arc

Always the Bridesmaid

By Laura Carter

Coming soon on November 17, 2023

(4 / 5)

Always the Bridesmaid is the 4th book in Laura Carter’s Brits in Manhattan series. It features Sarah, who has appeared in the 3 previous books, and Charlie, who made a brief appearance in Friends With Benefits. It’s really not necessary to read the other books in the series to enjoy this book, though I have enjoyed following the stories of this group of characters across the series.

Always the Bridesmaid mostly takes place in England, divided between Surrey and London. The characters from the previous books have gathered together for Jess and Jake’s wedding, which is how Sarah and Charlie meet. These two characters have a bit of a rough introduction though since they are both dealing with some feelings brought up by the marriage of their friends (Sarah is a widow and misses her late husband, while Charlie never feels good enough after years in the foster system). It takes a while for both characters to break down their walls, so this is definitely a very slow-burn romance, but there’s plenty of funny and sweet moments along the way.

I think some of my favorite parts were touring through London, since it’s one of my favorite cities in the world, and many of the destinations in the book were ones I visited there myself. I enjoyed both of the main characters as well as seeing the other couples again from the previous books. It was another quick read, and I think the series has only gotten better as it’s continued.

I received a free review copy of the book, but all opinions are completely my own.

Friends With Benefits

By Laura Carter

Released today!

(4 / 5)

Friends With Benefits is the 3rd book in the Brits in Manhattan series by Laura Carter. Like the other books, it can easily be read as a standalone, though reading the whole series makes me feel like I know the characters better. Friends With Benefits is my favorite book in the series so far.

This story has us following Jake (The Law of Attraction Drew’s younger brother) and his roommate/best friend Jess, who are visiting Drew from the UK. Most of the book is told from Jake’s point of view, though some chapters from Jess’s are sprinkled throughout, mostly to provide the backstory of why she’s afraid of relationships. While I usually prefer a more even or primarily female perspective in books, I actually really enjoyed Jake’s point of view.

Unlike the first 2 books, Friends With Benefits primarily takes place in the Hamptons along the beaches of Long Island. I enjoyed this beach setting and the gathering of so many characters that I’ve come to know throughout the series. I enjoyed the relationship and chemistry between Jake and Jess, and though the “friends with benefits” relationship seemed a bit complicated, I enjoyed the closeness the two shared right from the beginning. I really like how things ended in this book, and I’m looking forward to the next book in this series!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free advance copy of Friends With Benefits! The opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

October 16, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

The Space Between Here & Now

By Sarah Suk

Coming soon on October 31, 2023

(4.5 / 5)

The Space Between Here & Now was unique because the main character, Aimee, has a fictional condition called Sensory Time Warp Syndrome, which causes her to physically disappear and relive memories. Unlike most time travel stories, she is not able to change anything, she’s just an invisible observer. While not common, the condition is known by the general public, but not understood very well.

We meet Aimee as a 17-year-old high school senior in Canada. Her mom disappeared when she was just 6, and her relationship with her father is strained. Recently her disappearances have become more frequent, making her afraid to really live her life because she doesn’t know when it might happen again. Plus, her memories are revealing information about her mother that she didn’t realize before. In order to learn more about her mother, she travels to Korea during Spring Break to see what she can find out.

While STWS is fictional, the stigma and feelings associated with it could be applied to many conditions in our real world. I think it’s a good lesson for all of us to have empathy for others who are different from us instead of dismissing them as weird or giving them unwanted attention.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked Aimee, and it was interesting to experience her rare condition through her eyes. There’s a lot of looking at family relationships and how they change over time. There’s a sense of mystery as Aimee tries to figure out what happened to her mother. A little bit of romance mixed in. And the setting in Korea was interesting, beautiful, and gave insight into Korean culture. I enjoyed watching Aimee grow over the course of the story, and I liked that things didn’t always turn out quite how I was expecting.

Thank you to HarperCollins Childrens Books, Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Space Between Here & Now. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

October 7, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Snow Days With You

By Leonie Mack

Coming soon on October 20, 2023

(4.5 / 5)

Snow Days With You is a sweet, slow-burn romance that left me with a cozy feeling. It takes place in Chamonix amidst the snow-covered mountains of France, which was an amazing, beautiful setting. There’s a lot of French dialog throughout the book, but it’s done in a way that makes the setting feel more authentic. I don’t know French and didn’t have any issues since most of it was translated or could be figured out from context.

The story’s main characters are Luna and Yannick. Most of the book follows Luna’s point of view but some parts follow Yannick, which I liked so I could see his perspective as well. On the surface, these characters seem completely different from each other: Luna has lived a very sheltered, safe life, while Yannick works as part of a rescue team for the mountains, traversing dangerous terrain that they must access by helicopter. But the characters are also both dealing with a lot of grief from losing loved ones and the ending of serious relationships. Luna travels to Chamonix after she receives a large insurance payout from a man she didn’t know, and it’s almost like fate with how Luna and Yannick’s paths keep crossing with each other. I liked these characters, and I thought they really brought something good out of each other.

The story has a sense of mystery to it, as Luna is trying to figure out why she was the benefactor of the money and also discovering things about her late mother that she never knew. That part of the story took some turns I wasn’t expecting, so it kept things interesting. There was also an “air of excitement” with mountain rescues and mountain climbing being a major theme.

Character development over the course of the story was huge. It was almost like the Luna at the end was a different person from the Luna at the beginning. And Yannick grew over the course of the story as well. The book kept me immersed and interested. I would love to read more books by Leonie Mack now that I’ve had a chance to read one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the free advance copy of Snow Days With You! My review is my own honest opinion of the book.

October 3, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Cunk on Everything: The Encyclopedia Philomena

By Philomena Cunk

Narrated by Philomena Cunk

New Release!

(4 / 5)

A month or two ago I was introduced to Philomena Cunk on the Netflix series, Cunk on Earth. The satirical documentary had me laughing, so when I saw the book, Cunk on Everything, I knew I had to read it. As luck would have it, I was able to receive an advance audiobook copy through NetGalley. Now instead of just reading Philomena Cunk’s words, I could hear them in her own voice, the way it was meant to be heard. I don’t feel like reading the book would be quite the same experience.

The book is organized like an encyclopedia, going through various topics in alphabetical order. Philomena Cunk is hysterical, with her absurd observations and mixing up people or countries with similar names to make bizarre statements. There were many moments that had me laughing out loud, like when she said Pluto wasn’t a planet anymore because they discovered it was actually Mickey Mouse’s dog, and that The Beatles didn’t have 6 legs like a beetle, but 8 legs like a spider and made girls scream, like a spider. It’s such an unexpected perception of the world, and I loved it.

I will note that the book is obviously very British, which isn’t surprising given that Philomena Cunk is British. But, I feel like there were a bunch of British references that I just didn’t get because I’m not British myself. At times I found my mind wandering a bit because she was discussing a topic I didn’t know anything about. Also, this book is originally from 2018, so it felt a little dated when she would make references to the queen, who has since passed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for the free audiobook. All opinions in my review are exclusively my own.

September 28, 2023 by danimae1981 Audiobook Humor Nonfiction 0

Ghosted

By Sarah Ready

Narrated by Sarah Naughton and Rob Brinkman

Coming soon on September 26, 2023

(4.5 / 5)

TW: suicide

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of Sarah Ready’s upcoming book, Ghosted. The narrators did a great job reading the book. A special thanks to NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for the free advance copy of this book. The opinions expressed in my review are solely my own.

I went into Ghosted knowing it was a paranormal romance, but it ended up being so much more than I was expecting. It made me feel such a range of emotions, from laughter to tears. At times it did feel a little long, but then the story took a big turn in a direction I wasn’t necessarily expecting.

The author has a very descriptive style of writing, thoroughly painting the scenes throughout the book. Characters were complex and interesting, with side characters that had big personalities and their own character developments. All of this really brought the story to life.

I will note that Jillian, the main character, is a huge Star Trek fan, so many references to the show are made. I’m familiar enough with the various series to be able to appreciate the references, but readers not familiar with Star Trek might find themselves a little lost at times.

I don’t want to give away any of the plot here, so I’ll just say that I ended up enjoying this book so much more than I expected. It was hard to tear myself away from the story, and I finished the whole thing in just over a day. I would love to read more books by Sarah Ready!

I received a free review copy of this book, but all opinions are completely my own.

September 19, 2023 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Romance 0

Missing

By Ruby Speechley

Coming soon on September 27, 2023

(4 / 5)

TW: abuse, nonconsensual sex

Missing was one of those thrillers that left me feeling a bit creeped out, hitting me on a level that not many books reach… like maybe I should make extra sure my doors are locked before I go to bed. I really don’t like to give spoilers of the books I read in my reviews, but this was one that I definitely felt like it needed the trigger warnings I included at the beginning. That said, the Prologue hints on these topics, so I don’t feel like it’s a true spoiler.

This book was a quick read. The chapters were fairly short and had a bit of a “potato chip effect” where “just one more chapter” turned into reading many chapters at a time. I pretty much read the last third of the book in a single sitting.

This story follows Elle, a single mother in England with a 3-year-old son, Tyler. Elle feels a bit “weak” in the beginning, as she obviously lacks self-confidence, only has a couple people she can consider friends, and is still in love with Darren, who broke up with her 4 years ago. It’s pretty early on that a missing poster that shows a picture of her son starts circulating, and this is just the beginning of a chain of disturbing events that happen in the story. I found myself questioning the intentions of almost every character at one point or another, though I managed to piece together a lot of what was going on (and who was responsible) a while before it was all actually revealed. I was glad to see a decent amount of character development along the way, and I grew to like Elle more and more as the story progressed. The book ended in a way that left me feeling satisfied with the outcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the free advance copy of Missing. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

September 17, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Thriller 0

Match Me If You Can

By Sandy Barker

Coming soon on September 28, 2023!

(4 / 5)

I’ll be honest, when I first started this book, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. It alternates points of view between the two main characters, Poppy and Tristan. In the beginning, I felt like Tristan had no real personality at all. Which, I suppose is meant to represent the “grumpy” trope, while Poppy was the “sunshine”. I’m glad I kept reading and gave this book a chance, because I did end up liking it. As the story progresses, the main characters definitely gain depth, and Tristan actually becomes likable. There’s definitely some unexpected situations that keep the story interesting.

One thing I enjoyed about the book was the variety of settings. The majority of the book takes place in London, which is admittedly one of my favorite cities. The characters also go to Greece and Edinburgh, which were beautifully described and fun to visit through the eyes of the characters.

Overall, this was a fun, lighthearted read. As I got closer to the end, the book kept me so engrossed that I may have stayed up later than I should have to finish it that night.

I will note that the book included a trigger warning in the beginning regarding infertility and IVF. It was a pretty minor part of the story, but still good to know in advance if it’s a bothersome topic for someone.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free advance copy of Match Me If You Can! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

September 11, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Bittersweet in the Hollow

By Kate Pearsall

Coming soon on October 10, 2023

(4 / 5)

It’s hard to summarize a book like Bittersweet in the Hollow. This young adult novel was so much more than just that genre… add in paranormal abilities, murder, mystery, legends of a Moth-Winged Man, a dash of romance, and the powerful bonds of family. This story takes place in present time, following 17 year old Linden, whose family has passed down paranormal abilities through generations of women. Linden’s ability is that she can taste the emotions of other people, so there’s an ongoing theme of flavors and food throughout the book, especially since Linden’s family also owns a restaurant.

The book takes place in the small town of Caball Hollow where everyone seems to know each other. There’s an isolated feeling since the town is surrounded by a national forest, and families have lived there for generations.

There’s a lot of mystery woven into this story. Linden disappeared for a night a year ago, but is unable to remember what happened during that time. Now a friend has gone missing exactly a year later. Could these disappearances be related to the little boy that vanished 18 years ago? What about the Moth-Winged Man that Caball Hollow is known for? All this put together definitely makes for a complex story that keeps you wondering how it will all come together. There’s some interesting twists along the way, and though some of them I suspected, there were definitely some surprises along the way too.

Overall this was an interesting story with a unique feel to it. While at times it felt a little slow-paced, it really picks up in the last third of the book, to the point that I just couldn’t put it down until I finished it at 2am. It was definitely worth reading!

A special thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the free advance copy of Bittersweet in the Hollow. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

September 5, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The Name Drop

By Susan Lee

Coming soon on September 12, 2023!

(5 / 5)

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to read the first few chapters of The Name Drop, and I felt like this was a book I could love. Luckily, I won a free early copy of the book from the publisher through BookishFirst. All opinions expressed in my review are my own.

The Name Drop was a book that I really enjoyed and found hard to put down. In fact, I started it one night before going to bed and finished it the next day.

I enjoyed the main characters, Elijah and Jessica, who both happen to have the same Korean name. While the circumstances of them getting “switched” at the airport seemed improbable, I went into the book knowing this and it sets up a very interesting situation for the characters. I like that the characters felt real. Even though they came from very different backgrounds, they each had an awareness about themselves and their faults. And they were able to help each other through the very different lives they were leading over the summer.

I also found it interesting how the book addressed the fact that wealth (or lack of it) and gender can greatly affect one’s ability to succeed, especially in Korean culture. It was nice to see both the main characters and side characters face this issue and grow from it.

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read. After reading this book, I would love to read more from Susan Lee.

August 23, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Hardcover Romance Young Adult 0