Ashley's bookshelf: all en-US Fri, 10 Jan 2025 16:50:07 -0800 60 Ashley's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Incidents Around the House 199757490 A chilling horror novel about a haunting told from the perspective of a young girl whose troubled family is targeted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy,� from the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box

To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’sMommy,Daddo,and Grandma Ruth.But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?”�

When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the same question, over and over . . . Bela understands that unless she says yes, soon her family must pay.

Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe but other incidents show cracks in her parents' marriage. The safety Bela relies on is on the brink of unraveling.

But Other Mommy needs an answer.

Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror told by the child Bela. A story about a family as haunted as their home.]]> 367 Josh Malerman 0593723120 Ashley 0 botm, horror 3.61 2024 Incidents Around the House
author: Josh Malerman
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/10
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: botm, horror
review:

]]> The True Love Experiment 62361081 Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script.

Felicity “Fizzy� Chen is lost. Sure, she’s got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she’s asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached.

Fizzy hasn’t ever really been in love. Lust? Definitely. But that swoon-worthy, ’t-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. Nothing. What happens when the optimism she’s spent her career encouraging in readers starts to feel like a lie?

Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves his work in large part because it allows him to live near his daughter. But when his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line, Connor is out of his element. Desperate to find his romantic lead, a chance run-in with an exasperated Fizzy offers Connor the perfect solution. What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Fizzy gives him a hard pass—unless he agrees to her list of demands. When he says yes, and production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him, too.

The True Love Experiment is the book fans have been waiting for ever since Fizzy’s debut in The Soulmate Equation. But when the lights come on and all eyes are on her, it turns out the happily ever after Fizzy had all but given up on might lie just behind the camera.]]> 409 Christina Lauren 1982173432 Ashley 4 4.06 2023 The True Love Experiment
author: Christina Lauren
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves:
review:

]]> Lessons in Chemistry 206305528
But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride�) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.]]> 404 Bonnie Garmus Ashley 0 4.24 2022 Lessons in Chemistry
author: Bonnie Garmus
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2024/09/29
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> Expiration Dates 176443178
From the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and One Italian Summer comes the romance that will define a generation.

Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake.

But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.

Told with her signature warmth and insight into matters of the heart, Rebecca Serle has finally set her sights on romantic love. The result is a gripping, emotional, passionate, and (yes) heartbreaking novel about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define each of them for ourselves. Expiration Dates is the one fans have been waiting for.]]> 272 Rebecca Serle 1982166827 Ashley 0 3.58 2024 Expiration Dates
author: Rebecca Serle
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/10/08
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> She's Not Sorry 140111148
Meghan Michaels is trying to find balance between being a single mom to a teenage daughter and working as a full time nurse. While on duty at the hospital one day, a patient named Caitlin arrives in a coma with a traumatic brain injury, having jumped from a bridge and plunging over twenty feet to the train tracks below.

But when a witness comes forward with shocking details about the fall, it calls everything they know into question. Was Caitlin pushed and if so, by whom and why?

Meghan has always tried to stay emotionally detached from her patients, but this time, she mistakenly lets herself get too close until she’s deeply entangled in Caitlin’s and her family’s lives. Only when it’s too late, does she realize that she and her daughter could be the next victims.]]> 330 Mary Kubica 0778308065 Ashley 0 3.77 2024 She's Not Sorry
author: Mary Kubica
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/09/03
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Becky Lynch: The Man—Not Your Average Average Girl]]> 176443087
By age seven, Rebecca Quin, now known in the ring as Becky Lynch, was already defying what the world expected of her. Raised in Dublin, Ireland in a devoutly Catholic family, Rebecca constantly invented new ways to make her mother worry—roughhousing with the neighborhood kids, hosting secret parties while her parents were away, enrolling in a warehouse wrestling school, nearly breaking her neck and almost kneecapping a WWE star before her own wrestling career even began—and she was always in search of a thrilling escape from the ordinary.

Rebecca’s deep love of wrestling as a child set her on an unlikely path. With few female wrestlers to look to for guidance, Rebecca pursued a wrestling career hoping to change the culture and move away from the antiquated disrespect so often directed at the elite female athletes that grace the ring. Even as a teenager, she knew that she would stop at nothing to earn a space among the greatest wrestlers of our time, and to pave a new path for female fighters.

Culled from decades of journal entries, Rebecca’s memoir offers a raw, personal, and honest depiction of the complex woman behind the character Rebecca Quin plays on TV.]]> 367 Rebecca Quin 1982157259 Ashley 0 4.48 2024 Becky Lynch: The Man—Not Your Average Average Girl
author: Rebecca Quin
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/11/24
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> A Winter in New York 101673373
When Iris decides to move to New York to restart her life, she realizes she underestimated how big the Big Apple really is—all the nostalgic movies set in New York she’d watched with her mom while eating their special secret-recipe gelato didn’t quite do it justice.

But Bobby, Iris’s best friend, isn’t about to let her hide away. He drags her to a famous autumn street fair in Little Italy, and as they walk through the food stalls, a little family-run gelateria catches her eye—could it be the same shop that’s in an old photo of her mother’s?

Curious, Iris returns the next day and meets the handsome Gio, who tells her that the shop is in danger of closing. His uncle, sole keeper of their family’s gelato recipe, is in a coma, so they’t make more. When Iris samples the last remaining batch, she realizes that their gelato and her gelato are one and the same. Buthow can she tell them she knows their secret recipe when she’s not sure why Gio’s uncle gave it to her mother in the first place?

Iris offers her services as a chef to help them re-create the flavor and finds herself falling for Gio and his family. But when Gio’s uncle finally wakes up, all of the secrets Iris has been keeping threaten to ruin the new life—and new love—she’s been building all winter long.]]> 384 Josie Silver 0593724933 Ashley 0 3.64 2023 A Winter in New York
author: Josie Silver
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> Kill for Me, Kill for You 176451879
One dark evening on New York City’s Upper West Side, two strangers meet by chance. Over drinks, Amanda and Wendy realize they have much in common, especially loneliness and an intense desire for revenge against the men who destroyed their families. As they talk into the night, they come up with the perfect if you kill for me, I’ll kill for you.

In another part of the city, Ruth is home alone when the beautiful brownstone she shares with her husband, Scott, is invaded. She’s attacked by a man with piercing blue eyes, who disappears into the night. Will she ever be able to feel safe again while the blue-eyed stranger is out there?

Intricate, heart-racing, and from an author who “is the real deal� (Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Kill for Me, Kill for You will keep you breathless until the final page.]]> 340 Steve Cavanagh 1668049341 Ashley 0 botm, thrillers 4.14 2023 Kill for Me, Kill for You
author: Steve Cavanagh
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2024/07/27
date added: 2024/07/27
shelves: botm, thrillers
review:

]]> The Ministry of Time 199798179 A time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all:

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats� from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.

She is tasked with working as a “bridge�: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as �1847� or Commander Graham Gore. As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machines,� “Spotify,� and “the collapse of the British Empire.� But with an appetite for discovery, a seven-a-day cigarette habit, and the support of a charming and chaotic cast of fellow expats, he soon adjusts.

Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic, evolves into something much deeper. By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future.]]> 339 Kaliane Bradley 1668045141 Ashley 0 botm, sci-fi 3.54 2024 The Ministry of Time
author: Kaliane Bradley
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/07/27
date added: 2024/07/27
shelves: botm, sci-fi
review:

]]> <![CDATA[It's in His Kiss (Bridgertons, #7)]]> 110393
MEET OUR HERO...

Gareth St. Clair is in a bind. His father, who detests him, is determined to beggar the St. Clair estates and ruin his inheritance. Gareth's sole bequest is an old family diary, which may or may not contain the secrets of his past... and the key to his future. The problem is—it's written in Italian, of which Gareth speaks not a word.

MEET OUR HEROINE...

All the ton agreed: there was no one quite like Hyacinth Bridgerton. She's fiendishly smart, devilishly outspoken, and according to Gareth, probably best in small doses. But there's something about her—something charming and vexing—that grabs him and won't quite let go...

MEET POOR MR. MOZART...

Or don't. But rest assured, he's spinning in his grave when Gareth and Hyacinth cross paths at the annual—and annually discordant—Smythe-Smith musicale. To Hyacinth, Gareth's every word seems a dare, and she offers to translate his diary, even though her Italian is slightly less than perfect. But as they delve into the mysterious text, they discover that the answers they seek lie not in the diary, but in each other... and that there is nothing as simple—or as complicated—as a single, perfect kiss.]]> 384 Julia Quinn 006053124X Ashley 3 audiobooks, romance 3.94 2005 It's in His Kiss (Bridgertons, #7)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/28
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves: audiobooks, romance
review:

]]> This Summer Will Be Different 197577126 This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won’t give into temptation. This summer will be different.

Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.

It’s easier said than done.

Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.

If Lucy ’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it.

When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.]]> 368 Carley Fortune 0593638883 Ashley 0 romance 3.94 2024 This Summer Will Be Different
author: Carley Fortune
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/07/13
date added: 2024/07/13
shelves: romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Oathbound (The Legendborn Cycle, #3)]]> 214151316
Bree Matthews is alone. She exiled herself from the Legendborn Order, cut her ancestral connections, and turned away from the friends who ’t understand the impossible cost of her powers. This is the only way to keep herself—and those she loves—safe.

But Bree’s decision has come with a terrible price: an unbreakable bargain with the Shadow King himself, a shapeshifter who can move between humanity, the demon underworld, and the Legendborn secret society. In exchange for training to wield her unprecedented abilities, Bree has put her future in the Shadow King’s hands—and unwittingly bound herself to do his bidding as his new protégé.

Meanwhile, the other Scions must face war with their Round Table fractured, leaderless, and missing its Kingsmage, as Selwyn has also disappeared. When Nick is detained by the Order’s Merlins, he invokes an ancient law that requires the High Council of Regents to convene at the Northern Keep and grant him an audience. No one knows what he will demand of them...or what secrets he has kept hidden from the Table.

As a string of mysterious kidnappings escalates and Merlins are found dead, it becomes clear that no matter how hard Bree runs from who she is, the past will always find her.]]> 656 Tracy Deonn 1665951907 Ashley 0 to-read, fantasy 4.43 2025 Oathbound (The Legendborn Cycle, #3)
author: Tracy Deonn
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/10
shelves: to-read, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Really Very Crunchy: A Beginner's Guide to Removing Toxins from Your Life without Adding Them to Your Personality]]> 180351894 240 Emily Morrow 0310367522 Ashley 0 audiobooks 4.14 2024 Really Very Crunchy: A Beginner's Guide to Removing Toxins from Your Life without Adding Them to Your Personality
author: Emily Morrow
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/06/28
date added: 2024/06/28
shelves: audiobooks
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dead Leprechauns & Devil Cats: Strange Tales of the White Street Society]]> 17558116
This volume collects four of their best-known "The Hairy Ghost," "The Corpse Army of Khartoum," "The Yellow Peril," and a brand new adventure, "The Christmas Spirits." Ranging from Gilded Age New York to British-controlled Sudan with its ruined desert city of Khartoum, these stories will inform, illuminate, and alarm. The Tales of the White Street Society were originally published by Pseudopod, the audio fiction site. They are collected here as short stories due to popular demand, along with a new story entitled “The Christmas Spirits� that has never before been seen anywhere else and is sure to curl your mustache. You will come away from this slim volume with an understanding of the supernatural wonders that these bold men of the 19th century were compelled to shoot, poison, burn, and beat to death with shovels.]]> 135 Grady Hendrix 0983448752 Ashley 0 fantasy, to-read 3.66 2012 Dead Leprechauns & Devil Cats: Strange Tales of the White Street Society
author: Grady Hendrix
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/26
shelves: fantasy, to-read
review:

]]> Mexican Gothic 53152636
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.]]> 320 Silvia Moreno-Garcia 0525620788 Ashley 4 fictions, botm, thrillers �
•⁣
�
Mexican Gothic reads like a movie. A beautiful, young socialite named Noémi, in 1950’s Mexico, is determined to find out what’s wrong with her beloved cousin after receiving a mysterious letter. When Noémi arrives at the gothic mansion where her cousin lives with her new husband and his family, she immediately recognizes that something is amiss. She is smart and determined to uncover the mysteries of the house and family within, but Noémi is playing a dangerous game. By the time she realizes how dangerous, it may be too late...�
�
I read this book in a few hours. I was engrossed from the first chapter and could not put it down! Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing is incredible. The visuals she created were so vivid...I could easily picture it all. Even the stuff I didn’t want to picture! Because YIKES! There is some dark content and true evil in this story. While the build may be a little slow for some, (personally, I thought it was just proper character & world building) it definitely takes off in the second half. It was so intense! My butt was clinched for the entire last hour of reading and I felt like I’d been holding my breath until I finished the last sentence.�
�
The incredible setting and atmosphere made the book, but the characters were brilliant too. I loved Noémi. She was funny, charming, and smart in a genuine way. Her development throughout the book was great and I cared so much about what happened to her. And don’t even get me started on Francis...my sweet baby angel, who I was rooting for the second his character was introduced. (I love me a shy boy) I ’t think of the last time I cared about characters so much in a horror/thriller novel!�
�
Read if you truly appreciate horror and prose because this is some proper gothic literature.�
⁣⁣
⁣⁣
⁣⁣
⁣⁣ձ> 3.66 2020 Mexican Gothic
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/07/06
date added: 2024/06/15
shelves: fictions, botm, thrillers
review:
“Yet the thought of anyone more substantial made her nervous, for she was trapped between competing desires, a desire for a more meaningful connection and the desire to never change.”⁣
�
•⁣
�
Mexican Gothic reads like a movie. A beautiful, young socialite named Noémi, in 1950’s Mexico, is determined to find out what’s wrong with her beloved cousin after receiving a mysterious letter. When Noémi arrives at the gothic mansion where her cousin lives with her new husband and his family, she immediately recognizes that something is amiss. She is smart and determined to uncover the mysteries of the house and family within, but Noémi is playing a dangerous game. By the time she realizes how dangerous, it may be too late...�
�
I read this book in a few hours. I was engrossed from the first chapter and could not put it down! Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing is incredible. The visuals she created were so vivid...I could easily picture it all. Even the stuff I didn’t want to picture! Because YIKES! There is some dark content and true evil in this story. While the build may be a little slow for some, (personally, I thought it was just proper character & world building) it definitely takes off in the second half. It was so intense! My butt was clinched for the entire last hour of reading and I felt like I’d been holding my breath until I finished the last sentence.�
�
The incredible setting and atmosphere made the book, but the characters were brilliant too. I loved Noémi. She was funny, charming, and smart in a genuine way. Her development throughout the book was great and I cared so much about what happened to her. And don’t even get me started on Francis...my sweet baby angel, who I was rooting for the second his character was introduced. (I love me a shy boy) I ’t think of the last time I cared about characters so much in a horror/thriller novel!�
�
Read if you truly appreciate horror and prose because this is some proper gothic literature.�
⁣⁣
⁣⁣
⁣⁣
⁣⁣
]]> Queen Charlotte 61423072 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn and television pioneer Shonda Rhimes comes a powerful and romantic novel of Bridgerton's Queen Charlotte and King George III's great love story and how it sparked a societal shift, inspired by the original series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, created by Shondaland for Netflix.

“We are one crown. His weight is mine, and mine is his…�

In 1761, on a sunny day in September, a King and Queen met for the very first time. They were married within hours.

Born a German Princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was beautiful, headstrong, and fiercely intelligent� not precisely the attributes the British Court had been seeking in a spouse for the young King George III. But her fire and independence were exactly what she needed, because George had secrets� secrets with the potential to shake the very foundations of the monarchy.

Thrust into her new role as a royal, Charlotte must learn to navigate the intricate politics of the court� all the while guarding her heart, because she is falling in love with the King, even as he pushes her away. Above all she must learn to rule, and to understand that she has been given the power to remake society. She must fight—for herself, for her husband, and for all her new subjects who look to her for guidance and grace. For she will never be just Charlotte again. She must instead fulfill her destiny� as Queen.]]> 352 Julia Quinn 0063305089 Ashley 0 audiobooks, romance 4.15 2023 Queen Charlotte
author: Julia Quinn
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2024/06/06
date added: 2024/06/06
shelves: audiobooks, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air, #3.5)]]> 53439886
Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue.

Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone . Revealing a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame’s enigmatic high king, Cardan, his tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan’s perspective.

This new installment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humor, and drama that enchanted readers everywhere. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-color art, making this the perfect collector’s item to be enjoyed by both new audiences and old.]]> 200 Holly Black Ashley 4 audiobooks, fantasy 4.15 2020 How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air, #3.5)
author: Holly Black
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/12
date added: 2024/06/04
shelves: audiobooks, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3)]]> 26032912 He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity�

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes the highly anticipated and jaw-dropping finale to The Folk of the Air trilogy.]]> 321 Holly Black 0316310409 Ashley 4 audiobooks 4.33 2019 The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3)
author: Holly Black
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/10
date added: 2024/06/04
shelves: audiobooks
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Lost Sisters (The Folk of the Air, #1.5)]]> 40772063 Sometimes the difference between a love story and a horror story is where the ending comes...

While Jude fought for power in the Court of Elfhame against the cruel Prince Cardan, her sister Taryn began to fall in love with the trickster, Locke.

Half-apology and half-explanation, it turns out that Taryn has some secrets of her own to reveal.

The Lost Sisters is a companion e-novella to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince by master writer Holly Black.]]> 50 Holly Black Ashley 4 audiobooks, fantasy 3.33 2018 The Lost Sisters (The Folk of the Air, #1.5)
author: Holly Black
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/11
date added: 2024/06/04
shelves: audiobooks, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)]]> 26032887 The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.]]> 336 Holly Black 0316310336 Ashley 4 audiobooks, fantasy 4.27 2019 The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)
author: Holly Black
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/26
date added: 2024/06/04
shelves: audiobooks, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)]]> 26032825 Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.]]> 370 Holly Black 0316310271 Ashley 4 fantasy, ya 4.01 2018 The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)
author: Holly Black
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/04
date added: 2024/06/04
shelves: fantasy, ya
review:

]]> Annie Bot 156023123
She’s learning, too.

Doug says he loves that Annie’s artificial intelligence makes her seem more like a real woman, but the more human Annie becomes, the less perfectly she behaves. As Annie's relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder whether Doug truly desires what he says he does. In such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself?]]> 231 Sierra Greer 0063312697 Ashley 4
•Ģ�

•I couldn’t put Annie Bot down. It was so quirky and different! There is an underlying tension throughout that kept me flipping the pages.

•Reading about human like robots is a lil terrifying, but I also loved Annie’s perspective. It was sad and lonely and weirdly relatable in moments.

•There were some scenes that were super uncomfortable, a lot of behavior that was extremely questionable, and I got so mad at so basically all of the men.

•This would’ve been an easy 5 star if not for the ending. There’s nothing wrong with it necessarily, but for me it was anticlimactic after all the tense build up. While a simple ending is fitting in a way, it had felt like it was building up to something bigger and/or darker so it felt a lil “oh that’s it?�

•I would still highly recommend it. It’s an easy, approachable, and interesting sci-fi.]]> 3.81 2024 Annie Bot
author: Sierra Greer
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/07
date added: 2024/06/04
shelves:
review:
“She has been happy here, and anxiously miserable, but she has never been free.�

•Ģ�

•I couldn’t put Annie Bot down. It was so quirky and different! There is an underlying tension throughout that kept me flipping the pages.

•Reading about human like robots is a lil terrifying, but I also loved Annie’s perspective. It was sad and lonely and weirdly relatable in moments.

•There were some scenes that were super uncomfortable, a lot of behavior that was extremely questionable, and I got so mad at so basically all of the men.

•This would’ve been an easy 5 star if not for the ending. There’s nothing wrong with it necessarily, but for me it was anticlimactic after all the tense build up. While a simple ending is fitting in a way, it had felt like it was building up to something bigger and/or darker so it felt a lil “oh that’s it?�

•I would still highly recommend it. It’s an easy, approachable, and interesting sci-fi.
]]> Murder Road 196614815 A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel.

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to be a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchhiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.]]> 341 Simone St. James 0593200381 Ashley 4 botm, mystery, thrillers
•Ģ�

•I have enjoy everything I’ve read by Simone St. James and Murder Road was no exception!

•I loved the 90’s “small town with secrets� setting. I loved the supernatural element. I loved the secrets. And I really loved the pacing…it was perfect. It never dragged and the book really flew by!

•While I did enjoy the heck out of this book, the ending was a little anticlimactic. It wasn’t bad overall, but it felt kind of like “that’s it?� after such a wild build up.
]]> 3.67 2024 Murder Road
author: Simone St. James
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/22
date added: 2024/06/04
shelves: botm, mystery, thrillers
review:
“You ’t run from your demons forever—sometimes you have to walk into them head-on.�

•Ģ�

•I have enjoy everything I’ve read by Simone St. James and Murder Road was no exception!

•I loved the 90’s “small town with secrets� setting. I loved the supernatural element. I loved the secrets. And I really loved the pacing…it was perfect. It never dragged and the book really flew by!

•While I did enjoy the heck out of this book, the ending was a little anticlimactic. It wasn’t bad overall, but it felt kind of like “that’s it?� after such a wild build up.

]]> Tomb Sweeping 63331388 A playful and deeply affective short story collection about the histories, technologies, and generational divides that shape our relationships—from the award-winning writer of Days of Distraction

Compelling and perceptive, Tomb Sweeping probes the loyalties we hold: to relatives, to strangers, and to ourselves. In stories set across the US and Asia, Alexandra Chang immerses us in the lives of immigrant families, grocery store employees, expecting parents, and guileless lab assistants.

A woman known only to her neighbors as “the Asian recycling lady� collects bottles from the streets she calls home. A young college grad ponders the void left from a broken friendship. An unfulfilled housewife in Shanghai finds a secret outlet for her ambitions in an undercover gambling den. Two strangers become something more through the bond of mistaken identity.

These characters, adeptly attuned to the mystery of living, invite us to consider whether it is possible for anyone to entirely do right by another. Tomb Sweeping brims with remarkable skill and talent in every story, keeping a definitive pulse on loss, community, and what it means to feel fully alive.]]> 251 Alexandra Chang 0062951866 Ashley 0 currently-reading 3.49 2023 Tomb Sweeping
author: Alexandra Chang
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/03
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Running Wild (Wild, #3) 58817631 From the internationally bestselling author of The Simple Wild comes the story of a woman at a crossroads in her life, struggling between the safe route and the one that will only lead to more heartbreak.

Veterinarian Marie Lehr knows unrequited love all too well after pining for her best friend, only to watch him marry another woman. It's a mistake she will never make again, especially not when she can practically hear the clock ticking on her childbearing years.

The trouble is, she can't seem to find anyone who appeals to her even a fraction as much as that burly bush pilot did. Competitive musher Tyler Brady certainly doesn't, especially not after the heated altercation with the handsome but arrogant, spiteful man.

Or so she thinks.

While volunteering at the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, Marie discovers that first impressions may have been false, and her attraction to Tyler is very real. But his heart belongs to someone else, leaving him with nothing to offer but friendship. Marie's been down this road before and knows how that ends. Yet, no matter how hard she works to keep from falling for Tyler, it seems she's doomed to follow her own trail once again.]]> 399 K.A. Tucker 1990105181 Ashley 0 romance 4.31 2022 Running Wild (Wild, #3)
author: K.A. Tucker
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2024/05/30
date added: 2024/06/01
shelves: romance
review:

]]> Listen for the Lie 127279000 What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter?

Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all and, if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. But after Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer.

It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy ’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life. But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast Listen for the Lie and its too-good looking host, Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one who did it.

The truth is out there, if we just listen.]]> 352 Amy Tintera 1250880319 Ashley 0 4.07 2024 Listen for the Lie
author: Amy Tintera
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/05/23
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves:
review:

]]> How to End a Love Story 210478332 La romance enemies-to-lovers sexy et bouleversante, coup de cœur du book club de Reese Witherspoon !

Helen Zhang n’a pas revu Grant Shepard depuis treize ans, depuis le tragique accident qui a lié leurs vies à jamais

.Devenue une autrice renommée, Helen n’a qu’une obsession : sa carrière. Elle a même décroché une place très convoitée dans la salle d’écriture de l’adaptation télé de sa série de livres à succès pour adolescents. Il ne lui reste plus qu’� dissimuler son syndrome de l’imposteur et à dépasser sa panne d’inspiration, et elle est persuadée que le reste de sa vie rentrera dans l’ordre. Los Angeles est le nouveau départ dont elle avait besoin. Après tout, personne ne la connaît là-bas. Sauf...

Grant a fait tout son possible pour tourner la page sur son passé, y compris se construire une vie à l’autre bout du pays. Et même s’il est encore parfois sujet à des attaques de panique, il a réussi à se faire un nom dans le milieu en tant que scénariste. Il sait qu’il n’aurait pas dû accepter cette mission, mais c’est une opportunité qu’il ne peut pas se permettre de rater.

Grant est exactement le même que dans le souvenir d’Helen � toujours aussi charmant, drôle et populaire, tout ce qu’elle n’est pas � et, pour Grant, Helen n’a pas changé non plus � brillante, belle, renfermée. Travailler ensemble sur ce projet ne manque pas de faire des étincelles, d’autant que les parents d’Helen ignorent tout de l’implication de Grant, qu’ils n’ont jamais pardonné, dans la série.

Quand les secrets sont révélés au grand jour, Grant et Helen doivent se faire une raison : leur histoire n’était jamais destinée à être une histoire d’amour. Et pourtant� pour faire la paix avec leur passé � et avec eux-mêmes �, il leur faudra peut-être se raccrocher au présent.]]> 372 Yulin Kuang 139971659X Ashley 0 3.68 2024 How to End a Love Story
author: Yulin Kuang
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/05/20
date added: 2024/05/20
shelves:
review:

]]> Forever Wild (Wild, #2.5) 53887270 From the international bestselling author of The Simple Wild comes Forever Wild, a novella that continues the story of Calla’s journey to the Alaskan wild and a life she never imagined for herself.

The holiday season is upon Calla and Jonah, and with the mistletoe and gingerbread comes plenty of family drama. Jonah is bracing himself for two weeks with a stepfather he loathes, and while Calla is looking forward to her mother and Simon’s arrival, she dreads the continued pressure to set a date for their wedding…in Toronto.

Add in one bullheaded neighbor’s unintentional meddling and another cantankerous neighbor’s own family strife, and Christmas in Trapper’s Crossing will be anything but simple.]]> 158 K.A. Tucker 1777202744 Ashley 0 romance 4.20 2020 Forever Wild (Wild, #2.5)
author: K.A. Tucker
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2024/05/13
date added: 2024/05/13
shelves: romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[More: A Memoir of Open Marriage]]> 70251573
"An intimate portrait of a woman on an earnest search to reclaim her passion and her body from the quotidian obligations of her various roles."—Christie Tate, bestselling author of Group and BFF

Molly Roden Winter was a mom of two young children in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with a husband, Stewart, who often worked late. One night when Stewart missed the kids' bedtime, again , she stormed out of the house to clear her head. At impromptu drinks with a friend, she met Matt, an unbelievably hot younger man. When Molly told her husband that Matt had asked her out, she was surprised that he encouraged her to accept.

So begins Molly's unexpected open marriage, and with it a life-changing journey of self-discovery. Molly and Stewart, who also begins to see other people, set ground rules to Don’t date an ex. Don’t date someone you work with. Don't go to anyone's house. And above all, don't fall in love. Spoiler They end up breaking most of their rules, even the most important one.

Molly follows her sexual desire onto dating sites and to public places around New York City. In therapy sessions, fueled by the discovery that her parents had an open marriage, too, she grapples with her past and what it means to be both a mother and her truest self. Molly Roden Winter narrates her journey with warmth and style in this magnetic, intensely personal debut memoir.]]> 304 Molly Roden Winter 0385549458 Ashley 0 real-life 3.42 2024 More: A Memoir of Open Marriage
author: Molly Roden Winter
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/05/13
date added: 2024/05/13
shelves: real-life
review:

]]> Hooked (Never After, #1) 58545703 From USA Today bestselling author Emily McIntire comes a dark and delicious fractured fairy tale reimagining of Peter Pan.

He wants revenge, but he wants her more�

James has always had one agenda: destroy his enemy, Peter Michaels. When Peter’s twenty-year-old daughter Wendy shows up in James’s bar, he sees his way in. Seduce the girl and use her for his revenge. It’s the perfect plan, until things in James’s organization begin to crumble. Suddenly, he has to find the traitor in his midst, and his plan for revenge gets murkier as James starts to see Wendy as more than just a pawn in his game.

Wendy has been cloistered away most of her life by her wealthy cold father, but a spontaneous night out with friends turns into an intense and addictive love affair with the dark and brooding James. As much as she knows James is dangerous, Wendy ’t seem to shake her desire for him. But as their relationship grows more heated and she learns more about the world he moves in, she finds herself unsure if she’s falling for the man known as James or the monster known as Hook.

Hooked is a dark contemporary romance and the first complete standalone in the Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales where the villains get the happy ever after. It is not a literal retelling and not fantasy. Hooked features mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised. For all content warnings, check the author's website. ]]> 312 Emily McIntire 173750832X Ashley 2 audiobooks, romance
•I was into the retelling at first but it got boring quickly for me

•the ending felt really weird and jarring

•almost gave it a one, but the first bit had me so hooked (pun intended) that I feel like two stars is more fair ]]> 3.78 2021 Hooked (Never After, #1)
author: Emily McIntire
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2024/05/02
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: audiobooks, romance
review:
•I ’t believe the hype around this one

•I was into the retelling at first but it got boring quickly for me

•the ending felt really weird and jarring

•almost gave it a one, but the first bit had me so hooked (pun intended) that I feel like two stars is more fair
]]> <![CDATA[Under One Roof (The STEMinist Novellas, #1)]]> 59651557 A scientist should never cohabitate with her annoyingly hot nemesis � it leads to combustion.

Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn�.

As an environmental engineer, Mara knows all about the delicate nature of ecosystems. They require balance. And leaving the thermostat alone. And not stealing someone else’s food. And other rules Liam, her detestable big-oil lawyer of a roommate, knows nothing about. Okay, sure, technically she’s the interloper. Liam was already entrenched in his aunt’s house like some glowering grumpy giant when Mara moved in, with his big muscles and kissable mouth just sitting there on the couch tempting respectable scientists to the dark side…but Helena was her mentor and Mara’s not about to move out and give up her inheritance without a fight.

The problem is, living with someone means getting to know them. And the more Mara finds out about Liam, the harder it is to loathe him…and the easier it is to love him.]]> 112 Ali Hazelwood 0593437810 Ashley 4 audiobooks, romance
•It was cute and sexy and I loved it

•she writes grumpy boys so perfectly ]]> 3.65 2022 Under One Roof (The STEMinist Novellas, #1)
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/21
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: audiobooks, romance
review:
•I have yet to read anything from Hazelwood that U didn’t like…this was no exception

•It was cute and sexy and I loved it

•she writes grumpy boys so perfectly
]]> The Girls I've Been 49471138 A slick, twisty YA page-turner about the daughter of a con artist who is taken hostage in a bank heist.

Nora O’Malley’s been a lot of girls. As the daughter of a con-artist who targets criminal men, she grew up as her mother’s protégé. But when mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape.

For five years Nora’s been playing at normal. But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched because she has three problems:

#1: Her ex walked in on her with her girlfriend. Even though they’re all friends, Wes didn’t know about her and Iris.

#2: The morning after Wes finds them kissing, they all have to meet to deposit the fundraiser money they raised at the bank. It’s a nightmare that goes from awkward to deadly, because:

#3: Right after they enter bank, two guys start robbing it.

The bank robbers may be trouble, but Nora’s something else entirely. They have no idea who they’re really holding hostage…]]> 356 Tess Sharpe 0593111095 Ashley 4 thrillers, ya
•Ģ�

•I am always skeptical with YA thrillers, but The Girls I’ve Been DELIVERS! I won’t get into it too much because the action kicks off within the first couple pages so I don’t want to give anything away!

•Fast paced, solid characters, wild storyline, and surprisingly violent…this one keeps the pages turning!

•I enjoyed the back and forth from past to present, but the format is a little wonky and I got confused a couple of times.

•The story gets a lil far fetched and VERY dark, but overall I enjoyed the wild ride!

•Apparently, this one is going to be made into a movie on Netflix with Millie Bobby Brown!]]> 4.04 2021 The Girls I've Been
author: Tess Sharpe
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/16
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: thrillers, ya
review:
“What didn’t kill me didn’t make me stronger; what didn’t kill me made me into a victim. But I made me stronger. I made me into a survivor.�

•Ģ�

•I am always skeptical with YA thrillers, but The Girls I’ve Been DELIVERS! I won’t get into it too much because the action kicks off within the first couple pages so I don’t want to give anything away!

•Fast paced, solid characters, wild storyline, and surprisingly violent…this one keeps the pages turning!

•I enjoyed the back and forth from past to present, but the format is a little wonky and I got confused a couple of times.

•The story gets a lil far fetched and VERY dark, but overall I enjoyed the wild ride!

•Apparently, this one is going to be made into a movie on Netflix with Millie Bobby Brown!
]]> Hidden Pictures 58724923 A wildly inventive spin on the supernatural thriller, about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.

Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.

Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.

Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force.

Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it’s too late.]]> 372 Jason Rekulak 1250819342 Ashley 4 thrillers
•Ģ�

•I have been wanting to read this one for a while! There was so much hype around it and I can see why. It’s a fun lil page turner.

•HIGHLY recommend a hard copy of this one because the artwork in the book makes the story. The drawings are nightmare fuel.

•The main character is kind of dumb, but likable enough for me not to hate her.

•I liked the journey through the mystery. There were a few good red herrings and some spooky stuff. A bit of a Scooby Doo ending, complete with a monologue, but I was okay with it.

•Overall a nice, twisty mystery thriller with a paranormal element that I think most would enjoy.]]> 4.12 2022 Hidden Pictures
author: Jason Rekulak
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/25
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: thrillers
review:
“It was like a fluttery feeling on the periphery of my attention—a kind of spidey sense. I bet there’s a good chance you’ve felt it yourself, that you know exactly what I’m talking about.�

•Ģ�

•I have been wanting to read this one for a while! There was so much hype around it and I can see why. It’s a fun lil page turner.

•HIGHLY recommend a hard copy of this one because the artwork in the book makes the story. The drawings are nightmare fuel.

•The main character is kind of dumb, but likable enough for me not to hate her.

•I liked the journey through the mystery. There were a few good red herrings and some spooky stuff. A bit of a Scooby Doo ending, complete with a monologue, but I was okay with it.

•Overall a nice, twisty mystery thriller with a paranormal element that I think most would enjoy.
]]> Hook Shot (Hoops, #3) 44643289 A deeply emotional standalone romance set in the worlds of professional basketball and high fashion.

Divorced. Single dad. Traded to a losing squad. Cheated on, betrayed, exposed.
My perfect life blew up in my face and I'm still picking up the pieces.
The last thing I need is her.
A wildflower. A storm. A woman I can't resist.
Lotus DuPree is a kick to my gut and a wrench in my plans
from the moment our eyes meet.
I promised myself I wouldn't trust a woman again,
but I've never wanted anyone the way I want Lo.
She's not the plan I made, but she's the risk I have to take.

A warrior. A baller. The one they call Gladiator. Kenan Ross charged into my life smelling all good, looking even better and snatching my breath from the moment we met.
The last thing I need is him.
I'm working on me. Facing my pain and conquering my demons.
I've seen what trusting a man gets you.
I. Don't. Have. Time. For. This.
But he just keeps coming for me.
Keeps knocking down my defenses and stealing my excuses
one by one.
He never gives up, and now...I'm not sure I want him to.]]> 443 Kennedy Ryan Ashley 4 audiobooks, romance
•this was the couple I wanted to read about from the second they got teased

•got a lil wild but still…I enjoyed the ride ]]> 4.22 2019 Hook Shot (Hoops, #3)
author: Kennedy Ryan
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/22
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: audiobooks, romance
review:
•definitely the best of the series for me

•this was the couple I wanted to read about from the second they got teased

•got a lil wild but still…I enjoyed the ride
]]> Truly Madly Guilty 27831371 The electrifying new novel from the international bestselling author, Liane Moriarty

Despite their differences, Erika and Clementine have been best friends since they were children. So when Erika needs help, Clementine should be the obvious person to turn to. Or so you'd think.

For Clementine, as a mother of a two desperately trying to practise for the audition of a lifetime, the last thing she needs is Erika asking for something, again.

But the barbecue should be the perfect way to forget their problems for a while. Especially when their hosts, Vid and Tiffany, are only too happy to distract them.

Which is how it all spirals out of control...

]]> 517 Liane Moriarty 1250069815 Ashley 1 audiobooks, mystery
•so long so boring

•actively trying to forget i ever read it ]]> 3.59 2016 Truly Madly Guilty
author: Liane Moriarty
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2016
rating: 1
read at: 2024/02/10
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: audiobooks, mystery
review:
•Hated it

•so long so boring

•actively trying to forget i ever read it
]]> Motherthing 60097451 A darkly funny domestic horror novel about a woman who must take drastic measures to save her husband and herself from the vengeful ghost of her mother-in-law.

When Ralph and Abby Lamb move in with Ralph’s mother, Laura, Abby hopes it’s just what she and her mother-in-law need to finally connect. After a traumatic childhood, Abby is desperate for a mother figure, especially now that she and Ralph are trying to become parents themselves. Abby just has so much love to give—to Ralph, to Laura, and to Mrs. Bondy, her favorite resident at the long-term care home where she works. But Laura isn’t interested in bonding with her daughter-in-law. She’s venomous and cruel, especially to Abby, and life with her is hellish.

When Laura takes her own life, her ghost haunts Abby and Ralph in very different ways: Ralph is plunged into depression, and Abby is terrorized by a force intent on destroying everything she loves. To make matters worse, Mrs. Bondy’s daughter is threatening to move Mrs. Bondy from the home, leaving Abby totally alone. With everything on the line, Abby comes up with a chilling plan that will allow her to keep Mrs. Bondy, rescue Ralph from his tortured mind, and break Laura's hold on the family for good. All it requires is a little ingenuity, a lot of determination, and a unique recipe for chicken à la king…]]> 288 Ainslie Hogarth 0593467027 Ashley 3 audiobooks, horror
•The ending was crazy tho and I loved that]]> 3.65 2022 Motherthing
author: Ainslie Hogarth
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/02/04
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: audiobooks, horror
review:
•Good, a lil creepy, but overhyped

•The ending was crazy tho and I loved that
]]> The Therapist 54860390 A gripping psychological suspense and a powerful tale of a house that holds a shocking secret.

When Alice and Leo move into a newly renovated house in The Circle, a gated community of exclusive houses, it is everything they’ve dreamed of. But appearances can be deceptive�

As Alice is getting to know her neighbours, she discovers a devastating secret about her new home, and begins to feel a strong connection with Nina, the therapist who lived there before.

Alice becomes obsessed with trying to piece together what happened two years before. But no one wants to talk about it. Her neighbors are keeping secrets and things are not as perfect as they seem…]]> 298 B.A. Paris 1250274125 Ashley 3 audiobooks, mystery
•Another dumb main character in a thriller

•Bonus points for a well executed twist (even if you saw it coming)

•Ending was a lil meh]]> 3.72 2021 The Therapist
author: B.A. Paris
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/31
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: audiobooks, mystery
review:
•Another good page turner yet afterwards is pretty forgettable

•Another dumb main character in a thriller

•Bonus points for a well executed twist (even if you saw it coming)

•Ending was a lil meh
]]> Block Shot (Hoops, #2) 41746595
If Banner had a dollar for every time Jared broke her heart, she'd have exactly one dollar. One epic failure of a night. After parting on such bad terms, Banner has no intention of ever giving Jared a second chance. She's found success in a field ruled by men like him. She's learned to call the shots and block them when she has to.

So she'll ignore the way he makes her heart pound. Sure, he seems carved from her most private fantasies, but she can get past that.

She's got her one dollar, and Jared won't have her.]]> 412 Kennedy Ryan Ashley 3 audiobooks, romance
•I enjoyed the spice and they were a hot couple

•miscommunication trope is huuuuge in this one. Ugh

•cheater cheater�.always leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but especially when you make the person getting cheated on so likable!]]> 3.85 2018 Block Shot (Hoops, #2)
author: Kennedy Ryan
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/22
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: audiobooks, romance
review:
•Better than the first

•I enjoyed the spice and they were a hot couple

•miscommunication trope is huuuuge in this one. Ugh

•cheater cheater�.always leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but especially when you make the person getting cheated on so likable!
]]> Shark Heart 62919375
At first, Wren internally resists her husband’s fate. Is there a way for them to be together after Lewis changes? Then, a glimpse of Lewis’s developing carnivorous nature activates long-repressed memories for Wren, whose story vacillates between her childhood living on a houseboat in Oklahoma, her time with her college ex-girlfriend, and her unusual friendship with a woman pregnant with twin birds.]]> 416 Emily Habeck 1668006499 Ashley 5 botm
•Ģ�

•I loved this strange lil read. It’s the exact kind of weird that sticks out to me. The prose was incredibly quirky. The storyline was incredibly unique. It read easily and quickly. Easy 5 stars!

•Once I picked up this book, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the theatrical way the story was told. I loved Lewis and Wren. I loved their love, I loved their differences, and I loved the way they cared for each other. Their journey gets so sad, but the way it evolves for them both was so unexpectedly beautiful.

•I am pleasantly surprised that a book like Shark Heart was so well received. The magical realism and the strange writing style usually seems to turn off a lot of readers so I’m glad that it didn’t this time around! Makes me feel like I can recommend it to people who don’t usually like literary fiction.]]> 3.96 2023 Shark Heart
author: Emily Habeck
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/17
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: botm
review:
“…maybe we do get new performances of the same day, opportunities to be more accepting and loving. Maybe practice, rehearsal, is also the way to freedom. We can start over.�

•Ģ�

•I loved this strange lil read. It’s the exact kind of weird that sticks out to me. The prose was incredibly quirky. The storyline was incredibly unique. It read easily and quickly. Easy 5 stars!

•Once I picked up this book, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the theatrical way the story was told. I loved Lewis and Wren. I loved their love, I loved their differences, and I loved the way they cared for each other. Their journey gets so sad, but the way it evolves for them both was so unexpectedly beautiful.

•I am pleasantly surprised that a book like Shark Heart was so well received. The magical realism and the strange writing style usually seems to turn off a lot of readers so I’m glad that it didn’t this time around! Makes me feel like I can recommend it to people who don’t usually like literary fiction.
]]> An Unwanted Guest 38240386 A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be the perfect getaway . . . but when the storm hits, no one is getting away

It's winter in the Catskills and Mitchell's Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing--maybe even romantic--weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge woodburning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery.

So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity--and all contact with the outside world--the guests settle in and try to make the best of it.

Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead--it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic.

Within the snowed-in paradise, something--or someone--is picking off the guests one by one. And there's nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm--and one another.]]> 352 Shari Lapena 0525557628 Ashley 3
•Love this kind of closed door mystery

•Page turner, but end of the day kind of forgettable if you read a lot of thrillers]]> 3.73 2018 An Unwanted Guest
author: Shari Lapena
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/15
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves:
review:
•Fun lil whodunnit

•Love this kind of closed door mystery

•Page turner, but end of the day kind of forgettable if you read a lot of thrillers
]]> Again and Again 112976321
Eugene “Geno� Miles is living out his final days in a nursing home, bored, curmudgeonly, and struggling to connect with his new nursing assistant, Angel, who is understandably skeptical of Geno’s insistence on having lived not just one life but many—all the way back to medieval Spain, where, as a petty thief, he first lucked upon true love only to lose it, and spend the next thousand years trying to recapture it.

Who is Geno? A lonely old man clinging to his delusions and rehearsing his fantasies, or a legitimate anomaly, a thousand-year-old man who continues to search for the love he lost so long ago?

As Angel comes to learn the truth about Geno, so, too, does the reader, and as his miraculous story comes to a head, so does the biggest truth of that love—timeless, often elusive—is sometimes right in front of us.]]> 332 Jonathan Evison 0593184157 Ashley 2
•I felt NOTHING

•I just felt no real connection to the characters or the stories

•Needed way more closure! ]]> 3.74 2023 Again and Again
author: Jonathan Evison
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/01/12
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves:
review:
•So overhyped for me

•I felt NOTHING

•I just felt no real connection to the characters or the stories

•Needed way more closure!
]]> <![CDATA[Butcher & Blackbird (The Ruinous Love Trilogy, #1)]]> 196864520

The viral TikTok friends-to-lovers dark romantic comedy full of murder, chaos, and spice—unlike anything you’ve read before—now available in all bookstores.


When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of like-minded, pitch-black souls. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country.


But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?

]]> 360 Brynne Weaver Ashley 4 botm
•Ģ�

•Butcher & Blackbird is exactly what I was hoping/expecting from a story about two serial killers that kill serial killers and fall in love with each other. It was cheesy, gory, funny, spicy and ridiculous. I loved it.

•The reviews I saw have been super mixed, but I think if you don’t take it too seriously going into it (and check the trigger warnings!) then you will have a good time.

•I laughed out loud multiple times while reading this book. I feel like the author had a lot of fun with it and there were a few scenes that I’d love to ask her about because they seemed to be easter eggs for fellow murderino types.

•I will definitely be reading the next book! I found the brothers to be quite entertaining. I loved the teases we got of them and of their (I assume?) love interests. One of them is an enemies to lovers for sure and I NEED it!

•My only knock on the book would be that although I enjoyed it, it was a very slow read for me. ]]> 4.00 2023 Butcher & Blackbird (The Ruinous Love Trilogy, #1)
author: Brynne Weaver
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/22
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: botm
review:
“Being a serial killer who kills serial killers is a great hobby� Until you find yourself locked in a cage.�

•Ģ�

•Butcher & Blackbird is exactly what I was hoping/expecting from a story about two serial killers that kill serial killers and fall in love with each other. It was cheesy, gory, funny, spicy and ridiculous. I loved it.

•The reviews I saw have been super mixed, but I think if you don’t take it too seriously going into it (and check the trigger warnings!) then you will have a good time.

•I laughed out loud multiple times while reading this book. I feel like the author had a lot of fun with it and there were a few scenes that I’d love to ask her about because they seemed to be easter eggs for fellow murderino types.

•I will definitely be reading the next book! I found the brothers to be quite entertaining. I loved the teases we got of them and of their (I assume?) love interests. One of them is an enemies to lovers for sure and I NEED it!

•My only knock on the book would be that although I enjoyed it, it was a very slow read for me.
]]> Wild at Heart (Wild, #2) 53024322
Calla Fletcher returns to Toronto a different person, struggling to find direction and still very much in love with the rugged bush pilot she left behind. When Jonah arrives on her doorstep with a proposition she ’t dismiss, she takes the leap and rushes back to Alaska to begin their exciting future together.

But Calla soon learns that even the best intentions can lead to broken promises, and that compromise comes with a hefty price—a log cabin in interior rural Alaska that feels as isolating as the western tundra.

With Jonah gone more than he’s home, one neighbor who insists on transforming her into a true Alaskan, and another who seems more likely to shoot her than come to her aid, Calla grapples with forging her own path. In a world with roaming wildlife that has her constantly watching over her shoulder and harsh conditions that stretch far beyond the cold, dark, winter months, just stepping outside her front door can be daunting.

This is not the future Calla had in mind, leaving her to fear that perhaps she is doomed to follow in her mother’s fleeing footsteps after all.]]> 472 K.A. Tucker Ashley 0 romance 4.12 2020 Wild at Heart (Wild, #2)
author: K.A. Tucker
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2024/05/10
date added: 2024/05/10
shelves: romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[My Heart Is a Chainsaw (Indian Lake, #1)]]> 58438515 In her quickly gentrifying rural lake town Jade sees recent events only her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films could have prepared her for

Jade Daniels is an angry, half-Indian outcast with an abusive father, an absent mother, and an entire town that wants nothing to do with her. She lives in her own world, a world in which protection comes from an unusual source: horror movies� especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them. And Jade narrates the quirky history of Proofrock as if it is one of those movies. But when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian Lake, she pulls us into her dizzying, encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers, and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold.

Yet, even as Jade drags us into her dark fever dream, a surprising and intimate portrait emerges� a portrait of the scared and traumatized little girl beneath the Jason Voorhees mask: angry, yes, but also a girl who easily cries, fiercely loves, and desperately wants a home. A girl whose feelings are too big for her body.

My Heart Is a Chainsaw is her story, her homage to horror and revenge and triumph.]]> 432 Stephen Graham Jones 1982137649 Ashley 0 to-read 3.51 2021 My Heart Is a Chainsaw (Indian Lake, #1)
author: Stephen Graham Jones
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Rotten Tommy 210387322 “Keep the door locked night and day…�

It’s been forty years since Becky Sharp’s mother vanished without a trace. Becky has given up all hope of finding her, until she makes a strange discovery that may hold the key to solving her mother’s disappearance.

Three unmarked videotapes, hidden in the wall of her childhood home. And as Becky watches the tapes, she finds herself drawn into a horrific mystery far greater than she could possibly have imagined.

For Becky has unwittingly summoned a long-forgotten nightmare—a creature that threatens the lives and sanity of all around her. Rotten Tommy has come to play� and nothing on Earth can sate his diabolical bloodlust.

A grisly and bizarre horror fever dream, Rotten Tommy is the latest disturbing shocker from David Sodergren, author of The Haar and Maggie’s Grave.]]> 288 David Sodergren Ashley 0 to-read, horror 3.95 2024 Rotten Tommy
author: David Sodergren
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/29
shelves: to-read, horror
review:

]]> No One Can Know 127305892
Emma has never told anyone what she saw the night her parents died, even when she became the prime suspect. But her presence in the house threatens to uncover secrets that have stayed hidden for years, and the sisters are drawn together once again. As they face their memories of the past, rivalries restart, connections are forged, and, for the first time, Emma starts to ask questions about what really happened that night.

The more Emma learns, the more riddles emerge. And Emma begins to wonder just what her siblings will do to keep the past buried, and whether she did the right thing staying quiet about what was whispered that night: “No one can know.”]]> 325 Kate Alice Marshall 1250859913 Ashley 4 mystery
•I was pretty excited for No One Can Know after reading Kate Alice Marshall’s last book. The premise sounded a bit cliche, but I trusted Marshall’s twisty style to make it entertaining and it was!

•Multiple POVs and lots of red herrings!

•I am glad it was a shorter thriller because the story didn’t have the umph to be any longer.

•Ending was wild!

•Entertaining thriller. My only major gripes would be that the main character was a lil too pathetic for my taste and I had been hoping for a bit more of a shocking finale. ]]> 3.65 2024 No One Can Know
author: Kate Alice Marshall
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/01
date added: 2024/03/05
shelves: mystery
review:
“It isn’t that she’s afraid of the answers. She’s afraid she already knows them.�

•I was pretty excited for No One Can Know after reading Kate Alice Marshall’s last book. The premise sounded a bit cliche, but I trusted Marshall’s twisty style to make it entertaining and it was!

•Multiple POVs and lots of red herrings!

•I am glad it was a shorter thriller because the story didn’t have the umph to be any longer.

•Ending was wild!

•Entertaining thriller. My only major gripes would be that the main character was a lil too pathetic for my taste and I had been hoping for a bit more of a shocking finale.
]]> Funny Story 194802722 A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé, Peter, told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it... right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned-up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex... right?]]> 400 Emily Henry Ashley 0 to-read 4.21 2024 Funny Story
author: Emily Henry
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Heads of the Colored People 35297351
A stunning new talent in literary fiction, Nafissa Thompson-Spires grapples with black identity and the contemporary middle class in these compelling, boundary-pushing vignettes.

Each captivating story plunges headfirst into the lives of new, utterly original characters. Some are darkly humorous—from two mothers exchanging snide remarks through notes in their kids� backpacks, to the young girl contemplating how best to notify her Facebook friends of her impending suicide—while others are devastatingly poignant—a new mother and funeral singer who is driven to madness with grief for the young black boys who have fallen victim to gun violence, or the teen who struggles between her upper middle class upbringing and her desire to fully connect with black culture.

Thompson-Spires fearlessly shines a light on the simmering tensions and precariousness of black citizenship. Her stories are exquisitely rendered, satirical, and captivating in turn, engaging in the ongoing conversations about race and identity politics, as well as the vulnerability of the black body. Boldly resisting categorization and easy answers, Nafissa Thompson-Spires is an original and necessary voice in contemporary fiction.]]> 224 Nafissa Thompson-Spires 1501167995 Ashley 0 fictions, audiobooks, to-read 4.13 2018 Heads of the Colored People
author: Nafissa Thompson-Spires
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/29
shelves: fictions, audiobooks, to-read
review:

]]> The Good Lie 55596836 Six teens murdered. A suspect behind bars. A desperate father. In a case this shadowy, the truth is easy to hide.

Psychiatrist Dr. Gwen Moore is an expert on killers. She’s spent a decade treating California’s most depraved predators and unlocking their motives—predators much like the notorious Bloody Heart serial killer, whose latest teenage victim escaped and then identified local high school teacher Randall Thompson as his captor. The case against Thompson as the Bloody Heart Killer is damning—and closed, as far as Gwen and the media are concerned. If not for one new development�

Defense attorney Robert Kavin is a still-traumatized father whose own son fell prey to the BH Killer. Convinced of Thompson’s innocence, he steps in to represent him. Now Robert wants Gwen to interview the accused, create a psych profile of the killer and his victims, and help clear his client’s name.

As Gwen and Robert grow closer and she dives deeper into the investigation, grave questions arise. So does Gwen’s suspicion that Robert is hiding something—and that he might not be the only one with a secret.

Six teenagers dead. Finally, the killer behind bars. But are the games just beginning?]]> 256 A.R. Torre 1542020166 Ashley 0 to-read 4.01 2021 The Good Lie
author: A.R. Torre
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Fury 123206645 A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex–movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder � from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient.

This is a tale of murder.

Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?

Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island.

I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time � it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder.

We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse � a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered.

But who am I?

My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.]]> 298 Alex Michaelides 125075898X Ashley 4 mystery
•Ģ�

•Alex Michaelides has been pretty hit and miss for me. Loved his first book, hated his second, and now that I’ve read his third I can say it sits nicely between the two. It had some annoying bits, but was overall an enjoyable read.

•The Fury gave me total White Lotus meets Agatha Christie vibes. You follow a bunch of unlikable rich people on a trip to a secluded island where a murder occurs and a whodunnit ensues. The narrator is unreliable, there are some twists, and it was an interesting series of events!

•I thought the narrator was a rambling fool. So much of the back and forth felt unnecessary. It’s not a long book, but it felt so much longer with all the diversions and back tracking in the story telling. For me it did NOT make the end any twistier, but maybe it works for others.

•The ending was crazy and I liked it even if some of it was a lil predictable.

•If you have not read his other books and plan to then do NOT read the epilogue. I know Michaelides thinks it’s cute to bring back characters from his other books in for cameos, but he forces them a bit too much.

•Thank you @celadonbooks for the advanced copy! The Fury is available now! #ReadTheFury #CeladonReads #Partner]]> 3.34 2024 The Fury
author: Alex Michaelides
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.34
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/25
date added: 2024/01/28
shelves: mystery
review:
“But spells don't last forever, you know. One day, the spell breaks, the enchantment ends; the illusion is over. And nothing is left but thin air.�

•Ģ�

•Alex Michaelides has been pretty hit and miss for me. Loved his first book, hated his second, and now that I’ve read his third I can say it sits nicely between the two. It had some annoying bits, but was overall an enjoyable read.

•The Fury gave me total White Lotus meets Agatha Christie vibes. You follow a bunch of unlikable rich people on a trip to a secluded island where a murder occurs and a whodunnit ensues. The narrator is unreliable, there are some twists, and it was an interesting series of events!

•I thought the narrator was a rambling fool. So much of the back and forth felt unnecessary. It’s not a long book, but it felt so much longer with all the diversions and back tracking in the story telling. For me it did NOT make the end any twistier, but maybe it works for others.

•The ending was crazy and I liked it even if some of it was a lil predictable.

•If you have not read his other books and plan to then do NOT read the epilogue. I know Michaelides thinks it’s cute to bring back characters from his other books in for cameos, but he forces them a bit too much.

•Thank you @celadonbooks for the advanced copy! The Fury is available now! #ReadTheFury #CeladonReads #Partner
]]> First Lie Wins 164444179 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780593492918.

Evie Porter has everything a nice Southern girl could want: a doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence, a tight group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.

Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job isn’t like the others. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie ’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.

Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge. . . .]]> 340 Ashley Elston Ashley 5
•Ģ�

•This thriller was pretty dang good. It was twisty, addictive, kept you guessing, had well written characters, and was a perfect length! Not going to go too in depth because this is one that you just need to dive into without knowing too much!

•Evie was a great main character for a thriller. Best part was that she was an unreliable narrator and the most creatively written one I’ve read in a minute! She also had a good back story, she was intriguing, and you cared about her mission despite her morally grey tendencies.

•Even though a good chunk of the book is told through flashbacks, the pacing is fantastic. The flashbacks have a purpose and are relevant to the current timeline, even if it doesn’t always seem like it.

•I couldn’t put this one down once I had started it. I could easily see this being adapted for a movie or series and I hope it does!]]> 3.97 2024 First Lie Wins
author: Ashley Elston
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/15
date added: 2024/01/16
shelves:
review:
“The first lie has to be the strongest. The most important. The one that has to be told.�

•Ģ�

•This thriller was pretty dang good. It was twisty, addictive, kept you guessing, had well written characters, and was a perfect length! Not going to go too in depth because this is one that you just need to dive into without knowing too much!

•Evie was a great main character for a thriller. Best part was that she was an unreliable narrator and the most creatively written one I’ve read in a minute! She also had a good back story, she was intriguing, and you cared about her mission despite her morally grey tendencies.

•Even though a good chunk of the book is told through flashbacks, the pacing is fantastic. The flashbacks have a purpose and are relevant to the current timeline, even if it doesn’t always seem like it.

•I couldn’t put this one down once I had started it. I could easily see this being adapted for a movie or series and I hope it does!
]]> Long Shot (Hoops, #1) 39336718
Think you know what it's like being a baller's girl?
You don't.
My fairy tale is upside down.
A happily never after.
I kissed the prince and he turned into a fraud.
I was a fool, and his love - fool's gold.

Now there's a new player in the game, August West.
One of the NBA's brightest stars.
Fine. Forbidden.
He wants me. I want him.
But my past, my fraudulent prince, just won't let me go.

*Contains domestic/sexual abuse not involving the hero. Read reviews for further guidance.]]> 462 Kennedy Ryan Ashley 2 audiobooks, romance
•Sexualizing breast feeding is gross

•There are more extremely graphic rape/abuse scenes than there are romantic/healthy relationship scenes. I kept thinking that there would be more light added to the book to balance out the heaviness, but nah. It’s mostly very dark.

•Even though the story is spread out over several years it’s still basically insta-love.

•Will still probably check out the rest of the series eventually and will definitely keep reading Ryan’s work. This one was just a big miss for me.]]> 4.18 2018 Long Shot (Hoops, #1)
author: Kennedy Ryan
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at: 2024/01/04
date added: 2024/01/04
shelves: audiobooks, romance
review:
•I love Kennedy Ryan and I applaud how she sheds light on being a victim of domestic violence, but I did not love this book at all.

•Sexualizing breast feeding is gross

•There are more extremely graphic rape/abuse scenes than there are romantic/healthy relationship scenes. I kept thinking that there would be more light added to the book to balance out the heaviness, but nah. It’s mostly very dark.

•Even though the story is spread out over several years it’s still basically insta-love.

•Will still probably check out the rest of the series eventually and will definitely keep reading Ryan’s work. This one was just a big miss for me.
]]> One to Watch 53103895 Main Squeeze. The fantasy dates! The kiss-off rejections! The surprising amount of guys named Chad! But Bea is sick and tired of the lack of body diversity on the show. Since when is being a size zero a prerequisite for getting engaged on television?

Just when Bea has sworn off dating altogether, she gets an intriguing call: Main Squeeze wants her to be its next star, surrounded by men vying for her affections. Bea agrees, on one condition--under no circumstances will she actually fall in love. She's in this to supercharge her career, subvert harmful anti-fat beauty standards, inspire women across America, and get a free hot air balloon ride. That's it.

But when the cameras start rolling, Bea realizes things are more complicated than she anticipated. She's in a whirlwind of sumptuous couture, Internet culture wars, sexy suitors, and an opportunity (or two, or five) to find messy, real-life love in the midst of a made-for-TV fairy tale.]]> 417 Kate Stayman-London 0525510443 Ashley 4 romance, audiobooks
•nice to have a plus size leading lady. The repetitiveness of her weight being brought up and her being defensive of it got a lil old though.

•kind of weird for a romance because, much like the Bachelor, it’s difficult to root for any relationship when your main character is dating and falling for multiple people at once.
]]> 3.86 2020 One to Watch
author: Kate Stayman-London
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/31
date added: 2023/12/31
shelves: romance, audiobooks
review:
•cute romcom even if it was a bit long

•nice to have a plus size leading lady. The repetitiveness of her weight being brought up and her being defensive of it got a lil old though.

•kind of weird for a romance because, much like the Bachelor, it’s difficult to root for any relationship when your main character is dating and falling for multiple people at once.

]]> <![CDATA[The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic]]> 75532088 For fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is a debut novel that explores the shields we build around our hearts to retain our own magic.

Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. But when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer with only weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, returns to town after a decade, her carefully structured life begins to unravel.

With the news of their grandmother's impending death, Sadie's estranged twin brother Seth returns to town, bringing with him deeply buried family secrets that threaten to tear Sadie's world apart. Their grandmother has been the backbone of the family for generations, and with her death, Sadie isn't sure she'll have the strength to keep the family, and her magic, together.

As feelings for Jake begin to rekindle, and her grandmother growing sicker by the day, Sadie faces the last of her heartbreaks, and she has to decide: is love more important than magic?

Readers who love the magic of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and the sense of community found in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches will enjoy this warm, witchy novel.]]> 322 Breanne Randall 1639105735 Ashley 4 botm
•Ģ�

•I wasn’t going to write a review for this one, but it has so many bad reviews that I felt a positive one would be nice.

•I enjoyed this odd lil magical story. There’s nothing groundbreaking about it, but it was cozy, a lil sad, and comforting. It was like a Hallmark movie in a book.

•Loved the recipes at the end of each chapter. Definitely would like to make a couple at some point!

•The main character was kinda a mess and her romance arc was even messier, but I liked the side characters so much it made up for it.

•Randall was definitely long winded with her writing. It was very descriptive and flowery and she wasn’t the best at it, but I still enjoyed it for the most part.

•After seeing all the bad reviews, I think it helped that I had no expectations going into the book. I wasn’t expecting Practical Magic or Gilmore Girls or anything overly “witchy.� I think if you decide to read it then go into it expecting a magical and cozy simple story.

#ForTheLoveOfReading #Bookstagrammers #Bookstafam #BookReviews #ExLibrisAW #FictionBooks #TheUnfortunateSideEffectsOfHeartbreakAmdMagic #BreanneRandall #MagicalRealism]]> 3.16 2023 The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic
author: Breanne Randall
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.16
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/31
date added: 2023/12/31
shelves: botm
review:
“Hold on to hope no matter the cost, because as long as there’s hope, everything else is just the unfortunate side effects of heartbreak and magic.�

•Ģ�

•I wasn’t going to write a review for this one, but it has so many bad reviews that I felt a positive one would be nice.

•I enjoyed this odd lil magical story. There’s nothing groundbreaking about it, but it was cozy, a lil sad, and comforting. It was like a Hallmark movie in a book.

•Loved the recipes at the end of each chapter. Definitely would like to make a couple at some point!

•The main character was kinda a mess and her romance arc was even messier, but I liked the side characters so much it made up for it.

•Randall was definitely long winded with her writing. It was very descriptive and flowery and she wasn’t the best at it, but I still enjoyed it for the most part.

•After seeing all the bad reviews, I think it helped that I had no expectations going into the book. I wasn’t expecting Practical Magic or Gilmore Girls or anything overly “witchy.� I think if you decide to read it then go into it expecting a magical and cozy simple story.

#ForTheLoveOfReading #Bookstagrammers #Bookstafam #BookReviews #ExLibrisAW #FictionBooks #TheUnfortunateSideEffectsOfHeartbreakAmdMagic #BreanneRandall #MagicalRealism
]]> Five Years from Now 123020231
A love stronger than distance. A fate determined by time.

Nell and Van meet as children when their parents fall in love. They become best friends and each other’s whole world. Then tragedy strikes and Van is sent to the other side of the globe.

Five years later, they find each other again. But they’re no longer children and the bond between them smolders into flames. New feelings surprise them both. They are destined, soulmates. Until an untimely discovery tears them apart again.

For the next two decades, fate brings Nell and Van together every five years, even as life and circumstance divide them. They will have to make a choice, but it’s bigger than their lives alone. Is it bigger than their love?]]> 368 Paige Toon 059371556X Ashley 3
•Ģ�

•My first and probably last Paige Toon book.

•I guess this was supposed to be romantic. I found it very weird and kind of creepy which is a bummer because I am normally into this style of storytelling.

•Vian…Van…whatever his weird name was…I hated him. He was a jerk for a majority of the book and I was in no way rooting for him.

•Nell was wishy washy with no back bone and again..I felt nothing for her.

•The fact that this book felt like a giant miscommunication quote was annoying.

•It was a quick and easy read although the time jumping could have been written better. The ending felt suitable and was probably the best part of the book other than the obvious angst factor.

#ForTheLoveOfReading #Bookstagrammers #Bookstafam #BookReviews #ExLibrisAW #FictionBooks #ContemporaryRomance #RomanceNovels #FiveYearsFromNow #PaigeToon ]]> 3.85 2018 Five Years from Now
author: Paige Toon
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/24
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:
“I know this might be hard to believe right now, but one day, maybe five years from now, you’ll look back and understand why this happened.�

•Ģ�

•My first and probably last Paige Toon book.

•I guess this was supposed to be romantic. I found it very weird and kind of creepy which is a bummer because I am normally into this style of storytelling.

•Vian…Van…whatever his weird name was…I hated him. He was a jerk for a majority of the book and I was in no way rooting for him.

•Nell was wishy washy with no back bone and again..I felt nothing for her.

•The fact that this book felt like a giant miscommunication quote was annoying.

•It was a quick and easy read although the time jumping could have been written better. The ending felt suitable and was probably the best part of the book other than the obvious angst factor.

#ForTheLoveOfReading #Bookstagrammers #Bookstafam #BookReviews #ExLibrisAW #FictionBooks #ContemporaryRomance #RomanceNovels #FiveYearsFromNow #PaigeToon
]]> Alice Sadie Celine 101145480
Pragmatic, serious Sadie and flighty, creative Alice have been best friends since high school—really one another’s only friends—but now that they are through with college (which they attended together) and living on opposite ends of California, Alice would at least expect her friend’s support. Sadie, determined not to cancel her plans with her boyfriend, ends up enlisting the help of her mother, Celine.

A professor of women’s and gender studies at UC Berkeley, Celine’s landmark treatise on sex and identity made her notorious, but she’s struggling to write her new book in a post-second-wave feminist world. So, when Sadie begs her to attend Alice’s play, she relents, if only to escape writer’s block. But in a turn of perplexing events, Celine becomes entranced by Alice’s performance and realizes that her daughter’s once lanky, slightly annoying best friend is now an irresistible young woman.

Set over the course of decades—from Alice and Sadie’s early friendship days and Celine’s decision to leave her husband to the radical movements of 1990s Berkeley and navigating contemporary Hollywood—Alice and Celine’s affair will test the limits of their love for Sadie and their own beliefs of power, agency, and feminism. Witty and relatable, sexy and surprising, Sarah Blakley-Cartwright’s debut adult novel is a mesmerizing portrait of the inner lives of three very different women.]]> 272 Sarah Blakley-Cartwright 1668021595 Ashley 3 botm
•Ģ�

•Such a weird book.

•I wanted to like this one more than I actually liked it. I wanted it to be more scandalous and dramatic. I wanted it to be sexier. It was none of that. It wasn’t bad. I didn’t hate it. But it could have been better.

•The characters sucked. I think they were supposed to and it worked for the book, but just be warned. They aren’t lovable. I actually liked Celine. She’s ridiculous, but I could picture her so easily. Sadie and Alice were harder for me. Their friendship was supposed to be this close bond, but I didn’t really see it or believe it. Sadie and Celine’s tumultuous relationship made complete sense to me though. I wish Alice and Celine’s relationship was written better, but oh well.

•I did appreciate the introspective writing. There was a lot to unpack about female dynamics as mother/daughters/friends/lovers and the cause and effect of those relationships. All the underlying messages in the details made the book. I just wish the story itself and characters reflected the underlying messages.

•Not really a book I’d recommend to many unless I knew they were specifically into this type of prose

•I really liked the last chapter. I know a lot of people didn’t, but I thought it was a fitting ending to a weird book. ]]> 2.97 2023 Alice Sadie Celine
author: Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
name: Ashley
average rating: 2.97
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/20
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves: botm
review:
“If one is not careful, one’s whole life passes without incident.�

•Ģ�

•Such a weird book.

•I wanted to like this one more than I actually liked it. I wanted it to be more scandalous and dramatic. I wanted it to be sexier. It was none of that. It wasn’t bad. I didn’t hate it. But it could have been better.

•The characters sucked. I think they were supposed to and it worked for the book, but just be warned. They aren’t lovable. I actually liked Celine. She’s ridiculous, but I could picture her so easily. Sadie and Alice were harder for me. Their friendship was supposed to be this close bond, but I didn’t really see it or believe it. Sadie and Celine’s tumultuous relationship made complete sense to me though. I wish Alice and Celine’s relationship was written better, but oh well.

•I did appreciate the introspective writing. There was a lot to unpack about female dynamics as mother/daughters/friends/lovers and the cause and effect of those relationships. All the underlying messages in the details made the book. I just wish the story itself and characters reflected the underlying messages.

•Not really a book I’d recommend to many unless I knew they were specifically into this type of prose

•I really liked the last chapter. I know a lot of people didn’t, but I thought it was a fitting ending to a weird book.
]]> The Locked Door 57795665
While eleven-year-old Nora Davis was up in her bedroom doing homework, she had no idea her father was killing women in the basement.

Until the day the police arrived at their front door.

Decades later, Nora’s father is spending his life behind bars, and Nora is a successful surgeon with a quiet, solitary existence. Nobody knows her father was a notorious serial killer. And she intends to keep it that way.

Then Nora discovers one of her young female patients has been murdered. In the same unique and horrific manner that her father used to kill his victims.

Somebody knows who Nora is. Somebody wants her to take the fall for this unthinkable crime. But she’s not a killer like her father. The police ’t pin anything on her.

As long as they don’t look in her basement.]]> 313 Freida McFadden Ashley 3 audiobooks, thrillers
•ending was kinda cheesy ]]> 4.00 2021 The Locked Door
author: Freida McFadden
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/22
date added: 2023/12/22
shelves: audiobooks, thrillers
review:
•great premise. Meh execution

•ending was kinda cheesy
]]> Wreck the Halls 75663742 A sexy, hilarious standalone holiday rom-com about the adult children of two former rock stars who team up to convince their estranged mothers to play a Christmas Eve concert�

Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it’s time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life� and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas.

Beat Dawkins, the lead singer’s son, is Melody’s opposite—the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it’s nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show.

While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she’s never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything—the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.]]> 351 Tessa Bailey 0063308304 Ashley 4
•The moms made the book. They were both legit funny and entertaining.

•Wish it was a bit more Christmasy]]> 3.34 2023 Wreck the Halls
author: Tessa Bailey
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.34
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/13
date added: 2023/12/13
shelves: audiobooks, holiday-reads, romance
review:
•Super corny. Sometimes cringe. Definitely spicy. Just what I was hoping and expecting though.

•The moms made the book. They were both legit funny and entertaining.

•Wish it was a bit more Christmasy
]]> Bright Young Women 101124639
The survivors, including key witness Pamela Schumacher, will be forever changed by this night. They have all become victims. But they tell their perspectives here, they remain masters of their stories. And they hunt the perpetrator on their own - against resistance from the justice system and the police; against public opinion, which idolizes the serial killer.]]> 384 Jessica Knoll 1501153226 Ashley 2 audiobooks
•Knoll and her fans are really into patting her on the back for writing a book about Bundy that is “not about him, but about the victims� and I don’t really get the praise because it is still so clearly about him. If you know the case, then you know it’s about him. If you don’t know the case, then you still know it is about him. I actually think the connection is one of the main reasons why this book got hyped up as much as it did. Instead of doing a weird true crime retelling, I think the author would have been better off writing about a totally fictional case. The point she was trying to make would have still been made. I believe it would have been made better because then we could read and appreciate it without unconsciously inserting Ted’s name in our mind every time “the defendant� is mentioned.

•Way WAY too long and other than the first couple chapters it is not a thriller. It is very slow, repetitive, and flat.

•While I truly do appreciate the story being shown from the victim’s perspective, I wish the characters themselves had stood out more. The two narratives, as well as two timelines, all blurred together and I’d often lose track of which one I was following.

•I’m glad so many people support the premise of this book, but I’m shocked so many people actually enjoyed reading it.]]> 3.99 2023 Bright Young Women
author: Jessica Knoll
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2023/12/10
date added: 2023/12/10
shelves: audiobooks
review:
•Most overhyped book of the year. And I read Fourth Wing.

•Knoll and her fans are really into patting her on the back for writing a book about Bundy that is “not about him, but about the victims� and I don’t really get the praise because it is still so clearly about him. If you know the case, then you know it’s about him. If you don’t know the case, then you still know it is about him. I actually think the connection is one of the main reasons why this book got hyped up as much as it did. Instead of doing a weird true crime retelling, I think the author would have been better off writing about a totally fictional case. The point she was trying to make would have still been made. I believe it would have been made better because then we could read and appreciate it without unconsciously inserting Ted’s name in our mind every time “the defendant� is mentioned.

•Way WAY too long and other than the first couple chapters it is not a thriller. It is very slow, repetitive, and flat.

•While I truly do appreciate the story being shown from the victim’s perspective, I wish the characters themselves had stood out more. The two narratives, as well as two timelines, all blurred together and I’d often lose track of which one I was following.

•I’m glad so many people support the premise of this book, but I’m shocked so many people actually enjoyed reading it.
]]> Jar of Hearts 36315374
When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong—one of the most popular girls in school—disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.

But fourteen years later, Angela Wong's remains are discovered in the woods near Geo's childhood home. And Kaiser—now a detective with Seattle PD—finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.

To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he's something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo's first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.

For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela's death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.

While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.

How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it?]]> 311 Jennifer Hillier 1250154197 Ashley 4 audiobooks
•I really liked the prison portion of the book. The flashbacks were handled well too.

•Things got messy. Real messy. I enjoyed the twists but I also had to suspend some belief

•The ending was a lil too happy go lucky for me but what can ya do?]]> 4.09 2018 Jar of Hearts
author: Jennifer Hillier
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/08
date added: 2023/12/10
shelves: audiobooks
review:
•Very dark, fairly twisty, addictive page turner

•I really liked the prison portion of the book. The flashbacks were handled well too.

•Things got messy. Real messy. I enjoyed the twists but I also had to suspend some belief

•The ending was a lil too happy go lucky for me but what can ya do?
]]> Vampires of El Norte 63892214 Vampires and vaqueros face off on the Texas-Mexico border in this supernatural western from the author of The Hacienda.

As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.

Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.

Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.

When the United States attacks Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.

And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.]]> 371 Isabel Cañas 0593436725 Ashley 3
•Took me a couple tries to get through it. A bit over written for me. Switching to the audio book helped but it still was a drag to get through

•The romance was mediocre and there weren’t enough vampires and horror]]> 3.87 2023 Vampires of El Norte
author: Isabel Cañas
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/11/29
date added: 2023/12/10
shelves:
review:
•This one was extremely overhyped imo

•Took me a couple tries to get through it. A bit over written for me. Switching to the audio book helped but it still was a drag to get through

•The romance was mediocre and there weren’t enough vampires and horror
]]> You, Again 75665887 Can they stop hating each other long enough to fall in love?

A commitment-phobe and a hopeless romantic clash over and over again--until heartbreak and unexpected chemistry bring them together in this clever enemies-to-friends-to-lovers debut romance.

When Ari and Josh first meet, the wrong kind of sparks fly. They hate each other. Instantly.

A free-spirited, struggling comedian who likes to keep things casual, Ari sublets, takes gigs, and she never sleeps over after hooking up. Born-and-bred Manhattanite Josh has ambitious plans: Take the culinary world by storm, find The One, and make her breakfast in his spotless kitchen. They have absolutely nothing in common . . . except that they happen to be sleeping with the same woman.

Ari and Josh never expect their paths to cross again. But years later, as they're both reeling from ego-bruising breakups, a chance encounter leads to a surprising connection: friendship. Turns out, spending time with your former nemesis is fun when you're too sad to hate each other--and too sad for hate sex.

As friends-without-benefits, they find comfort in late-night Netflix binges, swiping through each other's online dating profiles, and bickering across boroughs. It's better than romance. Until one night, the unspoken boundaries of their platonic relationship begin to blur. . . .

With sharp observations and sizzling chemistry, You, Again explores the dynamics of co-ed friendship in this sparkling romantic comedy of modern love in all its forms.]]> 448 Kate Goldbeck 059344812X Ashley 5
•Ģ�

•I was nervous for You, Again because the reviews were so mixed, but I really enjoyed it! It was funny, snarky, sexy, sweet, and sad. There was no insta-love. The love was well earned! The New York setting was perfect. It was everything I love in a romcom.

•I really liked the main characters. I imagined them as Zendaya and Adam Driver (without the age gap obvi) and that was most likely because of the cover photo, but I feel like personality wise it fit too! They weren’t always likable, but gosh they were all too realistic. I appreciated the flaws and seeing them at such low points. I appreciated their growth and the struggle for it. The side characters were proper romcom style pals too.

•I thought that Goldbeck did a great job reimagining When Harry Met Sally. I definitely saw the similarities, but it still had its own vibe completely. I think Nora Ephron would’ve enjoyed it too.]]> 3.55 2023 You, Again
author: Kate Goldbeck
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/27
date added: 2023/12/10
shelves:
review:
“Maybe there's no such thing as soulmates. Maybe there are only people who trust each other enough to begin something without being assured of the end.�

•Ģ�

•I was nervous for You, Again because the reviews were so mixed, but I really enjoyed it! It was funny, snarky, sexy, sweet, and sad. There was no insta-love. The love was well earned! The New York setting was perfect. It was everything I love in a romcom.

•I really liked the main characters. I imagined them as Zendaya and Adam Driver (without the age gap obvi) and that was most likely because of the cover photo, but I feel like personality wise it fit too! They weren’t always likable, but gosh they were all too realistic. I appreciated the flaws and seeing them at such low points. I appreciated their growth and the struggle for it. The side characters were proper romcom style pals too.

•I thought that Goldbeck did a great job reimagining When Harry Met Sally. I definitely saw the similarities, but it still had its own vibe completely. I think Nora Ephron would’ve enjoyed it too.
]]> Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2) 90202302 “The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.� —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders� capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.]]> 623 Rebecca Yarros 1649374178 Ashley 4 fantasy
•Ģ�

•Iron Flame simply had too much hype to live up to after the havoc that Fourth Wing caused. The disappointment started with the lame “sprayed edges� and continued throughout the book. Luckily, the good parts of the book were so good that I still enjoyed the read despite some major flaws.

•The dragons are still the stars of this series. Tairn and Andarna are everything to me.

•I liked that the world got fleshed out more, but it was almost too much. Now we got runes and all sorts of things that I honestly don’t care about. I’m not reading this series for the complex magic systems. The romance portion fell super flat for me this time around. The insta-love from the first book really came back around to bite us in the butt because now apparently we are only left with petty, repetitive arguments yet constant horniness?

•Violet drove me nuts. She was a whiny, insecure, hypocrite and acted like a martyr the whole time. Her bad ass moments were still pretty cool, but otherwise she irritated me. It also annoyed me that she is apparently the only one capable of doing ANYTHING. All these powerful people yet she’s the smartest AND strongest of them all. Okay. And I get that it is probably supposed to be cute and romantic, but Xaden going from the brilliant leader and revolutionary he was in the first book to a Violet simp in the second was such a downgrade. Don’t even get me started on how lame the entire Cat storyline is�.

•The side characters really shone in this book and, along with the dragons, were a huge saving grace. I love the Fourth Wing squad. I also really liked the redemption arcs for a couple of characters that I expected to go more in the villain direction. Speaking of villains…Varrish is an excellent one!

•Part one was slow and repetitive, but ended on a huge high. Part two had some lows, but was a lot more interesting overall and the last fourth or so of the book was edge of your seat action! By the end, I was full invested and shed some tears. And, yeah, the cliff hanger made me scream. So despite all my gripes, I am a glutton for punishment and want more. When is book three??]]> 4.33 2023 Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/24
date added: 2023/12/10
shelves: fantasy
review:
“Dragons do not answer to the whims of men.�

•Ģ�

•Iron Flame simply had too much hype to live up to after the havoc that Fourth Wing caused. The disappointment started with the lame “sprayed edges� and continued throughout the book. Luckily, the good parts of the book were so good that I still enjoyed the read despite some major flaws.

•The dragons are still the stars of this series. Tairn and Andarna are everything to me.

•I liked that the world got fleshed out more, but it was almost too much. Now we got runes and all sorts of things that I honestly don’t care about. I’m not reading this series for the complex magic systems. The romance portion fell super flat for me this time around. The insta-love from the first book really came back around to bite us in the butt because now apparently we are only left with petty, repetitive arguments yet constant horniness?

•Violet drove me nuts. She was a whiny, insecure, hypocrite and acted like a martyr the whole time. Her bad ass moments were still pretty cool, but otherwise she irritated me. It also annoyed me that she is apparently the only one capable of doing ANYTHING. All these powerful people yet she’s the smartest AND strongest of them all. Okay. And I get that it is probably supposed to be cute and romantic, but Xaden going from the brilliant leader and revolutionary he was in the first book to a Violet simp in the second was such a downgrade. Don’t even get me started on how lame the entire Cat storyline is�.

•The side characters really shone in this book and, along with the dragons, were a huge saving grace. I love the Fourth Wing squad. I also really liked the redemption arcs for a couple of characters that I expected to go more in the villain direction. Speaking of villains…Varrish is an excellent one!

•Part one was slow and repetitive, but ended on a huge high. Part two had some lows, but was a lot more interesting overall and the last fourth or so of the book was edge of your seat action! By the end, I was full invested and shed some tears. And, yeah, the cliff hanger made me scream. So despite all my gripes, I am a glutton for punishment and want more. When is book three??
]]> <![CDATA[When I'm Dead (Black Harbor, #3)]]> 65213515 One girl murdered. Another one missing. And a medical examiner desperate to uncover the truth in the latest Black Harbor mystery by acclaimed author Hannah Morrissey.

On a bone-chilling October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp investigates the death of her daughter’s best friend. Hours later, the tragedy hits even closer to home when she makes a devastating discovery—her daughter, Chloe, is gone. But, not without a trace.

A morbid mosaic of clues forces Rowan and her husband to question how deeply they really knew their daughter. As they work closely to peel back the layers of this case, they begin to unearth disturbing details about Chloe and her secret transgressions…details that threaten to tear them apart.

Amidst the noise of navigating her newfound grief and reconciling the sins of her past, an undeniable fact rings true for Rowan: karma has finally come to collect.]]> 320 Hannah Morrissey 1250872340 Ashley 3 botm, mystery
•Ģ�

•When I’m Dead is a popcorn mystery novel and a pretty good one! It’s not some deep, complex plot and you ’t take it too seriously, but these kind of mysteries are nice sometimes. It was an easy read, a good “whodunnit�, and it was perfect for Halloween season! (that’s when it takes place in the story)

•This book is part of the “Black Harbor� series. I wasn’t aware of this when I got the book, but from what I have gathered the series simply shares the location and some overlapping characters so they can all be read as stand alones. After reading this one, I didn’t feel like I needed to read the others to understand anything. I might pick them up at some point though because Black Harbor seems like a dreadful place full of interesting murders and crime to read about. ]]> 3.57 2023 When I'm Dead (Black Harbor, #3)
author: Hannah Morrissey
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/11/06
date added: 2023/12/10
shelves: botm, mystery
review:
“You’ll love me more when I’m dead.�

•Ģ�

•When I’m Dead is a popcorn mystery novel and a pretty good one! It’s not some deep, complex plot and you ’t take it too seriously, but these kind of mysteries are nice sometimes. It was an easy read, a good “whodunnit�, and it was perfect for Halloween season! (that’s when it takes place in the story)

•This book is part of the “Black Harbor� series. I wasn’t aware of this when I got the book, but from what I have gathered the series simply shares the location and some overlapping characters so they can all be read as stand alones. After reading this one, I didn’t feel like I needed to read the others to understand anything. I might pick them up at some point though because Black Harbor seems like a dreadful place full of interesting murders and crime to read about.
]]> The Woman in Me 63133205 The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.]]> 288 Britney Spears 1668009048 Ashley 4 real-life, audiobooks •a must for every Britney fan 3.83 2023 The Woman in Me
author: Britney Spears
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/03
date added: 2023/12/10
shelves: real-life, audiobooks
review:
•a must for every Britney fan
]]> The Ex Hex (The Ex Hex, #1) 56554626 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins, writing as Erin Sterling, casts a spell with a spine-tingling romance full of wishes, witches, and hexes gone wrong.

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride� scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two.

That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.

Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.]]> 308 Erin Sterling 006302747X Ashley 4 audiobooks
•perfect Halloween rom com

•fܲԲԲ!ձ> 3.46 2021 The Ex Hex (The Ex Hex, #1)
author: Erin Sterling
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/24
date added: 2023/12/09
shelves: audiobooks
review:
•Cuter than I expected

•perfect Halloween rom com

•fܲԲԲ!
]]> Drowning 59345230 New York Times bestselling author T. J. Newman—whose first book Falling was an instant #1 national bestseller and the biggest thriller debut of 2021—returns for her second book, an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a commercial jetliner that crashes into the ocean, and sinks to the bottom with passengers trapped inside, and the extraordinary rescue operation to save them.

Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors—but it’s too late. The plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside.

More than two hundred feet below the surface, engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are waist-deep in water and fighting for their lives.

Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team on the surface led by professional diver Chris Kent—Shannon’s mother and Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife—who must work together with Will to find a way to save their daughter and rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, which is now teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff.

There’s not much time.

There’s even less air.

With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family’s desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them—against impossible odds.]]> 304 T.J. Newman 1982177918 Ashley 3 audiobooks
•Super unlikable main characters. So annoying and hard to root for

•I feel like the movie will be better than the book in this instance]]> 4.10 2023 Drowning
author: T.J. Newman
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/10/13
date added: 2023/12/09
shelves: audiobooks
review:
•A weird mix of fast paced action and really boring technical jargon

•Super unlikable main characters. So annoying and hard to root for

•I feel like the movie will be better than the book in this instance
]]> <![CDATA[For You and Only You (You, #4)]]> 45730983
Thankfully, Wonder enters the picture. They have so much in common. No college degrees, no pretensions, no stories from prep school or grad school. Just a love for literature. If only Wonder could commit herself to the writing life they could be those rare literary soulmates who never fall prey to their demons. Wonder has a tendency to love, to covet, but Joe is a believer in the rule of fiction: If you want to write a book, you have to kill your darlings.

With her trademark satirical, biting wit, Caroline Kepnes explores why vulnerable people bring out the worst in others as Joe sets out to make this small, exclusive world a fairer place. And if a little crimson runs in the streets of Cambridge . . . who can blame him? Love doesn’t conquer all. Often, it needs a little push.]]> 448 Caroline Kepnes Ashley 4 audiobooks ]]> 3.27 2023 For You and Only You (You, #4)
author: Caroline Kepnes
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.27
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/11
date added: 2023/12/09
shelves: audiobooks
review:
Best You book since the first one IMO

]]> Kindred 60931 The visionary author’s masterpiece pulls us—along with her Black female hero—through time to face the horrors of slavery and explore the impacts of racism, sexism, and white supremacy then and now.

Dana, a modern Black woman, is celebrating her 26th birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana’s life will end, long before it has a chance to begin.]]> 288 Octavia E. Butler 0807083690 Ashley 4
•Ģ�

•Octavia E. Butler was truly ahead of her time! Kindred is part sci-fi and part historical fiction with social commentary on race and status that still applies to this day. If I had just picked it up randomly, I truly would’ve had no idea it was written in 1979. I’m curious if this book inspired Diana Gabaldon with Outlander at all because while very different, they also share a lot of similarities.

•Although I enjoyed this book, I did find myself disappointed with the time travel aspect. It was never explained in the slightest, the “rules� of it all made no sense, and it made an otherwise strong ending rather unsatisfying.

•I really ’t say that I liked Dana much, (the main character) mostly because I felt like she was compliant in a lot of bad behavior. I understand that she was most likely written that way intentionally to make a point, but she just let a lil too much go for my liking.

•This story isn’t long and the execution isn’t perfect, but it was very memorable. Butler didn’t shy away from the harsh realities of slavery. There are some extremely sad and brutal scenes. It’ll break your heart and definitely makes you wonder about the hidden horrors that might be hidden in your own ancestry.]]> 4.30 1979 Kindred
author: Octavia E. Butler
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1979
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/26
date added: 2023/12/09
shelves:
review:
“It was so easy to advise other people to live with their pain.�

•Ģ�

•Octavia E. Butler was truly ahead of her time! Kindred is part sci-fi and part historical fiction with social commentary on race and status that still applies to this day. If I had just picked it up randomly, I truly would’ve had no idea it was written in 1979. I’m curious if this book inspired Diana Gabaldon with Outlander at all because while very different, they also share a lot of similarities.

•Although I enjoyed this book, I did find myself disappointed with the time travel aspect. It was never explained in the slightest, the “rules� of it all made no sense, and it made an otherwise strong ending rather unsatisfying.

•I really ’t say that I liked Dana much, (the main character) mostly because I felt like she was compliant in a lot of bad behavior. I understand that she was most likely written that way intentionally to make a point, but she just let a lil too much go for my liking.

•This story isn’t long and the execution isn’t perfect, but it was very memorable. Butler didn’t shy away from the harsh realities of slavery. There are some extremely sad and brutal scenes. It’ll break your heart and definitely makes you wonder about the hidden horrors that might be hidden in your own ancestry.
]]> Remarkably Bright Creatures 58733693 Remarkably Bright Creatures, an exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.]]> 368 Shelby Van Pelt 0063204150 Ashley 4 4.35 2022 Remarkably Bright Creatures
author: Shelby Van Pelt
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/13
date added: 2023/12/09
shelves:
review:

]]> The Chestnut Man 41154336
A psychopath is terrorizing Copenhagen.

His calling card is a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts—which he leaves at each bloody crime scene. Examining the dolls, forensics makes a shocking discovery—a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago.

A tragic coincidence—or something more twisted?

To save innocent lives, a pair of detectives must put aside their differences to piece together the Chestnut Man’s gruesome clues.

Because it’s clear that the madman is on a mission that is far from over.

And no one is safe.]]> 519 Søren Sveistrup 0062895362 Ashley 5 thrillers, botm
•Ģ�

•The Chestnut Man was one of the first books I got from Book of the Month and has been sitting on my shelf since 2020. Why? Because of the hype for one…it was a hard one to go into with expectations in check. Also because if it’s length. Mystery thriller/horror books that are over 400 are usually way too dragged out and this one is over 500 pages! But much to my relief, The Chestnut Man delivered. It was terrifying, well written, and used every single one of those 500+ pages to keep me on the edge of my seat and guessing til the end!

•I honestly ’t remember the last time a serial killer creeped me out as much as the one in this book. The killer is smart and cruel. The crimes are ruthless and brutal. The Hannibal Lecter vibes were strong!

•The characters were well developed and I liked the way they were written. The inner dialogues were not always pleasant and sometimes straight up disturbing, but the little bits of info you gathered as you learned about each character was so perfect. You had people you trusted, people you were scared to trust, people you hated, people you sympathized with, but no matter how you felt about them, just about everyone felt suspicious at some point! The mind games are real!

•This was a book that kept an intense, page turning, pace, but was also not a book I could binge quickly. The content is so dark and haunting that I needed to take breaks. Although you get to see the perspective of terrible things happening to some terrible people, I really liked that at no point was that used as an excuse for the awful actions. No sympathy for the wicked here!

•This is a great read for spooky season or just any season in which case you want a scary mystery to solve. Read up on the content warnings if you’re the sensitive type!]]> 4.17 2019 The Chestnut Man
author: Søren Sveistrup
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2023/10/16
date added: 2023/10/26
shelves: thrillers, botm
review:
“Grief is love made homeless�

•Ģ�

•The Chestnut Man was one of the first books I got from Book of the Month and has been sitting on my shelf since 2020. Why? Because of the hype for one…it was a hard one to go into with expectations in check. Also because if it’s length. Mystery thriller/horror books that are over 400 are usually way too dragged out and this one is over 500 pages! But much to my relief, The Chestnut Man delivered. It was terrifying, well written, and used every single one of those 500+ pages to keep me on the edge of my seat and guessing til the end!

•I honestly ’t remember the last time a serial killer creeped me out as much as the one in this book. The killer is smart and cruel. The crimes are ruthless and brutal. The Hannibal Lecter vibes were strong!

•The characters were well developed and I liked the way they were written. The inner dialogues were not always pleasant and sometimes straight up disturbing, but the little bits of info you gathered as you learned about each character was so perfect. You had people you trusted, people you were scared to trust, people you hated, people you sympathized with, but no matter how you felt about them, just about everyone felt suspicious at some point! The mind games are real!

•This was a book that kept an intense, page turning, pace, but was also not a book I could binge quickly. The content is so dark and haunting that I needed to take breaks. Although you get to see the perspective of terrible things happening to some terrible people, I really liked that at no point was that used as an excuse for the awful actions. No sympathy for the wicked here!

•This is a great read for spooky season or just any season in which case you want a scary mystery to solve. Read up on the content warnings if you’re the sensitive type!
]]> How to Sell a Haunted House 59414094 Grady Hendrix takes on the haunted house in a thrilling new novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.

When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.

Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.

But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…]]> 419 Grady Hendrix 0593201264 Ashley 5 horror
•Ģ�

•How to Sell a Haunted House is a perfect spooky season read. Haunted house? Check. Tense family dynamic? Check. Jump scares and horrific scenes? Check check. The CREEPIEST of dolls? CHECK!

•The book starts a lil on the slow side, but in a good way. The environment gets set up, the characters get developed, and it gets you invested. The action comes around and when it does it is WILD.

•There are underlying themes of grief and familial trauma which lead to a surprisingly emotional conclusion.

•If you’re a fan of Child’s Play or Annabelle then I think you’ll enjoy this book and the terrifying dolls within it! ]]> 3.65 2023 How to Sell a Haunted House
author: Grady Hendrix
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/10/23
date added: 2023/10/26
shelves: horror
review:
“She cried because at last it hit her that time only moves in one direction, no matter how hard we wish it wasn’t so.�

•Ģ�

•How to Sell a Haunted House is a perfect spooky season read. Haunted house? Check. Tense family dynamic? Check. Jump scares and horrific scenes? Check check. The CREEPIEST of dolls? CHECK!

•The book starts a lil on the slow side, but in a good way. The environment gets set up, the characters get developed, and it gets you invested. The action comes around and when it does it is WILD.

•There are underlying themes of grief and familial trauma which lead to a surprisingly emotional conclusion.

•If you’re a fan of Child’s Play or Annabelle then I think you’ll enjoy this book and the terrifying dolls within it!
]]> Inherent Vice 5933841 Part noir, part psychedelic romp, all Thomas Pynchon - private eye Doc Sportello comes, occasionally, out of a marijuana haze to watch the end of an era as free love slips away and paranoia creeps in with the L.A. fog

It's been awhile since Doc Sportello has seen his ex-girlfriend, Shasta Fay. Suddenly out of nowhere she shows up with a story about a plot to kidnap a billionaire land developer whom she just happens to be in love with. Easy for her to say. It's the tail end of the psychedelic sixties in L.A., and Doc knows that "love" is another of those words going around at the moment, like "trip" or "groovy," except that this one usually leads to trouble. Despite which he soon finds himself drawn into a bizarre tangle of motives and passions whose cast of characters includes surfers, hustlers, dopers and rockers, a murderous loan shark, a tenor sax player working undercover, an ex-con with a swastika tattoo and a fondness for Ethel Merman, and a mysterious entity known as the Golden Fang, which may only be a tax dodge set up by some dodgy dentists.

In this lively yarn, Thomas Pynchon, working in an unaccustomed genre, provides a classic illustration of the principle that if you can remember the sixties, you weren't there . . . or . . . if you were there, then you . . . or, wait, is it . . .hang on. . .what]]> 369 Thomas Pynchon 1594202249 Ashley 0 to-read 3.79 2009 Inherent Vice
author: Thomas Pynchon
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Simple Wild (Wild, #1) 36373564 City girl Calla Fletcher attempts to reconnect with her estranged father, and unwittingly finds herself torn between her desire to return to the bustle of Toronto and a budding relationship with a rugged Alaskan pilot in this masterful new romance from acclaimed author K.A. Tucker.

Calla Fletcher was two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when her father reaches out to inform her that his days are numbered, Calla knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she ’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this new subarctic environment, Jonah—the quiet, brooding, and proud Alaskan pilot who keeps her father’s charter plane company operational—’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.

Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. As time passes, she unexpectedly finds herself forming a bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago.

It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.]]> 390 K.A. Tucker 1501133438 Ashley 5 favorites, audiobooks Calla Fletcher goes from the big city life to the Alaskan wilderness in an attempt to reconnect with her estranged father. She struggles as she deals with the culture shock, the difficulty of making up for lost time with the man who is more stranger than parent, the odd daylight hours, and the rude, yet very handsome, pilot who seems determined to give her a hard time.
I don’t read many romances because I have read a disappointing amount of them that were extremely boring/predictable or that used an unnecessary amount of explicit scenes to make up for a weak storyline. The Simple Wild is none of those things. It sucks you in with great dialogue, relatable characters, and a beautiful Alaskan setting that’ll fill your heart with wanderlust. The storyline is touching, romantic, funny, and heartbreaking! I am not ashamed to say I UGLY cried. I could go on for days about Calla and Jonah or many of the other characters, but I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say that Tucker is an incredible author. She brought these people and this landscape to life in a way I haven’t enjoyed for a while. I’d love to see this in movie form someday, but until then I will definitely be rereading this book for years to come. I also just found out that there will be a sequel so I am excited for that and to check out more of Tucker’s work.]]> 4.27 2018 The Simple Wild (Wild, #1)
author: K.A. Tucker
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2023/10/20
date added: 2023/10/20
shelves: favorites, audiobooks
review:
I loved this book so much I don’t know where to begin. It made me laugh, it made me want to go to Alaska, it made me swoon over “sky cowboys� and, boy, did it make me cry!
Calla Fletcher goes from the big city life to the Alaskan wilderness in an attempt to reconnect with her estranged father. She struggles as she deals with the culture shock, the difficulty of making up for lost time with the man who is more stranger than parent, the odd daylight hours, and the rude, yet very handsome, pilot who seems determined to give her a hard time.
I don’t read many romances because I have read a disappointing amount of them that were extremely boring/predictable or that used an unnecessary amount of explicit scenes to make up for a weak storyline. The Simple Wild is none of those things. It sucks you in with great dialogue, relatable characters, and a beautiful Alaskan setting that’ll fill your heart with wanderlust. The storyline is touching, romantic, funny, and heartbreaking! I am not ashamed to say I UGLY cried. I could go on for days about Calla and Jonah or many of the other characters, but I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say that Tucker is an incredible author. She brought these people and this landscape to life in a way I haven’t enjoyed for a while. I’d love to see this in movie form someday, but until then I will definitely be rereading this book for years to come. I also just found out that there will be a sequel so I am excited for that and to check out more of Tucker’s work.
]]> <![CDATA[Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories]]> 59892265 Fifteen original short stories from YA superstars, featuring Latine mythology’s most memorable monsters

From zombies to cannibals to death incarnate, this cross-genre anthology offers something for every monster lover. In Our Shadows Have Claws, bloodthirsty vampires are hunted by a quick-witted slayer; children are stolen from their beds by “el viejo de la bolsa� while a military dictatorship steals their parents; and anyone you love, absolutely anyone, might be a shapeshifter waiting to hunt.

The worlds of these stories are dark but also magical ones, where a ghost-witch can make your cheating boyfriend pay, bullies are brought to their knees by vicious wolf-gods, a jar of fireflies can protect you from the reality-warping magic of a bruja—and maybe you’ll even live long enough to tell the tale. Set across Latin America and its diaspora, this collection offers bold, imaginative stories of oppression, grief, sisterhood, first love, and empowerment.

Full contributor list: Chantel Acevedo, Courtney Alameda, Julia Alvarez, Ann Dávila Cardinal, M. García Peña, Racquel Marie, Gabriela Martins, Yamile Saied Méndez, Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, Claribel A. Ortega, Amparo Ortiz, Lilliam Rivera, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Ari Tison, and Alexandra Villasante.]]> 368 Yamile Saied Méndez 1643751832 Ashley 0 currently-reading, horror, ya 3.97 2022 Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories
author: Yamile Saied Méndez
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/16
shelves: currently-reading, horror, ya
review:

]]> Carrie Soto Is Back 123645534 Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.

By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning, British player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked the 'Battle-Axe' anyway. Even if her body doesn't move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells a story about the cost of greatness and a legendary athlete attempting a comeback.]]> 416 Taylor Jenkins Reid 0593158709 Ashley 0 to-read 4.25 2022 Carrie Soto Is Back
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)]]> 61431922 Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders...

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile� humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die]]> 665 Rebecca Yarros 1649374046 Ashley 5 fantasy A rider without their dragon is dead.�

•Ģ�

•I bought Fourth Wing strictly because I heard it involved dragons and because I was obsessed with the cover and sprayed edges. Shortly after I purchased it, it blew up on social media and I began to worry about it being completely overhyped. There were times when I debated selling my first edition copy for big bucks since they were suddenly considered rare, but I decided to keep it and read it and I’m so glad I did. Is it perfect? No. Is it great literature? No. Should the dragons be featured even more? Absolutely. But it IS a story that I found highly entertaining, page turning, spicy, exciting, and fun!

•Fourth Wing really felt like Hunger Games meets Harry Potter meets House of the Dragon. Violet definitely isn’t my favorite female protagonist, but I still liked her. Xaden is the exact type of dark and totally dreamy that I love in a love interest. Dain is�.ugh. Liam and Rhiannon are amazing side kicks. But most importantly…the dragons are amazing. I would die for Tairn and Andarna.

•I will say, it definitely threw me off the way Yarros wrote the language. I know it’s a fantasy world where the timeline is technically irrelevant, but it’d take me out of it when they used extremely modern terms and expressions. Like when Violet referred to herself as a hot mess…stop it. ]]> 4.56 2023 Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/09/22
date added: 2023/09/30
shelves: fantasy
review:
“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy.
A rider without their dragon is dead.�

•Ģ�

•I bought Fourth Wing strictly because I heard it involved dragons and because I was obsessed with the cover and sprayed edges. Shortly after I purchased it, it blew up on social media and I began to worry about it being completely overhyped. There were times when I debated selling my first edition copy for big bucks since they were suddenly considered rare, but I decided to keep it and read it and I’m so glad I did. Is it perfect? No. Is it great literature? No. Should the dragons be featured even more? Absolutely. But it IS a story that I found highly entertaining, page turning, spicy, exciting, and fun!

•Fourth Wing really felt like Hunger Games meets Harry Potter meets House of the Dragon. Violet definitely isn’t my favorite female protagonist, but I still liked her. Xaden is the exact type of dark and totally dreamy that I love in a love interest. Dain is�.ugh. Liam and Rhiannon are amazing side kicks. But most importantly…the dragons are amazing. I would die for Tairn and Andarna.

•I will say, it definitely threw me off the way Yarros wrote the language. I know it’s a fantasy world where the timeline is technically irrelevant, but it’d take me out of it when they used extremely modern terms and expressions. Like when Violet referred to herself as a hot mess…stop it.
]]> None of This Is True 62334530 Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she ’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?]]> 390 Lisa Jewell 1982179007 Ashley 3 thrillers
•Ģ�

•I have yet to really enjoy a Lisa Jewell novel. To me they are usually slow, long winded, predictable, and I struggle to finish them. None of This is True is the one I have enjoyed the most so far, but it was still pretty predictable and long winded. I did find it read easy and quickly though!

•It is hard to get into details of this one without spoilers, but to keep it vague I was highly annoyed with one main character and the other majorly gave me the ick. I also thought a lot of stupid/absurd things happened that I had to suspend my belief over.

•I think the ending will mostly either be loved or hated. I loved the first half of it and then hated the second half. It’s just the type of ending that annoys me personally, but I had a feeling it’d be that type of ending because of the title of the book.

•Predictability factor aside, I thought this book was written in a entertaining way and I flew through it. I’ve heard the audiobook is entertaining and I kind of wish I’d gone that route because I could see it being extra fun to read that way! ]]> 4.08 2023 None of This Is True
author: Lisa Jewell
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/09/08
date added: 2023/09/27
shelves: thrillers
review:
“And there it is, the point which it all boils down to eventually. The point where there are no words, no theories, no explanations for behaviors that baffle and infuriate and hurt. Just that. Men.�

•Ģ�

•I have yet to really enjoy a Lisa Jewell novel. To me they are usually slow, long winded, predictable, and I struggle to finish them. None of This is True is the one I have enjoyed the most so far, but it was still pretty predictable and long winded. I did find it read easy and quickly though!

•It is hard to get into details of this one without spoilers, but to keep it vague I was highly annoyed with one main character and the other majorly gave me the ick. I also thought a lot of stupid/absurd things happened that I had to suspend my belief over.

•I think the ending will mostly either be loved or hated. I loved the first half of it and then hated the second half. It’s just the type of ending that annoys me personally, but I had a feeling it’d be that type of ending because of the title of the book.

•Predictability factor aside, I thought this book was written in a entertaining way and I flew through it. I’ve heard the audiobook is entertaining and I kind of wish I’d gone that route because I could see it being extra fun to read that way!
]]> Meet Me at the Lake 61797464
At thirty-two, Fern's life doesn't look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern's back home, running her mother's Muskoka lakeside resort—something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend's the manager, and Fern doesn't know where to begin.

She needs a plan—a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern's going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern's not sure she wants to know what it is.

But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?]]> 336 Carley Fortune 0735243786 Ashley 3 romance
•Ģ�

•I enjoyed Carley Fortune’s first book, Every Summer After, so much that I had high expectations for Meet Me at the Lake. Those expectations proved to be too high and I was never able to connect with her follow up novel the same way. The more I look back on it since finishing, the less I like it.

•The book started off interesting, but quickly grew stale towards the middle.

•The main characters just weren’t it. She was boring, bland, and blah. He was a walking red flag and everything done to make him relatable just didn’t balance out the bad behavior for me. Yet I still somehow liked him more than the female MC.

•I loved the diary entries. They didn’t really add all that much to the story other than fleshing out my favorite character, Peter the baker, and making me wish the book was about the Mom because she sounded way more interesting than anyone else in this book.

•I also loved the setting! The lake resort sounds like a dream and the renovation aspect of the storyline was cool even though it basically got abandoned towards the end of the book.

•The ending fell super flat for me. It was extremely lack luster and gave me no romantic swoons.

•Although I was a lil disappointed with this one, I am still very much looking forward to Fortune’s next book. I appreciate how she seems to know exactly how to capture those summer loving vibes!]]> 3.66 2023 Meet Me at the Lake
author: Carley Fortune
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/09/04
date added: 2023/09/25
shelves: romance
review:
“He tastes like coffee and maple syrup and coming home after a long day.�

•Ģ�

•I enjoyed Carley Fortune’s first book, Every Summer After, so much that I had high expectations for Meet Me at the Lake. Those expectations proved to be too high and I was never able to connect with her follow up novel the same way. The more I look back on it since finishing, the less I like it.

•The book started off interesting, but quickly grew stale towards the middle.

•The main characters just weren’t it. She was boring, bland, and blah. He was a walking red flag and everything done to make him relatable just didn’t balance out the bad behavior for me. Yet I still somehow liked him more than the female MC.

•I loved the diary entries. They didn’t really add all that much to the story other than fleshing out my favorite character, Peter the baker, and making me wish the book was about the Mom because she sounded way more interesting than anyone else in this book.

•I also loved the setting! The lake resort sounds like a dream and the renovation aspect of the storyline was cool even though it basically got abandoned towards the end of the book.

•The ending fell super flat for me. It was extremely lack luster and gave me no romantic swoons.

•Although I was a lil disappointed with this one, I am still very much looking forward to Fortune’s next book. I appreciate how she seems to know exactly how to capture those summer loving vibes!
]]> <![CDATA[To Sir Phillip, with Love (The Bridgerton Series)]]> 61894348 My dear Miss Bridgerton,

We have been corresponding now for quite some time, and although we have never formally met, I feel as if I know you.

Forgive me if I am too bold, but I am writing to invite you to visit me. It is my hope that we might decide that we will suit, and you will consent to be my wife.

—Sir Phillip Crane

Sir Phillip Crane knew that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he’d proposed, figuring that she’d be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except� she wasn’t. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her� and more.

Did he think she was mad? Eloise Bridgerton couldn’t marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking� and wondering� and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except� he wasn’t. Her perfect husband wouldn’t be so moody and ill-mannered, and while Phillip was certainly handsome, he was a large brute of a man, rough and rugged, and totally unlike the London gentlemen vying for her hand. But when he smiled� and when he kissed her� the rest of the world simply fell away, and she couldn’t help but wonder� could this imperfect man be perfect for her?]]> Julia Quinn 1664726535 Ashley 5 audiobooks, romance 3.78 2003 To Sir Phillip, with Love (The Bridgerton Series)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at: 2023/09/06
date added: 2023/08/06
shelves: audiobooks, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4)]]> 110384
Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of everyone's preoccupation with the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can't seem to publish an edition without mentioning him in the first paragraph. But when Colin returns to London from a trip abroad he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same - especially Penelope Featherington! The girl haunting his dreams. But when he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide...is she his biggest threat - or his promise of a happy ending?]]> 370 Julia Quinn 0380820846 Ashley 4 romance 3.86 2002 Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/30
date added: 2023/08/01
shelves: romance
review:

]]> Upgrade 59838811 You are the next step in human evolution.

At first, Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything’s different. He just feels a little . . . sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep.

But before long, he ’t deny it: Something’s happening to his brain. To his body. He’s starting to see the world, and those around him—even those he loves most—in whole new ways.

The truth is, Logan’s genome has been hacked. And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy.

Worse still, what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large—at a terrifying cost.

Because of his new abilities, Logan’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion. But to have a chance at winning this war, he’ll have to become something other than himself. Maybe even something other than human.

And even as he’s fighting, he ’t help wondering: what if humanity’s only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution?

Intimate in scale yet epic in scope, Upgrade is an intricately plotted, lightning-fast tale that charts one man’s thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity—and our boundless potential.]]> 352 Blake Crouch 0593157532 Ashley 3 botm, sci-fi
•Ģ�
Read for a Black Mirror style sci-fi about genetic alterations.
•Ģ�

•Upgrade starts off at a fast pace and hooked me right away, but unfortunately it slowed down fairly quickly. A big portion of the book felt like nothing was happening.

•The story concept is interesting, but didn’t feel as unique and it was pretty straight forward. No good twists and turns in the story to keep me invested.

•The main character wasn’t an easy one to connect with. I understand part of that was because of what happens to him, but it was just so hard to care about him.

•This has easily been my least favorite book by Crouch so far. There was just nothing that really hooked me and kept me invested like his past work. I know I compared it to Black Mirror, but it mostly just compares in environment or to the later seasons of Black Mirror where it’s an interesting idea, but doesn’t really stick with you or make you think about it too much after finishing.]]> 3.77 2022 Upgrade
author: Blake Crouch
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/07/11
date added: 2023/08/01
shelves: botm, sci-fi
review:
"You ’t kill humanity to save humanity.�

•Ģ�
Read for a Black Mirror style sci-fi about genetic alterations.
•Ģ�

•Upgrade starts off at a fast pace and hooked me right away, but unfortunately it slowed down fairly quickly. A big portion of the book felt like nothing was happening.

•The story concept is interesting, but didn’t feel as unique and it was pretty straight forward. No good twists and turns in the story to keep me invested.

•The main character wasn’t an easy one to connect with. I understand part of that was because of what happens to him, but it was just so hard to care about him.

•This has easily been my least favorite book by Crouch so far. There was just nothing that really hooked me and kept me invested like his past work. I know I compared it to Black Mirror, but it mostly just compares in environment or to the later seasons of Black Mirror where it’s an interesting idea, but doesn’t really stick with you or make you think about it too much after finishing.
]]> She Started It 62292419 For fans of Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty, She Started It is a hot, twisty summer debut thriller about a group of young women whose Caribbean bachelorette party takes a sinister turn. It’s Lord of the Flies meets And Then There Were None...but with Instagram and too much prosecco.

The party of a lifetime is nothing like what they expected...

Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe are best friends—or were, as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven’t quite turned out as they’d hoped. Then one day they receive a wholly unexpected—but not entirely unwelcome—invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all to her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class plane ticket to three days of white sand, cocktails, and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas.

None of them has spoken to Poppy in years. But Poppy’s Instagram pics shows that the girl they used to consider the weakest link in their group has definitely made good—and made money. Curiosity gets the better of them. Besides, who can turn down a posh all-expenses-paid vacation on a Caribbean island?

The first-class flight and the island’s accommodations are just as opulent as expected...even if the scenic island proves more remote than they’d anticipated. Quite remote, in fact, with no cell service, and no other guests. The women quickly discover they’ve underestimated Poppy, and each other. As their darkest secrets are revealed, the tropical adventure morphs into a terrifying nightmare.

Endlessly twisty, sharply observant, and deliciously catty, She Started It is sure to shock readers until the very end.]]> 352 Sian Gilbert 0063286297 Ashley 4
•Ģ�
Read for a solid vacation thriller that is an entertaining mash up of And Then There Were None and Mean Girls
•Ģ�

•She Started It seems to be getting super mixed reviews and I’ll admit I’m rather surprised by that. Maybe I got lucky this time around by having my expectations in check, but I went into this one expecting a popcorn summer thriller about mean girl frenemies behaving murderously bad on a private island and that is exactly what I got. Sure it was nothing groundbreaking, but I was entertained!

•There are certain stories that call for an entirely unlikable cast and this is one of them! I hated every character and I was more than okay with that because as the drama unfolds, there’s no feeling bad. You just get to laugh along devilishly as bad things happen to bad people.

•The pacing wasn’t perfect, but it never lulled so much that I got bored or lost interest. I also didn’t have a problem differentiating between characters like some other readers did. I liked the multiple POVs and the way the heartbreaking diary entries were incorporated into the story.

•I would really love for this to become a movie or limited series with a cast full of gorgeous people that you love to hate on a beautiful tropical island. I think it’d be a hit. I can already see the trailer in my mind with Taylor Swift’s “Karma� playing ominously in the background. ]]> 3.56 2023 She Started It
author: Sian Gilbert
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/07/14
date added: 2023/08/01
shelves:
review:
“It all went wrong,� she says. I’m about to speak, but the bride isn’t finished. Her next words leave me cold. “She started it.�

•Ģ�
Read for a solid vacation thriller that is an entertaining mash up of And Then There Were None and Mean Girls
•Ģ�

•She Started It seems to be getting super mixed reviews and I’ll admit I’m rather surprised by that. Maybe I got lucky this time around by having my expectations in check, but I went into this one expecting a popcorn summer thriller about mean girl frenemies behaving murderously bad on a private island and that is exactly what I got. Sure it was nothing groundbreaking, but I was entertained!

•There are certain stories that call for an entirely unlikable cast and this is one of them! I hated every character and I was more than okay with that because as the drama unfolds, there’s no feeling bad. You just get to laugh along devilishly as bad things happen to bad people.

•The pacing wasn’t perfect, but it never lulled so much that I got bored or lost interest. I also didn’t have a problem differentiating between characters like some other readers did. I liked the multiple POVs and the way the heartbreaking diary entries were incorporated into the story.

•I would really love for this to become a movie or limited series with a cast full of gorgeous people that you love to hate on a beautiful tropical island. I think it’d be a hit. I can already see the trailer in my mind with Taylor Swift’s “Karma� playing ominously in the background.
]]> Long Bright River 43834909 Two sisters travel the same streets, though their lives couldn't be more different. Then, one of them goes missing.

In a Philadelphia neighborhood rocked by the opioid crisis, two once-inseparable sisters find themselves at odds. One, Kacey, lives on the streets in the vise of addiction. The other, Mickey, walks those same blocks on her police beat. They don't speak anymore, but Mickey never stops worrying about her sibling.

Then Kacey disappears, suddenly, at the same time that a mysterious string of murders begins in Mickey's district, and Mickey becomes dangerously obsessed with finding the culprit--and her sister--before it's too late.

Alternating its present-day mystery with the story of the sisters' childhood and adolescence, Long Bright River is at once heart-pounding and heart-wrenching: a gripping suspense novel that is also a moving story of sisters, addiction, and the formidable ties that persist between place, family, and fate.]]> 482 Liz Moore 0525540679 Ashley 4 botm, mystery
•Ģ�
Read for an modern day detective/crime mystery novel with an old school feel.
•Ģ�

•Long Bright River was definitely a different read than expected. It has a pretty good mystery at its center, but the heartbreaking story as a whole is what really makes it stick out. It’s also written in a beautiful and descriptive prose that you don’t usually come across in a mystery crime novel. This added to the length of the story which was most times appreciated, but other times felt very very long.

•While the opioid crisis and the ripple effect of addiction plays a huge part, the main character’s (Mickey) relationships (professional, familial, romantic, platonic, antagonistic, etc.) are at the center of the entire story. The way Mickey herself was written was often frustrating to me. I felt like she was way too naive and made way too many mistakes considering everything she’d been through. But I was able to suspend my belief and still enjoy the story because the overall connections between the characters and the way that everything unfolded kept me invested throughout!

•The unusual writing style made the physical copy a little difficult for me to follow at times, but I hopped between the physical book and the audiobook and overall enjoyed both. ]]> 4.03 2020 Long Bright River
author: Liz Moore
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/07/19
date added: 2023/08/01
shelves: botm, mystery
review:
“People with promise, people dependent, and depended upon, people loving and beloved, one after another, in a line, in a river, no fount and no outlet, a long bright of departed souls.�

•Ģ�
Read for an modern day detective/crime mystery novel with an old school feel.
•Ģ�

•Long Bright River was definitely a different read than expected. It has a pretty good mystery at its center, but the heartbreaking story as a whole is what really makes it stick out. It’s also written in a beautiful and descriptive prose that you don’t usually come across in a mystery crime novel. This added to the length of the story which was most times appreciated, but other times felt very very long.

•While the opioid crisis and the ripple effect of addiction plays a huge part, the main character’s (Mickey) relationships (professional, familial, romantic, platonic, antagonistic, etc.) are at the center of the entire story. The way Mickey herself was written was often frustrating to me. I felt like she was way too naive and made way too many mistakes considering everything she’d been through. But I was able to suspend my belief and still enjoy the story because the overall connections between the characters and the way that everything unfolded kept me invested throughout!

•The unusual writing style made the physical copy a little difficult for me to follow at times, but I hopped between the physical book and the audiobook and overall enjoyed both.
]]> Circe 35959740
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or with the mortals she has come to love.]]> 393 Madeline Miller 0316556343 Ashley 5 botm
•Ģ�

Read for a Greek lore retelling that covers a span of stories while revolving around one very tragic yet interesting witchy goddess.

•Ģ�

•I am loving mythical retellings these days. Circe is up there as one of the best I’ve read. So much lore is covered, but there’s also character development. Circe has her own voice and in telling her story, it felt more like an autobiography instead of just another rehashing of common stories.

•While I loved her involvements, both major and minor, with famous figures, Circe herself kept me turning the pages. I loved how flawed and imperfect she was. She was petty, cruel, and abused her power, but she was also tragic, abused, guileless, and desperate for love.

•Great ending that secured the 5 star rating for me! ]]> 4.22 2018 Circe
author: Madeline Miller
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2023/07/21
date added: 2023/08/01
shelves: botm
review:
“I must tell you, all my past is like today, monsters and horrors no one wants to hear.”�

•Ģ�

Read for a Greek lore retelling that covers a span of stories while revolving around one very tragic yet interesting witchy goddess.

•Ģ�

•I am loving mythical retellings these days. Circe is up there as one of the best I’ve read. So much lore is covered, but there’s also character development. Circe has her own voice and in telling her story, it felt more like an autobiography instead of just another rehashing of common stories.

•While I loved her involvements, both major and minor, with famous figures, Circe herself kept me turning the pages. I loved how flawed and imperfect she was. She was petty, cruel, and abused her power, but she was also tragic, abused, guileless, and desperate for love.

•Great ending that secured the 5 star rating for me!
]]> The Only One Left 62703226 At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope

Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer�I want to tell you everything.

“It wasn’t me,� Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead

As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.]]> 383 Riley Sager 0593183223 Ashley 5
•Ģ�

Read for a great gothic thriller with an ending that had me like “Wow. Sager really got me with that one.�

•Ģ�

•Even though I have read all of his books, I don’t really call myself a Riley Sager fan for reasons both petty and rational. I was not planning on picking up this book, but I am a sucker for creepy gothic homes and uncovering old crimes so I couldn’t resist! I am glad I gave it a shot because this might just be his best book yet.

•While we once again have a troubled female main character, this time she is actually well written. She was someone I could root for.

•The drama is unfolded slowly and a little bit repetitively, but small things are revealed with every repetition so it didn’t really bug me.

•The ending was a real humdinger. I was legit impressed because I was quite thrown. Well played, Sager, well played. ]]> 4.12 2023 The Only One Left
author: Riley Sager
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/07/23
date added: 2023/08/01
shelves:
review:
“But that’s not what you’re most curious about, is it? You want to know if I’m as evil as everyone says I am. The answer is no. And yes.�

•Ģ�

Read for a great gothic thriller with an ending that had me like “Wow. Sager really got me with that one.�

•Ģ�

•Even though I have read all of his books, I don’t really call myself a Riley Sager fan for reasons both petty and rational. I was not planning on picking up this book, but I am a sucker for creepy gothic homes and uncovering old crimes so I couldn’t resist! I am glad I gave it a shot because this might just be his best book yet.

•While we once again have a troubled female main character, this time she is actually well written. She was someone I could root for.

•The drama is unfolded slowly and a little bit repetitively, but small things are revealed with every repetition so it didn’t really bug me.

•The ending was a real humdinger. I was legit impressed because I was quite thrown. Well played, Sager, well played.
]]> Just Haven't Met You Yet 57070660 From the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year comes a heartwarming and hilarious tale that asks: What if you pick up the wrong suitcase in an airport, only to fall head over heels for its unseen owner?

Laura's business trip to the Channel Islands isn't exactly off to a great start. After unceremoniously dumping everything in her bag in front of the most attractive man she's ever seen in real life, she arrives at her hotel only to realize she's grabbed the wrong suitcase from the airport. Her only consolation? The irresistibly appealing contents of the case: a copy of her favorite book; piano music; and a rugged, heavy knit fisherman sweater only a Ryan Gosling lookalike could pull off. The owner of this suitcase is Laura's dream man--she's sure of it. Now, all she has to do is find him.

The mix-up seems written in the stars. After all, what are the odds that she'd find The One on the same remote island where her mom and dad had first fallen in love, especially as she sets out to write an article about their epic romance? Commissioning surly cab driver Ted to ferry her around seems like her best bet in both tracking down the mystery suitcase owner and retracing her parents' footsteps. And if beneath Ted's gruffness lies a wit that makes their cab rides strangely entertaining, so much the better. But as Laura's long-lost luggage soulmate proves difficult to find--and as she realizes that the love story she's held on a pedestal all her life might not have been that perfect--she'll have to rethink her whole outlook on love to discover what she really wants.]]> 371 Sophie Cousens 0593331524 Ashley 5 romance
�

Read for a rom com that manages to be both magical and realistic! ]]> 3.70 2021 Just Haven't Met You Yet
author: Sophie Cousens
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2021/12/27
date added: 2023/07/30
shelves: romance
review:
“Maybe love is simply a huge chain letter, passed down through the generations.�

�

Read for a rom com that manages to be both magical and realistic!
]]> Love, Theoretically 61326735
Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?]]> 389 Ali Hazelwood 1408725797 Ashley 5 botm, romance
•Ģ�

Read for a really fun, enemies to lovers in STEM romcom

•Ģ�

•Ali Hazelwood, you done it again. Love, Theoretically had me giggling, swooning, sighing longingly, fanning my face, and overall grinning like an idiot. It is right up there with The Love Hypothesis (my previous favorite of her books.)

•I enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters INSTANTLY. I enjoyed the use of tropes. I enjoyed the banter. The drama was done in a way that didn’t annoy me. The STEM/academia setting was utilized well and was actually really interesting. It was overall just a very good time!

•The spice was slow to appear, but when it finally showed up it was REAL spicy! ]]> 4.07 2023 Love, Theoretically
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/07/19
date added: 2023/07/21
shelves: botm, romance
review:
“In my fantasies, you allow me to keep an eye on you.� I feel his lips at my temple. “And when I really let go, I imagine that you let me take care of you, too.�

•Ģ�

Read for a really fun, enemies to lovers in STEM romcom

•Ģ�

•Ali Hazelwood, you done it again. Love, Theoretically had me giggling, swooning, sighing longingly, fanning my face, and overall grinning like an idiot. It is right up there with The Love Hypothesis (my previous favorite of her books.)

•I enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters INSTANTLY. I enjoyed the use of tropes. I enjoyed the banter. The drama was done in a way that didn’t annoy me. The STEM/academia setting was utilized well and was actually really interesting. It was overall just a very good time!

•The spice was slow to appear, but when it finally showed up it was REAL spicy!
]]> <![CDATA[Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment, #1)]]> 60784546 After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again�

All eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow wants to do is hold her family together. With a brother on the frontline forced to fight on behalf of the Gods now missing from the frontline and a mother drowning her sorrows, Iris’s best bet is winning the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

But when Iris’s letters to her brother fall into the wrong hands � that of the handsome but cold Roman Kitt, her rival at the paper � an unlikely magical connection forms.

Expelled into the middle of a mystical war, magical typewriters in tow, can their bond withstand the fight for the fate of mankind and, most importantly, love?

An epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.]]> 357 Rebecca Ross 1250857430 Ashley 0 to-read 4.14 2023 Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment, #1)
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons, #3)]]> 9408584
Sophie Beckett never dreamed she'd be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball—or that "Prince Charming" would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.

Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other—except, perhaps this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid's garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?

Alternate cover for ISBN 0380815583 / 9780380815586]]> 390 Julia Quinn Ashley 3 audiobooks, romance
•I liked the twist on the Cinderella trope, but it was sometimes a lil too on the nose.

•Benedict wasn’t as swoon worthy for me as the other Bridgerton men, but he was funny!

•Sophie is a darling and I ’t wait to see her represented on the show! ]]> 3.89 2001 An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons, #3)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2023/06/21
date added: 2023/06/30
shelves: audiobooks, romance
review:
•My least favorite of the series so far, but it was still quite enjoyable.

•I liked the twist on the Cinderella trope, but it was sometimes a lil too on the nose.

•Benedict wasn’t as swoon worthy for me as the other Bridgerton men, but he was funny!

•Sophie is a darling and I ’t wait to see her represented on the show!
]]> Before She Finds Me 62874038 In this shocking thriller, two unlikely mothers race to uncover the truth behind a horrific attack—even after it becomes clear that the truth will destroy one of their families.

Julia Bennett has worked hard to create a stable life for her daughter, Cora, in Southern California. So when Cora leaves for college, the worst thing Julia expects on move-in day is an argument with her ex-husband and his new wife. But a sudden attack leaves the campus stunned—and only Julia’s quick actions save Cora’s life. Shaken in the aftermath, and haunted by a dark secret, Julia starts to wonder: What if the attack wasn’t as random as everyone believes?

Newly pregnant Ren Petrovic has an unusual career—she’s a trained assassin, operating under a strict moral code. Ren wasn’t on campus that day, but she knows who was: her husband, Nolan. What she doesn’t know is why Nolan has broken their rules by not telling her about the job in advance. The more Ren looks into the attack, the more she begins to question: Who really hired Nolan? And why did one woman in the crowd respond so differently from all the rest?

Julia and Ren each want answers, but their searches quickly pit them against each other. One woman is a hired killer, but the other is a determined survivor. And both mothers will defend their families to the bitter end.
]]> 352 Heather Chavez 0316531359 Ashley 3
•Ģ�

Read as two mothers, one an assassin and the other a survivor, try to solve the mystery of a deadly attack.


•Ģ�

•Big thanks to @mulhollandbooks and @novelsuspects for my advanced copy of Before She Finds Me!

•Before She Finds Me starts off in the action and got me hooked from the start. One of the narrators, Julia, is in the midst of the action and the other, Ren, is a literal assassin. Unfortunately, things slow down rapidly. The narrators became less interesting to me the more I learned about them. Julia has a past so that apparently gives her a ridiculously unbelievable amount of instincts and skills. Ren is basically a robot. All the side characters are unlikable and/or jerks.

•I feel like I could’ve gotten over the flat characters if the pacing had stayed fast. It slowed down so so much. I really struggled through the read.

•I liked the ending overall, but I found it pretty predictable. I was mostly just ready to be done by the time I finally made it there.
]]> 3.77 2023 Before She Finds Me
author: Heather Chavez
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/06/19
date added: 2023/06/30
shelves:
review:
"Shield the innocent. Kill the guilty. Defend the family.�

•Ģ�

Read as two mothers, one an assassin and the other a survivor, try to solve the mystery of a deadly attack.


•Ģ�

•Big thanks to @mulhollandbooks and @novelsuspects for my advanced copy of Before She Finds Me!

•Before She Finds Me starts off in the action and got me hooked from the start. One of the narrators, Julia, is in the midst of the action and the other, Ren, is a literal assassin. Unfortunately, things slow down rapidly. The narrators became less interesting to me the more I learned about them. Julia has a past so that apparently gives her a ridiculously unbelievable amount of instincts and skills. Ren is basically a robot. All the side characters are unlikable and/or jerks.

•I feel like I could’ve gotten over the flat characters if the pacing had stayed fast. It slowed down so so much. I really struggled through the read.

•I liked the ending overall, but I found it pretty predictable. I was mostly just ready to be done by the time I finally made it there.

]]> <![CDATA[Yours Truly (Part of Your World, #2)]]> 61918816 A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match.

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin�-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass� scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,� and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she ’t refuse.]]> 416 Abby Jimenez 1538704390 Ashley 4
•Ģ�

Read for a cute romcom with fake dating and love letters ]]> 4.29 2023 Yours Truly (Part of Your World, #2)
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/27
date added: 2023/06/30
shelves:
review:
“We are a mosaic. We’re made up of all those we’ve met and all the things we’ve been through. There are parts of us that are colorful and dark and jagged and beautiful. And I love every piece of you. Even the ones you wish didn’t exist.�

•Ģ�

Read for a cute romcom with fake dating and love letters
]]> They Wish They Were Us 48717442 A murder mystery set against the backdrop of an exclusive prep school on Long Island.

In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems.

Freshman year Jill's best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.

Now, it's Jill's senior year and she's determined to make it her best yet. After all, she's a senior and a Player--a member of Gold Coast Prep's exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill's year. She's sure of it.

But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham's innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.]]> 336 Jessica Goodman 0593114299 Ashley 3 audiobooks, ya
•interesting enough concept that kept me reading it

•It had some dark stuff, but overall VERY YA

•I figured out whodunnit very quickly ]]> 3.47 2020 They Wish They Were Us
author: Jessica Goodman
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2023/06/18
date added: 2023/06/18
shelves: audiobooks, ya
review:
•It was fine. Super slow and left me feeling pretty meh.

•interesting enough concept that kept me reading it

•It had some dark stuff, but overall VERY YA

•I figured out whodunnit very quickly
]]> The Last Word 61767163 No Exit and Hairpin Bridge.

Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her golden retriever Laika, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. Her only human contact is her enigmatic old neighbor, Deek, and (via text) the house’s owner, Jules.

One day, she reads a poorly written—but gruesome—horror novel by the author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with none other than the author himself. Soon after, disturbing incidents start to occur at night. To Emma, this ’t just be a coincidence. It was strange enough for this author to bicker with her online about a lousy review; could he be stalking her, too?

As Emma digs into Kane’s life and work, she learns he has published sixteen other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. But who is he? How did he find her? And what else is he capable of?]]> 337 Taylor Adams 0063222892 Ashley 5
•Ģ�

Read for an author vs reviewer thriller!

•Ģ�

•I loved this book. I loved the premise. I loved the pacing. I loved the setting. I loved the twists on twists on twists. I really loved the dog. My new favorite Taylor Adams book for sure!

•I really enjoyed the meta humor of this book. Adams did a great job of poking fun and both authors and readers alike.

•I could see some people hating the ending, but I personally loved it. Some things I figured out, but I mostly got gotten and I always love that!

•Don’t take this one too seriously and just enjoy the ride!

•Semi-spoiler, but one I am glad I read because I was STRESSED: The dog does not die. Don’t worry!]]> 3.67 2023 The Last Word
author: Taylor Adams
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/05/31
date added: 2023/06/12
shelves:
review:
"Opinions are like assholes, the saying goes, and the internet has millions of both.�

•Ģ�

Read for an author vs reviewer thriller!

•Ģ�

•I loved this book. I loved the premise. I loved the pacing. I loved the setting. I loved the twists on twists on twists. I really loved the dog. My new favorite Taylor Adams book for sure!

•I really enjoyed the meta humor of this book. Adams did a great job of poking fun and both authors and readers alike.

•I could see some people hating the ending, but I personally loved it. Some things I figured out, but I mostly got gotten and I always love that!

•Don’t take this one too seriously and just enjoy the ride!

•Semi-spoiler, but one I am glad I read because I was STRESSED: The dog does not die. Don’t worry!
]]> <![CDATA[Part of Your World (Part of Your World, #1)]]> 58684524
While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere� ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she ’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

The New York Times bestselling author of Life's Too Short delivers a refreshingly modern fairy tale perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Emily Henry.]]> 389 Abby Jimenez 1538704374 Ashley 4 audiobooks, romance
•Had those Hallmark vibes, but felt modern and sexy too!

•Love me the city girl in a small town trope!

•Bonus points for the cute dog!]]> 4.26 2022 Part of Your World (Part of Your World, #1)
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/26
date added: 2023/06/12
shelves: audiobooks, romance
review:
•A little long and drug out, but still super duper cute.

•Had those Hallmark vibes, but felt modern and sexy too!

•Love me the city girl in a small town trope!

•Bonus points for the cute dog!
]]> <![CDATA[The Duke and I (Bridgertons, #1)]]> 110391 Librarian note: See alternate cover editions here and here.

The Duke and I is a romance set in the Regency era.

In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable� but not too amiable.

Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.

Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.

The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule...]]> 384 Julia Quinn 0380800829 Ashley 4 audiobooks, romance
•Books are better than the show and I love the show

•The family dynamics between the Bridgertons is absolutely adorable. Loved it.

•Daphne’s naïveté was so cute and sweet although I did feel bad for her at times.

•It did feel a bit long in parts, but overall, it was great!]]> 3.80 2000 The Duke and I (Bridgertons, #1)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/27
date added: 2023/06/12
shelves: audiobooks, romance
review:
•okay I get the hype now

•Books are better than the show and I love the show

•The family dynamics between the Bridgertons is absolutely adorable. Loved it.

•Daphne’s naïveté was so cute and sweet although I did feel bad for her at times.

•It did feel a bit long in parts, but overall, it was great!
]]> <![CDATA[The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2)]]> 861326 1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, this author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London's most elusive bachelor, who has shown no indication that he plans to marry.
And in truth, why should he? When it comes to playing the consummate rake, nobody does it better...
—Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1814

But this time, the gossip columnists have it wrong. Anthony Bridgerton hasn't just decided to marry—he's even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended's older sister, Kate Sheffield—the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate is the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams...

Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbands—and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate is determined to protect her sister—but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony's lips touch hers, she's suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself...]]> 480 Julia Quinn Ashley 5 audiobooks, romance
•Anthony and Kate have my whole heart.

•The chemistry was off the charts. The longing was so sweet. I loved that we got to see so much more of their relationship than we got in the show.

•The sisterly relationship was so sweet too!]]> 3.98 2000 The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2023/05/28
date added: 2023/06/12
shelves: audiobooks, romance
review:
•LOVED THIS ONE

•Anthony and Kate have my whole heart.

•The chemistry was off the charts. The longing was so sweet. I loved that we got to see so much more of their relationship than we got in the show.

•The sisterly relationship was so sweet too!
]]> The Last Ranger 63249808 🎧9 hours

The best-selling author of The River returns with a lush and vivid mystery set in Yellowstone National Park where a skirmish between a local hunter and a wolf biologist turns violent, and a park ranger, facing his own personal demons, sets out to determine what really happened.


Ren is a park ranger, tasked with duties both mundane and thrilling: breaking up fights at campgrounds, saving tourists from moose attacks, and attempting to broker an uneasy peace between the wealthy vacationers who tromp around with cameras and the locals who want to carve out a meaningful living amid this western landscape.

When Ren discovers his friend Hilly, a biologist and wolf expert, nearly dead in the steel jaws of a wolf trap, he hopes it’s just an accident, but the small red ribbon tied to the stake makes him fairly certain that it wasn’t. What begins as an inquiry into a known poacher soon opens into the discovery of a local group of ranchers who have formed an alliance at odds with both the park and with Ren’s responsibility to protect it.

Rife with surprising humor, populated by a cast of extraordinary characters, each drawn to Yellowstone for their own reasons, Peter Heller once again mines the rich vein where our very human impulses play out against the stunning beauty of the natural world.]]> 287 Peter Heller 0593535111 Ashley 0 to-read 3.70 2023 The Last Ranger
author: Peter Heller
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Advika and the Hollywood Wives]]> 61918820 A page-turning tale of marriage, scandal, and fame, perfect for readers of Taylor Jenkins Reid: “The glitz and underlying darkness of Hollywood make for a setting as complex and compelling as Ramisetti's characters . . . rings with insight—and with heart� (Meena Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author).

At age 26, Advika Srinivasan considers herself a failed screenwriter. To pay the bills and keep her mind off of the recent death of her twin sister, she’s taken to bartending A-list events, including the 2015 Governors Ball, the official afterparty of the Oscars. There, in a cinematic dream come true, she meets the legendary Julian Zelding—a film producer as handsome as Paul Newman and ten times as powerful—fresh off his fifth best picture win. Despite their 41-year age difference, Advika falls helplessly under his spell, and their evening flirtation ignites into a whirlwind courtship and elopement. Advika is enthralled by Julian’s charm and luxurious lifestyle, but while Julian loves to talk about his famous friends and achievements, he smoothly changes the subject whenever his previous relationships come up. Then, a month into their marriage, Julian’s first wife—the famous actress Evie Lockhart—dies, and a tabloid reports a shocking stipulation in her will. A single film reel and $1,000,000 will be bequeathed to “Julian’s latest child bride� on one condition: Advika must divorce him first.
Shaken out of her love fog and still-simmering grief over the loss of her sister—and uneasy about Julian’s sudden, inexplicable urge to start a family—Advika decides to investigate him through the eyes and experiences of his exes. From reading his first wife’s biography, to listening to his second wife’s confessional albums, to watching his third wife’s Real Housewives-esque reality show, Advika starts to realize how little she knows about her husband. Realizing she rushed into the marriage for all the wrong reasons, Advika uses the info gleaned from the lives of her husband’s exes to concoct a plan to extricate herself from Julian once and for all.]]> 373 Kirthana Ramisetti 1538709279 Ashley 3
•Ģ�

Read for a Hollywood romance gone wrong story.

•Ģ�

•I love Hollywood stories, but, sadly, Advika and the Hollywood Wives just didn’t do it for me.

•My biggest problem is Advika. She’s a difficult character
to connect with & I wanted to connect with her so badly! She is a screenwriter who doesn’t write, doesn’t accept constructive criticism on what she has written, is not a good friend, is not a good daughter, constantly wallows in self pity, and uses her sister’s death as an excuse for all of it. I understand that grief is process, but it’s also not an excuse to be a jerk. Her shallow connections with the other characters was annoying, but even more so after she just becomes weirdly obsessed and bonds with her husband's exes after not even googling them for months.

•Advika's relationship with Julian was poorly structured. To me, she came across as total gold digger which sucked. I wanted to believe they had a genuine bond that would make the ridiculously large age gap make sense. But other than the first night the whole "romance" felt forced. Like Advika was convincing herself to be with him. I understand the dynamic they were going for with that, but it came across as her being shallow more than it came across as him being controlling. If the love felt more genuine then it would have made the mystery much more intriguing!

•The mystery portion of "the wives" held a lot of potential, but fell flat. Julian was a jerk, but never really feels like the ultimate villain. Moreso just feels like a man of his times. (Not an excuse for bad behavior, obviously, but I was expecting much worse.) There were some weird loose ends that never got addressed, but my biggest issue was with the "twist" ending. I HATED it.

•I know I have a lot of gripes with this read, but that is mostly because I am frustrated by the execution. I appreciate the themes that Ramisetti was trying to get across, especially with talented women who have been forced out of the spotlight by men who simply had more power, but I feel like the story just got too muddled to let the good messages come through.]]> 3.13 2023 Advika and the Hollywood Wives
author: Kirthana Ramisetti
name: Ashley
average rating: 3.13
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/05/26
date added: 2023/06/07
shelves:
review:
"You’re not Rapunzel, you know. Stranded in a tower. You have autonomy.�

•Ģ�

Read for a Hollywood romance gone wrong story.

•Ģ�

•I love Hollywood stories, but, sadly, Advika and the Hollywood Wives just didn’t do it for me.

•My biggest problem is Advika. She’s a difficult character
to connect with & I wanted to connect with her so badly! She is a screenwriter who doesn’t write, doesn’t accept constructive criticism on what she has written, is not a good friend, is not a good daughter, constantly wallows in self pity, and uses her sister’s death as an excuse for all of it. I understand that grief is process, but it’s also not an excuse to be a jerk. Her shallow connections with the other characters was annoying, but even more so after she just becomes weirdly obsessed and bonds with her husband's exes after not even googling them for months.

•Advika's relationship with Julian was poorly structured. To me, she came across as total gold digger which sucked. I wanted to believe they had a genuine bond that would make the ridiculously large age gap make sense. But other than the first night the whole "romance" felt forced. Like Advika was convincing herself to be with him. I understand the dynamic they were going for with that, but it came across as her being shallow more than it came across as him being controlling. If the love felt more genuine then it would have made the mystery much more intriguing!

•The mystery portion of "the wives" held a lot of potential, but fell flat. Julian was a jerk, but never really feels like the ultimate villain. Moreso just feels like a man of his times. (Not an excuse for bad behavior, obviously, but I was expecting much worse.) There were some weird loose ends that never got addressed, but my biggest issue was with the "twist" ending. I HATED it.

•I know I have a lot of gripes with this read, but that is mostly because I am frustrated by the execution. I appreciate the themes that Ramisetti was trying to get across, especially with talented women who have been forced out of the spotlight by men who simply had more power, but I feel like the story just got too muddled to let the good messages come through.
]]> <![CDATA[Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World (Aristotle and Dante, #2)]]> 56980548 Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, two boys in a border town fell in love. Now, they must discover what it means to stay in love and build a relationship in a world that seems to challenge their very existence.

Ari has spent all of high school burying who he really is, staying silent and invisible. He expected his senior year to be the same. But something in him cracked open when he fell in love with Dante, and he ’t go back. Suddenly he finds himself reaching out to new friends, standing up to bullies of all kinds, and making his voice heard. And, always, there is Dante, dreamy, witty Dante, who can get on Ari’s nerves and fill him with desire all at once.

The boys are determined to forge a path for themselves in a world that doesn’t understand them. But when Ari is faced with a shocking loss, he’ll have to fight like never before to create a life that is truthfully, joyfully his own.

The highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed, multiple award-winning novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is an achingly romantic, tender tale sure to captivate fans of Adam Silvera and Mary H.K. Choi.]]> 516 Benjamin Alire Sáenz 153449619X Ashley 2
•Dante is hardly present and when he is, he’s being really immature. So disappointing

•The first book was so beautifully written and felt so lyrical. This one felt like he was trying to recapture the magic and failing. Soooo repetitive!

•The times were sometimes really jarring in the first book because of the homophobia and cruelty, but in this one it felt too modern. Everyone in this rough neighborhood is suddenly totally cool with all this queerness?

•The ending was way too cheesy. It just didn’t fit imo. ]]> 4.11 2021 Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World (Aristotle and Dante, #2)
author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
name: Ashley
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2023/05/22
date added: 2023/06/07
shelves:
review:
•Huge let down from the first book

•Dante is hardly present and when he is, he’s being really immature. So disappointing

•The first book was so beautifully written and felt so lyrical. This one felt like he was trying to recapture the magic and failing. Soooo repetitive!

•The times were sometimes really jarring in the first book because of the homophobia and cruelty, but in this one it felt too modern. Everyone in this rough neighborhood is suddenly totally cool with all this queerness?

•The ending was way too cheesy. It just didn’t fit imo.
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