lgbtq representation

Wandering Wild

by Lynette Noni

coming May 20, 2025

(4.5 / 5)

I received a free review copy of this book through NetGalley, but all opinions are completely my own. Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity!

Xander is a teenage actor who needs to improve his public image after a car accident involving a DUI. To help, he goes on a survivalist show with a fan. But there’s a problem – Charlie ends up on the show with him, but she is most definitely NOT a fan.

I was excited to get an ARC of this book since I really enjoyed the author’s The Prison Healer series. While this story is quite different from the fantasy series, I really enjoyed it. There are some aspects of the story that are obviously stretches of reality to increase the drama, but I enjoyed reading the authors comments about this at the end of the book.

At first the book felt a little slow while the characters and their situations were being introduced. There were a lot of references to events in the past that were vague, so we don’t find out the actual details until much later. That said, I managed to puzzle some of it together with the clues that were dropped, and it gave the opportunity to learn things when the characters reveal them to each other.

I genuinely liked both of the main characters. They were likable and had depth to them, plus the chemistry between them worked well. I could really feel their emotions throughout the book. I enjoyed the variety of side characters as well, though some of the adults had me pretty frustrated with them at certain points.

Once things got moving, this book had a lot of intensity to it in multiple ways. The characters are in a survivalist show, so that introduced adventure and exhilarating experiences along with the fear when things don’t go as planned. But almost equally, there was an intensity in a mental aspect as well, with both main characters dealing with past events and the associated grief. The story really kept me on the edge of my seat and I had such a hard time putting the book down.

Not Safe for Work

by Nisha J. Tuli

coming May 20, 2025

(4 / 5)

I had the opportunity to read a free advance review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Tris is an engineer who has been selected to go on a company retreat to Hawaii for a chance to advance her career. Unfortunately, her biggest rival in the office, Rafe, is also attending.

Not Safe for Work was an enjoyable read that kept me interested until the end. We follow Tris, who is a woman of color working in a male-dominated industry. It really dives into some toxic workplace behavior that can be pretty eye-opening. I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers romance that develops, even though some aspects of the situation seemed a bit hard to believe (coworkers forced to share a room with one bed). The fighting between them felt a little unprofessional at first, but I enjoyed the characters getting to know each other better as the story progressed. It’s a bit of a slow burn for a while, but it eventually turns up the heat. Plot-wise there wasn’t anything all that surprising and things pretty much went the way I expected them to, but it was still a fun escape.

March 12, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Time Loops & Meet Cutes

by Jackie Lau

coming May 6, 2025

(4.5 / 5)

I received a free digital ARC copy of the book through NetGalley. All opinions are completely my own.

I’ve been reading a lot of romance lately, so the time loop in this story made it refreshingly different. It’s definitely one of my favorite romance reads so far this year. We follow Noelle, whose life has pretty much been revolving around work, with no close friends or romantic relationships for a while. When she finds herself in a time loop, it gives Noelle an opportunity to leave her comfort zone without the fear of consequences, since everything will just reset at the end of the day anyway. It’s an interesting way to watch a character grow, build relationships, and try new experiences. It’s not surprising that at times things get a little repetitive since we are repeating the same day, but it makes the story feel authentic and relatable. The concept definitely kept me curious about what could have caused this phenomenon and how it might eventually end. I wasn’t expecting how much the story was able to surprise me at times. As for the romance, I thought it was very sweet (while still offering some spice). I could really feel how the time loop could make it freeing yet also frustrating. Bonus points for the friendship that Noelle finds along the way – I think I may have enjoyed that relationship as much as the romance! A big indication of how much I liked the book: when I finished it, I found myself wanting to read parts of the beginning again, just to see it from the new perspective of knowing how it ends.

March 8, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

32 Days in May

by Betty Corrello

coming May 13, 2025

(4 / 5)

A woman who is struggling after her lupus diagnosis meets a former tv star in a small New Jersey island town. They decide to have a whirlwind romance, just for the month of May.

This book took me a little bit to get into. In the beginning we are briefly jumping through a few key moments in time in the months after our protagonist, Nadia, learns that she has lupus and it significantly impacts her life. It’s obvious that she’s struggling a lot mentally, which can be difficult to read about, though it’s also an important part of her journey. Once I got more acclimated to the story, I was hooked, and I ended up enjoying it a lot.

Things definitely got more interesting when Nadia met Marco, a minor celebrity who has had his own struggles. Both characters felt so authentic and I really liked them, so it wasn’t hard to adore the relationship that develops between them. While there’s not necessarily anything about the story that surprised me, it was an emotional journey with a powerful message.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the free review copy of 32 Days in May! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

February 26, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Women's Fiction 0

Any Trope but You

by Victoria Lavine

coming April 1, 2025

(4 / 5)

Margot is a romance author who was recently canceled after a personal file was leaked publicly. In hopes of saving her career, she goes to remote Alaska to write a book in a new genre.

Any Trope but You was a fun book to read. As the title suggests, it’s full of romance tropes. It might be a little ridiculous, but the fact that the characters are pointing it out makes it more comedic than cheesy. I really liked both main characters, Margot and Forrest. I thought Margot felt especially real with all her mishaps and really being out of her comfort zone. The relationship that develops brings on a decent amount of spice, so if that’s not your thing, you may want to give this one a pass. Plot-wise there wasn’t anything all that surprising along the way, but it wasn’t something I was expecting either. Bonus points for the great setting in the Alaskan wilderness! It made a nice wintertime read.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Any Trope but You! All opinions are completely my own.

February 17, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

The Encanto’s Curse

The Encanto’s Daughter #2

By Melissa de la Cruz

Coming March 4, 2025

(4 / 5)

The Encanto’s Curse is the 2nd book in the The Encanto’s Daughter duology and takes place a few months after the first book left off. I found this story had a similar feel to the first one, though it had more romance involved. I’m not sure if I was completely a fan of the love triangle aspect, but it added a bit of mystery about how who she would end up with (though I had a pretty good idea of how that would go). I thought the ties to Filipino folklore were interesting, with the manananggal sounding downright terrifying. The book definitely didn’t lack in action and excitement, so it kept me engaged and interested in the story. I was happy with how this series ended and liked that there were some directions the plot went that I didn’t see coming.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Encanto’s Curse! All opinions are completely my own and voluntary.

February 7, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

His Mortal Demise

The Last Bloodcarver #2

By Vanessa Le

Coming March 18, 2025

(5 / 5)

His Mortal Demise is the 2nd book in The Last Bloodcarver duology, and you definitely want to read these books in order. I’ll apologize in advance that my review will be a bit on the vague side, but I want to avoid spoilers for those who haven’t read the first book yet.

This book follows the perspectives of two different characters in different points in time. From the start we know that something miraculous has happened, and while one character tries to figure out what happened, we follow the other character through the months leading up to it. This all gave the story a mysterious feel, and it sometimes took directions that I wasn’t expecting at all. I’m not going to lie, there could be a very dark feel to this story at times, with grief, war, sacrifice, and questioning morals along the way. But there was also substantial character growth that was beautiful to watch. I’m glad that we were able to see many of the characters from the first book again and explore even more of this interesting fictional world. The last chunk of the book was especially packed with action and almost had a cinematic feel to it. And let’s not forget the absolute rollercoaster of emotions I experienced along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed both books in this duology, and I look forward to seeing more from author Vanessa Le in the future.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for the free review copy of His Mortal Demise! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

January 11, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The Break-Up Pact

By Emma Lord

(3.5 / 5)

June and Levi were close childhood friends who have had minimal contact for the past 10 years. Each has been in a long-term relationship that recently ended, quite publicly. When a photo starts circulating of the two of them, assuming they are dating each other, they decide to “fake date” to help draw business to June’s tea shop and make Levi’s fiancé jealous.

The Break-Up Pact was set in a small, tight-knit beach town where everyone seems to know each other. We follow several things that are going on beyond the main storyline… June’s tea shop struggling, Levi writing a book, June’s brother is getting married, and June’s friend Sana is trying to write an article worthy of being in a big magazine. There’s a bit of a sad undertone to the story due to June’s sister (and Levi’s friend) Annie passing away two years ago, and I think both characters are still processing the grief of her being gone. The main characters were overall likeable, though sometimes I found it a little frustrating how much June tended to push Levi away. Both characters have been living in situations that are more to fulfill the dreams of other people instead of themselves, so there was some good character development as June and Levi figured out what they actually wanted for themselves.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Break-Up Pact! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

January 5, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Our Infinite Fates

By Laura Steven

Coming March 4, 2025

(3.5 / 5)

Our Infinite Fates had an interesting premise: two people, originally known as Evelyn and Arden, are fated to be reincarnated and find each other in every lifetime for hundreds of years, but each time one ends up killing the other before they turn 18. In present day Wales, Evelyn is determined to break the curse this time so she can save her ill sister.

From the beginning, I was drawn to the beautiful descriptions the book provided. Much of the story is set in the present day, but every couple chapters we visit a previous lifetime of Evelyn and Arden’s, gradually going farther back in time. It was interesting to see how their lives changed through different times, genders, and parts of the world yet other aspects of them stayed very similar. At times the book did feel a bit long and tedious – present-day Evelyn is repeatedly trying to understand why both of them must die before they turn 18, and while the past lives provide more variety, we know how it’s always going to end. Things do pick up a lot toward the end, and I was actually surprised how it all originated. As expected, this book had a lot of sad moments, though I was happy with the way it ended.

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

December 31, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

She Doesn’t Have a Clue

By Jenny Elder Moke

Coming January 21, 2025

(3 / 5)

She Doesn’t Have a Clue combines mystery and romance when an author, Kate, attends a wedding on a remote private island. Kate writes a mystery series, and when the mystery that she encounters parallels the plot of one of her books, she tries to channel her fictional character to solve it. Meanwhile, the groom at the wedding is Kate’s ex-fiancé, and her former friend/crush, Jake, is also in attendance.

The premise of this book seemed interesting, but unfortunately, it ended up falling a bit flat for me. I struggled with the beginning of the book, I think because we are meeting so many sketchy characters that I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. The narrative would also occasionally switch to the book that Kate wrote, which threw me off even more. It was obvious from the start that Kate had history with Jake, but the references were vague, and I felt a bit out of the loop (it was eventually explained, but not until much later in the book). Things did get more interesting when Kate realized that one of the wedding guests was up to no good, and there’s a mystery to solve. I figured out the culprit about 70% of the way through, though it wasn’t super obvious, and I think other readers might be kept guessing for a while. In the end, the story kept my attention well enough, but I feel like I never really connected with Kate and the story was a bit too chaotic for my taste, so it just wasn’t the right book for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a free copy of She Doesn’t Have a Clue! All opinions in my review are completely my own.