Can't Wait Wednesday: The Greatest of These

 

 Can't Wait Wednesday

This week's book is.... The Greatest of These

(sadly, I only have the ARC cover, so just know that banner will not be on the normal cover)

Author: Erin FitzGerald

Publisher: Erin FitzGerald

Release Date: May 6th

Series: Colson Creek

Blurb:

After twenty-four years of marriage, I'm starting over. A colorless condo and a cat I never wanted, an empty existence that reminds me of everything I've lost. Work keeps me tethered to reality, but it's the distance from my teenage boys that haunts me the most. Agreeing to keep a custody agreement out of the courts is a decision I regret every day, especially now, as I haven’t seen them in almost a year.

Enter Charlize Campbell.

She’s the last distraction I need, one my boys encourage. A tiny blonde with a mouth like a trucker, and a lifetime of hard-earned strength to back it up. I've known her family for years, but I’ve never truly seen her.

Until now.

The pull between us is undeniable. But when strange, menacing signs begin to appear, I can’t ignore the gut feeling that someone wants her gone—and I'm the only one who seems to take the threat seriously. The deeper I get into her world, the clearer it becomes: she’s tangled up in a dangerous turf war that could cost her everything. 

Explanation:

How can I not be super excited for the upcoming release of a best friend of mine? I was her reader first and became fast friends after many wonderful conversations! Truly, she's one of the sweetest people ever. Sadly, this is not another blog just worshipping her, so I digress. 

This series's first book was the wonderful feeling that I've come to know and love from Erin. I just know this one will be no exception. This series makes me laugh, smile, cry, and everything in between. If you are looking for a hard-hitting romance where the characters will end up with a permanent residence in your heart, this one will exceed that expectation!

I am also super excited to have the chance to read another beautiful story, I know will be at absolute minimum a 4-star read. Her work really is a comfort experience for me, so it's always super exciting when she blesses us with more! I also know you are reading this, Erin, so hello, I love you, and never stop writing my favorite books, please and thank you! 💙

See you next week for another Can't Wait Wednesday! (with a book I don't have the ARC for, I promise)

Sister Buddy Read: Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

 Sister Buddy Read

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

Hello lovelies! My sister and I decided to do a buddy read of a graphic novel that was up both of our alleys! It was a ton of fun, and each of us wrote a mini review for the story.

Keep in mind my sister is only 12, and the book is age-appropriate for her. If you'd like to see us do more buddy reads on occasion, I'd love to make it happen!

Luna's Review

I love this book so much! I think that it is perfect for young readers who love a good adventurous graphic novel. As a scout myself, I love how the title is the motto "Be Prepared" for Scouting America. I'm not sure if this is on purpose or not. There are so many funny scenes in this book, too! Some of them had me cackling for days! Another thing I really like about this book is some of the scenes are very relatable.  The first time I went to scout camp, I was very nervous too! But just as the main character did in the book, I got over my fears and worries, too! This book is simply just amazing, and I think that a lot of you would like it too!

My Review

This was a fun middle-grade graphic novel heavily rooted in a true story. It was interesting to see a first-hand perspective of a Russian scouting camp in the US. It was a fascinating blend of a true story with embellishments. If you are a scout or know a scout, I highly recommend it. It's an easy and quick read.

I especially loved the beautifully limited color palette. The limited tones added to the cohesion of the story and gave the book an even more foresty vibe. I'd be happy to pick up another graphic novel in a similar style. 

I had a fantastic time buddy reading this book with Luna and would love to do more of this in the future. If you have any recommendations for us to read I am happy to hear them!

Friday Free For All: Magical Readathon Spring 2025

 Friday Free For All: Magical Readathon Spring 2025

How This Readathon Went for Me

Hello lovelies! Welcome to my first Friday Free For All. I made this series as basically a chance to ramble more about books and all things bookish that don't necessarily align with the content I am already doing. In this week's case, I wanna talk about the Magical Readathon created by G aka Book Roast. This is a fantasy-themed DND style readathon where you create a character and take "classes" that are completed by reading books that align with the prompts for the readathon. 

This year, G created an additional incentive for people to log the books they've read for the readathon, which seems to be working quite well. As "students" at Orillium Academy (the fake school for the readathon. As the participants reach more pages read milestones, dragons are unlocked! These dragons are all very unique, and your characters get to keep one at the end of the readathon. As of now, all of the milestones have been reached, but we are waiting on the final dragon reveal!

I completed all of my reading prompts for my calling (major) a week in advance of the end of the readathon. I am a Mind Mender. The classes I had to take are as follows: 

• Alchemy (all capitals in a book title)
• Spells and Incantiations (word from your last book title)
• Psionics and Divinations (book with witches or the occult)
• Restoration (book with a 4+ star average rating)
• Demonology (book with a missing person)

For alchemy, I chose All Signs Point to Malibu by Jennifer Snow. Turns out this book was a miss for me, and I ended up giving it 2.5 stars.

For spells and incantations, I chose How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang, which I liked a lot better, and I gave it 4.5 stars. 

For psionics and divination, I choose Three Tainted Teas by Lynn Cahoon. Witchy books will never be my thing, so I gave it 3 stars. 

For restoration, I chose Punt in the Dark by Ariana St. Claire. It was a nice, quick read I gave 4.25 stars. 

Lastly, for demonology, I chose Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter. I was able to read this one entirely during the kick-off reading spirits and had a fantastic time. I gave it 4.5 stars. 

Overall, my actual ratings were a mixed bag, and that's okay. Readathons like this one get me out of my comfort zone, which is a good thing! I plan to do more readathons to keep up the fun and inspiration to branch out. In fact, keep your eyes peeled for an announcement about a readathon I want to create for June! I always go big for Pride, and this year is no exception. 

See you next Friday for more surprise ramblings!

What This Week March 31st - April 6th

 

What This Week: March 31st - April 6th

Now that I am out of the hell we all call March, I'm very excited to be fully back in the swing of things

What books I finished:

• 
  

What books I started:

• The P*ssy Next Door by Amy Award

What I'm listening to:

• My spring playlist (if anyone wants the link I will share it)

What I'm watching:

• Abbot Elementary season 2

What I'm playing:

• Business Cat

Can't Wait Wednesday: Destructively Mine

 

 Can't Wait Wednesday

This week's book is.... Destructively Mine

Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: April 29th, 2025

Series: Webs We Weave

Blurb:

Ex-grifter Phoebe Graves’ new life threatens to come crashing down around her in the next unputdownable novel from the New York Times bestselling authors of the Addicted series.

As the daughter of a con artist, Phoebe Graves only knew a life of swindling the rich until her best friend and fellow grifter, Hailey Tinrock, proposed an idea to start a new, honest life in a wealthy college town of Connecticut. Once there, they decided to leave behind their deceitful tricks and be truthful for once. But you know what they say about best intentions...

While Phoebe is fake-dating Jake Waterford, the third-born son to an uber-wealthy and influential family, she’s actually dating and falling deeper in love with Brayden “Rocky” Tinrock—Hailey’s older brother. To make matters more complicated, Phoebe’s mother shows up out of the blue with conniving match-making designs of her own.

Her mother’s arrival threatens to unravel Phoebe’s plans. To keep her love, her friends, and her newfound happiness, Phoebe will have to return to her old games... and win.

Explanation:

To start off this week's explanation, I want to talk a bit about what the intention is for this blog series. This won't be every week like Top 5 Tuesday, instead it will be whenever I know of a book releasing in the future that I'm particularly excited about and want to discuss. 

I actually have an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this one, which I'm currently reading, and so far it's incredible. I won't discuss my thoughts more here, just wait for my review. 

I am so incredibly excited for this one because it is the sequel to my favorite book of 2024. Dishonestly Yours left such a mark on me, and you can read my thoughts on it here. I loved that the protagonists aren't morally redeemable and never claim to be. They are, in a way, a kind of Robin Hood group, which is one of my favorite tales. Getting the chance to see where their lives go from the cliffhanger at the end of book one is incredibly exciting!

It particularly delights me that we are staying in the same perspectives as book one. The chance to just dive back in after impatiently waiting since last July is incredible. If you like truly morally grey (non-murderous) characters and seeing a complicated web of right and wrong with incredibly dynamic characters, I highly recommend this series. It's also the perfect time to start this series!

  

Top 5 Tuesday: Green Books

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday! As it is Earth Day, I thought it would be fun to do something somewhat related

This week's prompt is..... green books

All of these books have green covers, that's it. I know it's not super related, but my brain is still fried from volunteering this weekend, so this is what we are working with. They are mostly in no particular order other than #1

1. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
2. Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
3. Conflict Mediation by D.C. Emerson
4. Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
5. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

Hopefully I will be back next Tuesday, but no promises

 

Top 5 Tuesday: Books that Made Me Laugh

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday! As it is April Fool's Day, I thought it would be fun to do something somewhat realted

This week's prompt is..... books that made me laugh

All of these books are most definitely silly at times so if I laughed, the book counts. Without further ado, here are my picks!

1. The P*ssy Next Door by Amy Award
2. The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy
3. Blind Date with a #HOCKEYBOY by Ariana St. Claire
4. We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald
5. On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

See you all next Tuesday for another top 5!