January 2024 Reads

  January 2024 Reads 

This month I read 9 books 

These books were 100% fiction

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and thriller

My average rating was 4.13 stars

The Books

➽ Y'allywood Billionaire by Terra Weiss

➽ Twisted Hate by Ana Huang

➽ The Celebrants by Steven Rowley

➽ Savage Little Games by Lane Hart

➽ Wildfire by Hannah Grace

➽ The Other Murder by Kevin Chapman

➽ Crazy Little Thing by Ellie Thornton

➽ Love Across the Stars by Chenelle Bremont

Something Lost by Erin Fitzgerald Review

 

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ Small-town romance

➮ Single dad

➮ Secret admirer 

➮ Age gap

➮ Dual pov

➮ Cowboy

Synopsis

When the Senator said he'd send an aide to draft a counter to the proposed pipeline that would bisect his ranch, the last thing more expected was Lana. The pull to her is stronger than he'd like. Lana's past is shadowy. He wonders if it's the reason she wants to leave DC. When a tragic accident results in a terrible misunderstanding, both of their lives are torn apart. Mark realizes some people don't want them together. Is it possible the biggest obstacle between him and happiness... is himself?

Best Quote From the Book

“Loving someone is easy at first, because you see only the best. Real love has history. It's practiced and chosen. It sees the ugly things and stays anyway."

My Thoughts

My first 5-star read of the year! I don't think I will be forgetting this cast of characters any time soon. My favorites are Mark's sons and his housekeeper Julie. They are incredibly amusing and endearing. 

Many times in this book I was cracking a smile because of funny or cute moments. Beyond just Mark and Lana, all of the characters are excellent at being naturally funny and comedic timing. Especially how absolutely nobody in this book is subtle about pushing Mark and Lana together. If only Mark weren't so stubbornly dumb this book would've been around 100 or more pages shorter. That said, I would not desire to miss out on anything that unfolded.

This book is long. I wish this book was shorter just so I could reach a satisfying conclusion faster. Even so, there isn't a moment I would cut out. I was flat-out drinking up the drama like it was the perfect daytime tv soap opera with a cowboy twist. 

Even if this is a 5-star read, there are a few small things that bothered me that seem worth addressing. Mark abandons Lana for almost 2 years I believe. If he was simply willing to communicate so much frustration could've been avoided. There is also a child in this book who would absolutely have fetal alcohol syndrome but that isn't mentioned at all. Despite the mother drinking heavily up to 4 months in, the baby is allegedly perfectly healthy. 

This book does include spice scenes. That said, the dirty jokes sprinkled throughout are actually quite funny.  In addition please look up a full list of trigger warnings before picking up this book because it dives into a lot of potentially triggering topics. 

I received this book as part of a release team. My review is completely voluntary.

Crazy Little Thing by Ellie Thornton Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

3.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Multiple POV

➮ Rockstar MMC

➮ Slow burn

➮ Second chance romance

➮ Miscommunication

Synopsis

Kate is a librarian who has recently entirely sworn off men. Kate ends up needing help to clean the library in preparation for a contest. Kate's best friend Samantha enlists the help of Axel, a world-famous rockstar (not that Kate knows that). Axel is in town to get away from his crazy life and visit his grandparents. His grandfather Don and his conniving group of friends are hatching a plan to "help" Axel. 

My Thoughts

This book is part of a series of interconnected standalones about the residents of Diamond Cove setting up their family members. This story follows Don setting up his grandson Axel. The elderly folks' scheming makes this book have a very charming vibe. 

This story combines a few of my favorite things, libraries, animals, and music. With many cute library moments, hilarious animal interactions, and copious musical references, it was a joy to read. I wasn't expecting gator pee to be amusing but here we are. A lot of animal moments in this story made me laugh.  If you are a music fan, you can expect to appreciate the many nods to classic songs. 

This book has SO much miscommunication. Kate thinks Axel is a bodyguard and a homeless person. Axel didn't covey things correctly to Kate. Basically, every moment of significant communication goes wrong. If you hate the miscommunication trope this book is not for you. Their miscommunication is what propels the plot. 

I could stand to see this book be a little bit shorter. There were definitely a couple of scenes that felt like they were dragging on. There were a few pages I was tempted to only skim. 

The story is set during the Halloween season. That said, it isn't spooky at all or particularly season-focused. It is much more Florida-themed compared to Halloween-themed. 

Family bond focus is the heart of this book, at least from Axel's perspective. Many of his family members are prominent characters. This focus adds a lot to the overall sweetness of the story. The family quirks and a bit of drama felt reminiscent of real families. 

Do keep in mind there is a partial focus on Alzheimer's as well as a few other much more minor triggers. 

Overall, I enjoyed this mostly fluff romance story. The family moments, animal moments, and music references are what sold it to me. The miscommunication was the biggest contributor to what I didn't love about this book. Nothing about it is super unique or stand-out but if you are looking for a cute fluffy romance with animals and meddling grandparents, this book is a great choice.

I received this book as an ARC and this is a completely voluntary review. 

The Other Murder by Kevin Chapman Review

* This review is spoiler-free *

4/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Multiple POVs

➮ Butterfly effect

Synopsis

Hannah Hawthorne is a cable news producer who is looking to revive her career. Paulo is a local newspaper reporter looking to bring more attention to the lives of locals. When an NYU sophomore is found dead in Central Park a frenzy ensues. Paulo wants to shed light on the other murder in the park that night, Hannah wants to solve the case, the media wants the juiciest story, the police want to keep the public out, and the people involved want to fly under the radar. The Other Murder follows all of their perspectives as the two murders bring these people together. 

Best Quote From the Book

“Hannah kept chasing the tentacles of the Angelica Monroe story, which were spreading out in every possible direction."

My Thoughts

This book follows the perspectives of at least seven characters. That said, it is all written in the third person. It was like there were a lot of different side plots like a TV  show yet every perspective unravels the main plot. At first, these many perspectives got a bit confusing as I was getting to know all of the characters. That said, it was totally worth it to get the rich depth about the two murders from the lens of many different people all with different motives. 

My biggest qualm with this book is that it is set in the active present. More specifically, modern-day truly 2024. There was a brief mention of the pandemic and I have to be honest it took me out of the book for a good bit. I would've liked it more if the book was set in the present without such clear and distinct time markers making it feel too, meta. 

This book does an INCREDIBLE job of demonstrating how one incident can shape the lives of many people. The deaths of Angelica and Javier connected so many people who would've never given each other a second chance otherwise. It goes to show how powerful the butterfly effect can be. One brief moment directly and indirectly shaped the lives of many people forever. I wonder how many indirect events have shaped the direction of my life?

I am not sure why exactly this happened but I did find myself starting to make much slower progress with the book at about the halfway point and beyond. Perhaps that was the point where the story started to become much more complex and took me longer to process. 

There is one moment at the end of the book I just, cannot forgive. All I will say is why Paulo, why would you do that? That alone knocked the book down a quarter of a star because it just seemed so insane and out of character. 

Thought-provoking book club questions. If you do give this book a chance, I would love to hear what you think about what this book has to say about the criminal justice system and reporting. I didn't dive into that aspect in my review because it didn't really shape my opinion of the book. 

In sum, this book stands out a lot to me as a part of the mystery genre. I greatly appreciate the power of the many perspectives around the murders. Hearing from so many voices provided so much richness and variety while all being about the ramifications of about 15 minutes if that. 

Twisted Hate by Ana Huang Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

3/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Enemies to lovers

➮ Forced proximity

➮ Best friend's brother

➮ Dual POV

Synopsis

Josh Chen and Jules Ambrose are the classic enemies duo. Josh is a cocky doctor who has an affinity for talking women out of their clothes. Jules is his sister's best friend who has been a thorn in his side for years. When their lives are thrown together more than before, they agree to be enemies with benefits. Their demons catch up with them and turn their relationship into hellish chaos. 

Best Quote From the Book

“'Sometimes, people change. And sometimes, they meet people who make them want to change.' 

'And sometimes people sound like a human fortune cookie.'"

My Thoughts

This book follows Ava from Twisted Love's brother Josh. I was inclined to continue reading this series because of Twisted Games and Bridget's story which I quite enjoyed. This book left me feeling simply disappointed. 

The one part of this book I really liked was Jules and Josh's back and forth. They had a legitimate reason to go from enemies to lovers. It didn't force them together too quickly and their relationship took an extended period of time to actually develop and for their distaste towards each other to morph into something more. They also didn't ignore that Josh is Jules's best friend's brother which introduces its own challenges. 

Josh was legitimately supportive as Jules dealt with her grief and complicated life situation. The way he asked her out in a bookstore was a bookish girl's dream. There are redeemable moments for them and their relationship. Hence this book got three stars instead of a lower score. 

The first half of the plot was engaging and kept me on my toes excited to see what happens next. After that though... it just droned on and on and on. There was an excellent stopping point of the book at the nine-and-a-half-hour mark. The book continued on for five and a half more hours... At that point I was just desperate for the book to end and the senseless drama and smut scenes to stop. The back third of the book was just so murky and stereotypical and hard to root for them. I blatantly stopped liking Josh and believed he wasn't deserving of Jules by the end. 

This book is the spiciest in the series thus far. Instead of being an adult romance, this is starting to lean into the realm of erotica. The plot of this book is just so unnecessarily long and it all feels like an excuse to create more and more smut with a loose sense of plot. If you are going to read a book for smut, there are honestly much better series for it and a plot that is actually worth reading. 

In the end, I don't recommend this book. Stick to the first two of the series. It was entirely too long by 100s of pages/hours of the audiobook. Their relationship is hard to root for by the end. Most importantly, it just becomes a poor version of smut. 

Y'allywood Billionaire by Terra Weiss Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.75/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Enemies to lovers

➮ Coworkers to lovers

➮ Fake dating

➮ Forced proximity

Synopsis

Maddox and Riley are co-stars in a popular TV crime series Urban Dawn. On the screen they are a steamy duo, off the screen they don't even talk. That was until an awkward encounter at a nude beach leaves them reeling. As they begin a fake relationship for ratings, they have to deal with getting to know the real versions of each other.

Best Quote From the Book

“I want to try. Whatever it is, I want to make it work. I'm into this Riley. This feels different for me."

My Thoughts

Maddox and Riley feel like a pairing where it makes sense that they ended up being forced together. They have a lot of loved ones in common and their characters have a lot of chemistry. 

Who would've thought toilet paper gowns would be something to bond over? This concept really summarizes the type of humor this book has. They end up in wacky situations and have to do their best to figure it out in some rather wild ways. The humor in this book reminds me of A Love Catastrophe in that it involves a lot of comedic and clumsy chaos. 

This book also has a deep-running family and found family storyline. Particularly with the loss of Riley's grandmother. These relationships help push the story forward and give the characters purpose beyond their roles in Urban Dawn. 

I really like the pacing of this book. The various plot points are perfectly placed. It keeps things exciting but is still easy to follow. As a first read of 2024, I am quite happy with it. The cast of characters is so genuinely funny and engaging. For a group of rich people, they are quite down-to-earth and not snobby. I'd be happy to read other books that follow other members of this group. 

For once a book where people set boundaries and defend them. It was such a refreshing inclusion. When Riley and Maddox establish their fake relationship, they clearly state what they are and are not okay with. After establishing the ground rules, they stick to them and enforce them. I'd appreciate seeing more of this from the fake dating trope. 

This book provides a nice representation of the positive benefits of therapy. Riley genuinely benefits from it and it isn't blown out of the water that she sought help for her mental health. 

My one complaint about this book is the inclusion of the pandemic. Honestly, it is just too soon for me to enjoy reading about characters suffering from the ramifications of the pandemic. It felt a bit too, currently accurate to keep it a nice reading experience for that portion of the book. 

The plot twist at the end (which I will not say too much about) is very perfect for Riley's character. It spreads an important social message and is an important reminder that our actions and decisions do impact others.

This book does have a few spicy scenes so keep that in mind. They can be skipped but are embedded in chapters. 

As a note, I did get the chance to read this book as an ARC. This review is entirely voluntary. I really enjoyed this reading experience. With a fun cast of characters, positive mental health representation, excellent pacing, and lots of funny moments, I am happy to recommend this book. 

Twisted Games by Ana Huang Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Princess x bodyguard

➮ Dual pov

➮ Enemies to lovers

➮ Age-gap

Synopsis

Rhys Larsen is a stoic bodyguard who has vowed to never get emotionally involved with his clients. That was until he met Bridget von Ascheberg... a rebellious and stubborn princess. Bridget desires freedom, and Rhys desires her. Their love could tear her whole kingdom apart.

Best Quote From the Book

“ I came back despite knowing the torture I’d have to go through because I can’t stay away from you. Even when you’re not there, you’re everywhere. In my head, in my lungs, in my fucking soul."

My Thoughts

Of all of the girls in the series I know of so far, Bridget is by far my favorite. She is so fun, spunky, and determined. As I mentioned in my Twisted Love review, I adore Brdget's character and attitude. Hence, I thoroughly enjoyed her story because it meant I got more from her. The royalty drama she brings is also a nice change of pace from Ava's story.

Yet another protective guy! Similar to Alex, Rhys would move mountains for Bridget if he thought it would make her life easier. There are lots of times his protectiveness bothers Bridget but it is really just how he shows he cares. There is one scene in particular involving an at-home festival and it is honestly one of my favorite scenes from the entire series. Rhys is a lot easier to root for compared to Alex. He truly is the embodiment of "if he wanted to he would."

Rhys amused me frequently during his many attempts to remain stoic. Unsurprisingly, Birdget's openness rubs off on him and he often fails dramatic to keep his stoic and cold persona active while around her. 

My rating decreased a bit because of a very confusing last-minute plot twist. I am all for books not ending as a reader expects them to, but I genuinely lost complete track of what was going on and the various relationships between the different characters. It sucked me out of the reading experience and led to me just feeling as though the book didn't know how to wrap itself up. 

As a warning, this book is very spicy. Many chapters are unskippable with this content. If those kinds of scenes are not your preference, this series is not the one for you. 

Overall, I will always be a fan of a book that has Bridget as one of the characters. I can say with confidence she is one of my favorite characters of 2023. I look forward to seeing if she will have any notable roles in the rest of the series. Rhys was very charming and caring towards Bridget which was nice to see. The royal drama plotline helped differentiate this story from Twisted Love. It is truly a series of interconnected standalones. 

December 2023 Reads

  December 2023 Reads 

This month I read 13 books 

These books were 100% fiction

The most popular genres were romance, young adult, and contemporary

My average rating was 3.88 stars

The Books

➽ We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

➽ Allure by Yuri Ebihara

➽ The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

➽ Book Lovers by Emily Henry

➽ Twisted Love by Ana Huang

➽ Heartstopper Volumes 1-5 by Alice Oseman

➽ Twisted Games by Ana Huang

➽ A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting

➽ 'Tis the Season by Bonnie Hardy

A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

3.75/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Opposites attract

➮ Dual pov

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ Cat lover and dog lover

Synopsis

Kitty Hart is a popular cat-sitter known as the Kitty Whisperer. Recently she has found her life to be lacking excitement and she hopes the new client will bring back some excitement. Miles Thorn is a dog person who has his mother's cat Prince Francis thrust upon him. When he desperately needs Kitty's help, they get off to a clumsy start. This book follows their hilariously wacky story. 

Best Quote From the Book

“Losing someone you're close to is... like having a piece of your soul go missing that you can't ever get back."

My Thoughts

When I first saw there was a book with both cats and hockey I was like "sign me up!" The cat content in this book was hilarious and adorable the entire time. I think romance may be considered a subplot. It's almost entirely about trauma and Prince Francis, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

Speaking of trauma, it felt a bit like their relationship was built on trauma bonding which just isn't healthy. Perhaps this is my psychology brain kicking in, but how much of their connection is just them wallowing in both losing a loved one? I am not sure what else other than that they even had in common. If they had more to bond over, the relationship would've been much healthier. 

I will also say if you do decide to read this book, keep an eye out for the Telsa key scene. It genuinely had me laughing out loud. It showed the complete bumbling clumsiness Kitty and Miles both have. As a clumsy person myself, I relate to how often they accidentally end up in various situations. 

This book does have some spicy scenes. When these spicy scenes are read out loud (as per the audiobook), they are rather dorky and a bit cringy to witness. It probably would've been better if I were reading the physical book.  If you are looking for good spice this isn't the book.

Overall this book was good for a romcom. It had me laughing often and I liked seeing what hijinks Kitty and Miles will get themselves into next. The spicy scenes were a bit awkward to listen to so I would recommend the physical version of the book. I don't think this book did anything special or was particularly memorable. Even so, it was a nice read. Lastly, I would've liked to see more bonding that isn't related to their trauma. 

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.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.75/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Enemies to lovers

➮ Coworkers to lovers

➮ Small-town romance

Synopsis

Nora has spent her whole life surrounded by books. She works as a literary agent who struggles with a sharky reputation. When book editor Charlie Lastra knocks her down a few pegs, she will do whatever it takes to prove him wrong. Seems like fate is keeping them together.

Best Quote From the Book

“ That’s life. You’re always making decisions, taking paths that lead you away from the rest before you can see where they end. Maybe that’s why we as a species love stories so much. All those chances for do-overs, opportunities to live the lives we’ll never have."

My Thoughts

Same amazing banter as always. In addition, the progression in the story is quite natural, which seems to be a staple of Emily Henry's writing. I always like how while there are plenty of tropes yet they feel like a realistic situation. People aren't overly fluffy or getting themselves into situations that would literally never happen. It feels like a situation that could really happen. It is a nice addition to the romance genre. You also get to spend a large portion of the book actually seeing a functional couple progressing through life instead of waiting the entire book hoping people end up together. 

This book adds a twist to a small-town romance. Instead of the farmer boy or mayor's daughter sort of vibe, they are both working adults with successful careers that were in New York. 

My favorite part of this book by far is the focus on the sisterly bond. Unlike most romance books, the bond between Nora and her sister Libby helps carry the story just as much as the dynamic between Nora and Charlie. It's refreshing to see a story that isn't weighed down by romance fluff or too much focus on only two characters. I love seeing Libby and Nora interact and care for each other. 

Can I just take a moment to talk about how excellent of a partner Charlie is. Everything he does for Nora and the way he treats her is just so sweet and attentive. I think he might be my favorite book boyfriend of the year. 

Overall this book is fantastic and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the literary world, like romance, or is looking for a more realistic story. I will never cease to be amazed by Emily Henry's ability to create an engaging but plausible story. 

As a note, there is some spice in this book but it isn't too long. 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

3.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Multiple timelines

➮ String theory

➮ Book about books

Synopsis

The Midnight Library is a place between life and death. In this place, you have the chance to try out different lives that you could've had if you had made different choices in life. Nora finds herself in this library. Nora then gets to experiment with who she could've been. 

Best Quote From the Book

“ If you aim to be something you are not, you will always fail. Aim to be you. Aim to look and act and think like you. Aim to be the truest version of you. Embrace that you-ness. Endorse it. Love it. Work hard at it. And don't give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it. Most gossip is envy in disguise."

LGBTQ+ Representation

2/5 🌈

I was very surprised to find that there was any LGBTQ+ representation in this book at all. Nora's brother is gay. In the story, Nora ends up encouraging him to be out and proud. She also helps set him up with a guy he would be happy with. Overall I appreciate the acceptance but she still has some initial surprise about finding out about her brother. I can say as an LGBTQ+ person if someone comes out to me, I may still be a bit initially surprised but of course, end up accepting them fully. It felt very real yet not overly focused on. 

My Thoughts

This book gives so much to think about yet I don't actually have all that much to say. I can admit it feels like I am back in my philosophy classes again just trying to wrap my head around all this book has done. In the end, it teaches a very valuable life lesson about appreciating the life you currently have and making the most of it. With the power to be anyone you could've been, it would be highly tempting to go for fortune, success, infamy, or a simple life. It then becomes a difficult decision about what you actually want and living a life with minimal regrets. No matter where you end up, you will probably have regrets. The challenge then becomes to decide how much regret and what ifs can you tolerate and what can you do to minimize them. 

Other than not being the biggest fan of fantasy in general, I did find the book to be confusing at times. First of all, there were so many different lives Nora endured it all started to blend together. That said, I have a feeling this was a purposeful choice by Matt Haig. The reader gets confused and muddied along with Nora's desire to keep exploring the library. That said, I still had a lot of trouble identifying the roles of people in the various lives compared to who Nora knew them as in her original life. So by about the halfway point of the book, I was just sort of letting the words wash over me with minimal comprehension. 

Overall I enjoyed the questions and contemplation this book elicits more than the actual experience of reading the book. I feel much more appreciative of the life I have and what I can do to make the most of it. I highly recommend this book if you have someone you can discuss it with. I think it would be highly beneficial to jot down your thoughts about this book as you read it to see how your thinking and perspective shift. 

Also, this book is written by an autistic author, so it is an amazing story to support!

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. 

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Review

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Adorable dogs

➮ Found family

➮ Thriller

Synopsis

Kira is a teenager who trains dogs for search and rescue missions. One day a mission ends up getting her whole found family involved. It didn't help that the case hit rather close to home. Kira has to prove herself as a trainer and that her dog Saskia can handle the role. Kira and her family then embark on a dark and twisted adventure full of adorable dogs and confounding discoveries. 

Best Quote From the Book

“'Now would be a good time for you to say something,... propose a theory, and I will do my Sherlockian duty and tell you why you are wrong.'"

My Thoughts

Jennifer Lynn Barnes just proved again why she is my favorite author. Her timing for dropping hints and truth bombs keeps me on the edge of my seat desperate to turn to the next page the entire time. Perhaps I am especially tempted by fast-paced books because they avoid dragging on too much. Her carefully crafted level of detail combined with her fantastic plot created a story that defines what it means to be a page-turner. 

The Lovely and The Lost excels at portraying familial bonds. I will never fail to be a sucker for a well-written found family. While Kira's found family is mostly a result of a foster relationship, it felt like Kira, her foster brother Jude, and their boundaryless neighbor Free felt like an inevitable trio. Watching their bond strengthen and their trust in one another keep them alive, literally, brought a fuzzy feeling. 

For those who have read this book, I think we would all be honored to have Cady as a mother figure. She was the strong-willed yet understanding counter to Kira's rougher persona. Watching them interact demonstrated how familial love trumps all. I hope to see more role models like Cady in literature. 

If you thought I was going to get through this review without a paragraph dedicated to doggy cuteness, you are sorely mistaken. The dog-centered moments of the story pulled at the heartstrings and showed how a dog and human bond isn't something to scoff at. One of my favorite doggy moments was when Free's dog Duchess was continually referred to as Her Ladyship. This kept me laughing for a while. The dog team is also another excellent example of how much search-and-rescue efforts rely on unwavering trust. Seeing the different personalities and approaches of the dog and trainer duos shed light on an often under-appreciated element of rescue missions. 

I was honestly surprised to see that this book was written relatively recently in Barnes's career because it has a much different feel regarding the found family aspect than her other series. Perhaps that is because the found family is well-established so nothing has to be said outright like in her other series. The love and unconditional trust is already there. Despite being thrown into the middle of their lives, it feels as if as a reader you've known the Bennett family's dynamic for years. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book with its unique balance of wholesome, dark, and funny moments. The found family aspect is probably my favorite part of the book that doesn't involve massive spoilers. I wish I could've talked about my thoughts about the case but I want to keep that experience a secret for anyone who may want to read it. I recommend this book for dog lovers and those looking for a book to pull at their heartstrings while we all shelter inside from the chilly weather. 

October 2023 Reads

  October 2023 Reads 

This month I read 7 books 

These books were 86% fiction

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and young adult

My average rating was 3.68 stars

The Books

➽ The Guncle by Steven Rowley

➽ The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

➽ It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

➽ Guts by Raina Telgemeier

➽ Much Ado About You by Samantha Young

➽ The Secret Summer Promise by Keah Brown

➽ I Didn't Do It by Jaime Lynn Hendricks

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Review

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ LGBTQ+ Rep

➮ Flowing narrative

➮ Forbidden soulmates

➮ Immoral MC

Synopsis

This story dives into the wild tale of Evelyn Hugo. A woman who will get what she wants, no matter what it takes. In doing so, she accumulated a surprising number of husbands, all of which she outlived. The one to be able to tell her story? Monique Grant, an unknown magazine reporter. This opportunity is the chance of a lifetime for Monique to get her career off the ground, but why her?

Best Quote From the Book

“It's always been fascinating to me how things can be simultaneously true and false, how people can be good and bad all in one, how someone can love you in a way that is beautifully selfless while serving themselves ruthlessly."

LGBTQ+ Representation

4/5 🌈

In an attempt to avoid too many major spoilers, this part of my review will not be all that in-depth. A number of the main characters in the story are LGBTQ+ and must live with the fact that the world is not yet ready for public queer relationships. The sacrifices made in the story are akin to many stories of people who had to keep their true feelings and desires hidden from the world in order to create a difference in it. 

My Thoughts

This story became a five-star for me not long after I read it because I am confident that I will not be forgetting it any time soon. Evelyn and Monique's story gives a glimpse into how money cannot buy happiness but it can certainly change what are considered problems in your life. Even in the lives of the rich and famous, it can be truly challenging to balance what is important for you versus what is important for your place in the world. Reid does an excellent job of making Monique and Evelyn's relationship as stilted but comforting as it should be. I found myself thinking throughout the story "Ah yes that is so perfectly Evelyn" based on the various things she did. Reid is one of the best I have read so far in terms of creating a fleshed-out character with flaws that are easy to predict in a comfortable way. As if you've witnessed these characters for much longer than a single book. 

The entire time it felt like I was sitting down for a nice chat with Evelyn, letting her ramble on about notable moments in her life. Instead of feeling like an omnipotent person observing what happens to the characters, it feels like Evelyn and Monique are in the room with me. I'm sure this effect was strengthed because I was listening to the audiobook. The narrators did an excellent job keeping the entire book feeling conversational. 

Can I take a moment to say, the plot twist at the end had me reeling. It truly tied all of the loose ends together in a neat little bow and brought everything into focus. I will keep my thoughts at that as to avoid spoilers but this is honestly just me highly recommending this book. 

My favorite part of this book other than the conversational aspect is the lesson it teaches readers at the end. As I'm sure you can tell by the title, Evelyn is not the most blessed in the successful love story department. Despite this, she learned the value of unconventional loves. Whether this is platonic, a non-traditional relationship, a familial bond, or a soulmate that is simply your best friend. It is okay to want to spend your life with someone (or multiple people) that you are not romantically attracted to. What works for your life and fulfills you is more than enough. It doesn't have to be considered settling just because it doesn't fit in the traditional box. Even if this desire changes throughout your life, that is okay too. Accept your life will have phases and what is the best for you in one phase may not be the best for you in the next. 

In sum, read this book. Even if you do not love it, I can promise it is an entertaining read that provides many valuable life lessons in a genuine way. You should especially heed my recommendation because I am not usually the biggest fan of historical novels. I am sold on Evelyn's story and it is one I will be thinking about a while longer.