CWW: The Price of Vengeance

 

This week's book is.... The Price of Vengeance

Author: Erin FitzGerald

Publisher: Erin FitzGerald

Release Date: April 14th, 2026

Series: Colson Creek #5

Blurb:

I followed her even though I knew better. Distance has never been enough to save me from the things I want—or the damage I leave behind.

I spared a life I was ordered to end, something that only buys time with the ruthless crime family that shares my blood. There is no debt they fail to collect.

Relocating to Colson Creek wasn’t an accident. I came to watch over the woman I swore to protect years ago, the life I spared. Hiding in a quiet Minnesota town was never part of the plan, but it gave me something I never expected: A sense of belonging. My best friend’s family welcomed me as one of their own, and for the first time, I started to believe I could be more than what I was raised to be.

I tell myself I’m here out of duty, though I know it’s also out of guilt. The truth is darker and far more dangerous, because I’ve always wanted more than her safety. I’ve wanted her.

When she learns the truth, she’ll never forgive me. But I would give up everything I am, everything I’ve ever known, to see her safe… and happy.

After a lifetime of bloodshed and vengeance, the real question isn’t whether I deserve redemption.

It’s whether love can survive the truth.

Explanation:

I have the ARC for this one and I am SO hyped! I have ADORED every book I've read that Erin has written. I also have the privilege of considering her a friend. This series feels like coming home. I am enthused to feel like I'm going home again. Sadly, this is likely the last book in this series. That is the only part I'm not looking forward to regarding reading it.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Big Nick Energy

Can't Wait Wednesday

This week's book is.... Big Nick Energy

Author: Kristen Bailey

Publisher: Storm Publishing

Release Date: October 21st, 2025

Series: n/a

Blurb:

When librarian Kay bumps into her ex-boyfriend Nick at a Christmas market, she thinks fate is finally giving her a second chance with her first big love. But then she gets spectacularly tangled in a Christmas tree-netting machine and meets another Nick entirely. One who cuts her free, dresses her wounds, and makes her pulse race in ways that thoroughly confuse her.

Finance Nick is successful, settled, and ready to talk five-year plans. Farmer Nick makes handcrafted furniture, supports local charities, and sees the creative spirit Kay has kept hidden behind her library desk. But how is a girl to choose?

Soon she’s spending her days delivering books to children’s hospitals and care homes with farmer Nick, before dashing home to whip off her reindeer onesie and glam up for romantic dates at the ballet with finance Nick.

But the countdown to Christmas is on, and Kay can’t keep this up forever. Somehow she must navigate London’s most complicated love triangle, avoid getting any more pine needles stuck in her hair – and work out once and for all which Nick has her heart.

Explanation:

I have the ARC for this one and am oh-so-ready for the holiday book vibes. Perhaps it is that the weather is still so warm, but seriously, I want to feel genuinely cozy. 

Both of the MCs in this one seem like the sweetest people, which only makes me more excited for it!

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuinston Review

 

3/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ LGBTQ+ rep

➮ Romantic mystery

➮ Miscommunication

➮ Childhood friends to lovers (not the FMCs)

Synopsis

Chloe is close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she spent four years dodging gossipy classmates at Willowgrove Christian Academy. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler. A month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes. On a hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith and Rory. Thrown into an unlikely alliance, Chloe suspects there might be more to this small town than she thought.

Best Quote From the Book

“Shame is a way of life here. It’s stocked in the vending machines, stuck like gum under the desks. Spoken in morning devotionals. She knows now that there’s a bit of it in her. It was an easy choice not to go back in the closet when she got here, but if she’d grown up here, she might never have come out at all. She might be a completely different person."

LGBTQ+ Representation

5/5 🌈

This book has a large variety of LGBTQ+ rep in it. For all of the characters being in a Christian school, I was surprised with how many people were chill with the LGBTQ+ community. Some of the representations include lesbian, nonbinary, genderqueer, gay, and bisexual. All of these attributes heavily shape the characters and their actions within the story. This book does a great job showing both the inherent community amongst LGBTQ+ people and the varying scope that people are comfortable and safe to come out. 

My Thoughts

I will be honest, my reading experience with this story wasn't great. I have seen a lot of mixed reviews of this book over the years and I think said reviews are warranted. A lot of my not-so-great feelings are because I could barely stand both of the FMCs. There is also just no worthy plot. The entire book could've been one page of Shara just communicated. I will try to keep my commentary for this review constructive and not just a rant. 

The entirety of this book's plot is centered around finding Shara who ran away and is now leaving clues. If this happened to me in real life, I am not going on such a wild goose chase, whether she kissed me and dipped or not. Chloe has zero real reason to put up with this massive tomfoolery from Shara and yet she does. It seems at some points the reader is supposed to feel bad for Shara. I am not sorry that I will never feel bad for a spoiled rich girl throwing a tantrum. 

The whole book reads quite stereotypical. There are mean homophobic jocks, many of the queer kids have dyed hair, the pastor's daughter is a disappointment, etc. This aspect of it takes away from the message and diminishes the unique elements of the book. A girl going missing of her own accord could've been transformed into a greater mystery with more depth and important discussions about mental health. 

The only characters I liked in this book were the two primary side characters. Watching them interact and see their strained relationship morph into a budding romance should've just had a book of its own and cut the girls out entirely. I will also say Chloe's moms are lovely and deserve a shoutout for the maturity they bring in an attempt to share the story. 

Overall, while I did stick around to finish the story, I would not suggest others do the same. The entire premise is purely ridiculous and the FMCs are barely tolerable. I want a rewrite of this book that focuses on Smith and Rory.

The Heart To Seek Part I by Shushindren Jayasingham Review

* This review is spoiler-free *

3/5 ⭐

Synopsis

Creerloshin starts a journey to discover true love and kindness. In this journey, he meets 24 different women who all shape his life. How will he grow and learn about love? What will these women teach him? This book is inspired by true events.

LGBTQ+ Representation

0/5 🌈

Admittedly if anything, this book is a bit transphobic and doesn't accept the concept of there being more than two genders. I cannot say anything about the author's personal beliefs but I did think it was worth pointing out.

My Thoughts

The first thing that struck me about this story is the very poetic and thoughtful writing style. It felt like the narrator was wistfully sitting down to have a chat about how the loves in his life have gone so far. It was quite natural and reminiscent. 

Readers can clearly see the desperation in the narrator's perspective demonstrates the high value he places on love. From the beginning to the end, so much thought and contemplation is made about every relationship Creerloshin has had. 

That said the overanalyzing of every relationship he has ever had with women was a bit jarring. He seems to assess every female he meets as a potential wife. While likely unintentional, there are some parts of the book that read rather arrogant and borderline narcissistic. These women are people of their own and just because they talk to you doesn't mean they are suddenly potential wives. I would've loved to see greater acknowledgment of the importance of platonic love in friendship. For a book that places so much value on love, the different kinds of love often fall by the wayside. 

One part of this story that rubbed me the wrong way is the insinuation that there are only two genders. I realize that it was an off-handed line, but it felt very unnecessary and out of place to what was happening in the story at the time. I was tempted to take off an additional star just for this factor but decided that was a bit harsh. 

This book has absolutely zero dialogue. The author said this was a deliberate choice to respect the privacy of people's conversations. Due to this lack of dialogue, the point of view and perspective is quite one-sided. I would've loved to see more from the women's perspectives. How did they feel when getting to know Creerloshin? Were their feelings anywhere near the level of his?

This book does an excellent job of expressing the feelings associated with the rise and fall of falling in love. When Ceerloshin fumbles his relationships, a lot of depth and care is shown as to why it all went wrong. From the elation to the heartbreak, this book dives into it all.

This book inspires readers to take an in-depth look at their own relationships and what makes them thrive or fail. In the journey of searching for those who we love and who love us in return, it would be a good idea to take a page from Creerloshin's book.

Overall this book is excellent for those looking for a book that dives into what it means to love and be loved. This book sometimes comes off a bit concerning with stalking behavior or overall arrogance, so do keep that in mind. 

Twisted Love by Ana Huang Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Brother's best friend

➮Dual POV

➮ Forced proximity

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮    Alpha male

➮ Interracial romance

➮ Billionaire MMC

Synopsis

Alex Volkov is a billionaire with a cursed past. He desires to get revenge on those who have wronged him. He meets his best friend's little sister Ava Chen, who has a lot of trauma of her own. When forced to become neighbors, their stories begin to combine more than before.

Best Quote From the Book

“You want the world to think you have no heart when in reality, you have a multilayered one: a heart of gold encased in heart of ice. And one thing all hearts of gold have in common? They crave love."

My Thoughts

I love seeing a book with a main character that is a photographer. I have a passion for photography and capturing the beauty of the world around me. It is so beautiful to see a character have that same passion. That said, I would've loved to see a bit more with Ava interacting with her career. We see a lot of Alex's career (which makes sense for the plot), I would've loved to see more of hers. 

Ava's friendship with Bridget is truly iconic. Seeing them take on the world together and always have each other's backs is the friendship dedication we all dream of. I could easily read a whole book of their friendships before Alex was nearly as involved in Ava's life. 

Alex's protective nature is by far one of the best parts about him. You can tell everything he does has protecting Ava in mind. While a lot of what he does ends up being quite toxic, I appreciate that it comes with good intentions. 

This book (and series overall) is incredibly tropey. There are a lot more tropes than I listed at the top of this review including a third-act breakup that can make the book a bit hollow. That said, all of these tropes are written incredibly well. Listening to the audiobook read like a movie. I could easily picture all of the characters doing what the did and saying what they said. All of the chracters are well-established and clearly fleshed out. 

My biggest complaint about this book is how difficult I found it to root for Alex. There are a number of awful things he does that if this were real life, I would encourage Ava to run for the hills. He is often not a good person and has a lot of trauma and resentment that hinders him as a person and as a character. I almost didn't want them to end up together in the end for Ava's sake. Even so, when Alex stops being toxic, they do make a very cute couple. 

Notable spice warning for this book. There are a lot of chapters in this book that surround spice. If you do not like that sort of thing, I would say these scenes are skippable as they do not involve the plot too much. I would also like to warn that there are some quite dark themes including kidnapping and violence in this book. Please review all of the trigger warnings before reading this book. 

In sum, I defintely enjoyed this book, if I view in with the lens of a tropey romance book. It isn't going to change your life, it isn't a must read. If you like these tropes, it will fulfill your craving well. It is good for the tropes it has and has a good cast of characters.

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.25/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Best friends to lovers

➮ Vacation read

➮ Timeskipping

➮ Travel

Synopsis

Poppy and Alex are a duo that loves to travel and experience the world together. As they have grown up, Poppy has stayed traveling for work while Alex became a teacher. While Poppy misses the past, she tries to devise a way to get Alex back in her life. Perhaps a trip would bring them back together?

Best Quote From the Book

“Maybe things can get better when people want to do a good job loving each other. Maybe that's all it takes."

LGBTQ+ Representation

2/5 🌈

This story has a brief bit of representation during Alex's brother's wedding. His brother is gay and Poppy and Alex attend the wedding. The wedding was very normalized and showed how a family can be supportive of an LGBTQ+ family member. That said, the representation was only used as a turning point in the plot of Alex and Poppy's story so I cannot rate it higher. It is also the only form of LGBTQ+ representation I noticed in the book. 

My Thoughts

The flashbacks to previous trips Alex and Poppy have taken together were wonderfully timed and sprinkled throughout the story wonderfully. As we watch Alex and Poppy become reacquainted with each other, we get to see how they once were. This building felt very natural and was the greatest strength of this book. 

The same classic comfortable but realistic relationship that is a staple of Emily Henry's writing. As I have made clear in some of my other reviews, I am a sucker for a duo that has good back-and-forth. Alex and Poppy aren't afraid to give each other a bit of a hard time. It shows the trust they share is strong. 

As I'm reading this book and getting to see glimpses of Poppy's family, they truly remind me of my own. They are wacky, silly, trusting, and entertaining. It can be a bit much to be thrown into the goofiness of it all, but that is how I see my own family. It's nice to see characters that are unafraid to be silly and different. It was also nice to see how Poppy's family never changed no matter who they were meeting. They stayed authentically themselves. It was a wonderful reminder that some of the best families are those who can have fun together. 

Without revealing spoilers I do want to take a brief moment to mention my favorite scene in the entire book. At one point there is a scene involving Tinder. I can say that it genuinely made me laugh out loud and was the easiest part of the book to visualize actually happening. This book was worth reading for that scene alone if you ask me. 

The reason this book is rated a bit on the low side for how much I enjoyed it is because of the last 20% of the book. At that point, it was incredibly obvious where the story was going, and the ending was inevitable. It took forever for it to actually get there. It was frustrating to have to sit through the characters simply being stubborn. This book would've been much better if the ending portion was greatly reduced. As a result, I knocked it down to 4.25 instead of 4.75. 

As a small note, there is a bit of spice in this book. It is not at the forefront but if that kind of scene makes you uncomfortable you might want to skip this book. 

Overall this was an excellent book. If the ending were reduced significantly, that would've made it nearly perfect. It is an excellent vacation (or I miss my vacation already) read. It has a very natural progression and doesn't fall into the instalove trap or a "perfect couple" who never has issues.