Danita Reads

Under the Surface

By Diana Urban

Coming August 13, 2024

(4 / 5)

A group of students are on a class trip in Paris, an experience Ruby has been looking forward to, especially since she wants to get some new content for her travel-themed YouTube channel. When her best friend, Val, leaves the hotel to go to a late-night party with a local boy, Ruby and two other classmates go after her, and all of them end up lost in the catacombs beneath the city. Meanwhile, Ruby’s friend/crush, Sean, tries to put together the pieces to figure out what happened to the missing girls.

First off, the setting of the majority of this book, the catacombs under Paris, was intriguing and really gave the book a creepy vibe. Between being lost in the tunnels full of human bones, then discovering something even more sinister along the way, it made for a good thriller. There’s fear, action, despair, and a lot of introspection for the characters as they navigate their situation. Being a young adult book, there was some teenage drama, but it also led to some of the suspense as we waited for their secrets to be revealed amidst the secrets that the catacombs held. Though I did suspect some things before they were revealed, the book managed to also take some unexpected turns to keep me engaged. I thought that Ruby was a likeable main character who grew and learned a lot about herself over the course of the story. We don’t get to see as much from Sean’s perspective, but I liked how his point of view portrayed the search for the girls while giving his character room to grow as well. The book in general felt very readable, with great descriptions that painted a vivid picture.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the free copy of Under the Surface! The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It Started with a Book

By Camilla Isley

Coming July 5, 2024

(4 / 5)

After getting ghosted yet again, Leigh is fed up with dating. A mysterious romance book turns out to be the perfect escape, and her dreams bring her back to the fictional world and the gorgeous billionaire cowboy, Killian. But one morning, she wakes up to Killian physically there in her apartment. Is it too good to be true?

First off, I loved Leigh as a character, and I felt an extra special connection to her as a fellow avid reader, book reviewer, and woman in computer science. I went into this book knowing that I’d have to suspend reality a little bit, but I really enjoyed the interesting experience of “book character comes to life.” I liked the story within the story aspect and how it all became intertwined. This book hits on just about every romance trope you can imagine, but it doesn’t feel cheesy at all because the characters are actively pointing it out and joking about it. I loved watching Killian and Leigh adapt to their crazy situation. The romance is definitely a slow burn, but I think the character development along the way validates it. It was great to see Leigh gain a sense of trust and the ability to speak up. This was just an overall enjoyable, quick read from an author who doesn’t disappoint!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of It Started with a Book! The opinions in my review are completely my own.

May 15, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle New Adult Romance 0

On the Bright Side

By Anna Sortino

Coming July 2, 2024

(4 / 5)

Ellie has been attending a school for the Deaf, but when it shuts down before her senior year, she needs to switch to living at home full time and attending a mainstream school. There she meets Jackson, a soccer player that is dealing with some concerning symptoms that affect his ability to participate in the sport.

On the Bright Side was a quick read that I enjoyed. Through Ellie, it dives into Deaf culture and the frustrations a Deaf person faces in an ableist world. Ellie is independent and maybe a little stubborn, but her frustrations with unsupportive parents and classmates were understandable. She has to make some tough choices along the way but shows a lot of strength through it. Jackson was a very likeable character, and I loved how he made the effort to connect with Ellie when other classmates just wanted to gossip and assume. Jackson is faced with his own unexpected and scary diagnosis, and it was interesting to share his journey that portrayed his fears and frustrations while still providing optimism about the future. I think an important takeaway from this story is understanding how not all disabilities are obvious, and anyone can become disabled at any time, so it goes a long way to show compassion to others.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the free review copy of On the Bright Side! All opinions expressed are completely my own.

May 6, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Just Some Stupid Love Story

By Katelyn Doyle

Coming June 4, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

At their 15-year class reunion, Seth and Molly see each other for the first time since breaking up at the end of high school. Molly is a rom-com script writer who doesn’t believe in real romance, while Seth is a divorce lawyer who believes in soul mates. They make a bet about 5 couples from the class to determine who is right at the next reunion in 5 years… and one of those couples happens to be themselves.

Just Some Stupid Love Story alternates points of view between the two main characters, Molly and Seth. It took me a bit to warm up to Molly… she’s very cynical, especially about romance. As we learn about her past it becomes more understandable, but sometimes her self-sabotaging was really frustrating. The story covers the span of 5 years, so there are several jumps in time that highlight Molly and Seth coming together and drifting apart over the years. They both have a lot of self-reflection along the way, leading to a good deal of character growth. It was interesting to see how the relationships of other couples in the story evolved over time in addition to the main characters. Overall, the book was a little predictable but still a quick read that kept me engaged.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Just Some Stupid Love Story! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

April 30, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Women's Fiction 0

Attached at the Hip

By Christine Riccio

(4 / 5)

I thought this book was a fun read. As a Survivor fan, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the fictional spin-off show, Attached at the Hip, that is the base of the story. It really did have that Survivor feel to it, with the unique twist of being tethered to another player. In the beginning, I found the main character, Orie, to feel very immature, but that also allowed for a lot of character growth along the way. I really enjoyed the relationship building between Orie and other contestants from the show, and how complicated it became when they had to routinely vote someone out. The book kept me engaged, and it was hard to put down… I was always excited to see what would happen next.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Attached at the Hip! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

April 26, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

A Wedding in the Sun

By Leonie Mack

Coming May 17, 2024

(4.5 / 5)

Jo and Adrián are on a flight to Spain to attend the wedding of their ex-spouses, not something either of them is looking forward to. When the plane has to make an emergency landing in France due to bad weather, the two “exes” end up traveling together, trying to get to their destination despite everything going wrong along the way.

A Wedding in the Sun was a quick and enjoyable read. I really liked both of the main characters, who felt so imperfectly human. While they are going through some incredibly difficult situations and are understandably stressed, over time they are both able to admit to their flaws and accept each other as they are. Both characters go through a lot of growth as they process the grief from their previous marriages ending. Despite so many things going wrong on their journey, there’s also a sense of optimism about the positive experiences they wouldn’t have had otherwise. I loved the adventure of the road trip, from the Pyrenees mountains to the beaches of Spain.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of A Wedding in the Sun! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

April 23, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Worry Lines: You’re Doing Really Well Given the Circumstances

By Worry Lines

Coming soon on May 7, 2024

(5 / 5)

This book is something that would be great to have, just to look through on a day when I can use a pick-me-up or a reason to smile. The images are simple yet inviting, with bold colors and generic people that I think anyone could relate to. I love how these simple images can give such a great visible portrayal of emotions and feelings. I saw myself in so many pages, conveying things that I often find hard to even describe with words. Through the book, the collection looks at a variety of struggles (anxiety, depression, procrastination, lack of focus, etc) we face in day-to-day life and puts a positive spin on them, making you feel like it’s okay to not always be okay. I have a feeling I’ll be ordering a physical copy of this book when it releases.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the free review copy of Worry Lines! Opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

April 20, 2024 by danimae1981 eBook Nonfiction Self-help 0

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies

By Catherine Mack

(3.5 / 5)

On a book tour in Italy, Eleanor is planning her next book in her popular book series. She’s hoping to end the series by killing off one of the main characters, who is based on her ex, Connor, and happens to also be on the tour. But it appears that someone on the tour is trying to kill Connor for real…

This book is written in the format of Eleanor’s personal account of the events that happened. Honestly, I never completely felt a connection to her character, she just felt a bit scattered and unreliable. Part of her “style” was the use of numerous footnotes (over 200 over the course of the book). While they provided insight and some of the “real dirt” in the story, I found them a bit distracting and kept losing my spot. Things felt a bit slow in the beginning, and I think I ended up missing some of the clues to what was really going on along the way. There’s several “suspect” characters, so it could get hard to keep track of everyone’s details, and most of the characters weren’t particularly likeable. The actual solution to the mystery was something I had considered multiple aspects of along the way, but the story was twisty enough that I was never quite sure which of my theories was right until it was finally revealed. I enjoyed the various settings around Italy, so it had the feel of a vacation mystery.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies. All opinions in my review are completely my own.

April 20, 2024 by danimae1981 eBook Fiction Mystery Thriller 0

The Love Algorithm

By Camilla Isley

Coming soon on April 26, 2024

(4 / 5)

Reese Campbell is a robotics engineer who has worked hard to have a successful career at Mercer Robotics. Thomas Mercer is the billionaire son of the head of the company and soon going to be the new CEO of Mercer Robotics. To learn more about the company, Thomas is assigned to follow Reese, but she considers it to be more of a “babysitting a billionaire” situation. When they meet, sparks fly, but with Thomas on track to become Reese’s boss, it makes for a complicated situation.

The Love Algorithm is the 3rd book in Camilla Isley’s True Love series. It could easily be read as a standalone, but it runs parallel to the other two books, so we get to see some previous characters along the way.

I’ve already read and enjoyed several of Camilla Isley’s books, and The Love Algorithm did not disappoint. This book follows the points of view of both main characters, and I found them to be very likeable. I love seeing successful women in engineering, and Reese was a great representative. Thomas was very down-to-Earth despite his billionaire background. I loved the interactions between Reese and Thomas. A special gem in this book was K-2P, a droid that Reese designed and had so much personality and sass, giving some literal laugh-out-loud moments. This was an overall enjoyable story that was a quick read and hard to put down!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Love Algorithm! The opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

April 13, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Extinction

By Douglas Preston

Coming soon on April 23, 2024

(4.5 / 5)

At a resort in the mountains of Colorado, multiple prehistoric animals have been de-extincted. When a newlywed couple on their honeymoon go missing while camping at the resort, law enforcement is brought in to investigate.

Extinction is the first book I’ve read by Douglas Preston, but it definitely left me wanting to read more by the author. The story was complicated and told from the perspectives of several characters, so we could see it develop from multiple angles. I really loved all the descriptions of the scenes and characters, bringing the story to life. The book takes some really wild turns along the way and was full of action, excitement and mystery. While it mostly follows law enforcement and at its core is a crime thriller, the scientific premise of de-extinction was interesting and something that could be a reality in the near future.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group | Forge Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Extinction! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.