Checking in for a fun Christmas book review! I think that this is my first Piper Rayne book, and I know it wont be my last. If an author can write a good Christmas book that keeps me hooked the entire time and gave it some depth…I know I can find enjoyment in others from them.
This book is so fun! It was giving me big Planes, Trains and Automobile vibes meets romcom and I am here for it! The way the meet cute went down was hilarious and unique. This has everything you want in a Christmas romcom; enemies to lovers, forced proximity, small town charm and festive fun. It was a slow burn that went at just the right speed. I loved Tre’s family and the characters we meet in WY along the way. Getting to know the back story of Tess and Tre added some depth to the book. Christmas stories are usually really light, and I appreciated the layers in this. I am so glad I picked this one up, I couldn’t set it down! Now if you have read this one, did you gasp too??? You know what I am talking about!
Bottom Line: Read it!
**I received a copy of Claus and Effect in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**
Book reviews coming in hot! I may post the second half of my November reading this month later. You can always find them on Instagram too. I got behind this month updating on there, I want to be better about doing them in real time again. I read so many good books this month, several are 5 star reads! Let’s get into it!
I wasn’t sure what to think of this book going in, but goodness did I enjoy it. It reminds me a bit of the bookish version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It was such a fun book filled with magic, wishes, love (both platonic and a little of the other kind), stories, just all the wonderful things. It started out a little slow for me, but once I was about 15-20% in….I was in hard and couldn’t stop.
Bottom Line: Read it
**I received a copy of The Wishing Game from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**
I really enjoy Sophie’s books. I feel like they always have a unique plot that is obviously not realistic, but then she makes you feel like it is with wonderful writing and in depth characters. I think we have all been there in our twenties, struggling and wanting to “skip to the good part of our life.” This book gave major 13 going on 30 vibes. I absolutely ADORED Felix, he had to be my favorite character in the book. And can we talk about Sam for a minute? Could he be more perfect? This book left me thinking a lot about it when I wasn’t reading it and what I would do in the given situation. And if a book has me thinking about it in my own life, then I know its a good one. The only thing I will say, is that I feel like the ending was a little rushed, I wanted more. And maybe it was just because I was enjoying it that much, I just wasn’t ready for it to end.
Bottom Line: Read it!!!
**I received a copy of The Good Part from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**
This was such a fun novella that I through right through. I really enjoyed how the characters were introduced. You get just enough of a back story and depth of them so that you feel like you know them, and then it just gets hot and fun from there. I definitely would have liked a full story version of this plot, it was so fun. Snowed in, reverse age gap, instalove. A great way to kick off my Christmas reading! Valerie Pepper never disappoints.
Bottom Line: Read it
**I received a copy of Naughty All the Way in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**
This book has been on my TBR for years. Some of my favorite bookish friends gushed over it and for some reason I just never got around to reading it. Well, I devoured it in 24 hours, could not stop. This is the slowest of slow burns in the best way possible and I am so sad I am done with the book. I enjoyed the characters so much. I totally get the hype. This has so many good things, there is a lot of character development due to the slower pace, a marriage of convenience, hate to love, football, boss and employee, good side characters. Just everything!
Bottom Line: Read it!
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zeven
This book moved very slow at times, and I had a really hard time sticking with it for awhile. I am so glad I did, because I do love Zeven’s writing. There is so much creativity in this book when you consider all the games that were developed in it, all the details from the games being shared and then some interwoven into the story. These characters were unlikable at times because they felt so real. They were all so flawed and each had their own set of issues and odd things about them. I have always loved video games since I received Super Nintendo for Christmas way back in elementary school. My husband was a big gamer and we have a huge collection. So the nostalgia this book gave was right on. I don’t think you have to be into games though to appreciate the beautiful writing and storyline. This is one I will think about long after I read it. And I cant say that about many books. My only thing was that I felt it could be a little shorter, it did drag in parts which has me giving it a 4.5.
Bottom line: Read it!
**I received an ARC copy of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.**
Book reviews! I am going to go ahead and post the first half of October books now to turn in one of my ARC reviews, and because I already have four down and two more started so I know I should have enough for another post by the end of the month! I always like to get more into thrillers and mysteries in the fall months, and if you hang out til the end, you will see I have also started my holiday reading! My favorite time of year for books!
Wow. While reading this book, I was like what am I even reading???? Several times. And by reading, I mean listening, as I consumed this one on audiobook and the narration cast was fantastic!!! It really added so much to the book with music and background noise during interviews with other people, the podcast recordings, and then different narrators for different POV. So fantastic! But back to the book! You obviously know from the title that there is going to be an unreliable character, and it doesn’t take long to figure out who. The way that Josie slithers her way into Alix’s life is just….creepy! And like Alix, you can’t help but be all in on Josie’s story. And then Alix of course has some of her own problems. I will probably be thinking about this one for awhile, which marks a good book.
Bottom Line: Read it! Definitely check out the audio version if you enjoy audiobooks!
I am going to be totally honest here, I started this book twice on ebook and just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t give it much of a chance and had so many other things I wanted to read, so I set it aside. I ended up waiting until the book came out on audio at my library, hoping the narrator would pull me in. She does a fantastic job with the narration! This is a story within a story, and I was bored with both of them in the beginning. I didn’t really start getting into the book until about 30-40% in, and then I flew through the rest wanting to see where the story was going. I figured out quite a few things on my own before they happened, but there were a few twists. I think I enjoyed this one more than Hawkins last book.
Bottom Line: Even though it started off slow, I am glad I hung in there because I quite enjoyed the second half and found it interesting.
**I received a copy of The Villa from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.**
I don’t know what it is about this book, but I absolutely loved it! All the characters are so interesting and I loved to see how they are all part of the story. Cozy mysteries can be so hard, because they often come off cheesy at times, but that isn’t the case at all with this one. I just loved Vera and the whole gang and I found it very hard to put down. I consumed this one on audio and I highly recommend the audio version, as it was done so well. I am not going to say anymore about the storyline, because this is just one that you will have to read and enjoy on your own. And now I want a cup of tea.
Bottom Line: Read it!
Once Upon a Christmas Kiss by Ciara Knight, Brenda Lowder, Susan Carlisle, Terra Weiss, Susan Sands, Christy Hayes
This is a collection of short stories that all revolve around the book Once Upon a Christmas Kiss that gets passed around the town of Cherry Creek. I loved each of their stories in their own way, each sweet and full of Christmas cheer. We all know going into these short stories that you wont get a lot of depth, it is impossible in just a few chapters each. But with that said, I feel like you definitely get to know these characters a little and feel a spark between them. My favorites were Sawyer and Dawson’s story and Brandon and Laurel’s story. I have read a few other books by Terra Weiss, and she is definitely someone I seek out to read. The other authors were new to me and I wouldn’t mind checking out some of their other works as well. This book gives Hallmark Christmas Movie binge feels and I am here for it!
Bottom Line: Read it
**I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.**
This was a great way to jump into my fall reading. I prefer to read these type of books more in the fall/winter. It took me a little while to get into, as there are many character POVs, plus time jumping. There are some characters that aren’t very likeable, as is expected with this type of book. I will say, there were several things that I didn’t see coming! I even gasped in a few spots. I loved the creepy feeling you get on the island and the slow burn as it all played out. Definitely recommend.
Bottom Line: Read it!
Mr Big Shot by RS Grey
I devoured this book, as I always do when it comes to R.S. Grey! So many tropes! You have hot boss, forced proximity, fake dating, off limits, age gap. Goodness. And they all somehow worked perfectly in a way only R.S. Grey can pull off!!! I enjoyed this one immensely. The whit and banter are on point and had me smiling the whole way through. Fantastic cast of characters and storyline. Loved the dual point of view. I cannot wait to get my hands on her next one!
Bottom Line: Read it!!
**I received a copy of Mr Big Shot in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**
Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailer
Now, usually I love Tessa Bailey for her characters and her spicy scenes. And while I did like both Natalie and August, they were both a bit immature for me. August is an Ex Navy Seal, and I loved his strong, alpha man personality…but I felt like we could have gone a lot deeper with his PTSD to make the book more interesting. It was fun getting to revisit the Voss family and the cute little town. I just wanted more from the book. And maybe a little less of the cringy dirty talk. The relationship was missing that depth I love in a romcom.
Bottom Line: Read it if you enjoyed the first and Tessa Bailey is your jam.
This was an office romance/hate to love trope that had me swooning! We meet Casey, a super smart, finance girl who just had her promotion snubbed from her by Alex, the bosses son. He knows there is some tension between them, but doesn’t know the reason why. Watching these two go from hate to love was such a fun ride! We watch Casey grow and figure out who she is, there is a lot of personal growth for both characters. This one will pull at your heartstrings and make you feel all warm and fuzzy. I definitely look forward to reading more from Clare Gilmore!
Bottom Line: Read it
**I received a copy of Love Interest from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**
This book was recommended to me by both my doctor and my RD. This book is packed full with valuable information that will benefit everyone. While I do not have numbers that show insulin resistance or diabetes in bloodwork, I do feel highs and crashes all day long and now I know why! Just doing a few of the hacks in this book has me feeling so much better and I cant wait to incorporate even more, I am all about taking steps and not a total overhaul overnight. I highly suggest this book, or at least following her on Instagram!
Bottom Line: read it!
The Glucose Goddess Method by Jessie Inchauspe
Reading this book for the actual material isn’t necessary if you read her first book, Glucose Revolution. But if you want an exact plan to follow to get started and lots of recipes, then you will want to check out this book as well. I liked that she broke down the four most important hacks to start and gives you an easy way to incorporate them into your life, one week at a time so it isn’t too overwhelming.
I had a very slow start to the reading month, I was reading a nonfiction hormone book that took me awhile to get through, then Mac passed away and I wasn’t in the mood to read anything. I got an ARC copy for a book I was really excited about and made myself start it and got my reading mojo back and finished with a decent amount of books for the month!
Valerie instantly became a must read author for me. Someone on TikTok described her as Tessa Bailey’s sassy southern sister, and I 100% agree with that. If you like Tessa, give her a try for sure! The Guided Love Series takes place in Talladega, which makes my Bama girl heart happy. The cute little town makes me feel right at home. I love the first in the series, and this one is just as good! There is some serious steam, a badass coffee shop owner, a hot firefighter, the meddling townsfolk…what is not to love??? Watching the relationship between Jodi and Price bloom makes me so happy. I love that there is some depth to Price and how he was on a journey to bettering himself, definitely had the misunderstood bad boy thing going for him. And Jodi always trying to be the people pleaser and base for her family, she had some growth throughout the book as well. I cannot wait to read the next one in this series!
**I received an ARC copy from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**
I was excited to dive back into Olive and Ethan’s world, with Olive’s sister and Brody as the main focus in this quick read. I believe this is only available on audio? And it was such a fun cast of characters, very enjoyable to listen to. It was a whirlwind of wedding planning and watching Ami and Brody get to know each other. Definitely read Unhoneymooners first, as there would be far too many spoilers in this one if you didn’t. Why is no one talking about this??
Love Joshilyn Jackson books and was super excited to get an ARC of this one. I actually read it after it was released, sorry!!! I took a little while to get into this one at first, but once I got a good footing of all the characters and what was going on, I really flew through it! It isn’t thriller level, but I appreciated the mystery behind who trying to figure out who the stalker was and trying to guess if it was someone she already knew. There were some unreliable characters that kept me on my toes. I guessed several things before they happened, but didn’t guess the actual stalker, so that was nice. I really loved Honor, she was such a great kid character. My only complaint was that the ending happened quickly and I wanted a little more from it.
Bottom Line: Read it!
**I received a copy of My Little Eye from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**
Loved this one and flew through it. The book switches back and forth in timeline, which I liked the layout of. I also enjoyed Fern’s mom’s diary readings, though I felt like they could have been more. Fern and Will were relatable characters and their history was messy and relatable. The setting of the resort was dreamy and the perfect way to finish out my “summer reading.” I think I liked Every Summer After a little more, but still enjoyed this one a lot.
There is no doubt in my mind that our food supply is our biggest problem when it comes to our health today. I have done so much research and really opened my eyes over the last several years. Big Food and Big Pharma run everything and it is always about money and never about what is actually good for us. It is obvious that the author of this book has done a lot of research over the years and he makes some excellent points throughout the book. I will say, I did get a little bored at times, as there is a lot of science and medical talk. He makes an excellent case to consider eliminating wheat and gluten from your diet.
I enjoyed this one! It was a romance/mystery book that drew me in right away and had me guessing through the end. It isn’t a thriller by any means, but it wasn’t advertised as such either. It was the perfect read at the beginning of September when I want to grab more mysteries. I loved the small town feel. While I felt like Willow and Owen had sort of an insta-love, it worked in this book. They were both broken from their pasts and just clicked really well together. Willow was a badass, restoring the old home and running her business. I loved all the side characters from the town, especially the animals from the farm. It gave me all the feels. This is a new to me author, and I definitely want to read the next in the series!!
Bottom Line: Read it!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I found this book interesting and informative. I wont do everything in the book, but I am definitely glad I read it and have some key take aways I want to implement. Trying to find what works for you and your body is always difficult!
