I keep meaning to read more by Amber Garza and fail miserably, but not anymore! As with her other book I read (Where I Left Her), I was riveted by A MI keep meaning to read more by Amber Garza and fail miserably, but not anymore! As with her other book I read (Where I Left Her), I was riveted by A Mother Would Know and I was so into the story that I couldn't put it down. We see things almost entirely through the mom's viewpoint, but there is also a very ambiguous POV, and I was never sure who it was. Obviously, this gets revealed later on, and I was definitely surprised by who it was! There were lots of moments that I didn't know who to trust and I was suspicious of almost everyone.
The audiobook is the way to go in my opinion, with Vivienne Leheny as the narrator. I especially loved her narration as Valerie, but she did a great job with the unknown viewpoint as well. I found the end of the book to be pretty melancholic, and I was a little sad things turned out the way they did. I had a who figured out but not the why, and the climax surprised me overall. Things did feel a little all over the place as I was reading, but I mostly put that down to Valerie’s lapses in memory. Read this if you are looking for a fast read, unlikable characters, and a feeling of general chaos.
I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own....more
The Group Trip by Audrey Ingram is a treasure, and just what I happened to be in the mood for right now! I felt so many emotions while I was listeningThe Group Trip by Audrey Ingram is a treasure, and just what I happened to be in the mood for right now! I felt so many emotions while I was listening to this, and I feel like I both laughed and cried in equal measure. I loved that this focused on a group of 6 friends and the dual timeline really helps you get a picture of how they ended up where they are now as well as their relationships with each other. I didn't want to put it down, and I could have easily turned this into a one day read.
The audiobook is equally as fantastic as the book itself with Megan Tusing as the narrator, though I will say it helped that the entire story is told from Chloe's viewpoint. I can’t imagine anyone doing a better job than Tusing with these characters, and her voice and style were the perfect fit. There is also plenty of drama in The Group Trip as well as some romance and lots of secrets. I would make sure to check triggers prior to reading but would definitely recommend if you enjoy storylines about friend groups with jaw dropping moments and a beachy vibe! ...more
I was in the mood for something with an element of magical realism, and I knew it had to be The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds by Jennifer Moorman. II was in the mood for something with an element of magical realism, and I knew it had to be The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds by Jennifer Moorman. I read and loved her book The Magic All Around but I loved this one even more and it was such a delight to read. I love time travel and when you throw in parallel timelines where the characters have big decisions to make, it just creates an even more intense and interesting read. I loved the present timeline and Josephine’s relationship with her mom and sister, and the 1920s timeline was excellent with its Prohibition era speakeasy and dash of romance and drama.
I was so close to ugly crying at the end of The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds, and I definitely found myself tearing up often. Despite the serious subject matters Moorman touches on, this book made me laugh as well and I can’t imagine a better way she could have wrapped the story up. There is a lot of tension throughout along with moments that will touch your heart in the best possible way. Read this if you enjoy time travel, family themes, romance, and hopeful endings!
I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own....more
It's taken me much too long to read a book by Evie Gaughan (AKA Evie Woods) and that feels evident now that I know how much I love her writing. The StIt's taken me much too long to read a book by Evie Gaughan (AKA Evie Woods) and that feels evident now that I know how much I love her writing. The Story Collector was such a charming read, and I loved the setting in Ireland as well as the combination of present-day Sarah reading Anna's diary. I got just as caught up in her story as Sarah did and the two timelines were equally fascinating. The Irish folklore surrounding faeries added a lovely touch of magical realism and this would be the perfect book to read in the dead of winter in front of a fireplace.
Heather O’Sullivan narrates the audiobook for The Story Collector, and I thought she did an outstanding job switching between the Irish and American accents for the characters. I really enjoyed my listening experience and also appreciated the fact that the accent wasn’t so heavy that I couldn’t understand what O’Sullivan was saying. There is a little romance in the story but that isn’t what takes center stage, and I loved that the focus was on the setting and the historical elements. Read this if you enjoy bittersweet endings, the setting as a character, and wonderfully complex characters. ...more
If Anything Happens To Me by Luanne Rice is something I basically decided to read on a whim and I’m quite happy with the way that turned out! I don’t If Anything Happens To Me by Luanne Rice is something I basically decided to read on a whim and I’m quite happy with the way that turned out! I don’t read too much YA anymore, but this was a great mystery/thriller as well as being quite emotional. I also learned something new that may or may not be a real thing, and I loved watching Oli and Iris try to solve the mystery of Eloise’s death. Some moments are quite tense and there is lots of action as well which created a very fast paced ride.
I really enjoyed the audiobook and was a fan of Marli Watson as the narrator. Her voice fit with what I would imagine for someone Oli’s age, and her narration was very smooth and emotive. I couldn’t believe the climax, and I do think you have to suspend a bit of disbelief since I’m not sure everything that happened in here would be possible for the age they are at. Read this if you are in the mood for YA you can consume in one sitting and unreliable narrators! It would also be perfect for a younger audience since it isn't very intense and the sisterhood theme is a touching one....more
The Hitchcock Hotel is officially my favorite Stephanie Wrobel book to date and I'm not even a Hitchcock fan! I loved the quotes and other things thatThe Hitchcock Hotel is officially my favorite Stephanie Wrobel book to date and I'm not even a Hitchcock fan! I loved the quotes and other things that were all about Hitchcock including what I'm sure is a lot of nods to his movies throughout the book. I initially liked some of the characters, but as the book went on, I realized this “friend” group was not very nice. To each other and their general behavior. The more secrets that were revealed the viler you will think these people are, but man were they entertaining.
The audiobook really makes this story shine, and I loved Michael Crouch, Gail Shalan & Helen Lloyd as the narrators. While there aren’t any fun sound effects or things like that, the way the voices were blended into the experience were fantastic and I can’t imagine reading it would have hit quite the same way. Wrobel really nailed her twists in the book, and I was impressed by so many. Just when you think you know what is coming the tables get turned and it created that ...more
Alexis Henderson has been on my TBR for a minute, but I decided to finally pull the trigger on this author and pick up An Academy for Liars. This is aAlexis Henderson has been on my TBR for a minute, but I decided to finally pull the trigger on this author and pick up An Academy for Liars. This is a story of epic proportions, and I was completely consumed by the world of Drayton College. Dark academia is one of my favorite genres, and Henderson took things to a whole new level with this gothic and magical version of one.
I would highly recommend going the audiobook route with this one as Tracie Frank brought every bit of both the characters and setting to life. Her narration was very passionate, and I felt like I was feeling everything our FMC Lennon was. This was occasionally a disturbing read, and things do get a tad grotesque at times, but it all felt true to the storyline and wasn’t overwhelming. Read this if you enjoy dark academia blended with gothic and southern elements, horror, and the paranormal!
I received an advance listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own....more
When I saw Good Boy by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen I thought it was a new book, but in fact it is a book that initially came out in 2017 and was repWhen I saw Good Boy by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen I thought it was a new book, but in fact it is a book that initially came out in 2017 and was reprinted with a new cover. I love when spicy books come out with illustrated covers, and I never would have picked this up based on the original. I am a sucker for a cute cover, but don’t let this one fool you because the spice starts immediately, and Blake has a very dirty mind. There is lots of dirty talk (at least on his end) but I loved how the spice was blended with some serious elements.
I loved the audiobook and was a huge fan of Teddy Hamilton and Tanya Eby as the narrators. I love Hamilton as it is, but he was perfection as the voice of Blake, and I though Eby complemented Jess’s character nicely. Good Boy is the start of the WAGs series but it looks like it is a spin-off of another by the same authors. I didn’t feel lost at all, and it worked well as a standalone. Even though there are two authors, Kennedy and Bowen made everything seamless and it never felt like 2 people wrote it. I loved the characters and will definitely be reading more from this duo!
I haven't read anything by Jayne Allen before, but I was in the mood for something Christmassy and decided that would be The Most Wonderful Time! WhilI haven't read anything by Jayne Allen before, but I was in the mood for something Christmassy and decided that would be The Most Wonderful Time! While this wasn't brimming with holiday cheer as I had hoped, it was a nice romance that was both humorous and thought-provoking. I really enjoyed Ramona and Chelsea's viewpoints, and I loved that we get something different from each of them after they swap homes for a week. Ramona's refusal to accept her fiancé breaking up with her and Chelsea's creative funk get put into a different perspective after they see how the other lives and meet people in each other’s lives.
The Most Wonderful Time is solid on audio and while it wasn't anything I would call special, I really enjoyed listening to Mela Lee and I thought she did a great job differentiating her voice between the two female characters. At times it felt like there were 2 narrators instead of 1 and that is something I always like! The end isn’t necessarily wrapped up in a pretty HEA, but it was very realistic and left me feeling hopeful for Ramona and Chelsea. I would recommend this if you enjoy books that focus on family and reflection and are set around the holidays instead of focusing on them. ...more
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