Tag: USA

Book Review:: Let’s Call A Truce | Amy Buchanan

Y’all, I needed an indulgent five-star read, and Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan delivered! I absolutely loved this early 2025 release, so go don’t wait to add it to your goodreads TBR to keep it on your radar!

When Juliana returns to work after her husband unexpectedly passes away, she gets off on the wrong foot with one of the department heads at the office. She works in HR and of course has to work with him whenever his department has hiring needs, and they develop a (mostly innocent) frienemy schtick whenever they have to interact. Turns out they have a friend in common and end up at the same wedding one night, and kind of hit it off in a what-are-you-doing-here kind of way 😉 Then, at work, she and Ben are assigned to the same project and have to work together more closely than ever before. In order to be successful, they have to call a truce.

This book is such a winner. This is a complex story with real, deep conflicts that inform the decisions each character makes. I kind of love it when characters are falling hard, but don’t completely lose their heads. In this case, they both have young children and are very thoughtful about how their actions are going to affect them. The chemistry is there – it is so there – but falling in love, especially when kids are involved, is messy, and this novel really honors that.

That being said, when these two do finally indulge in their primal urges, they really go for it. There is some spice here folks, and some of it is at the office. *wipes brow nervously*

I am so grateful to St. Martin’s Griffin and netgalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of this book. The narrator, Charlotte North, did a great job with this one.

If you’re looking for a great romance to really sink into during the bleak winter weather this year, this one is a great choice!

Details

Title:: Let’s Call A Truce
Author:: Amy Buchanan
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Griffin
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 3m
Audiobook Narrator:: Charlotte North
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: January 14th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

The Slowest Burn | Sarah Chamerlain
Sunshine and Spice | Aurora Palit
Wild Love | Elsie Silver

Book Review:: The Vanishing Year | Kate Moretti

Tis the season for suspenseful, twisty books, and The Vanishing Year by Kate Moretti will certainly scratch that itch for you.

The Vanishing Year Kate Moretti Book Cover

Zoey has a pretty great life – a life she never expected. After fleeing a dark, haunting past, she didn’t know what she might make of herself, but now years later she’s the wife of a wealthy New York businessman. Since her marriage, she’s drifted away from the friendships she’d made in her new life, and her old goals – for one, discovering the identity of her birth mother. With the help of a reporter who covered a story for her charity (pasting a picture of her in the newspaper), she pulls on that thread. In the meantime, someone from her past is hungry for revenge.

If you are a sensitive thriller reader, you might want to skip this one. This one was pretty gruesome and dark. Psychopathy, human tr*fficking, drugs…it’s a lot. But there are also a lot of very compelling factors: her own hidden identity, the mystery around her birth mother, her husband’s odd behavior, the new friendship with the reporter…I think it was just balanced enough that I didn’t have to put it down. If you like dark stories…I found one!

The tension starts pretty low at the beginning, but once it starts ratcheting up, it doesn’t stop until the brutal end. It held my attention all the way through. It’s the kind of story that leaves you questioning why any and everything is being included. Is it important? Is it going to tie back in? What is happening!

Details

Title:: The Vanishing Year
Author:: Kate Moretti
Genre:: Suspense/Thriller
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 50m
Audiobook Narrator:: Mandeleine Maby
Audiobook Publisher:: Simon & Schuster Audio
Published:: September 27th, 2016
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check these out…

Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister
The Midnight Feast | Lucy Foley

Book Review:: Perfect Fit | Clare Gilmore

There’s nothing I love more than a romance novel that blows away my expectations. By the cover and description, I figured this would be a light, not-that-deep rom-com that would be entertaining while it lasted, but likely wouldn’t leave much of an impression. I probably should have known better with a cover blurb from Tarah Dewitt, but I’m happy to report I was wrong. This book has pressed itself into my memory, and will not soon be forgotten.

Perfect Fit Clare Gilmore Book Cover

Josephine is the CEO of her own fashion brand, Reventant, based in Austin, TX. For a side-gig she started as a hobby in college, it has grown into something she never expected: an online phenomenon with dozens of employees. In an effort to keep aligned with her values, she’s after a new certification which will tell customers how dedicated the brand is to quality and sustainability. To that end, Revenant is hiring a consultant to help, and the man who wants the job happens to be a ghost from her past she’s been afraid to run into in town. They did not part in high school on the best of terms, and she’s not sure she wants to open the door back up on all the hurtful feelings from the past. But he’s a skilled professional and has taken an interest in her business. A few months of working together should be tolerable, right? Especially if it pushes her company, which is everything to her, in the right direction.

So what do I love about this book? The romance felt realistic. These two didn’t fall in love over the course of a hot weekend, or a single business trip, or basically just a big firework of an event that ‘changed everything’. They build a genuine friendship. Yes, it might be colored by burning crushes on both sides, but over time and many interactions, the two of them form a genuine connection that is strong and true and flush with meaning. Not to mention Will Grant is a walking, talking green flag. Oh my gosh, the romance in this book is everything you could want. It reminded me of all my favorite summer romances that came out this year (reviews for my favorites are linked below)!

There were also deep themes of friendship woven into the fabric of the story. Josephine was best friends with Will’s sister Zoey in high school, and they had a falling out way back when. It happens. It’s happened to me. But it’s about recognizing your mistakes, realizing there are sometimes greater things playing into things that happen that can exaggerate or cause hurtful things to happen, and that it’s okay to forgive, and grow, and repair. The author balances these themes through several characters and really created a big impact for me.

This was my first Clare Gilmore book, but gosh dang it, she’s going on my watch list cause this book was something special. I was provided an arc copy from netgalley and the publisher, and what do you know, I hit pre-order as soon as I was finished! I will be reading it again, and I think you should too!

Details

Title:: Perfect Fit
Author:: Clare Gilmore
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Griffin
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 47m
Audiobook Narrator:: Katharine Leonard
Audiobook Publisher:: Recorded Books
Published:: October 29th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 2

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

The Rom-Commers | Katherine Center
Summertime Punchline | Betty Corrello
Funny Story | Emily Henry

Book Review:: Book of the Month | Jennifer Probst

What do you do when you’re out of inspiration? F*ck off to North Carolina.

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst. Typography cover with silhouettes of the characters and book stacks.

Aspen fears she is a one hit wonder when her second and third books don’t earn out their advances after her bestselling debut. She’s under a lot of pressure to Make The Next One Count, and under the advice of her agent, she takes off to spend the summer with her sister on the North Carolina coast. The problem is she wrote that bestselling book after the biggest heartbreak of her life, and she hasn’t been able to tap into that same deep well of emotion ever since. She’s convinced another devastating heartbreak is the only way to tap into her potential again. Enter Brick, the sulky hotter-than-sin man who moved to town to take over his grandfather’s dying touring business and is a known heartbreaker. Everyone advises her against it, and he isn’t interested either, until she strikes up a deal he can’t refuse.

I’m a little torn on this one, because I feel like it was executed well for what it is, but some of the premises got under my skin a little bit. The setting is idyllic and refreshing, but the gossip mongers in town make it sour. The romance between Aspen and Brick turns out to grow organically, but it’s set up under kind of a gross deal they strike up. A lot of things went a little too far over the top for me to give it a full five stars, but I would still recommend it to those who enjoy this genre.

I think my biggest gripe is actually with Aspen and her vice-grip on this idea of the suffering artist. That she can only make good art if her heart is in pieces on the floor. This belief is self-sabotaging and was frustrating to see her cling onto it for so damn long.

Once the romance got going, it was a really sweet story. These two characters had a real connection, and it was really nice to read. Their little adventures were so wholesome.

This was my first Jennifer Probst novel, but it looks like she’s quite prolific, and I’m excited to see what else she’s got on her backlist!

Note:: I received this title from netgalley & the publisher for free in exchange for a fair review.

Details

Title:: Book of the Month
Author:: Jennifer Probst
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Blue Box Press
Length:: 294 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 39m
Audiobook Narrator:: Alexander Cendese & Mia Hutchinson-Shaw
Audiobook Publisher:: Brilliance Audio
Published:: October 22nd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour | Nora Nguyen
The Slowest Burn | Sarah Chamberlain
Haunted Ever After | Jen DeLuca

Book Review:: Catch and Keep | Erin Hahn

She’s been fishing her whole life, but she’s finally ready to be caught.

This week I read a nice little palette cleanser romance, Erin Hahn’s new book Catch & Keep.

Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn Book Cover, Cute couple sitting at the end of a dock with a dog next to them. Fall foliage in the background. Illustrated.

When Maron’s boyfriend of a single year proposes in front of all her friends and family, she throws up on him and runs from California to Wisconsin, to the lake she grew up around. Her fishing mentor left her his old property (now in shambles), and she decided to tackle that project for awhile to get away from deuchetard. At the resort by the lake, Maron runs into his brother’s best friend, single-dad Josiah. Since the property is in worse shape than she thought, he lets her stay in one of the resort cabins in exchange for her running some fishing tours for their customers, a symbiotic relationship that leaves them spending quite a lot of time together.

I wonder how it ends, guys!

This is the only book I can remember…ever…wanting to give a half star rating to (on Fable, I did). I liked this book so much, except for one thing: the antagonistic characters were just too dumb (Ian and Kylie). If they would have been more realistic, I think this would have been a five-star read.

One of my favorite things about this story was how Maron fell for Jo’s kids, too. Maybe harder than she did for him. And Josiah is such a good dad. The way they fell into their relationship felt very natural and organic and I was all in for it.

The whole thing is kind of glazed in this film of escapism. It didn’t feel super realistic to me, more escapist. I think I’ve been reading too much romance! But it’s exactly what’s popular right now, for sure. It doesn’t look like this is technically part of a series, but I read the first book with characters mentioned in this one (Built to Last), and I have to say I liked this one far better. It was really nice. It’s also nice when you get an advanced readers copy of a book you already have on pre-order too 🙂

Erin Hahn, you have my thanks for this one, and I’ll certainly be keeping my eye on you!

Details

Title:: Catch and Keep
Author:: Erin Hahn
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Griffin
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 6m
Audiobook Narrator:: Zura Johnson & Michal Normal Johnson
Audiobook Publisher:: Spotify Audiobooks
Published:: October 15th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4.5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3 (a few explicit scenes)

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

The Slowest Burn | Sarah Chamberlain
Wild Love | Elsie Silver
Business Casual | BK Borison
Play Along | Liz Tomforde

Book Review:: The Familiar | Leigh Bardugo

The Familiar is a sweeping historical fantasy novel of survival, deception, resourcefulness, cunning, and resilience.

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo Book Cover, Old Medieval European Sleeve holding a chain with a scorpion peeking out from under it

Luzia has a gift for magic. She sings the songs of her ancestors, and God, or something like it, answers. It’s little things that help her in her daily life as a scullery maid: multiplying beans, mending small tears, or restoring burnt loaves of bread. Harmless things. Until her mistress begins to suspect her and devises a plan to use her magic to win friends and favor. Word spreads quickly of the maid who can wield magics, and soon the great Victor de Paredes becomes her patron for a contest to become the King’s champion. Politics are powerful, and everyone, even the greatest men in the land, are beholden to the whims of the King. Even Victor. But he’s feeling lucky, and Luzia’s gifts are real. Paredes sends Guillen Santangel to foster Luzia’s talents, to teach her to harness and hone them into something the King cannot deny. As the contest progresses, the stakes ratchet ever higher, and instead of just winning the King’s favor, it becomes clear her own fate is not the only thing on the line in this contest.

The setting is 16th century Spain, in the throes of the Inquisition, where heretics are being persecuted and often burned. Luzia’s parents are both dead, and her ambitious aunt is the only family she has left. Unlike most women of her rank, Luzia can read and write, which makes her existence as a servant even more droll. She wishes for finer things, but also knows there is danger in the spotlight, especially in times like these. She is a strong female lead who knows when to pick her battles, and ultimately creates her own path forward despite the advice flying at her from many directions.

The characters in this book are something special. Each of them are unique in their own authentic way. They are each driven by their own selfish motivations, which I feel is a very difficult thing to pull off and their stories follow through to endings they (mostly) deserved in a tingle-inducing finale.

I listened to this as an audiobook narrated by Lauren Fortgang and man, did she do an incredible job. I found it so immersive to hear all the words I might’ve otherwise not known how to pronounce perfectly spoken so beautifully and naturally. Sometimes a narrator really adds to the reading experience, and I feel like The Familiar certainly falls into that category.

It may not be a page-turner, pacing-wise, but if you go into it with patience, Leigh Bardugo will weave you a story that is captivating, rewarding, and really quite romantic.

If you are a fan of V.E. Schwab, specifically The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I feel like you will certainly find value in this book. I found myself thinking of Addie’s story frequently while reading. I might even recommend this for people who really loved the Outlander series. The Familiar is not as spicy, but there is something similar about the complex characters woven within a historical context. This is the only thing I’ve read so far by this author, and I’m looking forward to reading Six of Crows now more than ever!

Details

Title:: The Familiar
Author:: Leigh Bardugo
Genre:: Historical Fantasy
Publisher:: Flatiron Books
Length:: 387 pages
Audio Length:: 12h 57m
Audiobook Narrator:: Lauren Fortgang
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: April 9th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Hardcover] [Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

What the River Knows | Isabel Ibanez
Daughter of Ruins | Yvette Manessis Corporon
The Haunting of Maddy Clare | Simone St. James
Heartless Hunter | Kristen Ciccarelli

Book Review:: Wish I Were Here | Melissa Wiesner

I looooooooved this book. In Wish I Were Here there is adventure, humor, drama, a heist, heart, community and the smidgiest smidge of magical realism that made it an experience I won’t soon forget.

Wish I Were Here by Melissa Miesner Book Cover

Catherine has it all. The life she’s dreamed of her entire childhood. A place of her own, every aspect of her life within her control, and she’s about to start the career of her dreams: a tenure track role in the mathematics department of the university. But when she shows up for orientation, she’s told there was a problem with her paperwork. Turns out, none of her forms of ID are valid. She’s not in the system & will lose everything she clings to so desperately for if she can’t get it fixed, and fast. With the help of her disorganized but compassionate doorman with connections all around the city, it’s a race against time to save her job.

Catherine and Luca are a perfect match for a romance novel. She craves organization almost to a point of pathology and that ranks low on Luca’s priority list. His actions shout at her to stay away, but there is something about him that she can’t deny she’s drawn to. He’s an excellent problem solver and Catherine happens to have a lot of problems that need solving at the moment!

Let’s talk about Luca Morelli. Oh my. Dream boat. This guy is Catherine’s nightmare, having so much in common with her literal clown of a father, but folks, he takes the time to dance with old ladies in the lobby, run them on their errands, listen to their stories, shows up every week to family dinners, and goes out of his way to help everyone every time. He’s a tatted-up teddy bear. He’s a keeper.

Kitty Cat (as the real ones call her) has quite the journey to traverse over the course of the novel. She’s got an identity crisis (literally), her father’s lost (another) job, and she learns about her mother for the first time in her 30 years of life, who might just be the answer to unlock everything else.

Not to mention the cast of side characters in this book are all fun, endearing, and incredibly special. The community aspect of this book is truly aspirational.

The romance in this book felt so…pure. It’s completely organic and hopeful and sweet and gah I just loved every bit of it. The personal journey Catherine goes on reminds me of the best Katherine Center books. This one blew me away. I got an arc copy from netgalley and the publisher, but before I was even halfway through I knew I was going to need a copy for myself to keep on my shelves. Absolutely wonderful. What are you waiting for?!

Details

Title:: Wish I Were Here
Author:: Melissa Wiesner
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: Forever
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 23m
Audiobook Narrator:: Helen Laser
Audiobook Publisher:: Forever
Published:: October 15th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Hello Stranger | Katherine Center
PS I Hate You | Lauren Connolly

Book Review:: Libby Lost and Found | Stephanie Booth

Libby Lost and Found is an absolute treasure. The originality crackles on the first page. The themes resound toward our deepest fears and offer hope through profound pain. The prose stuns in both its beauty and wisdom. The whole thing is a parallelogram that had me wondering for a while if everything I was reading was a jaunt into madness or relatively reliable which left me nearly speechless. But not completely, lucky for you.

Libby Lost and Found Stephanie Booth Book Cover.

Libby is a writer. But not just any writer. She writes The Falling Children series-the most popular franchise in all of history (bigger even than HP). She’s struggling to write the next book so much she sees a doctor and gets an early diagnosis of dementia. It leaves her already anxiety prone personality in shambles. She’s missed so many deadlines the fans are feral. She’s desperate for some way to Save the Children (who she’s written into a forest from which there is no escape), so she reaches out to her ‘biggest fan’ for help finishing the book. The thing is, no one knows she is F.T. Goldhero, and it’s vital she keeps her real identity a secret.

Maybe my favorite part of the book are the voices. Libby and her biggest fan Peanut are our two narrators, and each one of them has such a strong and pigeon-holed voice. Peanut is a series obsessed child with unique family circumstances, and Libby is quickly losing trust in her own mind. Their voices covered everything in an almost otherworldly sheen that was so interesting and beautiful.

Then we can talk about world of The Falling Children. Wow! The creativity it takes to come up with a secondary world like that for the sake of telling another story is incredible. The concept, the personalities, the ‘magic’…I was blown away.

So don’t be a bone grocer – go get this book!

Note:: I received this title as an advanced readers copy from netgalley and the publisher. Then I pre-ordered a copy for myself 🙂

Details

Title:: Libby Lost and Found
Author:: Stephanie Booth
Genre:: Women’s Fiction
Publisher:: Sourcebooks Landmark
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 58m
Audiobook Narrator:: Mia Barron
Audiobook Publisher:: Recorded Books
Published:: October 15, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Hardcover] [Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

How to Hide in Plain Sight | Emma Noyes
Amazing Grace Adams | Fran Littlewood
The Book of George | Kate Greathead

Book Review:: The Heiress | Rachel Hawkins

Rachel Hawkins is a master of subtle psychological thrillers. Her books have a flair for being compelling contemporary reads with a dark twist. I’ve read them all, and they’re all worth your time. While The Wife Upstairs is my favorite (I mean, it’s an echo of my favorite book of all time, Jane Eyre – hard to beat that), The Heiress comes in a close second.

The Heiress Rachel Hawkins Book Cover

Everyone has secrets. Cam and Jules are an ordinary couple working meager jobs to afford their Colorado rental. The secret is that they don’t have to. Cameron is the heir of Ruby McTavish, an Appalachian princess married and widowed four times before her death ten years before. He’s a multi-millionaire, but he doesn’t want anything to do with the money, or Ashby House, the mansion he inherited, and the few remaining family members who remain inside it. But after a couple of cryptic emails, he knows he can no longer put off the inevitable. He has to go back. The past has a way with catching up to you.

Cam’s family is deplorable. They resented his mother, and they resent him even more for the decisions she made. He was always an outsider, and they weren’t afraid to let him know it. It was an unhappy childhood he ran from as soon as he got the chance, but even putting an entire country between himself and his past isn’t enough to save him from it.

Ashby house is the perfect gothic setting. A mansion full of old portraits and antiques in every room, a sprawling property in a dangerous wooded area, all fallen into grotesque disrepair-Bronte couldn’t have written it better herself.

A big chunk of this novel was comprised of letters written by the heiress, Ruby, in what turned out to be her last weeks. Her life was plagued by rumor, and she decides to finally set the record straight, if only in private correspondence. Though she is long dead in the narrative, the letters bring her to life in such a vibrant way, and the contents of the letters are…captivating.

The theme seems to ask an age-old question: are people who do bad things, bad people? Is it our surroundings who make us who we are, or is our nature buried someplace deep inside us, impregnable to corruption? It certainly doesn’t answer the question, but it begs the question with every carefully crafted character, and a plot that often swerves in unexpected directions.

I was gripped by this story early on, and ate up every twist and turn. Fans of Colleen Hoover’s Verity, or the author Lucy Foley (The Midnight Feast, The Paris Apartment) will enjoy the suspense and intrigue of this book. While there is some darkness in these pages, it wasn’t scary, so I feel like it’s a good choice for people who enjoy thrillers, but are a little wimpy, like me!

Details

Title:: The Heiress
Author:: Rachel Hawkins
Genre:: Gothic Mystery
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Press
Length:: 294 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 20m
Audiobook Narrator:: Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, & Patti Murin
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: January 9th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Hardcover] [Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister
The Midnight Feast | Lucy Foley

Book Review:: Hate Follow | Erin Quinn-Kong

Hate Follow by Erin Quinn-Kong aspires to be the My Sister’s Keeper of this decade. Not many people will have children who need life-saving medical care and second children that are a perfect biological match. Everyone is on social media, and this book draws attention to the moral and ethical implications with posting content of those who have not (and cannot) give consent. And while this novel raises so many poignant aspects of the online culture, the plot sort of fizzles out by the end.

Hate Follow Erin Quinn-Kong Book Cover

Mia’s mom Whitney is a momfluencer. She makes incredible money by posting about her life as a widowed mother of four in Austin TX. As Mia is getting older, she doesn’t want to be a part of the photo shoots anymore. When she finds out exactly how much her mom has been sharing about her online without her permission, her little teen-y world implodes and she takes things into her own hands.

Such commentary!

When I met Whitney, I knew her. We’ve all seen them: the picture-perfect IG influencers whose entire identity becomes ‘be the ideal version of the modern woman who has it all‘. They’re real people out there, though it’s hard to imagine. They just tend to get carried away. The pressure increases, and their lives become all about numbers. But there’s still the facade that they’re doing good in the world, by sharing all this perfect sh*t, they’re helping people.

Then add in the layer of momfluencers. The ones who post about their kids online. Include their photos, tell stories from their lives: exploit them, in some sense. There is a lot of conversation about this already, but this book lights it up with the bat signal from hell.

I felt for the strained relationship of Whitney and her teen daughter. Those teen years are tough for everyone to navigate and add the hurt and immense grief of losing the husband/father they loved so dearly…all the ingredients of a city-block razing explosion are there. Though Whitney, as an influencer, is kind of despicable…the author humanizes her by having her shoulder so much responsibility. It is not just her own future in jeopardy if she can’t continue making a good living, it is her children, and her siblings, and her mother.

The heart of this story isn’t actually about the violations Whitney is subjecting her children to, it’s about simply getting out of your own way to listen.

For me personally, I was let down by a plot that promised a lot of juicy drama but ended up resolving a little too easily for my taste. It felt like a lot of build up for something so ultimately bland. I was getting so nervous when I saw the numbers closing in on my ereader (75%-80%-85%) and the big finale hadn’t started yet. Turns out it just wasn’t there. It’s a quiet ending to a problem that had so much potential.

I still think it’s worth reading, of course. The points discussed in this book are incredibly relevant for everyone on social media and I think it does a good job showcasing both the good and bad aspects if ‘influencing’. There is so much more I could say about the topic, but this is about the book, so I’ll leave it at that!

I was given the opportunity to read this book for free by netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are honest, and my own.

Details

Title:: Hate Follow
Author:: Erin Quinn-Kong
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: William Morrow
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 48m
Audiobook Narrator:: Carolyn Jania
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: October 8th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Amazing Grace Adams | Fran Littlewood
Counting Miracles | Nicholas Sparks