’t abandon that. She and Daniel have no future. She knows this, he knows this, but she keeps showing up in town every spare moment she has.
Oh, the well-structured drama! Every single complication in this book is justified and used to the greatest dramatic degree. This book had me gripped from chapter one and it was an emotional roller coaster from there. If you’re looking for a book to really get swept up in, this is the one I would recommend.
I think a part of why it works so well is that Alexis and Daniel are kind of the same. They both have these extensive family histories they are tied to, and though Daniel isn’t as concerned with leaving his behind, Alexis can’t ask him to do it since she knows what it means.
The romance in this book is hot and steamy and sizzling and what’s another word for hot? Sexy. And magnetic. The pull between these two is undeniable and heartbreaking and hopeful and lovely.
Did I mention the audiobook is narrated by another queen – Julia Whelan? Yeah. Just, yeah.
As an aspiring writer myself, this book is awe-inspiring. I can only hope to write a book so immaculately structured myself someday. Incredible, Abby. I can’t wait to read more!
Details
Title:: Part of Your World Author:: Abby Jimenez Genre:: Contemporary Romance Publisher:: Forever Length::389 pages Audio Length::10h 5m Audiobook Narrator:: Julia Whelan & Zachary Webber Audiobook Publisher:: Forever Published:: April 19th, 2022 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars Spice Rating:: 3
Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis has all the ingredients for a real romance banger. Second-chance romance, enemies-to-lovers, (kind of) forbidden romance, mystery, drama, accidents, freakish storms that move in to leave the characters stranded…the pages are jam packed with tropey delight, but it doesn’t feel all that tropey. It feels like a beautiful story of real heartbreak and crisis and healing and falling in love, even when you don’t mean to.
The only home Olive ever really knew was with the Turner family. Her own parents were flaky at best, and she found real connection with her best friend Katie, and even her twin brother Noah. But after a tragic accident after graduation, Olive fled her hometown in a rush of shame and guilt. Now years later, her best friend needs her. Her husband was in a terrible accident that’s left him in a coma. Despite wanting to keep as far away from Noah as possible, she returns home and naturally, runs into him constantly.
This story really drew me in from the beginning with such a complex and intriguing backstory between all of the characters that had be turning pages for more. Turns out Olive and Noah had a little bit of history back in the day, and the sparks are still smoldering! The two main characters are MFEO (made for each other). Their conflicts complement one another and their traumas can really only be healed by each other, too.
It’s not only a romance, but a novel of self-discovery. Olive has a complicated history with her own parents, and it turns out they’re actually missing, which adds an interesting plot element to all the sparks trying to ignite all over the place. There are some deep themes that tug at your heart strings and keep your mind turning over them long after you finish reading.
Jill Shalvis is a new author for me, but it looks like she’s quite prolific! I’m really looking forward to reading more of her work, because this one was a major win for me!
Note:: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher & netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
Listen up people, I’ve found some essential holiday romance reading here for you. Emergency Contact is a hilarious holiday rom-com second chance romance with a planes-trains-and-automobiles style plot you won’t want to miss.
Katherine is thisclose to having everything she’s been working for since her father died on Christmas ten years ago – making partner at her law firm. She’s sacrificed everything for it: friendships, vacations, even her marriage. The call should be coming any minute now…when she gets into a car crash in a cab outside of her office. Unfortunately, she never updated her emergency contact information, so who do they call but Tom, the ex-husband, who happens to be on his way to the airport to spend Christmas with his family in Chicago – and to pop the question on Christmas Eve to his perky new girlfriend. Katie has no one else to help her change her bandages and make sure she’s following concussion protocol (interrupt her sleep, etc.) for the following 48 hours, so despite their ill feelings for one another, he decides to drag her along to family Christmas in Chicago. Their trip is doomed, however, and they have one problem after another on their race to get there before midnight on Christmas Eve. Through every setback, as annoying and just typical as they each are to each other, they start to unpack the issues that drove them apart and leave them both wondering if the new path they’re on is the one they really want.
Oh my gosh, this is the perfect holiday romance. Katherine is a self-described grinch, while Tom enjoys the holidays, usually with his big family in their idyllic house in Chicago every year. They’re largely opposites, but they can’t hide that innate attraction. They split up because Katherine was far too obsessed with work, trying to make partner in order to accomplish the dream her father had for her. Tom felt invisible, even though he understood that she was chasing so hard for the father she lost to cancer before they ever met. He had a life plan. He wanted kids, the house in the suburbs…he had a spreadsheet, and Katie was no longer on it. But when he sees her there in the hospital bed, with no one to call and acting like her usual aggravating self, he can’t just walk away.
These two bicker with the best of them. They’re snarky and rude, and they each give as good as they get. And despite their outward hostilities, there are little moments where they are able to really communicate, and several signs from the universe that maybe the future they’re supposed to have is right in front of them.
Obviously this one got me right in the feels. I loved it. I can’t remember ever enjoying a holiday romance as much as I did this one. It was both a romance and a non-stop adventure (what could possibly happen next?!). The rapport the characters had with one another was loaded from the beginning, and believe me, they didn’t just fall together immediately. Every inch was earned.
The whole story was done well. Were parts of it a little cheesy? Of course, but that’s part of its charm. Also there’s no sex, which makes it inclusive for just about every reader.
If you need a little more holiday spirit in your TBR, add Emergency Contact. It’ll leave a smile on your face others might just mistake for holiday cheer.
Cheers!
Details
Title:: Emergency Contact Author:: Lauren Layne & Anthony LeDonne Genre:: Holiday Romance Publisher:: Blackstone Publishing Length::250 pages Audio Length::7h 27m Audiobook Narrator:: Tim Paige & Brianna Cohen Audiobook Publisher:: Blackstone Publishing Published:: October 24th, 2023 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
