Book Review – Under the Stars by Laura Pavlov

Synopsis:

My new assistant is all smiles and sunshine—and she’s about to set fire to my cold, grumpy heart.

I’ve moved to this god-forsaken small town to run the family business.
I need to hire a new PA and the pickings are slim.
Some say my irrational expectations are the reason I’ve gone through assistants quicker than most people refill their coffee.
Incompetence is my pet peeve.
If that makes me irrational, so be it.
Then Georgia Reynolds walks into my office.
Blonde hair.
Sapphire eyes.
And a smart mouth that irritates me as much as it turns me on.
On top of being a rockstar at her job, she is a ray of freaking sunshine on steroids.
I have no patience for it.
Nor for the way she flutters around the office like a modern-day Tinkerbell.
She has ridiculous taste in music.
Drives an unreasonable form of transportation.
And did I mention that I caught her dancing in my closet when I sent her on a simple errand?
My new assistant has somehow become my kryptonite.
But I am her boss, and I am not going to be a pathetic cliché.
It doesn’t matter that my cold, jaded heart has started beating again.
In my world, a beating heart makes you weak.
And I do not tolerate weaknesses.

My Review:
4.5 out of 5 stars

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it! I didn’t know this book was part of a series, but I’m super excited about that! I’m definitely going to go back and read the first book and am already looking forward to the next book in the series. The Reynolds family is amazing and I can’t wait to read more about them.

Georgia and Maddox were the perfect example of grumpy x sunshine. Their back and forth banter was hilarious. I loved that Maddox was able to help Georgia see her worth and Georgia helped show Maddox what familial love should be like. Their chemistry was evident from the beginning. I loved the nicknames that they had for each other. Maddox’s nickname for Georgia was my favorite and was so cute.

Tor Thom and Andi Arndt were both new-to-me narrators and I loved both of their performances! I will definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by them. They did an amazing job of bringing all of the characters to life.

*Thank you to Valentine PR for providing me with an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review – The Plus One by Mazey Eddings

Synopsis:

Some facts are indisputable. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Gravity exits. Indira doesn’t like Jude. Jude doesn’t like Indira. But what happens when these childhood enemies find the only thing they can rely on is each other?

On paper, Indira has everything together. An amazing job, a boyfriend, and a car. What more could a late twenty-something ask for? But when she walks in on her boyfriend in an amorous embrace with a stranger, that perfect on paper image goes up in flames.

Jude has nothing together. A doctor that’s spent the last three years traveling the world to treat emergencies and humanitarian crises, a quick trip home for his best friend’s wedding has him struggling to readjust.

Thrust into an elaborate (and ridiculously drawn out) wedding event that’s stressing Jude beyond belief and has Indira seeing her ex and his new girlfriend far more frequently than any human should endure, the duo strike a bargain to be each other’s fake dates to this wedding from hell. The only problem is, their forced proximity and fake displays of affection are starting to feel a bit… real, and both are left grappling with the idea that a situation that couldn’t be worse, is made a little better with the other around.

My Review:
5 out of 5 stars

I know it is only April, but this is without a doubt going to the top of my list of favorite books of the year.

Indira and Jude are absolutely everything. What started out as frenemies turned into a beautiful, supportive, encouraging love story. This book broke my heart over and over again with the depictions of anxiety, trauma, and PTSD, but it pieced it back together throughout their story.

“I’m really f*cking broken,” he admitted, the words ripped from his chest.”
“I’m not looking to fix you,” she said, staring straight into his eyes. “I’m here to love you.”

I cried several times throughout this book. Both Indira and Jude have struggles, but they helped each other through it all. I just loved the whole dynamic between the two of them – they respected boundaries, gave space when it was needed, and talked things out. They were there for each other, through the good and the bad.

The epilogue wrapped everything up beautifully. I cried happy tears while getting updates about the other couples in the previous books and getting to see how things turned out for everyone. These characters are going to be with me in my heart for a very long time!

Imani Jade Powers did a wonderful job with her portrayal of Indira in the audiobook. My favorite part of this audiobook was Joe’s portrayal of Jude though. The emotion in his voice when Jude was voicing his struggles and trauma had me absolutely sobbing. I can’t imagine anyone else doing the performance for these characters. Imani and Joe nailed it!

Book Review – The Dark King by Gina L Maxwell

Synopsis

For Bryn Meara, a free trip to the exclusive and ultra-luxe Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas should’ve been the perfect way to escape the debris of her crumbling career. But waking up from a martini-and-lust-fueled night to find herself married to Caiden Verran, the reclusive billionaire who owns the hotel and most of the city, isn’t the jackpot one would think. It seems her dark and sexy new husband is actual royalty—the fae king of the Night Court—and there’s an entire world beneath the veil of Vegas.

Whether light or shadow, the fae are a far cry from fairy tales, and now they’ve made Bryn a pawn in their dark games for power. And Caiden is the most dangerous of all—an intoxicating cocktail of sin and raw, insatiable hunger. She should run. But every night of passion pulls Bryn deeper into his strange and sinister world, until she’s no longer certain she wants to leave…even if she could.

My Review:
5 out of 5 stars

This was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last! I really loved this book and am looking forward to going back and reading through Gina’s backlist. This book gave me a lot of ACOTAR vibes but I’m here for it! Bryn and Caiden had amazing chemistry from the start and it only grew throughout the book. I loved both of their characters, as well as the side characters, especially Finn, Tier, and Fiona. I loved Bryn’s sass and determination. Her banter with Caiden and some of the other characters had me laughing out loud several times. I had a couple theories of what was happening throughout the book and was so excited when everything came together. I was not expecting that ending though!! I cannot wait to read the next book. This was my first time listening to an audiobook with Avery Reid and Aiden Snow as the narrators and they were both fantastic. I enjoyed listening to them both and they did a great job of bringing the characters to life. *I received an audio copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review – Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings

Synopsis

Lizzie has made endless mistakes. Kitchen fires, pyramid schemes, bangs (of the hair and human variety), you name it, she’s done it… and made a mess of it too. One mistake she’s never made is letting anyone get closer to her than a single hook-up. But after losing yet another bakery job due to her uncontrolled ADHD, she breaks her cardinal rule and has a two-night-stand that changes everything.

Once burned, twice shy, Rake has given up on relationships. And feelings. And any form of intimacy for that matter. Yet something about charming, chaotic Lizzie has him lowering his guard. For two nights, that is. Then it’s back home to Australia and far away from the pesky feelings Lizzie pulls from him. But when Lizzie tells him she’s got an unexpected bun in the oven, he’ll do whatever it takes to be a part of his child’s life… except be emotionally vulnerable, obviously. He’s never going to make that mistake again.

Through a series of mishaps, totally “platonic” single bed sharing, and an underground erotic baking scheme, Lizzie and Rake learn that even the biggest mistakes can have the most beautiful consequences.

My Review
5 out of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book!

Lizzie is such a wonderful, relatable character. She is full of sunshine and lives her life to the fullest with no regrets. I love that she laughs loud and often. I also loved seeing the ADHD rep in this book. Lizzie’s feelings and the way her brain works were described in a way that really lets Rake (as well as the reader) get to know and understand her. Rake is an amazing character too. I love that he never judged Lizzie and accepted her as she is.

Lizzie and Rake had amazing chemistry together and I loved watching their connection grow throughout the book as they got to know each other better. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times while listening to this book. Though there were a ton of funny moments, there were also serious moments where important conversations happened.

Another thing I loved in this book was the friend group. Everyone needs friends like these and I can’t wait to read Indira’s book next.

I listened to the audio version of this book and loved the narrators, Summer Morton and Will Peters. They both did a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life. Will absolutely nailed Rake’s Australian accent, which just made the audio experience even better!

*Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for providing me an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour + Review – Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne A. Brown

SERWA BOATENG’S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING 

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the SERWA BOATENG’S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING by Roseanne A. Brown Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway! 

About The Book:

Title: SERWA BOATENG’S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING(Serwa Boateng #1)

Author: Roseanne A. Brown

Pub. Date: September 6, 2022

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 400

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks,Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents best-selling YA author Roseanne A. Brown’s middle grade debut about a pre-teen vampire slayer with a strong helping of Ghanaian folklore.

For most kids, catching fireflies is a fun summer activity. For twelve-year-old Serwa Boateng, it’s a matter of life and death.

That’s because Serwa knows that some fireflies are really adze, shapeshifting vampires from the forests of Southeastern Ghana. Adze prey on the blood of innocents, possessing their minds and turning them into hulking monsters, and for generations, slayers like Serwa and her parents have protected an unknowing public from their threats.

Serwa is the best adze slayer her age, and she knew how to use a crossbow before she could even ride a bike. But when an obayifo (witch) destroys her childhood home while searching for a drum, do Serwa’s parents take her with them on their quest to defeat her? No. Instead, they dump Serwa with her hippie aunt and cryptic-obsessed cousin in the middle of Nowheresville, Maryland “for her own safety.” Now, instead of crossbows and battle armor, she’s dealing with mean girls and algebra, and for the first time in her life she doesn’t have to carry a staff everywhere she goes, which is . . . kind of nice, actually.

Just as Serwa starts to get the hang of this whole normal girl who doesn’t punch vampires every day thing, an adze infiltrates her school. It’s up to her to whip some of her classmates into monster-fighting shape before all of them become firefly food. And when she uncovers a secret that upends everything she thought she knew about her family’s role in the slayer vs. adze war, Serwa will have to decide which side of herself–normal girl or slayer–is the right one.

After all, seventh grade is hard enough without adding vampires to the mix.

My Review
5 out of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. It had my interest from the very beginning, with things happening almost immediately. This book was full of heart, humor, action, suspense, and important conversations. I really enjoyed learning about the Ghanaian folklore. Serwa was such a lovable character. I enjoyed seeing her grow throughout the story. I loved the unlikely friendships that she formed with some of her classmates, each of them bringing something different to the group. There were twists that I didn’t see coming and I wasn’t expecting that ending at all. I am so looking forward to the next book.

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About Roseanne A. Brown:

Roseanne “Rosie” A. Brown was born in Kumasi, Ghana and immigrated to the wild jungles of central Maryland as a child. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and was also a teaching assistant for the school’s Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House program. Her debut novel A Song of Wraiths and Ruin was an instant New York Times Bestseller, an Indie Bestseller, and received six starred reviews. She has worked with Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney among other publishers.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of SERWA BOATENG’S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING, US Only.

Ends October 7^th, midnight EST.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/1/2022	booksaremagictoo	Review/IG Post
9/2/2022	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post
9/3/2022	xbookwormcafe	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

9/4/2022	BookHounds YA	Excerpt/IG Post
9/5/2022	wiltedpages	Review/IG Post
9/6/2022	The Real World According to Sam	Review/IG Post
9/7/2022	GryffindorBookishNerd	IG Review
9/8/2022	Eye-Rolling Demigod’s Book Blog	Review/IG Post
9/9/2022	Feed Your Fiction Addiction	Review/IG Post
9/10/2022	hodophile_z	IG Review

Week Three:

9/11/2022	Wanderingwitchreads	TikTok Review/IG Post
9/12/2022	Log Cabin Library	Review
9/13/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review
9/14/2022	@lexijava	Review/IG Post
9/15/2022	A Backwards Story	Review/IG Post
9/16/2022	Confessions of a YA Reader	Review
9/17/2022	@meetcuteromancebooks	IG Review

Week Four:

9/18/2022	Nerdophiles	Review
9/19/2022	The Bookwyrm’s Den	Review
9/20/2022	hauntedbybooks	Review/IG Post
9/21/2022	onemused	IG Spotlight
9/22/2022	Ya Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
9/23/2022	@thebookishfoxwitch	IG Review
9/24/2022	@jacleomik33	IG Review

Week Five:

9/25/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
9/26/2022	PopTheButterfly Reads	Review/IG Post
9/27/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review
9/28/2022	@ReadsReaders	YouTube Review/IG Post
9/29/2022	@drew_ambitious_reading	IG Review/TikTok Post
9/30/2022	The Clever Reader	Review/IG Post

Book Review – If You’re Reading This… by Kiersten Modglin

Synopsis

The day of their dreams was nothing short of a nightmare.

On the one-year anniversary of her wedding, Colbie Moore’s life looks nothing like it should.
Still grieving the loss of the man she meant to spend her life with, Colbie prepares for a weekend away to take her mind off her heartache, but the simple plan results in much more than she bargained for.

A box of letters, meant for the bride and groom to open on their anniversary, is instead opened by Colbie and her three best friends—Miles, James, and Eric.
And what it holds could ruin everything.

A mysterious note from a surprising sender shocks Colbie, propelling her down a dark path to discover the truth about the man she loved—his life and his death—before it’s too late.

Soon, Colbie begins to question everyone around her as the mystery unravels.
What was Phil hiding from her when he died?
What secrets are still hidden?

The closer she gets to answers, the clearer it becomes that someone has gone to great lengths to protect their lies.
And if she pushes any more, everything she has left could be exactly what she stands to lose.

Is it worth risking everything to truly know the man she’s already lost?
After all, she’s been warned…she might not be able to handle what she finds.

My Review
4 out of 5 stars

I honestly had no idea which direction this book was going to go, but I enjoyed the ride. The mystery and suspense had me guessing until the very end. Just when you think you have figured out what is going on, you really don’t!

This was such a unique plot for a story and I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters. My heart ached for Colbie as she grieved and was hit with information that rocked her world.

This book had a totally different feel from Kiersten’s other books and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review – Lauren’s Barbarian by Ruby Dixon

Synopsis

A lush, tropical island on an icy planet makes no sense.

Then again, not much makes sense anymore after waking up and finding myself not in bed but on a strange world populated by aliens. Since that moment, I’ve learned that nothing is normal anymore and I’ve got to roll with the punches. I can handle this, though. I’m strong and capable.

So… washed up on a tropical island? Got it handled.

Separated from the others in my group? Handled.

Stranded alone with a brutal but delicious alien man that can’t speak English but has great… ahem… body language? Yup, handled.

Add in the fact that my cootie – a symbiont I need to survive – has chosen my big, hulking alien friend as my fated mate? Let’s just say that the situation isn’t the only thing that’s going to be handled.

But it isn’t long before I learn that the tropical island paradise is a death trap and we’re all in grave danger, aliens and humans alike. To survive this, I’ll need my tempting guy to give me a hand with the situation… good thing he’s got four of them.

My Review
4 out of 5 stars

I’m officially onto the Ice Home series now and I really enjoyed this first look into the Ice Home universe.

It took me a little bit to get into the story but once the pacing picked up a bit, I was hooked and ended up finishing the book quickly. Lauren and K’Thar are wonderful together, even with their communication barrier. I love that they tried to hard to understand and learn what the other was saying.

I enjoyed learning a bit about the history of the tribes on the island and meeting some of the new characters. I am definitely interested in reading the rest of the books in this series.

I listened to the audio version of this book. I was so used to listening to Hollie Jackson and Mason Lloyd for the IPB books that it took me a little bit to get used to the new narrators for the Ice Home books. Felicity Munroe and Sean Crisden both did an amazing job though and they were both nice to listen to. They did a great job of changing their voice for each character and really brought them all to life.

Book Review – The Never King by Nikki St Crowe

Synopsis

The stories were all wrong — Hook was never the villain.

For two centuries, all of the Darling women have disappeared on their 18th birthday. Sometimes they’re gone for only a day, some a week or a month. But they always return broken.

Now, on the afternoon of my 18th birthday, my mother is running around the house making sure all the windows are barred and the doors locked.

But it’s pointless.

Because when night falls, he comes for me. And this time, the Never King and the Lost Boys aren’t willing to let me go.

My Review
3 out of 5 stars

This was just okay to me. I don’t really feel like enough happened for me to comment on. I knew from other reviews that this ended in a cliffhanger, so I wasn’t disappointed by that. I think that was actually my favorite part of this book. The ending was interesting enough that I’m curious to see what will happen in the next book.

I listened to the audio version of this book. I’m not sure which male character was narrated by which male narrator, but it didn’t seem like any of them changed their voice very much to distinguish between different POVs. Because of this, the dialogue seemed to bleed together at times and it was hard to tell who was actually speaking.

Book Review – Heavy Petting by Erin Nicholas

Synopsis

Jordan Benoit and Fletcher Landry have been best friends since they were six. He’s always been The Guy. When she needed picked up, cheered up, or lifted up — like literally, to see the stage at a concert — Fletcher was the guy.

So when her boyfriend dumps her — on national TV — Fletcher immediately gets on a plane and comes to her rescue.

And when she ends up in a Vegas wedding chapel and needs someone to say, “I do” …yep, Fletcher’s the guy. Of course.

But being The Guy 24/7 is a lot. He just wants everyone to give him a freaking minute to get this marriage thing right. Including his sexy, sweet new wife who he’s wanted for three years. Who is exasperatingly, temptingly all-in from minute one.

Jordan knows what she wants. A life in her hometown. A job with alpacas. And Fletcher. Not necessarily in that order.

They’ve said the vows. They’d told the world. They’ve told their grandmas. Forget taking things slow. Forget just heavy petting. Forget any chance of backing out when things get tough. They’re going to have to go all the way, in every way.

After all, friends becoming lovers should be the easiest thing in the world. Right?

My Review
3 out of 5 stars

It took me a little while before I really started to get into and enjoy this book. With the way they rushed into getting married, it just seemed odd that Fletcher all of a sudden wanted to slow down. I’m glad they did take the time to slow down and get to know each other better in certain areas. My favorite part of this book is when they both took a step back and really started to communicate with each other, to explain how they were feeling, and what they could do to try to get past or help whatever it was. I love how supportive their family and friends are. I love all of the side characters and can’t wait to read their stories. I love the parts with the animals as well, especially Chewy. That was so sweet and heartwarming. I couldn’t help but grin when Sugar made an appearance. I absolutely adore that little goat. I listened to the audio version of this book and loved both of the narrators, Zachary Johnson and Mollie Stark.

Book Review – Hate by Tate James

Synopsis

“Madison Kate Danvers was murdered tonight.”

Those words changed my life, and not for the better.
They were wrong, of course. I wasn’t dead. But I was set up.
After being charged with a string of offences–and made an example of by my political minded father–I’m eventually released back into Shadow Grove with one thing on my mind.
Hate.
Someone is going to pay for derailing my carefully laid out future. Someone is going to catch the full force of my hate. How very convenient that someone just moved into the bedroom down the hall from me.
Archer D’Ath and his boys messed with the wrong chick and they’re about to learn just how cold Madison Kate’s hate can run.

My Review
3 out of 5 stars

I decided to try this series after hearing so many good things about it, but this first book just wasn’t that enjoyable to me. It was pretty long and I don’t feel like much of anything happened. These guys set her up, she has to live with them now, and she got a couple small pranks in on them other than the bigger one on Archer, which didn’t even seem to have much of a fallout either. Madison Kate was constantly talking about how much she hated the guys but she sure didn’t act like she did. Just when suspense started to pick up at the end of the book and it felt like something big was going to happen, it ended in a cliffhanger, which I already knew, but was still a bit of a let down. I’m not sure if I’m going to continue with the series or not. I listened to the audio version of this book and liked the narrators, Brooke Daniels and Lucas Webley. I also liked that it was in the duet style narration. That’s becoming my favorite kind to listen to