art

MARS 30th Anniversary Edition 1

by Fuyumi Soryo

coming June 16, 2026

(4 / 5)

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

I had never read this manga before, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What I really wasn’t expecting was how intense it would be and how much it doesn’t shy away from some very serious topics. While it’s very much a high school drama, the characters had quite a bit of depth to them. Rei was an especially intriguing character. There were parts of him that were scary and reckless, but there was also something vulnerable about him beneath the surface. I feel like Kira and Rei are very different from each other, but they seem to bring out something good in each other. I also really liked the artwork! This edition includes the first two volumes of the manga, so at this point I feel pretty invested and want to know what will happen next.
CW: sexual harassment, suicide, previous death of a family member

A Latte Like Love

by Michelle C. Harris

coming March 17, 2026

(3 / 5)

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

This one is a tough one to rate. At first I really enjoyed the book and was easily pulled into the story. But somewhere along the way it lost me. I think a lot of it was that the book just felt so much longer than it needed to be, especially since not a lot seemed to be happening with the plot. The biggest conflict was in a flashback, so it felt pretty anticlimactic when I reached the epilogue. The epilogue itself was very long, rehashing things that had already happened from a different perspective. For me, it just felt a little repetitive. As for the relationship between Audrey and Theo itself, I was rooting for them, but then things really seemed to move alarmingly fast, especially considering Theo’s mental state. A lot of the story centers on Theo’s recovery after an accident and coming to terms with significant scarring. I was glad to see growth in Theo’s character over the course of the story, though Audrey didn’t really seem to develop very much. In the end, the book had a lot of promise but just didn’t quite deliver for me.

February 12, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

In Time With You

by Kristin Dwyer

coming March 3, 2026

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s one of those books that breaks you and then puts you back together again. It starts out quite sad, as our FMC Nieve is attending a funeral for her boyfriend that just died. Her emotions through this were so raw and authentic, making her feel real. Then imagine being able to relive a year of your life after something terrible has happened… what would you do differently? This book was so thought-provoking as it explored this idea. The ripple effect that happened in this time loop was different and unexpected. The portrayal of this disorienting and terrifying situation through Nieve’s perspective was done really well. It was interesting to see how Nieve’s perceptions about things changed during the 2nd timeline, especially when it came to Carter (the boyfriend that dies) and Max (his best friend). I kept thinking about how it was a great example of how “hindsight is 20/20”. I also appreciated how many different types of relationships were explored and how they evolved through this fluid reality situation. The progression of Nieve’s changing feelings for Max felt natural and not rushed. Some of the quiet moments between them were incredibly intimate, and I couldn’t help but hope for a happy ending for them. I had a really hard time putting this book down and couldn’t stop thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading. It’s my first book by the author but it won’t be my last!

January 31, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The Roommate Arrangement

by Samantha Markum

coming January 27, 2026

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books, RBmedia, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Roommate Arrangement! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

In The Roommate Arrangement, we follow Blair who is just starting college. When her best friends tell her that she can’t share an apartment with them with very little notice, she has to take what she can find. Except, it turns out that now one of her roommates will be her brother’s best friend, Jamie, and let’s just say that these siblings do not get along at all.

This was a book that I absolutely devoured and was sad when it was over. The text was so descriptive and immersive. Blair was a very relatable character. While on the surface the book is a young adult romance, it really dives into some tough subjects for teens. Through the book, Blair has to navigate changing friendships, a strained sibling relationship, controlling parents, a chaotic living arrangement, academic struggles, mental health, and a budding relationship that would not be approved of by others. Her journey to self acceptance and standing up for herself was enlightening. I liked the romance, and while it eventually turned sweet, the bickering at the start was quite entertaining. The supporting characters were diverse and I liked how they added depth to the story.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to experience the audiobook version of this book! The narrator did a great job, and I especially loved how each character had a different voice.

January 22, 2026 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

Roll for Romance

by Lenora Woods

coming July 15, 2025

(4 / 5)

Thank you to Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book. All opinions and thoughts are completely my own.

This romance story is a little different from other books that I’ve read, focusing heavily on Dungeons & Dragons. Most of the characters in the book are new to the game, so I didn’t feel lost even though I’ve never played D&D myself. We end up with a story within the story, since we are following Sadie (FMC) in the real world, plus her character’s adventure in D&D. I liked that the “real world” was in first person while the “game world” was in third person, making it easy to differentiate between the 2 storylines. It’s not surprising that a lot of the more exciting and surprising parts are in the D&D storyline, but I still enjoyed Sadie’s real world story as well. It was nice to see how Sadie finds herself again after losing her job, rekindling old passions and making new friends. I thought it was an interesting take on how we all play different parts in different aspects of our lives. I liked all the characters we met along the way, and I thought the romance that developed was sweet and enjoyable. I’m impressed that this is the author’s debut book!

May 15, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Love Unmasked

by Becky Dean

coming July 15, 2025

(4 / 5)

I received a free review copy of Love Unmasked from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are completely my own and voluntary.

Evie is on a school trip to Venice, Italy, where she seeks out a secret nighttime club for fans of a popular fantasy book series. Meanwhile, she’s partnered with Gabriel, an antisocial new student, for a school project.

This one was a cute, quick read for me. There wasn’t anything all that surprising about the story, but I wasn’t really expecting it anyway. I liked both of the main characters (Evie and Gabriel) and enjoyed the dynamic between these two very different people. They really brought out a side in each other that helped them both grow. I think it was a great message about building self acceptance, trust, and being more assertive. The romance was a bit of a slow burn but also felt like a natural progression. The other part of the story took place at night, with hidden identities and a secret fan club. This part felt a bit too “over the top” to feel like something that actually exists in the real world, but it was also an interesting idea. There’s a lot of referencing to the fictional fantasy series that Evie is a fan of that I could see maybe losing some readers. Personally, I didn’t try to think too deeply about it and saw it more as a representation of something Evie was really passionate about. Bonus points for the beautiful setting in Venice! This was my second book by author, and I’ll definitely be reading more books by Becky Dean in the future.

April 14, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0