sports

Soulmates

by David Wilson

coming August 4, 2026

(4 / 5)

Soulmates turned out to be an interesting read. It starts out when the characters are younger but quickly moves ahead to when they are high school seniors. Despite being a bit unsure about this one at first, I found that I really ended up getting drawn in. I ended up staying up past my bedtime because there was no way I could put it down without seeing how it would end! I thought the use of 2 different styles of artwork worked well and really set the mood for the darker parts. Kit and Emma were both characters that I liked and related to. I thought it was a nice touch that their internal thoughts were in different colors, so it was easy to tell who was thinking what.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this graphic novel. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

First and Forever

by Lynn Painter

coming May 12, 2026

(4 / 5)

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

First and Forever is a sports romance between a football player and a fan of the team. I thought the book was a cute story that I enjoyed. It was a quick read, and I felt like I was flying through the pages. It’s no surprise that football was a big theme, but it didn’t really matter that I went into it with minimal knowledge about the game. The main characters, Duffy and Connor, were likable, and I especially liked their flirty banter. The plot basically went in the direction I was expecting it to, so nothing really surprised me about it. That said, the book was a nice little escape and kept my interest well. The spice level was pretty low since it was closed door. Possible content warnings include sick family members and the previous loss of a parent.

March 27, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Women's Fiction 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.