mental health

Prince of the Sun

by Emma Noyes

coming August 4, 2026

(4 / 5)

I have enjoyed reading books by the author, Emma Noyes, in the past, so I was excited to received an ARC copy of her new book, Prince of the Sun! The book was very easy to get into, and it kept my interest well until the end. I liked how the beginning of the book balanced explanations of the world and past events with what was currently happening for Quinn. It really immersed me into the world. I liked the sense of mystery it brought while Quinn tried to figure out why the elves had come to Earth and what they were searching for. The ties to linguistics was interesting, even though I don’t know a whole lot about the topic. By the end there’s a lot of high stakes action that kept me on the edge of my seat. And don’t forget the romance… the book really was a great blend of different genres. Speaking of the romance, I really enjoyed the interactions between Quinn and Daerios, with some good banter and tension. I think my biggest disappointment was that there were some questions I had that were never answered by the end. It’s very possible that this wouldn’t bother other readers at all, but I guess I’m just curious. For the most part though, the book wrapped up pretty nicely for a standalone fantasy.

Many thanks to the author for providing a free review copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

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

May 19, 2026 by danimae1981 eBook Fiction Manga Romance Young Adult 0

Lights Out

by Jenni Fletcher

(4 / 5)

I want to thank Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books, and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of the book. All opinions are completely my own.

Lights Out is a fake dating romance story that takes us into the world of Formula 1 racing. I have to admit that I knew very little about the sport going into the book but found it very accessible since our narrator, Maisie, also didn’t know much about it. The car races really brought a lot of excitement and energy to the story. The book was a quick, easy, fast-paced read that was hard to put down. I liked the chemistry between Maisie and Gio. There were some situations along the way that I didn’t really like how one or both of them acted, but I was glad to see that most of it was reflected on and discussed later in the story. They both had their issues, but I also felt like it made them feel human. It was also nice to see Maisie working through some of her fears from past trauma and addressing her mental health. Overall, the book was a fun read that I enjoyed.

February 25, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle New Adult Romance Young Adult 0

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

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

Julia Song Is Undateable

by Susan Lee

coming October 28, 2025

(4 / 5)

First off, thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

Julia Song Is Undateable is a love story that follows Julia and Tae, two Korean Americans who grew up as neighbors. When Julia agrees to let her family set her up on three dates, she asks Tae to be her dating coach.

At first I was a little unsure about this book, but I became more invested the farther I got into the story. The book was very readable and kept my interest well. I liked the glimpse at Korean American culture. The book dives into mental health which was portrayed well and really gave the story meaning. There were plenty of lighthearted moments as well that helped balance the story. Both Julia and Tae were relatable characters and made a cute couple that I was rooting for. I loved watching how much they both grew and evolved over the course of the book.

October 6, 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

This Book Is Cheaper Than Therapy

By Liz Kelly, LICSW

Released today!

(4 / 5)

I’m not a big nonfiction reader, but I was drawn to the cheeky title and potential for a more lighthearted take on self-help. This book isn’t necessarily comedic, but it feels less clinical than a lot of self-help books out there and managed to get me to chuckle a few times. To me, this book felt like a toolbox filled with a variety of methods and suggestions one could pick and choose from, based on preference. A lot of the information wasn’t necessarily new to me, but this book puts it all in one place and describes things in a way that’s easy to understand. I especially liked the numerous real-world examples given throughout the book, helping me understand the concepts the author was trying to convey. There’s a lot of great information here, and I made lot of bookmarks and highlights throughout so I could refer back to those sections. It’s obvious that this book isn’t meant to completely replace therapy, but it provides a great reference to the types of skills one would work on in a therapy environment.

Thank you to PESI Publishing, Bridge City Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of This Book Is Cheaper Than Therapy! All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

March 19, 2024 by danimae1981 Kindle Nonfiction Self-help 0

Falling for Fury

By Brittany Rianne

Released today!

(4 / 5)

Addison: 25-year-old law student who struggles with mental health and the expectations set by her dad. Noah: 29-year-old businessman who is determined to succeed to support his family but has sworn off love after the grief of losing his father. The two meet by chance and sparks fly, but is a relationship possible?

This book begins with a trigger warning, which I appreciated since I have had my own struggles with mental health. I’ll admit, in the beginning I had a hard time completely understanding the two main characters, but as I got to know them better, they both grew on me. On the surface, this is a romance story with good amount of spice, but it digs so much deeper with topics about mental health, family issues and personal growth. I liked the relationship between Addison and Noah, especially with how Noah embraced Addison as she was, instead of walking on eggshells like everyone else around her. I thought the book playlist (a song for each chapter) was a nice touch, even if I didn’t always listen to it while reading the book. This book is impressive for a self-published debut author – I would have never suspected this just from reading the book.

Thank you to Brittany Rianne for the free review copy of Falling for Fury! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

March 10, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Love, Just In

By Natalie Murray

Coming soon on January 3, 2024

(4 / 5)

Love, Just In follows the story of Josie of Zac, written from Josie’s point of view. The two have been best friends since they were teenagers, though they have drifted apart over the past couple years, following the death of Zac’s fiancé. Josie, a news reporter, is temporarily assigned to work in the city Zac has moved to, giving them the opportunity to reconnect. The book alternates between “today” and various moments from Zac and Josie’s past together.

One of the big themes of this book is Josie’s anxiety, especially about her health. After losing two family members to breast cancer, plus the loss of Zac’s fiancé at a young age, Josie worries that she will get cancer and die young. The anxiety is so bad that it’s caused her to panic on live tv, affecting her career. The portrayal of this anxiety felt very real while reading Josie’s story. This specific anxiety isn’t something I see much in fiction reading, so it definitely brings some awareness to a very real condition.

I enjoyed Josie and Zac’s interactions with each other, both as friends and as a couple, so I enjoyed being able to see their current story and pieces of their history. At times it felt frustrating when I could tell that they were more than friends who weren’t acting on it, but it was also understandable given the issues each one of them needed to sort out first. It was an overall good story that kept my attention, was quick to read, and had a satisfying ending.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin and NetGalley for the free advance copy of Love, Just In. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

November 8, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0