T10T: My Latest 5-Star Reads

        

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! As I missed last week, I will be throwing back to it this week.

This week's prompt is..... my latest 5-star reads

These are from most to least recent

1. Cambria by A.R. Tyler
2. The Weight of Ashes by Erin FitzGerald
3. All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
4. Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell
5. Ain't Nobody's Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton by Martha Ackmann
6. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
7. Better Not Pout by Maren Moore
8. Half-Light Harbor by Samantha Young
9. Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations by Alton Brown
10. Burning Down the House by Dani Galliaro

I am actually quite picky with my 5-star reads. They are likely what some people would consider 6-star reads. My 5-stars are only books I know will stick with me forever. As such, only the first three are from 2026.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

How picky are you with your 5-star reads? Please share your 5-star recs as I am due for one! See you tomorrow for some gushing!

T10T: Books Titles That Describe Me/My Life

      

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! I've been pretty busy lately, so I am happy for an easy prompt

This week's prompt is..... books titles that describe me/my life

These are in no particular order

1. Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
2. Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
3. The Good Girl Exception by Maren Moore
4. The Gender Binary is a Big Lie by Lee Wind
5. Thinky Thoughts: All Grown Up and Still Just as Confused by Gwenna Laithland
6. It Seemed Like a Good Idea by Lauren Blakely
7. Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell
8. Just Us by Evie Sterling
9. Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
10. Back to December by Laurel Osterkamp

I will not be diving into how all of these apply as it can get rather personal and dark depending on the book, but they all do in different ways. In many cases, the actual plot of the book would not apply at all, but title alone would which is interesting.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

This prompt was an interesting thought experiment. What's a book title that would apply to your life? See ya next week!

Bok Mail Monday #7

      

Intro

Welcome back to Book Mail Monday! It's been a minute because I've been away  from my mailbox for a few weeks, but I'm back! Some very cute book mail to share!

The Book Mail

Books Included

-  The Analyst and the All-Star by Mel Walker

- Missing in Soho by Holly Stars

Discussion

The Analyst and the All-Star is a recently released sports romance I can already attest I liked a lot! It is signed by the author and came with a bunch of goodies! These goodies include a book mark, a business card, a postcard with a free book download, a sticker, and coolest of all some fake baseball cards featuring both of the MCs.

Missing is Soho was sent to me directly from Berkley! It is my first ever physical galley and it feels like I'm moving up in the world. I just know I will love it!

The last book mail is not actually a book but just a bunch of fun goodies! It is from the author Maren Moore. It includes some character art and a bunch of stickers relating to the book The Good Girl Exception which I already finished and enjoyed. 

Outro

Thank you to Marne, Mel, and Berkley publishing for all of this delightful book mail. I wish I could share these sooner but at least I am back now. Have you had any fun book mail recently?

See you next time I have some exciting book mail to share!

March 2026 Reads

 March 2026 Reads 

This month I read 13 books 

I DNFed 2 books

These books were 77% fiction

They were 8% physical, 23% digital, and 69% audio

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.19 stars

My longest reading day was March 2nd

The Books

➽ Thinky Thoughts: All Grown Up and Still Just as Confused by Gwenna Laithland

➽ Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden

➽ The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao

➽ Cambria by A.R. Tyler

➽ Caught Up by Navessa Allen

➽ The Trouble with Love and Exposure by Harriet Ashford

➽ Bottom of the Pyramid by Nia Sioux

➽ Blind Ride by B.A. Tortuga

➽ Common Goal by Rachel Reid

➽ The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities Around the World by Lee Wind

➽ The Good Girl Exception by Maren Moore

➽ Sacked by Surprise by Beatrice Bradshaw

➽ Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

T10T: Books On My Spring TBR

   

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! Happy spring! The sun is shining and there is no snow on the ground and I couldn't be happier!

This week's prompt is..... books on my spring TBR

These are in no particular order

1. The Gender Binary is a Big Lie by Lee Wind
2. Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
3. Open Roads, Open Hearts by Isabelle Peterson
4. Much Obliged by D.P. Clarence
5. The Analyst and the All-Star by Mel Walker
6. The Anniversary by Alex Finlay
7. The Shippers by Katherine Center
8. The Final Target by Nora Roberts
9. The Good Girl Exception by Maren Moore
10. Until We Meet Again by Lily Kim Qian

All of these are ARCS, books for promos, or library holds so I am pretty confident I can actually accomplish this list. Please keep me accountable if you do not see these books in upcoming monthly wrap-ups. 

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

What does your spring TBR look like? Let's do what we can to make sure we get them all read!

FFAF: Romance Reader Book Tag

  

Intro

As Valentine's Day is tomorrow, it is definitely the perfect time to talk all about romance books. It is my favorite genre after all! I got the prompts from Alli the Book Giraffe whose list can be found here. Let's dive into it!

The Prompts and My Picks

What age did you start reading romance novels? I do not exactly remember, but I think I read a romance or two in middle school. Since then, my consumption of the genre has skyrocketed.

If you could pick one hero to meet from your favorite romance novels who would it be and why? Oh gosh, this is a tough one. Maybe Mark from Something Lost by Erin Fitzgerald. I feel like he has a pretty similar personality and mannerisms to my fiancée, so I feel like we would get along well. 

Who is your favorite romance authors and why? I enjoy Erin FitzGerald, Dani Galliaro, Maren Moore, and Harriet Ashford because they write incredible indie romance stories that feel like home.

What is a favorite romance novel to re-read? Soooooo, I don't actually reread almost at all. So uh, the only romance I have considered rereading is Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood so I can annotate it.

What book would you recommend to a non romance reader? I would recommend any books in the Colson Creek series by Erin FitzGerald because they are fantastic stories with such loveable characters. But more importantly, all of the books also have strong suspense storylines which adds a bit beyond the romance to get a good start.

Which is your favorite, contemporary, suspense, or historical and why? In the past, I would wholeheartedly say contemporary because that is what most of my favorite authors write. As of late, it is honestly romantic suspense. It makes me wanna keep reading endlessly. I will always kinda hate historical because all I can focus on is how it is inaccurate. 

Outro

I feel like this was the perfect tag to celebrate Valentine's Day. Are you a fellow romance lover? I would love to hear your recs!

T10T: Red and Pink Covers

 

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl!

This week's prompt is..... Valentine's freebie (so I am doing red and pink covers!)

These are in no particular order

1. Just for the Cameras by Meghan Quinn
2. Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang
3. Dear Red, Be Mine by Bella Greene
4. Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel
5. Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
6. Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong
7. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
8. Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks
9. Better Not Pout by Maren Moore
10. Once Upon a Holidate by Susan Mallery

  

  

   

I wanted to share the covers so we can admire the color palette. They all look so cute together! Have you read any of these?

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

I hope you enjoyed my freebie Valentine's Day Top 10 Tuesday! I really enjoyed putting it together. I'm excited to see what everyone else does with the freebie! See you next week.

FFAF: My Life in Books 2025

Intro

This is a fun bookish challenge that involves a number of life-milestone related prompts. I will see how many of these make sense versus are a bit of a stretch. I got the prompts from Secret Library Book Blog whose list can be found here. I also referenced Dini Panda Read's prompts which can be found here. Let's see how I do.

The Prompts and My Picks

In high school I was: Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel

People might be surprised by: Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism by Stewart "Brittlestar" Reynolds

I will never be: Secretly Yours by Stephanie Rose

My fantasy job is: Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong

At the end of a long day I need: Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay

I hate: The Flirting Game by Lauren Blakely

I wish I had: A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard

My family reunions always make me wonder about: The Wages of Silence by Erin FitzGerald

At a party you'd find me with: Annie, Juliet, and the Great-Tailed Grackle by Sandra LJ

I've never been to: Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

A happy day includes: Nights with Him by Lauren Blakely

A motto I live by: The Bad Boy Rule by Maren Moore

On my bucket list is: One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

2025 was the year of: Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica

In 2025 I wanted to be: Unapologetically ADHD by Pete D. Wright and Nikki Kinzer

In 2025 I was the: The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

In 2025 I gained: Good Lookin' Cookin' by Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton-George

In 2025 I lost: The Girlfriend Zone by Lauren Blakely (this one is because I got engaged, not due to a break-up).

In 2025 I loved: Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia

In 2025 I learned: Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell

In 2025 I missed out on: The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas

In 2025 my family were: Will the Drama Ever End? by Karyl McBride

In 2026 I hope it will be: Runnin' No More by G.T. Dípè

Outro

This was a lot of fun! While most of the answers to these prompts are pretty truthful, there are a few that I just had to pick a book to fit the prompt and call it a day. I highly recommend giving challenges like this a go! I hope to do many more in 2026 as they are honestly my favorite kind of blog post. 

T10T: Books with Appealing Typography

 

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! (Yes I am now going to try to pull 10 for every week).

This week's prompt is..... books with appealing typography

These are in no particular order

1. Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang
2. Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman
3. Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis-Featherstone
4. The Weight Of Ashes by Erin FitzGerald
5. Untangled by Mallory Thomas
6. The Rival Upgrade by Lauren Blakely
7. Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
8. Back to December by Laurel Osterkamp
9. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
10. Better Not Pout by Maren Moore

              

All of these are such nice titles. As you can probably tell, I do have a bit of a go-to style. What can I say, pretty is my vibe. 

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

This one was such a fun prompt to do. It made me realize I should spend a bit more time appreciating nice typography on book covers. Do you have any favorites?

Can't Wait Wednesday: Better Not Pout by Maren Moore

Can't Wait Wednesday

This week's book is.... Better Not Pout

Author: Maren Moore

Publisher: self-published

Release Date: November 14th

Series: n/a

Blurb:

She’s the vintage candy store owner who writes a letter to Santa asking for her dream man for Christmas...

He's the grump, retired hockey player who moves in next door and opens a bar.

Explanation:

I am a HUGE fan of Maren's writing so admittedly I am hyped every single time she releases something. She also has aesthetics on lock. Being on her street team is such a fun time.

Her holiday novella from last year, The Christmas List (you can find my review here) was such a fun time. Maren is a pro at mixing sugar and spice, quite literally. Having another one to dive into has me tremendously excited! I have just started it and am already so so in love!

Top 5 Tuesday: Satisfying Book Series

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday, now following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! As always, I do a top 5 instead of a top 10 because I tend to struggle to find 10 books for prompts.

This week's prompt is..... satisfying book series

These are in no particular order

1. The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
2. Wolf Mountain Ranchers series by Erin FitzGerald
3. Orleans University series by Maren Moore
4. So Not My... series by Evie Sterling
5. Streams and Schemes series by Rebecca Kinkade

I am admittedly not the best at finishing series, but here are a few that I did finish that I feel like were bangers all the way through. All are romance series apart from The Naturals. I know there are a lot of series currently in progress that I am reading and loving. I would be happy to include those if a similar prompts comes up again when those series are concluded.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

It took me a minute to find all completed series, but I did it! All of these have different vibes, but all are ones I loved. Have any of y'all finished any of these series? See you tomorrow!

August 2025 Reads

                                        August 2025 Reads 

This month I read 9 books 

These books were 88% fiction

They were 22% physical, 56% digital, and 22% audio

The most popular genres were romance, children's, and contemporary

My average rating was 4.28 stars

My longest reading day was the 13th

The Books

➽ Stella: The Shark Who Loves Treasure by Sarah Cullen

➽ Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey

➽ The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

➽ Ringtail Bedtime by Sandra LJ

➽ Red Card by Maren Moore

➽ Checked by Love by Ariana St. Claire

➽ Rucked Up Ruse by Beatrice Bradshaw

➽ Tell Me Lies by Hannah Gray

➽ Kitty Season by Bindi Kennedy

Can't Wait Wednesday: Red Card by Maren Moore

 

Can't Wait Wednesday

This week's book is.... Red Card

Author: Maren Moore

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: August 12th

Series: Prescott University #1

Blurb:

Leaving it all on the field is one thing. Giving his all to love? Terrifying.

British bad boy Cillian “Kill” Cairney is ruthless on the rugby pitch. After getting a permanent red card from his team in London, the only team that will have him is an Ivy League school in New Hampshire. But the guys hate him, his coach doesn’t trust him, and worst of all? His starting position is in the hands of his coach’s fiery, rugby-obsessed, very off-limits daughter. Not only does he have to earn his coach’s respect, but Kill has to earn Rory’s—and nothing has ever seemed more difficult. That is, until she approaches him with a proposition that could benefit them both . . . 

Rory St. James has spent all her life immersed in rugby. Which is... part of the problem. She’s tired of being friend-zoned. She wants to get the guy, and to do that, she needs the frustratingly charming Cillian to teach her. But the more time they spend together, the more lines begin to blur. In a game where trust and loyalty are tested, who will be the winner? Or will love be the final red card?

Explanation:

I have absolutely adored every sport romance I have read from Maren and know that this one is bound to be a banger too. I am also super happy for her because this is her first traditionally published book! I was so lucky to be able to grab this on read now from NetGalley, so I will hopefully start reading this tomorrow! 

Don't worry, lovelies, I am returning with this series too! I like the chance to hype up books I know are on the horizon that I am excited for. It makes my heart super happy when we get the chance to find upcoming releases together. It could help expand all of your TBRs! If you are wondering where I've been, see my last post. See y'all next week. 

June 2025 Reads

  June 2025 Reads

This month, I read 9 books 

These books were 67% fiction

They were 22% physical, 44% digital, and 33% audio

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.58 stars

My longest reading day was the 20th

The Books

➽ Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady

➽ The Lion in the Library by Amy Award

➽ Forechecked by Forever by Ariana St. Claire

➽ The Bad Boy Rule by Maren Moore

➽ The Overtime Kiss by Lauren Blakely

➽ Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell

➽ Unprotected: a Memoir by Billy Porter

➽ The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

➽ You Too?: 25 Voices Share Their #MeToo Stories

March 2024 Reads

 March 2024 Reads 

This month I read 12 books 

These books were 100% fiction

The most popular genres were romance, thriller, and literary

My average rating was 3.92 stars

The Books

➽ S.T.A.G.S by M.A. Bennett

➽ Hour of the Olympics (Magic Tree House #16) by Mary Pope Osborne

➽ The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros

➽ Lege et Lacrima by Alina Comsa

➽ Bunny Hunting by H.N. DeFore

➽ Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg

➽ None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

➽ Catching Feelings by Maren Moore

➽ The Heart to Seek Part I by Sushidren Jayasingham

➽ Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

➽ The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton

➽ Crushing on the Grumpy Best Man by Lila Marlow

Catching Feelings by Maren Moore Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Enemies to lovers

➮ Roommates to lovers

➮ Forced proximity

➮ Found family

➮ Sports romance

➮ Dual POV

Synopsis

After an "accidental" hook-up, Viv is distressed to learn that she is stuck with Reese Laundry. Reese is the All-Star Catcher at Orleans University. He is rich, handsome, connected, and charming. Viv is the only girl on campus that doesn't fall at his feet. With an unfortunate curveball in life, Viv and Reese become roommates. As they get to know each other better, maybe Reese isn't so bad?

Best Quote From the Book

“I don't get what the big deal is. Everyone's so annoyed that I am being an over-the-top cat daddy, but I can't help it that I love her. I'm a proud helicopter cat dad."

My Thoughts

This book opens up with an absolutely fantastic playlist! It has songs for everyone from pop-punk to Taylor Swift. While this book isn't about music, the songs in the playlist are actually relevant to the story. It's been a while since I saw a story with a good playlist so it was a pleasant surprise when I opened the story. 

I love the combination of a writer FMC and a baseball player MMC. They naturally go together quite well and do what they can to support the other's passion. Reese's sister is also a huge reader so I love the representation of girls bonding over books. 

As a huge sucker for good banter, this book left me very satisfied. Reese and Viv's teasing felt very natural and funny. There is an inherent level of comfort in their quips that demonstrates how well the characters play off of each other. You can tell Moore took a lot of time and care to explore the dynamics of the relationships between all of the characters.

The found family in this book are all so supportive of each other and show up when they need to. Their trust and bond propel the growth in the book.

Honestly, there is almost nothing I would change about this book. The only thing I wish was different is their wonderful vacation getting quickly cut short. One of my least favorite romance tropes is when the main characters are finally having a nice time together and something comes along to quickly end their happiness. I would love to see a book with a fully played-out nice vacation, date, trip, experience, etc.

This story is absolutely spicy and is not the book for those who aren't into spice. The spice genuinely contributes to the plot and helps the story move along so I wouldn't recommend skipping it. There are also some truly funny spicy moments (all I will say is body wash, if you know you know).

In sum, I really enjoyed this book and it was an easy 5-star. Do I think it will be a book I remember forever and ever? Probably not, but at least in the short term, I found it quite excellent and well-balanced. I particularly love the character dynamics and how they shape the plot. It wasn't just that plot points were thrown onto the characters, they were actually navigating various changes.

I received this book as part of a Valentine PR arc team. My review is honest and voluntary